Cevapcici with Onions

Name: Cevapcici with Onions
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients: 800g Ground Beef; 200g Ground Lamb; 18g Sea Salt, fine; 1 tsp Pepper (Black), freshly ground; 3 cloves of Garlic, very finely minced; 1/2 tsp Baking Soda; 60ml Water, cold; 1 tbsp Neutral Oil, for shaping/brushing; 2 medium Yellow Onions, finely chopped; 4 Lepinjas, somun (Balkan flatbreads); 200g Ajvar

These cevapcici are small, juicy Balkan-style sausages made from a mix of beef and lamb, fragranced with garlic and simple seasonings. They’re charred until caramelized and served in warm flatbread with sweet, smoky ajvar and golden sautéed onions for a delicious, rustic street-food experience. Quick to prepare and utterly satisfying, they make a great casual meal or party platter.

These cevapcici are small, juicy Balkan-style sausages made from a mix of beef and lamb, fragranced with garlic and simple seasoni... Show more

Traditional Eastern European Recipe

Health Grade

C+ · Balanced

Rating

4.4

Time

1 hr

Price

1,86 €

Calories

774 kcal

high protein

low sugar

comfort food

grilling

Method

Prep the aromatics

Take about 10 minutes to peel the Yellow Onion and chop it very finely for serving. Peel the Garlic (very finely minced) and mince it as fine as you can so it disappears into the meat mixture.

Mix the meat

In a large bowl, combine the Ground Beef, Ground Lamb, Sea Salt (fine), Pepper (Black) (freshly ground), the minced garlic, Baking Soda, and Water (cold). Work the mixture with your hands for 2–3 minutes until it looks sticky, cohesive, and evenly seasoned rather than loose and crumbly.

Rest and shape

Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest for 20 minutes so it firms up. Lightly oil your hands with the Neutral Oil (for shaping/brushing), then divide the meat into small portions and roll each one into a short, finger-length ćevapi about the thickness of your thumb.

Preheat the pan

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and let it preheat for 4 minutes. You want the surface hot enough that the ćevapi sizzle immediately when they hit it.

Pan-fry the ćevapi

Arrange the ćevapi in the hot pan in a single layer, leaving a little space between them. Cook for 4 minutes on the first side, turn them, then cook for 4 minutes more until they are deeply browned all over and cooked through in the center. If needed, add a tiny splash of oil between batches.

Warm and serve

Warm the Lepinja (somun (Balkan flatbreads)) in the hot pan for 1 minute per side until soft and pliable, then split them open. Fill the lepinja with the ćevapi, top with the chopped onion, and add a generous spoonful of Ajvar to each serving.