Serbian Ćevapi

About This Recipe

Ćevapi (or ćevapčići, 'little kebabs') are the defining street food of Serbia and the wider former Yugoslavia. They are small, skinless cylinders of well-spiced minced beef and lamb, char-grilled over hot coals until the outsides are blistered and the insides remain juicy. Tradition is everything: the meat must rest overnight with grated onion, garlic, and a splash of mineral water that aerates the texture; the grill must be hot enough that fat sears immediately; the somun flatbread is split and pressed cut-side-down on the warm grill to drink in the juices. Served by the half-dozen, ten, or fifteen pieces, with a slab of clotted kajmak melting on top, ruby-red ajvar pepper relish on the side, and a mound of raw chopped onion. There are no forks — you pinch ćevapi into the bread by hand.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gminced beef (15-20% fat)
• 300 gminced lamb shoulder
• 1 largeyellow onion, grated and squeezed dry
• 5 clovesgarlic, crushed to a paste
• 1 tspbicarbonate of soda
• 2 tspfine salt
• 1 tspground black pepper
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 60 mlsparkling mineral water
• 4somun or thick pita flatbreads
• 200 gkajmak (or cream cheese whipped with sour cream and salt)
• 200 gajvar (Balkan red pepper relish)
• 1 largered onion, finely chopped (to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine and rest

   In a wide bowl, combine beef, lamb, grated onion, garlic, bicarbonate of soda, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix with your hands until thoroughly blended. Cover and refrigerate 12–24 hours — this is essential for the texture.

2. 2

   Aerate with mineral water

   Just before grilling, splash the mineral water over the meat and knead briefly for 2 minutes. The fizz lightens the texture and helps form the signature springy bite.

3. 3

   Shape the ćevapi

   Wet your hands. Pinch off 30 g portions and roll between your palms into smooth, blunt-ended cylinders about 7 cm long and 2 cm thick. Line them up on a tray; cover and chill 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Fire the grill

   Heat a charcoal grill until coals glow white-hot, or heat a heavy ridged cast-iron pan to smoking. The high heat is critical for the blistered crust.

5. 5

   Grill

   Lay ćevapi across the bars with a small gap between each. Grill 3 minutes on one side without moving — they should release naturally with a deep mahogany sear. Turn and grill 3 minutes more.

6. 6

   Final turns

   Roll a quarter turn and cook 90 seconds; turn again and cook 90 seconds more so all four 'sides' colour evenly. They should feel firm-springy when pressed.

7. 7

   Warm the bread

   Split the somun horizontally and press the open cut-side onto the still-hot grill for 30 seconds. They puff and pick up smoky char.

8. 8

   Build and serve

   Open a somun, smear with a thick layer of kajmak and a spoonful of ajvar. Pile 5–8 ćevapi inside, top with raw chopped onion. Close and squeeze. Eat by hand, immediately.

Variations

• •

  Sarajevski ćevapi (Bosnian): smaller, leaner, all-beef, served by the 10 in somun with raw onion and sour cream.

• •

  Leskovački ćevapi (southern Serbia): longer and spicier, with a higher proportion of lamb and a hit of cayenne.

• •

  Add 1 tsp smoked paprika for a non-traditional but delicious smoky twist.

Storage

Best straight off the grill. Cooked ćevapi keep 2 days refrigerated; revive in a hot skillet, never microwave — they go grey and rubbery.

Frequently Asked Questions