How to Make Traditional South African Dry Wors at Home 🇿🇦

If you've grown up in South Africa, chances are you know just how special a good piece of dry wors can be.

Whether it's enjoyed during a rugby match, shared around the braai or packed for a weekend road trip, dry wors has always been a favourite snack.

At Dumeni, we love keeping these traditions alive.

Today, we're sharing our traditional Dry Wors Recipe, featuring the classic spices and preparation techniques that give this much-loved snack its unmistakable flavour.

What Is Traditional South African Dry Wors?

Dry wors, also known as droëwors, is a traditional South African dried sausage.

It's known for its rich beef flavour, fragrant coriander and delicious combination of spices.

Unlike ordinary boerewors, dry wors is traditionally made using a leaner meat mixture and thinner casings designed for drying.

The result is a savoury, flavourful snack that's enjoyed throughout South Africa and beyond.

And the best part? You can explore this wonderful South African tradition from your own kitchen.

Our Traditional Dumeni Dry Wors Recipe

Our recipe uses beef, traditional spices and natural sausage casings.

The combination of coriander, black pepper, cloves and nutmeg creates that familiar South African flavour.

Ingredients

Meat 

2 kg beef steak mince

Fat content: 5–20%, depending on your preference

Our original recipe suggests approximately 10% fat for a balance of flavour and texture

Sausage Casings

22–28 mm collagen sausage casings

Traditional Spice Mix

½ tablespoon ground sea salt 

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon coriander seeds ( oven-roasted )

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Optional Ingredient

1 teaspoon garlic powder or peri-peri powder, this can give it a delicious twist on the flavours.

These simple ingredients bring together the warm, aromatic flavours that make traditional dry wors so enjoyable.

The Traditional Preparation Process

Making dry wors is a lovely way to explore South African food traditions.

Here's how our original Dumeni recipe describes the preparation.

Step 1: Roast the Coriander

Start by roasting the coriander seeds in a dry pan or oven at 180°C until golden brown.

Once cooled, crush them roughly using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.

Freshly roasted coriander makes a wonderful difference to the aroma of your spice blend.

Step 2: Prepare the Spice Mixture

Combine the ground coriander with the salt, black pepper, cloves, allspice and nutmeg.

Add garlic or peri-peri powder if you're exploring a different flavour. 

Step 3: Combine the Meat and Spices

The traditional method involves combining the minced beef with the spice mixture until evenly distributed.

The meat should remain refrigerated during preparation and handling.

Step 4: Prepare the Sausage Casings

Our traditional recipe uses 22–28 mm collagen sausage casings.

The meat mixture is traditionally filled into casings to create long, thin sausages.

Take care to avoid trapped air pockets or uneven filling.

Step 5: Prepare for Hanging

Dry wors is traditionally hung in lengths or loops.

Our original recipe recommends ensuring the sausage has enough space around it for air circulation.

A clean, hygienic preparation environment is essential.

Step 6: Understanding the Drying Process

Traditional dry wors develops its characteristic firm texture through moisture reduction.

Using your Dumeni Biltong and Dry Wors Maker select the Dry Wors program and press 'Start'.

Step 7: Enjoying Traditional Dry Wors

After 4 -5 days your Dry Wors will be dried out and ready to go.

Enjoy it with friends, share it during a rugby match or add it to your favourite South African snack platter.

Nothing quite brings back memories of home like the familiar taste of traditional dry wors.

Ready to bring a little South African flavour into your kitchen?

Explore our range of Dumeni Biltong Makers at:

www.dumenibiltong.co.uk

Dumeni Biltong — Bringing South African Tradition Home. 🇿🇦

Food safety note: Traditional biltong preparation involves raw meat. When making biltong, be safe and follow food safety guidance. Always remember when i doubt, chuck it out!