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The toasted sandwich that quietly outranks the meat. Every ingredient from your local supermarket, chutney included.
By The Braaimate. Updated July 2026.
Difficulty: Easy. Makes: 4 broodjies. Prep: 15 minutes. On the fire: about 15 minutes.
At every braai there is a moment when the chops are resting and someone slides the broodjie grid over the dying coals, and that is the moment everyone actually came for. The good news for the homesick: this braaibroodjies recipe translates almost perfectly. Australian white bread toasts beautifully, the cheddar here is excellent, and the only real debate left is onion or no onion. (Onion. Obviously.)
The one ingredient worth planning for is the chutney. Woolworths runs a South African range in its international aisle where Mrs Balls often lives, though stock varies from store to store, so check the shelf or ring ahead before you build your whole afternoon around it. No chutney to hand? We cover what to use instead in our South African ingredient substitutes guide.
Table of Contents
Braaibroodjies with Australian ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Butter the outside of every slice. Not the inside. This is what turns the grid marks golden instead of black.
- Build each sandwich: cheese first so it grips the bread, then tomato, then onion, then a proper smear of chutney. Season with salt and pepper and close it up.
- Clamp the sandwiches into a hinged braai grid. A simple toastie grid does the job if you do not have the real thing.
- Cook over dying coals, never over flames. Turn often, every minute or so, until both sides are golden and the cheese has completely melted. Around 15 minutes.
- Rest for a minute, cut on the diagonal, and serve while the meat is resting.
Notes
Grid stand-in
OZtrail deep grill basket
The hinged broodjie grid of your youth is hard to find in Australian shops. This is the nearest local relative: non-stick enamel-coated steel with deep sides and a 700 mm wooden handle that keeps your knuckles well away from the coals. OZtrail pitches it for burgers and steaks, and it earns its keep on anything that might otherwise fall through the grill.
The rules that actually matter
Coals, not flames. This is the whole game. Flames scorch the outside long before the cheese melts, and you end up with a black sandwich that is cold in the middle. Wait for the fire to die down to glowing coals, then cook low and patient.
Butter the outside. Said twice on purpose. Butter on the outside crisps and colours. Butter on the inside just makes the bread soggy.
Do not overfill. A broodjie that will not close is a broodjie that falls into the fire. Be generous, but keep it shut.
Onion, yes. Thinly sliced so it softens in the heat. Thick onion stays raw and fights you. This is the one hill worth dying on.
The chutney question
A braaibroodjie without chutney is just a cheese toastie with ideas above its station. Mrs Balls is the classic for a reason: sweet, tangy, a little spiced. If your shop is out, or you have not found the South African aisle yet, a good fruity chutney or a mango chutney will carry you through until you do. The full list of swaps lives in our substitutes guide, which is the page every homesick cook ends up bookmarking.
Make it your own
The classic is tomato, onion, cheese and chutney, and you should make that first. Once it is in your hands, a few upgrades are fair game. A pinch of chilli flakes for people who like a bit of heat. A rasher of streaky bacon for a version that will not survive contact with a nutritionist. A sharper vintage cheddar if you want more bite. What you do not do is add so much that the grid will not close. A braaibroodjie is a discipline, not a free-for-all.
Cheese and bread for the best braaibroodjies recipe
Use plain white sandwich bread, sliced medium, and a cheese that melts without turning to oil. A tasty or vintage cheddar from any Australian supermarket does the job. Grate it rather than slicing it, because grated cheese melts faster and fills the gaps, so the middle is hot by the time the outside is golden. Skip fresh sourdough and anything with a thick, hard crust. It will not seal at the edges, and the filling will slide out onto the coals.
Tomato is the other thing that can sink you. Slice it thin and pat it dry on a paper towel first, or the juice makes the bread soggy before it ever reaches the fire. If you are cooking for a crowd, our braai side dishes page has more ideas that can be made from the same supermarket trip.
Braaibroodjies without a braai
No fire today? You can still get close. A sandwich press does it in about four minutes. A heavy frying pan over medium heat takes roughly three minutes a side, with a plate or a second pan pressed on top. In the oven, bake them at 200 degrees Celsius for about ten minutes, turning once. These are our own working times, so go by colour and melt, not the clock.
You will miss the smoke, and nothing fixes that. If you have the coals going anyway, the right wood makes a real difference, and our fire rules guide is worth a read before you light anything on a hot, windy day.
When braaibroodjies go wrong
The outside burns and the cheese stays cold. The coals are too hot. Move the grid higher or wait five minutes, then try again. The cheese leaks out. You overfilled it, or the bread edges are not pressed shut. The bread goes soggy. Wet tomato, or butter on the inside. Fix those two and you are most of the way there.
If you are running a full braai, put the broodjies on while the meat rests, as in our boerewors guide. If you want something heavier to follow, try our roosterkoek recipe, another bread that belongs on the grid.
What to serve them with
Traditionally the broodjies come off the coals just as the boerewors and chops are resting, and they are passed around while everyone waits. They are the warm-up act that everyone secretly prefers to the main. Serve them straight from the grid, cut in half, with cold drinks and low expectations of leftovers. There will be none.
Frequently asked questions
What is a braaibroodjie?
A braaibroodjie is a South African toasted sandwich cooked on a braai grid over coals. The classic filling is cheese, tomato, onion and chutney between buttered white bread. Broodjie is Afrikaans for a sandwich or bread roll.
What chutney is best for braaibroodjies?
Mrs Balls is the classic, sweet and tangy with a little spice. If you cannot find it, a fruity apricot or mango chutney works. Our Mrs Balls chutney substitute guide compares the options.
Can I make braaibroodjies without a braai?
Yes. Use a sandwich press, a frying pan or the oven. They taste a little different without the smoke, but the cheese and chutney still do most of the work.
How long do braaibroodjies take on the coals?
About fifteen minutes in total, turning the grid often over low coals. You are done when the bread is golden on both sides and the cheese has melted all the way through.
Can I make braaibroodjies ahead of time?
You can build them an hour or two ahead and keep them wrapped in the fridge, then cook them when the coals are ready. Cook them fresh, though. Leftovers go chewy. For general advice on keeping food safe at home, Food Standards Australia New Zealand has a useful food safety section.
Why do South Africans put onion in braaibroodjies?
Thin onion softens in the heat and adds sweetness that cuts through the cheese. It is a tradition at the braai, which Jan Braai’s National Braai Day site describes as a shared heritage. Slice it thin, or it stays raw.
And when there is no grid space or no fire at all, our braai scones give you hot bread out of the oven in about twenty minutes.
Make these once and they become the thing your Australian friends quietly hope you will make again. And if anyone at the fire calls it a toastie, send them gently to our braai versus bbq explainer and let them read in silence.
