If you can't get your hands on proper South African boerewors, why not try this boerewors puff pastry spiral instead? It's made with a mixture of beef and pork mince and seasoned with classic boerewors spices to give you all the boerewors taste you love but in a puff pastry crust!
I think I've just discovered my new favourite summer meal! This delicious boerewors spiral combines a tasty blend of beef, pork, and spices that captures all the flavour of traditional boerewors - wrapped in golden, flaky puff pastry. It's the perfect mix between a classic sausage roll and a taste of good old 'boerie'.
Serve it warm or cold with your favourite salads for a meal that's packed with flavour and a little something different. Best of all, it's simple to make - just mix the meat and spices, roll it up in puff pastry, and bake. No need for sausage casings or fiddly prep -just an easy, crowd-pleasing dish that's great for family gatherings or even popped into a lunchbox the next day.
With the warmer weather on the way, this boerewors puff pastry spiral also makes the perfect appetiser to hand round for your guests to nibble on while you fire up the barbeque.
For those of you who are wondering 'what on earth is boerewors?', it's a traditional South African sausage, made with a mixture of beef and pork, liberally seasoned with coriander, cloves, nutmeg and allspice, with a dash of vinegar. It dates back over 400 years to when South Africa was first colonised, and the spices were a way of preserving the meat in the days before refrigeration. Literally translated, boerewors means farmer's sausage.
If you enjoy this recipe you might like to try my homemade boerewors patties too. They make a great hamburger with slices of tomato, onion and lettuce!
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Ingredients
This will make a boerewors spiral sufficient for 8 people for a meal with salads (see below for serving suggestions). However, leftovers make great lunchbox fillers and can also be frozen and reheated for another meal - so it's great for meal prep too.
- Meat - I used equal quantities of beef and pork mince. I normally buy 5% fat content beef, but for this recipe, I used 12% fat content. A lot of the fat that is released by the beef will be absorbed by the panko breadcrumbs in the filling, and it all adds to the flavour. If you don't eat pork you could use all beef mince instead.
- Panko breadcrumbs - these help bind the filling together. Panko breadcrumbs are made with light Japanese bread and are ultra absorbent, so they also soak up any fat that gets released from the meat. Substitute with normal breadcrumbs.
- Onions - these should be finely chopped. They add an extra depth of flavour to the meat.
- Eggs - one egg is added to the mince mixture to help bind it together, and the second egg is used to egg wash the puf pastry spiral before it goes into the oven.
- Coriander seeds - these are toasted in a dry frying pan and then ground with a pestal and mortar before being added to the filling. You can substitute with dried ground coriander but you won't get the same depth of flavour.
- Garlic - this is optional - some people like it, some don't. Use to your own taste. I enjoy it in a hot meal, but when served cold, it seems to overpower the flavour of the sausage filling.
- Vinegar (not pictured) - I use white spirit vinegar, but you could use cider vinegar or any fruity vinegar. Avoid malt vinegar as this is too strong and will overpower the flavour.
- Spices - these are allspice, nutmeg and cloves.
- Olive oil - used to fry the onions.
- Sesame seeds - for garnish.
- Puff pastry (not pictured) - I buy puff pastry in the supermarket - it's much easier than making puff pastry yourself.
**You can find the exact ingredient measurements for making this boerewors puff pastry spiral on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Instructions
Step 1: Place the coriander seeds in a dry frying pan and roast them on low to moderate heat for 3 to 4 minutes until they start to brown.
Step 2: Grind the coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle.
Step 3: Add a splash of olive oil to the pan and fry the onions, garlic and ground coriander seeds for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions turn translucent. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Step 4: Place the beef and pork into a mixing bowl and add the cooled onions, egg, panko breadcrumbs, spices, vinegar and salt and pepper.
Step 5: Get your hands in and combine the ingredients thoroughly so that everything is incorporated into the meat.
Step 6: Unroll a sheet of defrosted puff pastry and cut it in half down the length so you have 2 long strips.
Step 7: Take half of the meat and arrange it in a sausage shape on one piece of puff pastry.
Step 8: Brush one side of the pastry with beaten egg wash to help seal it when you form the sausage roll.
Step 9: Fold the pastry over the meat to form a sausage shape and arrange it in the form of a spiral on a baking tray.
Step 10: Repeat with the remaining pastry and meat, and join the second sausage roll onto the first one to form a larger spiral. Use a little beaten egg to help you seal the pastry joint. See Tips for a Successful Outcome for a more detailed explanation.
Step 11: Brush the pastry coil all over with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Step 12: Bake in a preheated oven (200C/400F) for 35 to 40 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden.
Cut the boerewors spiral into slices to serve. Serve either hot or cold.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your boerewors puff pastry spiral always turns out perfectly.
Most of the steps are self-explanatory, but the forming of the spiral needs a bit more detailed explanation.
The spiral is made in two pieces, which are formed on a baking sheet, and then the pastry around the join is pinched together to seal it.
- The pastry should be defrosted just sufficiently to allow you to unroll it easily. If the pastry is too soft, you might find it difficult to form into a spiral.
- Unroll the pastry onto the greaseproof paper that it was wrapped in so the pastry does not stick to the countertop. You may also find it handles more easily if you sprinkle a small amount of flour onto your work surface.
- When forming the spiral, leave a gap of about 2 centimeters to allow the pastry to expand. If you don't do this, the pastry on the inner sides will not cook through, and you'll end up with a soggy mess.
- Position one end of the sausage roll into the centre of your baking sheet and carefully coil the rest of the sausage shape around.
- If you assemble the first spiral on a sheet of baking parchment, you will find it easier to move to the baking tray. Once the first part of the spiral is on the baking tray, you can lay the second piece in position.
- To join the rolls together, lay the second roll into position. Then, brush the area to be joined with a little eggwash and carefully pinch the pastry together. It might look a little messy while the pastry is still raw, but just smooth it with your fingers as best you can. As it cooks and rises, the pastry will come together nicely.
Depending on your oven, you may need to rotate the baking tray halfway through baking to allow the pastry to cook evenly.
Serving suggestions
As I mentioned above, this spiral can be sliced and handed round as an appetiser.
My favourite way to serve it, though, is as a main meal with a selection of salads and a tasty tomato and onion gravy:
- Spicy beetroot salad
- Copper penny salad
- Curried green bean salad
- Tomato and onion gravy - follow the instructions in this recipe for cooking the tomato and onion.
- Creamy coleslaw
Variations
For a cheesy version, add a handful of grated mature cheddar cheese to the sausage meat mixture.
If you enjoy a spicier flavour, fry a chopped bird's eye chilli with the onions before mixing them with the meat.
Of course, if you have a coil of boerewors in your freezer, you could remove it from the casing and wrap that in the pastry instead of mixing up the meat and spices.
Equipment
These are the main pieces of equipment I used to make the boerewors puff pastry spiral:
- Frying pan - for toasting the coriander seeds and also for frying the onions.
- Mortar and pestle - for grinding the toasted coriander seeds. You could use an electric spice grinder instead.
- Mixing bowl - for combining the meat and spices.
- Baking tray - I used an 18-inch square baking sheet. However, as long as you can coil the sausage onto the tray (not forgetting to leave a gap around the inside), the size of the tray isn't important.
- Small dish - to hold the beaten egg for the egg wash.
- Pastry brush - to brush the egg wash on the puff pastry before baking.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Reheat them in the air fryer (200C/400F) for about 5 minutes or in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes at the same temperature. I would avoid using the microwave to reheat leftovers as the pastry would become soft and soggy.
You can also freeze the cooked boerewors spiral. Allow it to come to room temperature, then wrap it in a layer of tin foil and seal it into a plastic bag. The spiral can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To use, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat as above.
FAQ
Yes, you can prepare this the day before you intend to serve it and store the assembled (unbaked) spiral in the refrigerator. Cover the spiral on the baking tray with a layer of tinfoil to prevent it from drying out.
When you are ready to serve it, bake it according to the recipe instructions until puffed and golden.
No, it isn't necessary to cook the meat first. There is more than sufficient time in the oven for the meat to cook through perfectly.
Yes, you can, but puff pastry is recommended for its criap and flaky texture.
Save for later
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Visit my pie recipes page for other tasty meal ideas. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Boerewors puff pastry spiral
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Frying Pan
- Mortar and Pestle
- Mixing bowl
- Baking tray
- Small dish
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 8 ounces / 255 grams beef mince 12% fat content
- 8 ounces / 255 grams pork mince
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic optional - finely minced
- ⅔ cup / 40 grams Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 3 teaspoons1 coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 11 ounces /320 gram pack frozen puff pastry
- 1 tablespoon sesameseeds for garnish
- 1 small egg for egg wash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for softening the onions
Instructions
- Place the coriander seeds in a dry frying pan and roast them on low to moderate heat for 3 to 4 minutes until they start to brown.3 teaspoons1 coriander seeds
- Grind the coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle.
- Add a splash of olive oil to the pan and fry the onions, garlic and ground coriander seeds for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions turn translucent. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.1 medium onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
- Place the beef and pork into a mixing bowl and add the cooled onions, egg, panko breadcrumbs, spices, vinegar and salt and pepper.8 ounces / 255 grams beef mince, 8 ounces / 255 grams pork mince, ⅔ cup / 40 grams Panko breadcrumbs, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- Get your hands in and combine the ingredients thoroughly so that everything is incorporated into the meat.
- Unroll a sheet of defrosted puff pastry and cut it in half down the length so you have 2 long strips.11 ounces /320 gram pack frozen puff pastry
- Take half of the meat and arrange it in a sausage shape on one piece of puff pastry.
- Brush one side of the pastry with beaten egg wash to help seal it when you form the sausage roll.1 small egg
- Fold the pastry over the meat to form a sausage shape, taking care to seal it, and arrange it in the form of a spiral on a baking tray.
- Repeat with the remaining pastry and meat and join the second sausage roll onto the first one to form a larger spiral. Use a little beaten egg to help you seal the pastry joint. See RecipeTips below for a more detailed explanation.
- Brush the pastry coil all over with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.1 tablespoon sesameseeds
- Bake in a preheated oven (200C/400F) for 35 to 40 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden.
Notes
- The pastry should be defrosted just sufficiently to allow you to unroll it easily. If the pastry is too soft, you might find it difficult to form into a spiral.
- Unroll the pastry onto the greaseproof paper that it was wrapped in so the pastry does not stick to the countertop. You may also find it handles more easily if you sprinkle a small amount of flour onto your work surface.
- When forming the spiral, leave a gap of about 2 centimeters to allow the pastry to expand. If you don't do this, the pastry on the inner sides will not cook through, and you'll end up with a soggy mess.
- Position one end of the sausage roll into the centre of your baking sheet and carefully coil the rest of the sausage shape around.
- If you assemble the first spiral on a sheet of baking parchment, you will find it easier to move to the baking tray. Once the first part of the spiral is on the baking tray, you can lay the second piece in position.
- To join the rolls together, lay the second roll into position. Then, brush the area to be joined with a little eggwash and carefully pinch the pastry together. It might look a little messy while the pastry is still raw, but just smooth it with your fingers as best you can. As it cooks and rises, the pastry will come together nicely.
- Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat them in the air fryer (200C/400F) for about 5 minutes or in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes at the same temperature. I would avoid using the microwave to reheat leftovers as the pastry would become soft and soggy.
- You can also freeze the cooked boerewors spiral. Allow it to come to room temperature, then wrap it in a layer of tin foil and seal it into a plastic bag. The spiral can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- To use, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat as above.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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