Braai Recipes: Must-Have Dishes for South African Barbecues

 The dishes that make a braai a braai — plus the golden, gooey braai broodjie that steals the show every single time.

By K.B. Shivuri · The Seasoned HearthFeatured: Braai BroodjiesPrep: 15 minServes: 4

A braai is not a barbecue. It is a whole afternoon, a gathering of people, a slow ritual around the fire that South Africans of every background hold dear. And at the heart of it is the food — smoky, generous, and gloriously simple. Whether you are hosting your first braai or your fiftieth, there are a handful of dishes that simply must appear on the grid.

Here is your complete must-have braai menu, from the boerewors to the sides — and a full recipe for the braai broodjie, the toasted sandwich that quietly outshines everything else on the fire. Let me walk you through it.

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

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The Must-Have Braai Dishes

Boerewors

The undisputed king of the braai. Our spiced beef coil sausage, cooked over medium coals and turned gently — never pierced — until juicy and just cooked through. No braai is complete without it.

Sosaties

Marinated lamb skewers threaded with apricots and onion, sticky and sweet from an overnight Cape Malay marinade. A little effort the day before, a lot of reward on the day.

Lamb chops and steak

Simply seasoned with salt, pepper and maybe a little braai spice, cooked over hot coals to your liking. Good meat needs very little help.

Peri-peri braai chicken

Chicken pieces marinated in tangy, spicy peri-peri and grilled slowly so the skin crisps and the flesh stays juicy. Baste often for the best results.

Braai broodjies

The unsung hero — toasted sandwiches of cheese, tomato, onion and chutney, grilled golden in a hinged grid. The full recipe is below, and it will disappear faster than anything else.

The sides

Braaied mielies (corn on the cob), a foil-wrapped potato bake, garlic bread, and cool sides like chakalaka, pap and a crisp green salad round out the table.

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What You Will Need

For the Braai Broodjies

• White bread slices8
• Butter, softenedfor spreading
• Grated cheddar cheese2 cups
• Tomatoes, thinly sliced2
• Onion, thinly sliced1
• Fruit chutney4 tbsp
• Salt and black pepperto taste

How to Make Braai Broodjies — Step by Step

Step 1 — Build the sandwiches

1. 1
   Butter the outer sides of all the bread slices — this is the side that will toast against the coals and go golden.
2. 2
   On the unbuttered sides, layer cheese, tomato and onion, and spread a little chutney. Season well with salt and pepper, then close the sandwiches.

Step 2 — Braai to golden

1. 3
   Clamp the sandwiches into a hinged braai grid, buttered sides facing out.
2. 4
   Braai over medium coals for about 5 minutes each side, turning often so they toast evenly, until golden and the cheese has melted. Serve hot.

Broodjies over cooler coalsBraai broodjies burn easily, so cook them over medium or dying coals — not the fierce heat you would use for meat. Turn them often and be patient. Many braai masters make them last, once the coals have calmed down.

The Seasoned Hearth tip — read your coalsYour coals are ready when they are glowing and covered in grey ash, not flaming. Hold your hand a hand's width above the grid: if you can keep it there for only 2–3 seconds, that is hot coals for meat; 4–5 seconds is medium, perfect for broodjies and chicken.

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Building Your Braai Menu

• The mains — boerewors, sosaties, chops or steak, and peri-peri chicken.
• The hero side — braai broodjies, always.
• The warm sides — braaied mielies, potato bake, garlic bread.
• The cool sides — chakalaka, pap, green salad, tomato-and-onion.
• To finish — a simple malva pudding or a platter of fruit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What food do you need for a braai?

A classic braai includes boerewors, a meat like chops or steak, often sosaties or chicken, braai broodjies, and sides such as pap, chakalaka, mielies and salad. Start with the wors and build from there.

What is a braai broodjie?

A braai broodjie is a South African toasted sandwich — cheese, tomato, onion and chutney between buttered bread — grilled in a hinged grid over the coals until golden. It is a much-loved braai staple.

How do I know when the coals are ready?

Wait until the flames have died down and the coals glow with a coating of grey ash. Flaming coals will burn the outside of your food before the inside cooks. Patience at this stage makes all the difference.

Can I braai indoors or without a fire?

You can recreate many braai dishes on a griddle pan or under an oven grill. You will lose the smokiness, but boerewors, chops, chicken and even broodjies (in a sandwich press) all work well indoors.

Fire Up the Coals

A great braai is really about the people around the fire — the food is just the happy excuse. Get these must-haves on the grid and let the afternoon take care of itself.

— K.B. Shivuri, The Seasoned Hearth