Eastern European Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Cevapi
Juicy hand-rolled beef and lamb sausages grilled over open flame, served in pillowy flatbread with chopped onion — the beloved Balkan street food of summer.
No common allergens detected
Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.
Good to know
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals
Instructions
6 steps- 1
In a large bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the sparkling water. Pour this mixture over the ground meats along with the minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
- 2
Mix the meat thoroughly with your hands for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes sticky and well-emulsified. This step is crucial for the signature bouncy texture.
- 3
Cover the meat mixture tightly and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours) to allow the flavors to develop and the meat to firm up.
- 4
With damp hands, shape the meat into small, finger-length sausages, about 3/4-inch thick and 3 inches long.
- 5
Preheat a grill or a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grates or pan.
- 6
Grill the cevapi for 8-10 minutes, turning frequently, until browned on all sides and cooked through. Serve with chopped raw onions, ajvar, and warm flatbread (lepinja).
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
74/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving425
Calories
45 g
Protein
1 g
Carbs
25 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Cevapi (sometimes spelled cevapcici) are small, skinless grilled sausages that are the most iconic street food of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia. They arrived with Ottoman influence and became deeply embedded in Balkan food culture over centuries — in Sarajevo, the dish is so important that specific neighborhoods are known for their competing cevapi recipes. The classic Sarajevo-style uses exclusively beef while Serbian versions often blend beef and lamb, and the debate between these camps is a genuine cultural conversation.
Listahan note
This version uses a beef-and-lamb blend for the richest flavor, and the sausages are rested in the refrigerator overnight so the seasoning fully permeates the meat before they hit the grill.
Technique cues
- Do not overwork the meat mixture — mix just until the seasonings are evenly distributed, as over-mixing creates a dense, rubbery texture rather than a tender, slightly coarse bite.
- Grill over high direct heat and resist the urge to move them too early; let the cevapi develop a crust that releases naturally from the grate before turning.
- Serve immediately off the grill — cevapi tighten as they cool and lose their characteristic juicy interior within minutes of leaving the heat.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Mix and shape the cevapi the night before and refrigerate uncovered on a plate so the exterior dries slightly, which helps them hold shape and develop better grill marks.
- Make-ahead
- Shaped raw cevapi freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and grill as fresh.
- Leftover move
- Slice cooked leftover cevapi and tuck into a flatbread with ajvar, sliced raw onion, and a smear of sour cream for a quick wrap lunch.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Oil the grill grates well before cooking and clean them with a brush immediately after the last batch while still hot — meat residue comes off much easier before it carbonizes.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
ground beef
primary meat base
Purpose: Beef provides the savory, umami-forward backbone that cevapi are known for, especially in the Sarajevo tradition.
Handling: Use 80/20 ground beef for enough fat to keep the sausages moist over high grill heat.
Adaptation: Ground veal produces a lighter, more delicate sausage closer to some Croatian regional versions.
ground lamb
fat and flavor enrichment
Purpose: Lamb fat melts beautifully over fire and adds a characteristic slightly gamey note that distinguishes cevapi from a plain beef sausage.
Handling: Combine cold with the beef and handle gently to keep the fat distributed without smearing.
Adaptation: Omit lamb and use all beef for the Sarajevo style, which is the most recognized traditional version.
baking soda
texture modifier
Purpose: A small amount of baking soda raises the pH of the meat slightly, which relaxes the proteins and produces a distinctively tender, almost bouncy texture.
Handling: Dissolve in a teaspoon of water before mixing in so it distributes evenly without creating pockets.
Adaptation: Leave it out if texture modifier is a concern — the cevapi will still be good but slightly denser.
garlic
aromatic punch
Purpose: Raw garlic is an essential flavor marker in cevapi — it caramelizes slightly on the outside during grilling and sharpens the savory profile.
Handling: Mince very finely or grate so it incorporates completely and does not leave raw chunks.
Adaptation: Garlic powder can substitute in a pinch at about one-third the volume of fresh.
somun or pita bread
serving vessel
Purpose: The fluffy bread absorbs the meat juices and provides the soft, starchy contrast that makes cevapi a complete dish rather than just a grilled protein.
Handling: Warm on the grill edges while the cevapi finish cooking so the bread is hot and slightly toasted on the outside.
Adaptation: Any flatbread with a soft, airy interior — lavash, naan, or thick pita — works as a stand-in.
Technique notes
- Shape the sausages using a slightly wet hand so the surface is smooth and they hold together cleanly without cracks that would open on the grill.
- A charcoal grill is strongly preferred — the smoke and char are a genuine flavor component, not just aesthetics; gas grilling produces a noticeably different result.
- Serve with raw chopped onion alongside, not cooked — the sharp bite of raw onion is a deliberate, traditional contrast to the rich fatty sausage.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Serve with gluten-free flatbread or a lettuce wrap instead of somun. The cevapi mixture itself is ground beef, lamb or pork, garlic, baking soda and sparkling water — check your ingredient list for added binders.
- Lower-fat direction
- Use lean ground beef (90/10) and replace the lamb with finely grated zucchini pressed dry — the moisture it contributes keeps the sausages from drying out.
- Indoor option
- A cast-iron grill pan over high heat achieves a good crust; open a window as the fat will smoke — do not use a nonstick pan as the heat required will damage the coating.
Serve alongside
- Ajvar (roasted red pepper relish)
- Shopska salad (tomato, cucumber, white cheese)
- Raw sliced onion
- Pale lager beer
- Ayran (cold yogurt drink)
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Cooked cevapi refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat to restore the char without steaming them soft.
- Raw shaped cevapi can be frozen for up to 2 months; always thaw in the refrigerator before grilling.
Equipment
- Charcoal or gas grill (charcoal strongly preferred for authentic flavor)
- Long-handled grill tongs for turning without piercing
- Instant-read thermometer to confirm 160 degrees F internal temperature
- Wire cooling rack or plate for resting after grilling
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