50 BEST BRAAI RECIPE TIPS

Looking for innovative twists on your favourite South African recipes? We’ve collected 50 top braai recipe tips from Megamaster fans (submitted as part of our #24DaysOfHeritage campaign) to help turn your average Sunday afternoon braai into an Mzansi braai extravaganza – dessert included.

BOEREWORS ROLL RECIPE TIPS

• I use tortilla wraps (instead of rolls) and make breakfast wraps with boerewors, scrambled egg, spicy baked beans and Bhisto.
  – Johann W de Bruyn
• To make sure your boerewors stays juicy, don’t leave it too long on the coals. Smear mustard or chutney on the roll, put the boerewors in and cover with onion, mushroom, Peppadew and chilli smoortjie (sambal).
  – Joanie Jacobs

Find our full raita sambal boerewors roll braai recipe here.

BEEF POTJIE RECIPE TIPS

• I always put some sweet red wine in my potjie together with chutney, chilli, bay leaves, garlic and veg.
  – Jina Jardim Moniz
• Add some milk stout, red wine and a cup of Coca Cola to that potjie for a delicious flavour!
  – Wyona Landman

Find our full beef potjie recipe here.

FISH BRAAI RECIPE TIPS

• On the braai, lay fish down on a few slices of lemons. This will enhance the flavour of the fish and stop it from sticking to the grid.
  – Martin Craig Jewell
• I make a tamarind fish curry with amadumbe (taro) tips. I use tomato purée, roasted fish masala, curry leaves and seedless tamarind. Place in 1/2 cup water to make a tamarind juice. Roast fenugreek, cumin seeds and mustard seeds in a pan, then cool and dry grind. Add to tomato purée with masala whilst cooking. Amadumbe thickens the gravy and adds more flavour. Serve with rice.
  – Sue Kahn
  
• Treat your tastebuds to a spicy, delicious and healthy grilled fish for your next braai. For a wonderful marinade of aromatics, combine citrus, ginger, garlic, onions and chillies. The Indian flavours and spices that penetrate deep into the fish make it juicy and succulent on the inside and beautifully charred on the outside. Serve with a side of crisp potato chips/wedges, a coriander mint chutney and fresh lemon.
  – Nevash

Check out foodie and author Naqiyah Mayat’s braaied masala fish recipe here.

BOBOTIE RECIPE TIPS

• Use venison mince for a more gamey flavour.
  – Miles Gee
  
• Add a bit of chilli to spice it up and then spoon into pancakes for some sweet bobotie pancakes.
  – Bradwyn Davids
• My mouthwatering spiced bobotie pockets are a guaranteed hit. Simply prepare bobotie as desired, spoon teaspoons of the mixture into phyllo pastry and place into a muffin tin. Bake until golden.
  – Gresham Madhan
  
• We like to make mini boboties: take a muffin pan and line with pastry. Add mince mixture, spoon egg and milk mixture on top, add a piece of bay leaf and bake (you can even bake in a kettle braai). If you want to be fancy use phyllo pastry. Serve with veg or salad.
  – Paul Johnston
  
• Add a smoker box to the Crusade 3 Burner Patio Gas Braai with peach wood chips – these will give anything you smoke a sweet and fruity flavour. As traditional bobotie has jam in it, I think this twist will cater for that as well.
  – Bradley Adonis

Find food blogger Ichumile Mpumlwana’s shrimp and chorizo brunch bobotie recipe here.

BARBECUE CHICKEN WINGS RECIPE TIPS

• For a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, mix apricot jam, soy sauce, ground ginger and cayenne pepper.
  – Boitumelo Hapygift Louw
  
• I make a masala marinade with ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, cumin powder, vinegar, oil, honey and salt. The honey is a must and brings all the flavours together beautifully. I marinade my wings in a plastic bag which helps to lock in all the flavours and tenderises the chicken.
  – Jenny Haripersad

Want to try award-winning chef Bertus Basson’s chicken wings with basting sauce? Find his full braai recipe here.

BUNNY CHOW RECIPE TIPS

• Add sour milk when marinating the meat for the curry – it softens the meat. Add extra gravy to the bunny to avoid drying out on the inside, and add extra salad for a more satisfying taste.
  – Selanie Pillay
  
• I turn a bunny chow into a platter with a few sides. I also use pork as my main protein and then I add honey and ginger to add a bit of sweetness to my curry.
  – Emma Worst
  
• Add a can of diced tomatoes with warm spices and beans. This quick bunny dish is the perfect go-to for cosy evenings.
  – Deekay Grootboom
  
• My spin is to add some cooked lentils to the curry during the cooking process. This will make the curry sauce go further and adds more flavour. It also makes it easier for your bunny chow to be filled with loads of gravy, which is a must. For the authentic taste and appreciation of a genuine bunny chow, it has to be accompanied by some pickles, vinegar, chillies and carrot salad. NB: to get that real bunny experience, you must eat with your hands!
  – Melantheran Samuel Naidoo

Find our full bunny chow braai recipe here.

SUNDAY ROAST RECIPE TIPS

• A Sunday roast has to have duck fat roasted potatoes, southern fried onion rings, roasted vegetables and a beetroot, feta and peach salad with a honey mustard dressing.
  – Dawn Wallenkamp
• The perfect Sunday lamb roast: rub roast with oil, salt and pepper to taste. Put roast in pot and put some fresh rosemary or thyme on top of roast. Put 2 cups of warm water in as well. Put lid on and braai for 2 hours on mild coals until tender. Pour 2 cups of Greek or Italian salad sauce over roast. Turn a few times until the whole roast is covered with the dressing. Braai until tender - take lid off so the roast browns.
  – Joanie Jacobs

Find foodie and author Naqiyah Mayat’s tasty chicken rotisserie recipe here.

BRAAI BROODJIE RECIPE TIPS

• Banana on bread was a childhood favourite for me and I still often make myself a banana sarmie. What I enjoy doing is slicing the banana and placing it inside some tinfoil, then I add a dash or two of brandy to the banana, seal my banana parcel and pop it onto the fire for one minute, remove from the heat and serve with vanilla ice cream and – last but not least – drizzle with some ice cap.
  – Vincent de Villiers
  
• My braai broodjie is definitely not traditional. We make cones with puff pastry, fill with tomato pesto, biltong, mushrooms and loads of mozzarella cheese. Roll in foil and place in the Megamaster braai to melt and warm through.
  – Pieter Veldman
  
• Dip the bread in egg and make a “braaied French broodjie”.
  – David Britany
  
• A few pieces of Milky Bar chocolate adds some extra indulgence.
  – Aneesa Lahree Mitha

Find our full braai broodjie recipe here.

PUMPKIN FRITTER RECIPE TIPS

• For those that like their pumpkin fritters spicy, add chilli flakes, paprika or chilli powder with some coriander and spring onions. Once you have fried the pumpkin fritters, place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil
  – Raheema Osman
  
• Use sweet potato instead of pumpkin and bake in a muffin pan
  – Celeste Brown

Find our full pumpkin fritter braai recipe here.

POTATO SALAD RECIPE TIPS

• When your meat is done after a braai, drizzle some leftover marinade over your potato salad. Not too much; just a little. It will add a whole new dimension to your potato salad.
  – JP Le Roux
  
• Substitute half of the potatoes for sweet potatoes. Add finely chopped hardboiled eggs, chopped gherkins and a tablespoon of mixed herbs to your mayonnaise. For a healthy option, substitute half of the mayonnaise for smooth fat-free cottage cheese.
  - Madelein Nicholson
  
• Parsley makes a huge difference in taste. It’s also makes the salad look more appealing.
  – Jean Kell
  
• I add garlic butter and chopped fresh coriander to my potato salad. I also always add avocado to my braai to make it a healthier meal.
  – Kubashnie Sheik Amod

Find our full potato salad recipe here.

CHAKALAKA RECIPE TIPS

• I make my own chakalaka and serve it over my beef stew. I add green peppers, carrots, onions, tomatoes, chilli peppers, red bell peppers, garlic, sweet chilli chutney, salt and pepper.
  - Michelle Van Rooyen
• Making chakalaka is a long process, especially the chopping up all the ingredients. But once the manual labour is out the way, it is simply frying your garlic, onion, peppers, grated carrot, shredded cabbage, crushed garlic and chilli and broccoli in oil. Then add your peeled tomatoes (chopped into cubes), salt, pepper and curry paste to taste. Cook until all those flavours have had a good chance to communicate. I like to add baked beans in tomato sauce to this mixture and then let it stand.
  - Bev Clarke

Wondering what to serve your chakalaka with? Check out our braai recipe for chakalaka with pork and steamed bread.

VETKOEK RECIPE TIPS

• Bake your vetkoek using the Crusade Series 4 Burner Patio Gas Braai and add wood chips for a nice smoky flavour.
  – Bradley Adonis
  
• Vetkoek can be very dense on the inside. For crispy on the outside and soft and hollow on the inside, roll out the dough in one long worm before cutting it into pillows. Now you’ll have perfect vetkoek every time.
  – Lee Van Schalkwyk

Find our jalapeño mince vetkoek braai recipe here.

MOPANE WORMS RECIPE TIPS

• Give your mopane worms a fusion twist. Lightly marinate in herbs and spices and add a stick of halloumi. Then coat in panko bread crumbs or twist kataifi pastry around them and fry, then serve with sweet chilli sauce.
  – Bilkish
• I love making peri-peri mopane worms. Wash and boil, drain then add paprika and salt. I serve with pap and relish.
  – Renuka Lallbahadur
  
• I have tried mopane worms twice in my life. Once as a dried snack out of a brown paper bag – crunchy but no specific taste. Second time was in a mopane stew with pap and it was cooked in a peanut butter sauce – strange to look at and definitely an acquired taste but quite nice. If you play around you can come up with plenty of culinary mopane ideas. I’m thinking if you brush the mopane worms with a hot sauce and toss it in brown sugar then bake it in the oven, it can be a replacement for sticky spicy bacon.
  – Johann W de Bruyn
  
• I soak my mopane worms for 30 minutes, then fry them and transfer them into a cooked tomato gravy.
  – Kamogelo Mahlako Maleka

Keen to experiment with mopane worms? Try our mopane quiche and mopane flapjacks.

PAPIZZA RECIPE TIPS

• To make a gourmet paptert, top with green figs and Camembert.
  – Jeanette Ras
• A few years ago, I was listening to a radio drama (“Gepiekel”) and a woman on the show made a jam with crab apples and rhubarb. I found a variant of it: rhubarb and ginger preserve. I have been experimenting with it on pizza because it’s very nice with cheese! I add a few tablespoons on top just before topping off with cheese.
  – Bevan van der Merwe

Find our full braaied papizza recipe here.

MILK TART RECIPE TIPS

• I recommend rooiboi-infused milk tart spring rolls!
  – Busisiwe Boo-Cee Ndaba
• Try adding rooibos teabags teabags when you make your milk tart.
  – Renuka Lallbahadur
  
• Add Caramel Treat to your milk tart filling and then scoop it over crushed Tennis Biscuits. Milk tart with crunch and served in a glass.
  – Fabian Gentle

Find our recipe for creamy milk tart pot bread here.

PEPPERMINT CRISP TART RECIPE TIPS

• Serve your peppermint crisp ice cream tart in sugar cones, dusted with crushed peppermint crisp and a hint of lavender.
  – Tiaan Smith
• I use Orley Whip instead of regular cream. It makes it creamier and can last longer out of the fridge.
  - Marisca Le Roux
• Make with mascarpone cheese and serve in shooter glasses. No alcohol, just a mouthful of peppermint crisp tart.
  – Ciske Carstens

Find foodie and author Naqiyah Mayat’s peppermint crisp s’mores recipe here.

TRIFLE RECIPE TIPS

• My trifle is made with Turkish Delight pieces and rose water to elevate the taste. It’s a trifle out of this world.
  – Jean Kell
• Instead of whipped cream, I add chocolate mousse, ice cream or custard to my trifle.
  - Ree Phore
  
• I love using Woolies’ caramel swiss rolls as the base of my trifle.
  – Aneesa Lahree Mitha
  
• My avant-garde trifle is made with cream cheese instead of whipped cream, making the dessert decadent and delicious!
  – Lee Van Schalkwyk

Check out food stylist and cooking show host Caro Alberts twist on trifle here.