December in South Africa. It’s not just a month; it’s a lifestyle. It’s also the best time for togetherness with family and friends, many of whom you may not have seen in a while. So you want to make it super special. And when it comes to braaing for groups of people, you want to be prepared for a variety of tastes and dietary requirements. To help see you through the festive season, we’ve rounded up our best braai recipes – designed to take care of breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.
Need a braai to cook up this festive season storm? For those who enjoy experimenting and need to cater for large, diverse groups, our new 6 Burner Gourmet Plus Patio Gas Braai With Side Burner will be just up your alley. Also check out our range of Charcoal Grills and Smokers if you’ve been considering upping your smoking game. For any extra items you might need, browse our braai accessories and outdoor range.
Before you get going, here are our hacks to make cooking for a crowd a joy:
BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH BRAAI RECIPES
1. Mushroom on Eggs with Bacon and Pork Sausages
If you’re still only firing up your braai in the evening, you’re missing out. An outdoor breakfast around the braai is the perfect way to get the fam’s festive season spirit started. This recipe is our twist on a traditional English Breakfast, and can be adapted to suit vegetarians – simply leave out the bacon and pork sausages.
Top Tip: Fruit lovers in the fam? Throw some halved grapefruits on the braai – their natural sugar will caramelise and up the flavour.
Find our Mushroom on Eggs recipe here.
2. Flavourful Flapjacks
Many of us think of flapjacks as a treat so we tend to forgo them as a breakfast or brunch option. But if there’s one time of the year where you can indulge in a treat for breakfast, it has to be the festive season. Make them savoury with ham and cheese or sweet with strawberries and cream – it’s up to you.
Top Tip: Heard of the mini flapjacks cereal trend? Watch this video.
Find our Flavourful Flapjacks recipe here.
3. Ichumile Mpumlwana’s Shrimp Chorizo Brunch Bobotie
For the late risers, we bring you food blogger Ichumile Mpumlwana’s fresh spin on South Africa’s traditional bobotie. Light enough that everyone won’t end up feeling too lazy to go on that family hike, and hearty enough to keep them going all the way up the mountain.
Top Tip: Don’t have the right kind of pan for this recipe? Check out our 260 Enamel Round Pan.
Find Ichumile’s Shrimp Chorizo Brunch Bobotie recipe here.
LUNCH BRAAI RECIPES
1. Joshua Na Die Reën’s Sesame Grilled Trout
This one will go down especially well with fans of the SA crooner. Joshua Na Die Reën joined us a while back for our “Cooking With Friends of Megamaster” series, hosted by Leon Gropp. He shared his secrets to braaing the perfect trout, plus his signature fresh summer salad.
Top Tip: Get into the mood by watching Joshua and Leon cover “Wake Me Up” here.
Find Joshua’s Sesame Grilled Trout recipe here and watch the video below.
2. Spinach, Bacon and Feta Braai Broodjies
Looking for something quick, light and satisfying? Braai broodjies hit the spot every time. We’ve experimented a little with the usual cheese and tomato recipe by creating a spinach, bacon and feta toastie. For vegetarians, simply opt for no bacon.
Top Tip: Health fanatics in your group? Replace white bread with multigrain or rye, and use olive oil instead of butter on the outside of the bread slices.
Find our Spinach, Bacon and Feta Braai Broodjie recipe here.
3. Chicken Fajita on Skewers
Best for families on the go or with hungry kids to feed, our new series of Quick Braai Recipes lets you whip up tasty, easy braai recipes in 30 minutes or less. This one starts as chicken skewers and ends up in the form of a delicious fajita with guacamole and tsatsiki.
Top Tip: For a low carb option, serve with cauliflower rice or salad instead of a roti.
Find our Chicken Fajita on Skewers recipe here and watch the video below.
DINNER BRAAI RECIPES
1. Orange and Honey Glazed Ham
Make this your Christmas dinner main and you’ll have happy guests all round. It’ll take around two hours to prepare and cook, so make sure you plan ahead.
Top Tip: For ultimate festive menu impact, pair with Caro Alberts’s Malva Pudding and Milk Tart Trifle as dessert.
Find our Orange and Honey Glazed Ham recipe here.
2. Grilled Aubergines
Great as a starter or side dish, this Grilled Aubergines dish is one of our most popular braai recipes ever! Festive season braaing naturally comes with a lot of meat on the menu, so when you need a break from all that protein, these veggies with garlic and feta will do the trick.
Top Tip: Turn into a light meal by serving with quinoa, salad, and crusty sourdough bread drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Find our Grilled Aubergines recipe here.
3. Pork Rib-Eye Steaks With Stokbrood
This is a wonderful recipe for getting the whole family involved. Kids can collect sticks from the garden or around the campsite for the stokbrood. They can also roll the dough out and wrap it around the sticks. Best of all, this recipe will only take you 25 minutes from start to finish!
Top Tip: It’s easy to overcook this premium meat so use a meat thermometer to monitor temperature if you can.
Find our Pork Rib-Eye Steaks With Stokbrood recipe here and watch the video below.
Need a few more braai tips to make cooking your way through the festive season even easier? Check out our 10 Top South African Braai Tips & Hacks.