Ćevapčići

Balkan ground meat fingers

Čevapčići/Ћевапчићи (BCMS)
Кебапче (Macedonian)
Qebapa (Albanian)

A Balkan classic

Ćevapčići (plural) are an all time favorite in practically the entire Balkan region. While similar varieties of this ground meat kebab dish are widely available in Albania (qofte/qebapa), Bulgaria (кебапче/kebapče), Romania (mititei), and Turkey (manisa kebab), this page is dedicated to the real deal – the ćevapi from former Yugoslavia.

Easy peasy, little rolls of ground meat with very basic seasoning. Well… there’s maybe nothing exotic about the ingredients, but let me tell you in advance that it’s gonna take some effort and patience to get that unique and above all satisfying flavor. Don’t worry! I’ll be sharing all my secrets for the most juicy ćevapi ever, but first…. let’s get slightly more acquainted with these skinless sausage shaped delicacies.

Ćevapčići (diminutive plural) or ćevapi (plural) are a true Balkan dish. Okay, okay… the Ottoman Turkish influence is undeniable in both the name (derived from kebap/كباب) and preparation, but it’s believed that its current taste and shape originate from Leskovac in southern Serbia. This dish appeared to be an instant hit and quickly spread over entire Yugoslavia in the early 20th century.

Local varieties

As soon as the ćevap started travelling the region, local varieties became a fact. It were the Bosnians who embraced this dish so warmly that today many Bosnian cities have their own variety. Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Travnik and also Tuzla, compete among each other for having the best ćevapi. Outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina and besides Leskovac, also Novi Pazar is known for having its own – Pazarski ćevap.

The real deal!

The differences aren’t significant and lie usually in the length of the meat fingers, the meat types (sheep, lamb, beef, veal) or the proportions of these types in mixtures. Banjalučki ćevapi are the most distinctive type in this matter as they are shaped in squares. Sometimes it’s an ingredient that defines the variation – onion in Leskovac and chopped brined feferroni peppers in Novi Pazar.

While meat is the main character in this dish and receives our undivided attention, we should not downplay the importance of bread here! Flatbread (somun or lepinje) is an unmistakable component and if you are going for the real deal, don’t leave it out! Wet your flatbread with beef broth and throw it on the grill (or on the grilled meat) to absorb the juices and get that typical grill flavor. Enjoy this dish as a Balkan local by breaking the bread with your hands. Grab a ćevap with it, be sure that some raw onion comes along and dip in either kajmak or ajvar!

Jump to video!

6 juicy tips

Don’t use (extra) lean ground meat. Fat adds to both flavor and tenderness.

Planning to grind your own meat? Beautiful! Use neck and shoulder parts.

Use sparkling water and soda bicarbonate for ultimate tenderness!

Don’t add raw garlic or powder, instead boil garlic in water and let it cool off before adding.

For the grinders, keep a little piece of fat (tallow) aside and grease your hot grill with it.

Grill on charcoal or real wood and regularly move the ćevapi around until medium grilled.

Ćevapčići
(Balkan ground meat fingers)

Recipe by Chef Franky BuzCourse: Main courseCuisine: BalkanDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Below you’ll find a recipe for ćevapčići only. Jump to recipes for somun/lepinje (flatbread), kajmak (cream cheese) and ajvar (roasted pepper spread).

Ingredients

1 kg or 2.2 lb of Ground meat: beef, lamb, veal
(preferably a mixture of 3/4 beef and 1/4 lamb)
7 cloves of garlic
100 ml or 3.38 fl oz of sparkling water
100 ml or 3.38 fl oz of still water
2 tsp of soda bicarbonate (baking soda)
4 tsp of salt
4 tsp of black pepper
garnish: 1 onion
garnish: 1 green or spring onion

Directions

Add the ground meat to a big bowl and mix well. Don’t choose extra lean meat, some fat is definitely needed.
Press (or grate) the garlic cloves above a small pot with (still) water. Boil the garlic for 2.5 minutes on medium heat. Set aside to let it cool off. A part of the water will vaporize (little less than 100 ml/3.38 fl oz remains).
Add soda bicarbonate, salt, black pepper to the meat and mix evenly.
Add the sparkling water and the boiled garlic mixture to the meat. Give it a good mix and refrigerate for at least three hours (preferably 12 hours).
Shape the ground meat kebabs in the shape of small sausages/fingers. If you use your hands it helps to apply some water or a very small amount of sunflower (neutral) oil regularly.

For the best result: Refrigerate the mixture or freshly shaped ćevapi overnight.
Before putting the meat to a hot grill/pan make sure that your ground meat fingers are on room temperature. There is no need for oil or butter, but a bit of tallow (beef fat) can be used to grease the grill.
Grill the meat for half a minute on every side and move them around regularly to keep them juicy. Grill for 6 minutes until medium cooked. If possible lower the temperature after the first 2 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle some beef broth on a flatbread and add them to the grill/pan. Do this in the last phase of preparing.
Serve with flatbread, raw finely chopped onions/green onions and a side of kajmak or ajvar.

Notes

Ćevapčići are tradionally accompanied with a glass of yogurt or kefir (ayran or buttermilk are similar alternatives). When it comes to alcohol a refreshing beer suits very well.
This is the ultimate bbq dish to impress on your summer grill parties.
Internet recipes that include egg or breadcrumbs are not based on the authentic ways of preparing.