With Heritage Day around the corner and brighter (warmer) weather in the wings, it’s time to dust off the braai and fire up some flavour-packed feasts. However, while the braai is a quintessential South African tradition, most of us could do with a few pointers when it comes to maxing out every aspect of this summer staple. (Yeah, even the grill masters themselves).
We combed our archives and pored through the latest science to give you game-changing tips that’ll help you strike the balance between health, taste and gains. Read on for our handpicked rules to ensure flame-grilled perfection every time.
Rule #1: Make Everything More Tender
A great marinade can save even the most subpar cuts, but there are even simpler ways to enhance flavour and keep things juicier and more tender. Ever tried brining? Submerging your meat in water enriched with salt and sugar helps season the flesh from the inside, plumping it up with moisture. Follow our quick tips for bringing the brining to your braai-side dining:
How Long Should You Brine?
It all comes down to the cut and density of the protein. Smaller items like shell-on prawns or thin fish fillets only need about 20–30 minutes to take on flavour and moisture. Medium cuts like pork chops, chicken pieces or steaks benefit from 1 to 2 hours in a brine to tenderise without becoming mushy. Larger, denser proteins – think a whole chicken or pork shoulder – require a much longer soak, ideally overnight (8 to 12 hours), to let the salt penetrate deep into the muscle fibres.
READ MORE: Your Go-To Recipe for Braaied Snoek This Festive Season
No time for a full brine? There’s a quick fix: use a dry brine. Sprinkle a coarse, flaky salt like Maldon generously over the meat a few hours before grilling. The salt draws out moisture, dissolves on the surface, and then reabsorbs, seasoning the protein from within while also improving texture and juiciness.
BRAAI-SIDE SCIENCE: Salt changes the structure of muscle proteins, allowing them to retain more water during cooking. That’s why a properly brined cut of meat comes off the braai juicier, more tender and better seasoned.
Rule #2: Spice Up Your Seasonings
There’s no faster way to bring flavour to your grilled food than by using a spice rub. Start with three basic ingredients: Maldon salt, brown sugar and black pepper. Cumin, chilli powder, and cayenne are classics, but get adventurous with ground fennel seed for pork, cracked coriander on meaty fish like tuna or snoek and chipotle chilli powder for steaks. Our favourite braai spice of all, smoky Spanish paprika, for everything from chicken thighs to sweet potatoes.
Want to blend together a better mix; try this office favourite from Men’s Health US:
Mocha Brown Sugar Rub
In a medium bowl, combine: 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 30g ground coffee, 2 Tbsp Kosher salt, 1½ tsp chilli powder, 2 Tbsp grated dark chocolate and 1½ tsp ground anise seed. You’ll get a rich, deep (and slightly sweet) flavour, and the chocolate helps your mix stick to your cuts.
READ MORE: 5 Power Proteins You Should Slap on the Braai Tonight
Rule #3: Make Your Salads Sizzle
If you’re only firing up the braai for chops, steaks and chicken, you’re leaving a lot of flavour in the tank. Cooking over an open flame doesn’t just sear meat – it also concentrates natural sugars in fruits and vegetables, caramelising them into smokey, nutrient-packed sides.
- Go Beyond Meat: Charred mushrooms, blistered peppers, roasted mielies and even grilled fruit add depth, antioxidants and fibre to your plate – all while keeping calories in check. Think of it as a way to turn a simple salad into a flavour bomb.
- Rethink the Side Dish: Ditch the chips and oily broodjies and load up on protein-led salads. Grilled chicken, tuna or lean cuts of beef pair perfectly with fresh produce, healthy fats (like nuts or avocado) and tangy dressings. The result? A meal that delivers protein for muscle repair, slow-release carbs for energy and micronutrients for recovery.
BRAAI-SIDE SCIENCE: When veg meets high heat, certain phytonutrients (like lycopene in tomatoes) actually become more bioavailable – meaning your body can absorb them better.
Rule #4: Where There’s Smoke There’s Flavour
Grill marks on your food add great flavour, but nothing beats the savoury depth of smoke. For more depth with minimal effort, add a packet of wood chips to your current braai setup.
- First, soak the wood chips in hot water for 30 minutes. Then wrap the soaked chips in a foil packet poked with holes so the smoke can escape.
- Place the foil packet directly over the coals or flames just before you start. Then add your protein and cook, keeping the Weber lid closed to lock in the smoke.
Rule #5: Make Your Own Sauce Code
Sauces are game changers, capable of lifting grilled protein to new heights. Skip the ones at the shop (usually packed full of sugar and other pesky additives) and whip up your own – you’ll shelve calories and maintain flavour. Here’s a quick sauce from the MH archives you can put together STAT:
You’ll need: 1 onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp curry powder, 175ml olive oil, 200ml Worcestershire sauce, 250ml tomato sauce (we like all All Gold), 2 tsp salt and a couple chillies to bring the heat.
READ MORE: Level Up Your Braai with These High-Quality Grills and Tools
Place your ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour the contents into a pot and bring them the boil and let ’em simmer. Check in and stir regularly to ensure everything is cooking evenly. Slather your chosen protein in your homemade sauce and let in marinade for a full 24.
BRAAI-SIDE HACK: Use your sauce for marinating and dipping. And if your sauce has any sweetness, don’t dress your cuts until the last 10 minutes of braai time to avoid burning.
