Boerewors roll

Name: Boerewors roll
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 rolls
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients: 600 g Boerewors, one coil, left whole; 4 piece Bread rolls, long soft white rolls, split; 2 medium Onion, sliced; 4 medium Tomato, chopped; 2 tbsp Neutral oil; 1 tbsp Vinegar; 1 tsp Sugar; 1 piece Fresh chilli, finely chopped; 0.5 tsp Salt; 4 tbsp Tomato sauce, ketchup, to serve; 2 tbsp Mustard, to serve

South Africa's hot dog: coiled farmer's sausage grilled over coals, in a soft roll with tomato and onion relish.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min
Rest: None
Total: 40 min
Difficulty: Very easy
Spice: Mild
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

A boerewors roll is a length of coarse, coriander-spiced beef sausage, cooked slowly over coals or in a pan, laid in a soft white roll and topped with a sweet-sour tomato and onion relish. The sausage comes as one long coil and is cooked whole, never pricked, so the fat stays inside. The relish is onions softened in oil, tomatoes cooked down with a little vinegar and sugar, and a touch of chilli if you like. Tomato sauce and mustard go on top. This version uses a griddle pan or frying pan; a braai is the proper way and the coals should be grey, not flaming.

What you'll need

11 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 11 ready

4 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Boerewors, one coil, left whole600 g
Bread rolls, long soft white rolls, split4
Onion, sliced2 medium
Tomato, chopped4 medium
Neutral oil30 ml
Vinegar15 ml
Sugar4.9 ml
Fresh chilli, finely chopped (optional)1
Salt2½ ml
Tomato sauce, ketchup, to serve59 ml
Mustard, to serve30 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Make the relish first. Heat the oil in a saucepan and soften the onion for 8 minutes. Add the tomato, chilli, vinegar, sugar and salt and simmer until thick and jammy, 20 minutes.
30 min
Tip: It should hold on a spoon. Watery relish soaks the roll.
Step 2
Heat a large frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Lay the whole coil in without piercing it and cook, turning once with tongs, until deep brown outside and just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes a side.
16 min
Watch: Do not prick the casing. The fat is the flavour, and a pricked wors dries out.
Step 3
Rest the sausage 3 minutes, then cut into four lengths to fit the rolls.
4 min
Step 4
Warm the rolls in the pan for a minute cut-side down. Lay in the wors, spoon over relish, and finish with tomato sauce and mustard. Eat standing up.
3 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 766 kcal
Protein: 30.7 g
Carbs: 61.4 g
Fat: 44.7 g
Saturated fat: 15.8 g
Fibre: 4.4 g
Sugar: 8.3 g
Sodium: 1505 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat

Dairy-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Boerewors → Coarse Toulouse or Cumberland sausage
Different seasoning, but it works in the roll. Add a pinch of crushed coriander seed to the relish to compensate.

Tips

Over coals, cook the coil for 20 minutes total over a moderate heat, turning every few minutes. If it flares, move it.
Good boerewors is at least 90 percent meat with visible coriander seed. Ask a South African shop or a butcher who makes it.

History & culture

The boerewors roll is what gets sold outside hardware stores and at school fundraisers every Saturday morning across South Africa, usually by someone with a gas braai and a cash tin. It is the opening act of any braai while the real meat waits. Everyone has a view on the correct relish.

Boerewors ('farmer's sausage') comes from Dutch and German settler sausage-making at the Cape, with coriander as its fixed seasoning by the nineteenth century. Putting it in a bread roll is a twentieth-century convenience, modelled on the American hot dog and sold cheaply at sports grounds.

Traditional — Cooked in a pan rather than over wood coals. The flavour of the sausage carries it; the smoke is missed but not essential.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Boerewors roll take?

40 min all in — 10 min prep, 30 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 rolls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Very easy.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.

9 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Frying pan, Saucepan, Tongs.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at ½ tsp.

How much vinegar?

1 tbsp of Vinegar.

How much sugar?

1 tsp of Sugar.

What can I use instead?

Boerewors → Coarse Toulouse or Cumberland sausage. Different seasoning, but it works in the roll. Add a pinch of crushed coriander seed to the relish to compensate.

What should I watch for?

Do not prick the casing. The fat is the flavour, and a pricked wors dries out.

Any tips from this recipe?

Over coals, cook the coil for 20 minutes total over a moderate heat, turning every few minutes. If it flares, move it. Good boerewors is at least 90 percent meat with visible coriander seed. Ask a South African shop or a butcher who makes it.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.