Spiced-Up Game Boerewors with Serious SA Flavour

This homemade venison boerewors recipe combines impala, beef and pork fat with traditional South African spices for juicy, authentic flavour. Perfect for braais or pan-frying, this easy game boerewors delivers great texture, bold seasoning and reliable results every time.

For the Fun

This recipe may seem daunting at first but it is a surprisingly fun (and simple) activity that is even more enjoyable with two sets of hands. Make a fun afternoon of it, maybe at the end you can start a fire and sneak in a braai. Making venison boerewors from scratch is not something you are going to do everyday so it’s a good idea to make a batch and freeze portions. You will find endless uses for your venison boerewors, you can cook it traditional braai style or add some to the breakfast plate. There are many totally divine recipes out there just waiting to be introduced to your homemade venison boerewors.

What’s in Venison Boerewors?

The ingredients are actually quite simple. You have your venison meat which is normally supplemented with a little bit of beef and some extra pork fat. Then there is a little bit of water and some spices, the most important ones being the coriander and the cloves (especially for traditional South African boerewors). The final ingredient is the pork casing. You will also need a mincing machine of some sort.

Venison is a healthy meat and boerewors is a great way to eat it. There is also something amazing about making your own food from scratch, especially something like sausage. Not only do you know exactly what is in it, but it somehow also tastes and feels better. 

Ingredients

• 2.5 kg Impala Venison meat cubes
• 500 g Beef Topside meat cubes
• 1 kg Pork Fat cubed
• 4 tsp Black Pepper ground
• 2 tsp Cloves ground
• 4 tsp Nutmeg ground
• 4 tbsp Salt
• 4 tbsp Coriander ground
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 cup Water very cold
• Pork Casings

Method

Homemade Boerewors

1. Build the Flavour – Combine all cubed venison, beef and pork fat in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, blend the spices with Worcestershire sauce. Mince the meat using a medium plate to keep a good texture. Add the ice-cold water and mix thoroughly until the meat becomes well bound and slightly sticky — this ensures smooth filling and juicy wors.
2. Prepare the Casings – Rinse the pork casings thoroughly inside and out. Slide onto the filling horn, leaving about 7–8cm hanging free. Tie a secure knot at the end.
3. Fill & Shape – Feed the meat mixture steadily into the casing while gently guiding the flow with one hand. Keep the thickness even and avoid overfilling to prevent bursting. Prick any air bubbles as they appear.
4. Finish – Once filled, push any remaining meat into the casing and tie off the end. Coil, refrigerate if needed, and cook as desired.

Irene Muller

A True South African Game-Style Boerewors

A traditional South African venison boerewors recipe using Impala meat.

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Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course: Baai, dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: South African

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 2.5kg Impala Venison meat cubes
• 500g Beef Topside meat cubes
• 1kg Pork Fat cubed
• 4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp cloves ground
• 4 tsp nutmeg ground
• 4 tbsp salt
• 4 tbsp coriander ground
• ½ cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 cup very cold water
• Pork Casings

Method

 

For the Spices

1. Mix all the cubed meat and fat together.
   
2. In a separate bowl add the spices and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Mince the meat through a mincing machine or hand mincer, make sure you are not using too small a hole. The meat still needs some texture, so don’t grind it too finely.
4. When this is done, add 1 cup of cold water and mix well. This helps to ensure that the meat flows easily into the casing when making the boerewors.

For the Boerewors

1. Drain the casing after rinsing well on the insides under a running tap. Place the casing over one end of the filling horn on the mincing machine. Carefully push all of the casings on leaving about 7-8cm over to hang down. Tie a knot in this hanging piece so that the meat will not fall out.
2. You then feed the wors mixture into the casing horn while your assistant holds the casings, guiding the filling along the tube.
3. Feed the mixture into the mincer a little at a time, (depending on what you are using). At the same time, secure the casing with a gentle pressure of one hand on the horn to control the unrolling of the casing as its filled.
4. Mold the mince with your hand to make it uniformly thick.
5. Don’t pack the casing too full, or the boerewors will burst while cooking but try to avoid air bubbles. If there are air bubbles, pop them open and continue.
6. After the casing has been filled, remove it – still attached to the horn – from the mincing machine.
7. Push any remaining filling into the casing and tie a knot in the end. You can also just turn it tightly. It is now ready to be cooked.

Key Freezing Guidelines for Venison Wors:

1. Best Quality: Consume within 3–6 months to avoid flavour degradation.

   Safety Limit: While quality declines, properly frozen meat ( or ) technically remains safe to eat indefinitely, though 9–12 months is the recommended limit for quality.

   Packaging: Use a vacuum sealer to remove air and prevent oxidation. If using plastic wrap and butcher paper, ensure it is tightly wrapped to prevent freezer burn.

   Thawing: Thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter, to prevent bacterial growth.