Cevapi (Grilled Serbian Sausages)
Cevapi are easy to make, grilled sausages from Southeastern Europe that burst with smoky flavor and are perfect for serving with flatbread and sliced onions.
Cevapi (pronounced CHAE-vap or CHAE-vap-ee) are hand-shaped, case-less sausages that are popular in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, and other countries in the Balkans/Southeastern Europe region.
Even though we are titling this article "Serbian sausages", chevapi really have such a long history, that it is impossible to give complete credit for the creation of these sausages to any one country alone.
Turkish Influence
Cevapi (or cevapici) originated in the Balkans during the time of Turkish rule (the Ottoman Empire).
You can see the Turkish influence in the similarity of cevapi to a Turkish kofta kebab, which is a mixed-meat sausage that is molded onto skewers for easy grilling.
A truly unique sausage
There are many things that make cevapi unique. For starters, they are made with a mixture of beef, lamb, and/or pork. This mixture of meats creates a very unique flavor and texture in the sausage.
Another unique element to these sausages, and a very exciting one, is that they are un-cased. That means that unlike bratwurst, boerwors, or other cased sausages, you don't have to have a sausage stuffing attachment to make these tasty sausages!
This makes them super easy to make. Which is a big win!
Finally, these guys are grilled, which means, like any grilled sausage, they benefit from a nice infusion of smoke. However, since these sausages don't have a casing keeping all the smoky goodness on the surface, the smoke flavor really penetrates deep into the sausage.
And, since these sausages are made up of fatty meat, as the fat drips onto the coals, the flames spring upward, creating a beautiful hiss and pop, and a smell that is incredible!
The many faces of Cevapi
As with any food that is popular over a wide area, cevapi can vary greatly depending on the country you are enjoying them in.
In Bosnia, they are short and slightly fat. Bosnian cevapi are typically made from two different types of ground beef (like flank or rib meat mixed with chuck).
Serbian cevapi are made with a mixture of beef, lamb and/or pork.
Croatian and Bulgarian cevapi are made with a mixture of beef and pork. However, in Croatia, the cevapi are slightly longer and thinner than the Bosnian version, which are fat and shorter.
Using baking soda in sausage making
Baking soda might seem like a strange thing to add to a sausage meat mixture.
However, the baking soda we add to our cevapi help create a nice, springy texture.
Not all cevapi recipes will call for baking soda, but we loved what it did for the texture of these sausages!
How to eat Cevapi
Don't even think about reaching for that bun!
Now that we have that out of the way.
In some areas cevapi are served over potato wedges or fries, but the most popular way to eat cevapi is as a street food.
To make the sausages easy to eat, sausages are served stuffed into local flatbread, called lepinja, and garnished with sliced onions and a sweet red pepper sauce, called ajvar, or sour cream.
These sausages pack so much flavor we could eat them all on their own!
But, pairing them with a chewy flatbread, a light smear of sauce, and the bite of raw onion takes them from tasty sausages to an incredible meal.
If you make these for your next summer cookout, be careful, your guests might never leave!
Cevapi (Grilled Serbian Sausages)
Cevapi are easy to make, grilled sausages from Southeastern Europe that burst with smoky flavor and are perfect for serving with flatbread and sliced onions.
For best flavor, let the sausages marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean
- ½ lb ground pork
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together all ingredients.
- Using slightly over 1 tablespoon of meat mixture per sausage, shape the mixture into sausages the size and shape of a fat finger (roughly 3 inches long and ¾ of an inch in diameter).
- Place all the formed sausages in a single layer on a platter. Cover the platter and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to overnight).*
- When you are ready to cook your sausages, preheat your grill to medium heat, 350-400⁰F. (You should be able to hold your hand a few inches from the cooking grate for 5-7 seconds.)
- Grill the sausages using a fine grate grill pan for 4-5 minutes a side, until golden and springy.
- Serve the cevapi with sliced sweet onions and flatbread (like lepinja or pita).
Notes
*The sausages can also be frozen at this point for cooking later. Simply freeze the sausages in a single layer on a platter for 2 hours. Then, transfer the frozen sausages to an air-tight container.
Frozen sausages will keep for 2-3 months.
To cook from frozen, simple place the frozen or thawed sausages on the grill and cook as directed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
6 sausagesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 300Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Trying these tonight as they sound and look so good.
We hope you enjoy them!
I’m from Slovenia and have been enjoying čevapi ever since I was a child. In my family, we like to pour some beer on them while they’re grilling - makes them extra juicy!
Ooh, thank you for the tip!
Lovely. I will sign up for your newsletter.
Glad to have you join us!
Hi. Thanks for the recipe.
Can this be done in the oven? Stovetop?
Hi Izzy. If we were doing these indoors, I would do them on a skillet on the stove. (Preferably on cast iron, since you will get a bit better browning. Enjoy!
I tried this out today, making a BBQ for my parents who are in their 80s and from Serbia originally. It worked really well. Really tasty and not too fatty. Dad has dementia and this triggered memories of his youth.
Hi Aleksandar. Thank you for sharing! We are so glad you all enjoyed the recipe.
I grew up in Croatia (Hvar) and we ate them all the time there. Nice memories. Thank you for the recipe.
Hope you enjoy the recipe! Glad it could bring back memories!
THEY ARE FANTASTIC, LOVE THE SERBIAN VERSION!!!
Thanks Walt!
first time i tasted cevapi i was working for a car yard,in 1987
We hope these bring back good memories Peter!
Wow, what a great recipe!! So tasty.
So glad you enjoyed them John!
Agree with Zack- serving with fresh onion is a must. I got a tip from Serbian friend. Finely chop onions and put them in a pot. Once cevapi are cooked put them in a pot with onions, mix, cover and leave for 2 minutes. Gives wonderful garnish.
Yes! Fresh onions are so good with them!
Just had these for the first time at a local cultural fair. We are in LOVE! I had to immediately find a recipe. Can’t wait to make them!
They are delicious! We hope you enjoy our recipe!
I buy them at a market next to my office that makes them fresh everyday. I serve them like a Gyro with Tatziki. Or with grilled onion and peppers. So yummy. Having them for dinner tonight.
You're so lucky to live near a market that makes them! What a treat!
I love cevapi!! I had them in Bosnia a while ago and feel in love with their delicious flavor. They were served with yogurt that was drinkable and"butter" which was like mascarpone. These look delicious! !
Ooh! Those condiments sound delicious!
This is the closest to original Cevapcici recipe. However, for your info guys. ”Butter” which was "like mascarpone" is Serbian Kajmak. Serbian Yogurt is our Butter Milk. Cevapcici are the best if served with finely grated fresh onion. Enjoy.
Thanks for clarifying Zack! Serving them with onion does really add something special!