Traditional Braaibroodjies – South African Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Toasties

Our Golden Brown, BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe For Braai Day (South African Version)

One of the most well-known South African recipes – Braaibroodjies, known as the South African twist on grilled cheese sandwiches and BBQ toasties is an oozy, gooey grilled cheese sandwich made with grated cheese or cheese slices, sliced tomato and onions. The bread on the outside is lightly toasted and golden brown from a quick grilling over hot coals. These golden-brown tomato and onion sandwiches grace the traditional South African barbecue, known as braai, as a delightful side dish. If you are new to our website or new to Braai we`ve written a blog post that explains what is braai and we encourage you to read up some more.

South African Barbecue Bread Perfect For Heritage Day

At Lets Braai, and for most South Africans every day is Braai Day. We always find a reason to fire up our grills and indulge in cooking our favourite foods. But Every year on the 24th of September South Africans celebrate National Heritage Day also known as braai day. Ask anyone who loves a South African braai and they will tell you: “A braai is not a braai without grilled cheese and tomato braaibroodjies” So like most braai lovers we make them as often as we can when we braai, but we especially make them for Braai day year in and year out.

With no exception, we love braaibroodjies at the Let’s Braai HQ 😊

Heritage day origins

Every year On the 24th of September, South Africa celebrates National Heritage Day. South Africans are encouraged to celebrate their diversity, heritage, culture, and roots. Various are always staged throughout South Africa to commemorate this day and braaibroodjies are undeniably part of the celebrations.

It is also a South African public holiday known as ‘National Braai Day’. In 2005, a campaign created by Jan Scannell, known as ‘Jan Braai’, ‘renamed’ the bank holiday as National Braai Day in recognition of the South African culinary tradition of holding braais. Cooking on an open fire is an activity that unites everyone. On 5 September 2007, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, was made the National Spokesperson for Braai Day. He said: “There are so many things that are pulling us apart,” and “this has a wonderful potential to bring us all together…. We have 11 different official languages but only one word for the wonderful institution of braai…”. He also said: “This is something that can unite us. It is so proudly South African, so uniquely South African”.

So, let’s celebrate and Let’s braai!

braaibroodjies-south-african-grilled-cheese-sandwiches toasties

Traditional South African Grilled Cheese and Tomato Braaibroodjies Recipe, The Lets Braai Way

Everyone loves braaibroodjies, this great recipe is ridiculously easy to make and they are packed with flavours: melted cheese, tomato, onions, and chutney! Our recipe serves four people but it can easily be adjusted to accommodate any uninvited latecomers at your next braai.

Prep Time 10 Mins Makes 4 Golden Brown Braaibroodjies South African grilled cheese Sandwiches Toasties

Braaibroodjie Ingredients

• 8 bread slices
• Butter (You may use salted or unsalted butter)
• Chutney (if you don’t like chutney you can substitute it with apricot jam)
• Cheddar cheese (sliced or grated)
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 onion ( You can use white or red onions. For best results use raw onions)
• Salt and pepper (A South African BBQ grilled sandwich loves freshly ground black pepper!)

Building Your Braaibroodjies

1. Start building the braaibroodjies by spreading butter on one side of each slice of bread. Those sides will be outward-facing on the braai. This helps with browning and prevents sticking to the grill.
2. Sliced your onions into rings very thinly and repeat with the tomatoes.
3. Place half the bread slices butter side down and spread chutney on them, then distribute evenly with all the cheese, tomatoes, and onions on the top.
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Cover with the remaining bread slices, buttered side facing upwards.
6. Then the braaibroodjies are braaied and should be turned often to get a golden colour
7. Once done serve immediately and enjoy! 😊

Now that we shared our recipe, here are a few tips that you will find helpful:

What bread can you use

Braaibroodjies can be prepared using either white or brown bread, but traditionally, white bread is preferred. In our household, we also opt for white bread, particularly toastie thick sliced white bread or even super toastie (extra thick).

The Chutney

Considering the chutney, it can’t be any chutney! Go for Mrs Balls chutney, another South African institution which you can widely find in the UK in stores and online.

Tomato and Onion

Instead of slicing the onions and tomatoes, you can also dice them and mix them together in a small bowl with the chutney. Season with salt and pepper and evenly distribute over the cheese. You can also add garlic for extra flavour.

Its All About The Cheese

Calling all cheese lovers! We love Cheddar cheese, you can also use Mozzarella or Emmental cheese which melt nicely. Remember, how well a cheese melts depends on its fat content. A full fat cheese will melt much better than low-fat.

Making Perfect Braaibroodjies Everytime

As mentioned previously, the braaibroodjies should be turned often so we highly recommend you use a closed and hinged braai grid/basket. If you don’t have one, get one. You will use it not only for this South African Grilled Cheese Sandwich but also to grill meat, fish, seafood and much more. A grid basket is a great and versatile accessory for all your braai (for me, it’s a must-have!). Preferably, get one with adjustable heights so you can compress each unit perfectly. I also recommend you open and close your hinged braai grid or rooster a few times after the first few turns so the braaibroodjies don’t get stuck to the grid.

Go For Medium low Heat coals

And now the fire! You want a medium heat and the grid on your braai should be relatively high. Many braai the bread at the end, after the meat. Your main goal is for the cheese to melt and all other fillings to be completely heated by the time the outside of the sandwiches are golden brown. The last thing you want is for the sandwiches to blacken before the cheese has had the time to melt. When both sides are browned evenly and the cheese is fully melted, it is time to serve and enjoy!

Choose The Right Wood

The fire temperature is key here, so we strongly recommend you use a high -quality fuel source for your braai. At Let’s Braai, we stock Kameeldoring, Sekelbos, Rooikrans and Mopane firewood. Our African hardwood is derived from sustainable resources and is Ready to Burn certified (accreditation by Woodsure).

Have you tried sweet braaibroodjies?

Treat the kids with a sweet variation! A friend of ours made did this and our girls absolutely loved it, was

very yummy and a great treat at the end of the meal.

Replace the fillings with a chocolate spread on both sides (inside) and place marshmallows in the middle.

Same as our cheesy recipe, you will need to butter the outward facing sides as this helps with browning and prevents sticking to the grill.

Don’t forget the coals should be slightly cooler or put the grid higher to prevent the braaibroodjies from burning. Watch them very carefully and turn frequently!

Enjoy 😉!