Spitbraaiers

The complete guide to spit braai cooking times

6 min read · Updated September 2026

Every spit braai we build ships with a cooking-time chart, because the single biggest cause of a disappointing spit braai is guessing.

These are the times we have tested on our own units at a steady medium heat, with the motor running throughout.

How to time a spit braai

  1. 1Bring the meat to room temperatureTake the meat out of the fridge 45 to 60 minutes before it goes on. Cold meat from the fridge adds unpredictable time.
  2. 2Load and balance the rodThread and tie the meat so it sits balanced on the rod, then lock the forks. Balanced meat cooks evenly and protects the motor.
  3. 3Preheat to a steady mediumLight the burners or build the coal bed and let the spit reach a steady medium heat before the meat goes over it.
  4. 4Start the motor and time from thereStart timing the moment the rod begins turning over heat, not when you light it.
  5. 5Baste in the last thirdBaste only in the final third of the cooking time so sugars in the marinade colour rather than burn.
  6. 6Check and restProbe the thickest part away from bone — 75°C for chicken and pork, 70°C for lamb — then rest the meat 15 to 30 minutes before carving.

Cooking times at a glance

  • Chicken flatty: 45 minutes to 1 hour
  • Whole chicken: about 75 minutes
  • Chicken pieces: 45 minutes to 1 hour
  • Leg of lamb: about 90 minutes
  • Gammon: 75 to 90 minutes
  • Chops: about 30 minutes
  • Smoked pork neck pieces: about 30 minutes
  • Wors: about 30 minutes
  • Braai broodjies on the grid: 15 to 20 minutes
  • Whole lamb (up to 30kg): 4 to 6 hours

What changes the times

  • Wind: the biggest factor by far. An exposed spot can add 30 to 60 minutes.
  • A full rod: four chickens take longer than one, because the load absorbs heat.
  • Charcoal vs gas: charcoal runs hotter early and cools late, so check sooner and finish later.
  • Cold meat: straight from the fridge adds 15 to 20 minutes on anything sizeable.
  • Altitude: on the Highveld, expect slightly longer than at the coast.

Internal temperatures worth knowing

  • Chicken: 75°C in the thickest part of the thigh
  • Pork and gammon: 75°C
  • Lamb, pink and juicy: 65°C. Well done: 70°C
  • Beef, medium: 60 to 63°C before resting

Matching the meat to the machine

The Mini Spit handles 4 to 6 people per load — a flatty or two, or a rod of chops and wors. The Family Spit feeds 6 or more and is the size most households land on. The Charcoal Spit covers the same crowd on coals.

For volume, the Cater Spit runs 12kg or four to five chickens at once on two burners and a 220V plug, and the Lamb Spit takes a full 30kg carcass.

Print it for the day

Our user manual has the same chart along with setup, safety and cleaning, so keep it open on your phone at the fire.

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