Serbian Cevapi with Flatbread and Onions
Serbian Cevapi
Small grilled beef sausages served with warm flatbread, sliced raw onions, and a cool garlic yogurt sauce.
Cevapi are small hand-shaped sausages cooked hot and fast until the outside is deeply browned and the center stays juicy. This Serbian-style version keeps the seasoning direct: beef, onion, garlic, paprika, black pepper, and a little baking soda for the springy texture that makes the sausages easy to bite into.
The mixture needs a short rest so the salt and aromatics can season the meat evenly. Shaping the sausages with damp hands keeps them smooth and compact, which helps them grill without cracking or falling apart. A cast-iron grill pan works well indoors, but an outdoor grill gives the best smoky edges.
Serve cevapi the traditional casual way, tucked into warm flatbread with a pile of raw onion. The yogurt sauce is not heavy; it adds cool acidity and garlic so each bite has contrast without covering up the grilled meat.
This recipe is best eaten right away while the flatbread is soft and the sausages are hot. If cooking for a crowd, shape the cevapi ahead and keep them chilled, then grill them in batches just before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Combine the ground beef, grated onion, garlic, salt, paprika, black pepper, baking soda, and cold water in a large bowl.
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2
Mix with your hands for 2 to 3 minutes, until the meat looks sticky and cohesive rather than loose.
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3
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes while preparing the sauce and onions.
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4
Stir the yogurt, lemon juice, parsley, a pinch of salt, and a little black pepper together in a small bowl, then chill until serving.
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5
Divide the meat into 16 portions and roll each one with damp hands into a short sausage about 4 inches long.
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6
Heat a grill, grill pan, or heavy skillet over medium-high heat and brush it lightly with oil.
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7
Grill the cevapi for 8 to 10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until browned on all sides and cooked through.
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8
Warm the flatbreads on the grill or in a dry skillet until pliable and lightly toasted.
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9
Serve the hot cevapi with warm flatbread, sliced raw onion, and spoonfuls of garlic yogurt sauce.
Ingredients
- Ground beef, 80/20:1 1/2 lb
- Yellow onion, finely grated:1/2 cup
- Garlic cloves, minced:3
- Kosher salt:1 1/2 tsp
- Sweet paprika:1 tsp
- Black pepper:1/2 tsp
- Baking soda:1/2 tsp
- Cold water:2 tbsp
- Neutral oil:1 tbsp
- Flatbreads:4
- White onion, thinly sliced:1
- Plain Greek yogurt:3/4 cup
- Lemon juice:1 tbsp
- Fresh parsley, chopped:2 tbsp
Tips & Notes
- For a richer Balkan-style blend, replace 1/2 lb of the beef with ground lamb or pork.
- Keep the shaped cevapi cold until they hit the grill so they hold their shape and brown cleanly.
- If the onion tastes sharp, rinse the slices briefly in cold water and pat them dry before serving.
