Ćevapi — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Small, finger-shaped grilled rolls of seasoned beef and lamb, charred on the outside and juicy within, served in warm somun flatbread with raw onions and kajmak cream.

Ingredients

400g ground beef
200g ground lamb
1 small onion, finely grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
Somun or lepinja flatbread
1 white onion, finely diced
Kajmak or sour cream for serving

Instructions

1 Combine ground beef and lamb with grated onion, garlic, baking soda, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix thoroughly but do not overwork.
2 Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to let flavors meld.
3 Shape mixture into finger-sized cylinders, about 8cm long and 2cm wide. You should get 20-25 pieces.
4 Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Grill ćevapi for 3-4 minutes per side until charred outside and cooked through.
5 Serve immediately in warm somun flatbread with finely diced raw onion and a generous spoonful of kajmak or sour cream.

Did You Know?

In Croatia and the Balkans, ordering "deset u pola" (ten in a half-bread) is the standard ćevapi order — everyone knows exactly what it means.