Cevapi are flavorful kebabs from Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are made from a savory blend of ground beef and lamb meat, and are grilled over a charcoal flame. Try this easy and delicious Cevapi recipe for your next barbecue!
Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!
Recipe Origins
Cevapi are oblong meatball sausages that are traditionally cooked on a grill and served on a kebab. They’re the national dish in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and after making them and eating them, I can see why.
They remind me of Qofte – Albanian Meatballs – one of the first global recipes I tried making myself..
Flavorful, slightly crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside, it’s impossible to just eat one of these savory, meaty morsels. It’s no wonder why they are typically served on skewers with a few pieces of Cevapi on each!
Serve them with Tufahije as a dessert for a full Bosnian meal!
Why Make this Recipe
- Quick: This recipe is simple to throw together. Simply put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine! After that, you’re just a quick throw on the grill away from a yummy dinner
- “Travel” to Bosnia and Herzegovina: If you’ve ever wanted to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is your chance to experience the country from your kitchen! Making cevapi will give you a great “taste” of what the country is like.
- Charcoal Grilled: There’s nothing quite like eating meat that has been charcoal-grilled. It’s smoky, crispy, tender… an absolute treat to it! However, if you don’t have a charcoal grill, you can also cook these cevapi on an indoor electric grill which will work as well.
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
Easily make my Cevapi recipe using just a handful of simple ingredients that can be found at any grocery store.
Here is what you need:
- Ground Beef: I use 85% lean
- Ground Lamb
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika
- Onion: I use a sweet onion. Mince it very finely, as you won’t want large pieces of onion in your meatballs
- Olive Oil
Tools
- Medium Pan
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Skewers: You can use wooden skewers or metal skewers with wooden handles
- Charcoal Grill: You can also use an indoor, electric grill if preferred
How to Make this Recipe
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Step 1: Prepare the Cevapi Mix
In a medium pan, heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the chopped onion to the pan, and saute until translucent. This should take about 5 minutes.
In a bowl, use your hands to combine all of the ingredients together, including the cooked onions.
Cover and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Form the Cevapi
Using your hands, form small cevapi balls about the size of a golf ball. Then, press them into an oval shape.
Place 3 cevapi on each skewer and set aside.
Step 3: Grill the Cevapi
Heat up a charcoal grill. Place the cevapi skewer on the grill, and cook them for about 5 minutes until they are browned on one side. Then, flip them over and cook them on the other side. Continue cooking until they are cooked through.
You may also pan fry the cevapi or cook on an indoor, electric grill.
Enjoy! Leave a comment on this post to let me know what you think.
You can cook them to your desired temperature (medium rare, well done, etc)
Expert Tips
- If you cook on an electric grill, you may need to remove them from the skewers, grill them, then put them back on the skewers at the end.
- If you don’t like chunks of onions, you can also grate them on a cheese grater and that will make them blend into the meat more
- You can cook the cevapi to your desired temperature (medium rare, well done, etc)
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days
Recipe FAQs
How Do I Heat up a Charcoal Grill?
When you start cooking over charcoal, pile the charcoal pieces up into one big hill of charcoal. The more vertical the better.
Once the charcoal is piled high, spray it with lighter fluid and then allow it to sit for a second so that all of the lighter fluid soaks into the stones. As soon as it all soaks in, give the charcoal pieces another good spray with the lighter fluid. Let the lighter fluid soak in once more.
Keep the charcoal in their pile, and light them with a match. They should go up in flames quickly.
Leave them to cook like this for about 10-15 minutes, fanning the flames every time the coals cool down. Once about 50% of the charcoal pieces start to turn ashy, shake the grill until the pile flattens. Now you can start cooking on your charcoal! Viola! You’re a pro.
How to Serve and Eat Cevapi?
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it’s not abnormal to order a plate of either 10, 15 or 20 Cevapi, depending on how hungry you are.
The plate will be brought out with pita bread and raw onions. To eat it, form a pocket in the middle of the pita bread and place the Cevapi and raw onions inside.
For a low-carb option, try Cevapi served right on a bed of fresh greens, with onions and any other veggies you like.
Where is Cevapi Eaten?
Though this recipe was brought to you by Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is eaten in many countries, even if not always by the same name. Here is a list of other countries that enjoy cevapi:
- Serbia
- Croatia
- Bulgaria
- Montenegro
- Albania
- North Macedonia
- Other Balkan States
Did you enjoy this recipe for Cevapi? If so, don’t forget to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Burek from Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Qofte from Albania
- Frikadeller (Meatballs in a Sage Cream Sauce) from Denmark
- What To Serve with Swedish Meatballs
Cevapi
Equipment
- Pan(s)
- Cutting Board
- Knife/Knives
- Mixing Bowl(s)
- Kebab Skewers
- Barbecue Grill
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- ½ sweet onion, minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground lamb
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 2 ½ tsp Onion powder
- 1 ½ tsp Paprika
Instructions
- In a medium pan, heat up 1 tbsp olive oil. Add ½ chopped sweet onion to the pan, and saute until translucent. This should take about 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, use your hands to combine all of the ingredients together (1 lb ground beef, ½ lb ground lamb, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 2 ½ tsp onion powder, 1 ½ tsp paprika), including the cooked onions.
- Cover and let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Using your hands, form small cevapi balls about the size of a golf ball. Then, press them into an oval shape.
- Place 3 cevapi on each skewer and set aside.
- Heat up a charcoal grill. Place the cevapi skewer on the grill, and cook them for about 5 minutes until they are browned on one side. Then, flip them over and cook them on the other side. Continue cooking until they are cooked through.
- You may also pan fry the cevapi or cook on an indoor, electric grill.
Notes
- If you cook on an electric grill, you may need to remove them from the skewers, grill them, then put them back on the skewers at the end.
- If you don’t like chunks of onions, you can also grate them on a cheese grater and that will make them blend into the meat more
- You can cook the cevapi to your desired temperature (medium rare, well done, etc)
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days
- Onion: I use a sweet onion. Mince it very finely, as you won’t want large pieces of onion in your meatballs
- Ground Beef: I use 85% lean
S.Miles says
Having lived in the former Yugoslavia for 9 years, I think your recipe is very good. However, I think you should add 2-3 chopped garlic cloves. The dish as I know it is usually called ‘chevapchichi’.
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Mmm I am never opposed to more garlic!