What Are Sosaties? The South African Kebabs Explained
Sosaties are South African skewers of marinated meat with a Cape Malay curry flavour. Here is what they are and where to buy the ingredients.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Sosaties are South African skewers of marinated meat, a much loved part of braai, the South African barbecue. Cubes of meat, most classically lamb or mutton, are marinated in a sweet and spiced Cape Malay style sauce built on curry spices, apricot, onion, garlic and often vinegar, then threaded onto skewers, frequently alternating with dried apricots and onion, and grilled over the coals. The result is tender, flavourful meat with a warm curry spicing and a gentle sweet and sour note. Sosaties reflect the Cape Malay heritage of South African cooking. In the UK the meat and spices are sold by South African and African food shops and supermarkets.
What to remember
- Sosaties are South African skewers of marinated meat, a braai favourite.
- The meat, classically lamb or mutton, is marinated in a Cape Malay curry and apricot sauce.
- Skewers often alternate the meat with dried apricots and onion.
- They are grilled over the coals, giving tender, spiced, sweet and sour meat.
- The meat and spices are sold by South African and African food shops in the UK.
For South Africans in Britain, sosaties are a flavourful taste of home and the braai. They are the sweet, spiced skewers sizzling over the coals on a weekend, the apricot-and-lamb flavour that says a proper South African braai, the food shared with family and friends around the fire, the taste of home and sunshine. Grilling sosaties far from home brings back gardens and gatherings and the warm, curried aroma of the Cape, the warmth of home in every tender, spiced bite.
There is real heritage in them too, in a dish that carries the Cape Malay story, the spicing and traditions of the Cape Malay community woven into South African food. It reflects the rich, warm, fruity character of that heritage and the beloved braai culture, and to make and share sosaties is to keep that tradition alive. Grilling sosaties for family who grew up on them, or introducing friends to the apricot-and-curry skewers at a braai, is an act of welcome. That sweet, spiced taste of home is the quiet gift of sosaties.
What Sosaties Actually Are
Sosaties are one of South Africa's most loved braai foods, skewers of marinated meat with a distinctive sweet, spiced flavour. Cubes of meat, most classically lamb or mutton, though pork, chicken and beef are also used, are marinated in a rich, Cape Malay style sauce, then threaded onto skewers and grilled over the coals of a braai until tender and lightly charred. What sets sosaties apart from a plain kebab is the marinade: a warmly spiced, sweet and tangy sauce that flavours the meat through and through.
The name and the flavour reflect the Cape Malay heritage of South African cooking, the rich culinary tradition of the Cape Malay community, whose curries and spicing shaped much of the country's food. Sosaties carry that warm, curried, fruity character. They are a fixture of the braai, that beloved South African tradition of grilling and gathering outdoors, and they belong to the world of South African food we cover in our guide to South African food, sitting alongside braai staples like boerewors.
The Cape Malay Marinade
Understanding sosaties means understanding their marinade, which is the heart of the dish. It is built in the Cape Malay style, warmly spiced with curry powder and spices, and given a characteristic sweet and sour note by ingredients like apricot jam or dried apricots and vinegar or lemon, along with onion, garlic and sometimes bay leaves. The meat is left to marinate in this sauce, often for hours or overnight, so it absorbs the flavour deeply and becomes tender and aromatic.
A signature touch is the use of dried apricots, which are often threaded onto the skewers between the pieces of meat, along with onion, adding little bursts of sweetness and softening as they grill. This combination of curried spice and apricot sweetness is what makes sosaties so distinctive and beloved. The leftover marinade is often cooked down into a sauce to serve with the finished skewers. This warm, sweet, spiced profile is a lovely example of Cape Malay influence on South African food, and it is what people picture when they think of sosaties. This is general food information rather than dietary advice.
How Sosaties Are Cooked and Enjoyed
Sosaties are cooked on the braai, grilled over the coals until the meat is tender, cooked through and lightly charred at the edges, with the apricots and onion softening and caramelising. As with all braai food, the smoky char from the coals adds to the flavour, and the marinade helps keep the meat moist and richly seasoned. They can also be cooked under a grill or on a barbecue at home. Turning them and basting with the marinade as they cook gives the best result.
They are enjoyed as part of a braai spread, served hot off the skewers with the usual braai accompaniments such as pap, chakalaka, salads and bread, and often with a sauce made from the cooked-down marinade. Sosaties are sociable, celebratory food, shared among family and friends gathered around the fire. Their tender, sweet and spiced flavour makes them a favourite for everyone. For anyone exploring South African food and braai culture, sosaties are a delicious, distinctive dish to try, full of warm Cape Malay flavour.
Where to Buy the Ingredients in the UK
Making sosaties at home in Britain is very doable, as the ingredients are easy to find. The meat, classically lamb or mutton, and the curry spices, apricot jam or dried apricots, onion, garlic and vinegar for the marinade are all widely available, and South African and African food shops stock South African touches like particular spice blends and any South African products you fancy. Most of what you need is in any supermarket, with the specialist items being South African spice mixes.
If you want to make authentic sosaties, a South African or African food shop can point you to good spice blends and any South African ingredients, and a butcher can supply good lamb or mutton. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, some of which stock South African goods. With marinated meat, dried apricots and a hot grill, you can bring the warm, sweet, spiced flavour of South African sosaties to your own braai or barbecue.
Frequently asked questions
What are sosaties?
Sosaties are South African skewers of marinated meat, a much loved braai food. Cubes of meat, classically lamb or mutton, are marinated in a sweet and spiced Cape Malay style sauce of curry spices, apricot, onion, garlic and vinegar, then threaded onto skewers, often with dried apricots and onion, and grilled over the coals, giving tender, warmly spiced, sweet and sour meat.
What meat is used for sosaties?
Sosaties are most classically made with lamb or mutton, which suits the warm, sweet, curried marinade beautifully, though pork, chicken and beef are also used. The meat is cut into cubes, marinated in the Cape Malay sauce, and threaded onto skewers, often alternating with dried apricots and onion, before being grilled over the coals of a braai.
What is the sosatie marinade made of?
The sosatie marinade is made in the Cape Malay style, warmly spiced with curry powder and spices and given a sweet and sour note by apricot jam or dried apricots and vinegar or lemon, along with onion, garlic and sometimes bay leaves. The meat marinates in this sauce, often overnight, absorbing the flavour, and the leftover marinade is often cooked into a sauce to serve.
Why are there apricots in sosaties?
Dried apricots are a signature part of sosaties, often threaded onto the skewers between the pieces of meat and also used in the marinade as apricot jam. They add little bursts of sweetness that balance the warm curry spicing, softening and caramelising as they grill. This combination of curried spice and apricot sweetness is what makes sosaties so distinctive.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
The meat, classically lamb or mutton, and the curry spices, apricots, onion, garlic and vinegar for the marinade are widely available, and South African and African food shops stock South African spice blends and products. Most of what you need is in any supermarket, and a South African or African food shop can point you to authentic spice blends and a butcher to good lamb. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you.