Cevapi is a popular Balkan grilled sausage made from a combination of minced meat and spices. Its juicy meat and seared edges makes it a perfect party appetizer to be paired with dinner rolls, ajvar and pickled onions to form mini cevapi burgers a.k.a cevapi sliders.
Cevapi have their origins in the Balkan region in Southeastern Europe, from countries of Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Slovenia. Its exact origin dates back several centuries, with roots to the Ottoman Empire.
The tradition of grilling cevapi outdoors, especially during summer, is often associated with social gatherings and family celebrations. In recent years, cevapi has gained popularity in restaurants, street food stalls, festivals and now globally.
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How to make cevapi at home?
The key to making a good cevapi is choosing the best meat blend. Lamb has a higher fat content compared to beef, so usually the ratio is 2 parts beef to 1 part lamb. We went with a 1:1 ratio to achieve that mouth watering juiciness in the cevapi.
Spices and seasoning are added in, along with baking soda and water before mixing it into a smooth texture. Placing the cevapi mixture in the refrigerator allows the flavors to meld and the meat to firm up. You can either roll the mixture into a cylindrical shape or pipe it into small finger size sausages.
Although grilling cevapi is a social activity which brings people outdoors, you can grill it at home using a heavy bottom frying pan or a cast iron skillet. The high heat from the skillet adds a nice sear to the meat, locking in the juices, which prevents the cevapi from drying out.
Cevapi are often served with a Balkan flatbread like lepinja or somun, and accompanied by ajvar and kajmak. You can either go the traditional route or prepare a grilled cevapi slider with Ajvar, pickled onions and Cheese buns with garlic butter glaze.
This popular Balkan street food slider made at home, will add a distinct flair to your parties and gatherings.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: Blend of beef along with equal part lambs works as a perfect combination. Ground beef adds that meaty feel to the cevapi.
- Ground lamb: Lamb brings a juicy texture to the cevapi when seared, adding a burst of flavor with every bite.
- Garlic: Garlic complements the richness of the meat with its pungent and savory flavor.
- Paprika: Paprika imparts a mild sweetness and subtle smokiness and is crucial to achieve an authentic taste.
- Black Pepper Powder: Pepper adds a hint of pungent taste and is also crucial in balancing the taste.
- Baking soda: Baking soda enhances the texture and helps tenderize the cevapi meat making it more succulent.
- Water: Water is added for moisture and to maintain the juiciness of the sausage.
- Salt: Salt brings out the potential of other ingredients and enhances the natural flavors of the meat.
- Ajvar: Ajvar is a roasted red pepper and eggplant relish which works as a condiment adding sweet, smokey and tangy flavor complimenting the dish.
- Pickled red onions: The acidity from the pickled brine balances the overall cevapi taste and also adds a vibrant color making it visually appealing.
- Garlic butter cheese buns: This is our very own homemade recipe but you can opt for store-bought dinner rolls too.
See recipe card for quantities.
Walk through the Recipe
Let’s start preparing cevapi.
We begin by adding equal parts of ground beef and lamb in a bowl along with minced garlic, paprika, black pepper, baking soda, water and season with salt. Mix and squeeze the mixture to form a smooth texture.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag or zip lock bag and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes for the mixture to firm up. Now make a one inch diameter cut in the piping bag and squeeze out the mixture onto a cutting board to form a cylindrical shape.
Squeeze out all of the mixture to form 2-3 inch sausages. Seal the remaining mixture and store it in the refrigerator or freezer for another time.
Fry the meat sausages in a cast iron skillet or frying pan on medium to high heat until you see a nice crust on the outer layer. Turn the sausage over every now and then to achieve an even sear and springy soft cevapi.
Your cevapis are now ready. Serve them hot with some homemade ajvar and pickled onions.
You can also slice up some cheese buns with garlic butter glaze, spoon over ajvar and pickled onions to form your cevapi sliders.
Substitutions
You can replace some of the ingredients in the recipe to suit what you have at home.
- Paprika: Red pepper flakes
- Ground beef and lamb: Ground pork or mixture of pork and beef
- Piping bag: Zip lock bag or roll by hand
- Garlic: Garlic powder
- Pickled red onions: Sliced red onions
- Garlic butter cheese buns: Dinner rolls
Tips
- Chilling the mixture: Placing the cevapi mixture in the refrigerator allows the flavors to develop and the meat to firm up which makes it easier to shape the sausage.
- Shaping cevapi: If shaping the sausages by hand then wet your hands with water to prevent the mixture from sticking. Aim to prepare uniform cylinder shapes to ensure even grilling.
- High temperature and resting period: Fry the sausages at high temperature to prevent the juices from escaping the meat and rest for a few minutes before serving. This help the juices redistribute resulting in a moist and flavorful cevapi.
FAQs
Cevapi are usually served with ajvar, onions, kajmak in a flat bread called somun but you can pair it with french fries or just a salad.
Yes, you can prepare the mixture and refrigerate it until you are ready to shape and cook it. You can store the cooked leftover cevapi in the refrigerator and reheat it.
Cevapi are traditionally grilled but you can use a heavy bottom stove top pan like a cast iron skillet for a similar char or you can bake them in the oven.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Prawns Koliwada (Mumbai-style spicy fried shrimps)
- Jerk Chicken Quesadilla
- Sumac Fries
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Indian style)
Fusion Recipes
Try out some of our specialty recipes:
- Jerk Shrimp Pasta (Rasta Pasta Recipe)
- Easy Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
- Burnt Garlic Fried Rice
- Chorizo Carbonara
Recipe
Cevapi Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 50 ml water
- 2 tablespoon oil for frying
- salt to taste
- Ajvar side ingredients
- pickled red onions side ingredients
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add ground beef and lamb, garlic, paprika, black pepper powder, baking soda, water and salt, and mix well to form a smooth texture. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag or large zip lock bag and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Once the mixture has firmed up in the freezer, cut a 1 inch diameter at the end of the zip lock bag or use a piping bag to squeeze out the mixture onto the cutting board in a 2 to 3 inch cylindrical shape sausage.
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or a frying pan on medium to high heat. Place the cevapi in the pan and let it fry for 6 to 8 minutes, until you see a crust on the outer layer. Toss the cevapi occasionally for an even sear. Set it aside to rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice up some homemade dinner rolls, spoon over ajvar and pickled onions to form your cevapi sliders.
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