Cevapi are flavorful sausage kebabs from Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are made from a savory blend of minced beef and lamb meat, and are grilled over a charcoal flame. Try this easy and delicious Cevapi recipe for your next barbecue!
What are Cevapi?
Cevapi are kind of like… oblong meatball sausage kebabs that are traditionally cooked on a grill. 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 after falling in love with the original dish.
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!
What Ingredients Do You Need to Make This Recipe?
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
- Ground lamb
- Seasonings – salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika
- Onion
- Olive oil
So I learned something about myself while cooking the Cevapi for this meal: I have literally zero idea how to use a charcoal grill. I learned this too little too late, while I was outside trying to grill meat over uncooked coals.
Luckily, though, Papa Foreign Fork came to the rescue. I thought I was Miss Magic when I sprayed my charcoal with lighter fluid and then set a lighter to it and little baby flames started popping up everywhere. If you follow me on my Instagram page, you witnessed the pure joy that I felt at my “success.”
Half of you were probably laughing at me from behind your phones, because my fire was NOT a success. I didn’t realize my mistake until my dad came to visit me on the porch.
“Are you trying to cook over those…?” he asked with a laugh, obviously comically disappointed in his daughter’s lack of campfire knowledge. “You’ll never cook anything over that.”
Get the Full Cevapi Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Tip: How to Start a Charcoal Fire
Turns out, I hadn’t really listened to my dad’s instructions. Big mistake.
When you start cooking over charcoals, 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.
Okay, here’s where I went wrong. Before even lighting the charcoal pieces on fire, I shook them out of their pyramidal position. DO NOT DO THIS LOL. 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, THEN shake the grill until they turn flat. NOW you can start cooking on your charcoals! 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.
Enjoy!
Cevapi (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Cevapi are flavorful sausage kebabs from Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are made from a savory blend of minced beef and lamb meat, and are grilled over a charcoal flame.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground lamb
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2.5 tsp onion powder
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- ½ sweet onion chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium pan, heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the chopped onion to the pan, and sautee 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 about 3 hours. When ready to cook, form into long sausage-shaped patties, and run 3-4 onto bamboo skewers. TIP: Soak your skewers in water before putting Cevapi onto them and cooking; the water will help to keep the skewers from burning on the grill.
Heat up a charcoal grill and grill the Cevapi until cooked to desired doneness. You may also pan fry the Cevapi or cook on an indoor, electric grill.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Let me know in the comments if you give this recipe a try!
Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.
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Looking for More Savory Dishes?
- Qofte (Albanian Meatballs)
- Silpancho from Bolivia
- Australian Sausage Rolls
- Steak Stir Fry Recipe (Loc Lac from Cambodia)
- Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce from Brunei
- Beef in a Slow Cooker (Seswaa) from Botswana
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!