Abstract One type of meat preservation is making jerky by using various types of seasoning ingredients from nature. Meat jerky is very popular with people in the market. Most jerky currently on the market is generally made from beef, and very little jerky comes from buffalo meat because buffalo meat contains coarse and hard fibres that are less preferred by consumers. Besides containing various antioxidant components that benefit health, buffalo meat is relatively cheaper than beef. Therefore, the use of papain enzyme can improve the quality of meat jerky. This is due to the peptide components of dipeptides, tripeptides and polypeptides. Using papain enzyme can also improve the quality of buffalo meat jerky, crispy and tender. In this research, using 10% of papain could increase the content of peptides and amino acids in buffalo meat. Finally, it is expected that consumers will prefer jerky and will be able to increase the income of entrepreneurs and breeders. This research can also support government programs on national food independence and security through meat diversification products in the form of fulfilling consumption of animal protein sources, which are very beneficial for human health.