Cevapi - Easy Balkan Beef Sausages

A stack of grilled cevapi on a white plate with parsley garnish.

Cevapi - Easy Balkan Beef Sausages

Cevapi are the perfect addition to your next home cooked BBQ. They’re so easy to mix by hand with simple ingredients - no fancy sausage maker required. Grill them over charcoal for that classic smoky flavour!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Bosnian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings sausages

Calories 150kcal

Author Wandercooks

Cost $15

Equipment

Large fry pan OR cast iron skillet OR charcoal grill

Ingredients

1 kg beef mince
4 cloves garlic
½ bunch parsley finely chopped
50 ml cold water
1 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Place the beef mince in a large mixing bowl along with the garlic, parsley, sweet paprika, salt and pepper. Mix by hand until roughly combined.
1 kg beef mince, 4 cloves garlic, ½ bunch parsley, 1 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper
Next grab a small dish and mix the cold water and baking soda together until it dissolves a little bit (it won't dissolve entirely, this is fine).
50 ml cold water, 1 tsp baking soda
Add the baking soda mixture into the meat mix and massage together for a good 5 minutes until it's all combined. Tip: This process is essential to help emulsify the mixture and give it the smooth, springy texture we love in cevapi!
Take a small handful of the mixture and first roll it into a ball, then into a small sausage shape. Pat each end to flatten and pop it on the plate. The length should be around the width of your hand.
Fire up your charcoal grill OR heat the vegetable oil a large cast iron skillet or frying pan on medium heat. Cook the cevapi for a few minutes per side until browned. Tip: Slice one in half to test if they're cooked in the middle. A slight pink is okay for beef sausages.
1 tbsp olive oil
Once cooked, we recommend serving with hot with fresh lapinja bread, chopped raw onion and ajvar spread.

Notes

Mince Meat: We use 100% beef mince, though some versions can be made with a mix of beef, lamb and very occasionally pork. Make sure the mince isn't too lean, you need some fat in the mixture for the cevapi to hold their shape.
Baking Soda - You might be tempted to skip on this simple ingredient, but don’t! It is essential to help emulsify the mixture and give your cevapi the proper texture.
Herbs & Spices - Traditionally, cevapi are seasoned with just salt and pepper. We first discovered cevapi wandering through Bosnia and Macedonia, so love the additions of sweet paprika, garlic and finely chopped parsley.
Mixing - Take your time to really ‘massage’ the meat, spices and baking soda together to tenderise the mixture. This is essential for the proper cevapi texture and the end result is totally worth the effort! To make it even more smooth you can add finely shaved ice while mixing.
Cooking - Make sure the heat isn’t too high, otherwise it will burn the outside and the middle will be raw.

Nutrition