Cevapi are small, skinless sausages made from a mixture of ground meat—typically beef, pork, or lamb—combined with garlic, salt, and simple seasonings. They’re a staple street food across the Balkans and are traditionally grilled over open flames.

---

Jump to Recipe

---

We are heading back to the Balkan’s this week and trying out a recipe from Montenegro called Cevapi. And for a such a tiny, little country, they seem to have all the right things going on. They have coastline and beaches, mountains and canyons, history and culture. And even more amazing, it’s so abundantly scenic you can even fit all that beauty into one picture.

And then to top if off, they have Cevapi – bite size sausages of tastiness. We’ve kind of been on a kick for street food (Namibia-Kapana, Japan-Karaage) so why stop now? These little treats mostly resemble kebabs, just in a petite and cuter version.

We also discovered that Burek, the dish we made for North Macedonia, is a pretty common breakfast dish in Montenegro, like in many of the other Balkan countries. The boys were pretty excited, because even after a handful of countries, Burek remains one of their favorite recipes we have tried to far! Matter of fact, there is a lot of shared food love between many of the countries in this area.

Montenegro: Cevapi

Cevapi are small, skinless sausages made from a mixture of ground meat—typically beef, pork, or lamb—combined with garlic, salt, and simple seasonings. They’re a staple street food across the Balkans and are traditionally grilled over open flames.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Mix the Meat

Start by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. Let it sit for a few hours in the fridge (if you can) to let the flavors settle in a little extra. The mixture should be slightly sticky. This helps create the traditional cevapi texture.

2. Let it Rest

3. Shape the Cevapi

To start forming the sausages, grab a heaping spoonful of the mixture (about 1/4 c) and rolling them out until they look like little, pudgy, fat fingers. Keep rolling until you use all the mixture.

4. Cook

Grill the little guys just a few minutes on each side until the meat is cooked through! I wanted to use the actual grill for these, but it’s snowing outside, so the cast iron grill pan will just have to do! (They stayed pretty juicy this way!)

***Most often these are served with/stuffed into some pita breads and slices of onion. For a little extra try adding a little Avjar to top it off! (It’s the Balkan version of salsa – roasted eggplants, red bell peppers)

Tips for Perfect Cevapi

• Use higher-fat meat (around 20%) for juicier results
• Mix until sticky—this helps bind the meat properly
• Rest the mixture for deeper flavor
• Don’t overcook—they should stay juicy inside
• Wet your hands when shaping to prevent sticking

Also, I hope you’re starting to see my theme here. It doesn’t have to take an eternity to mix up the dinner routine and try new things. I get it, I spend forty hours working spreadsheets a week and drive to the lesson or sports practice of the day. But despite the business and schedules, dinnertime is a priority for this family to be together. My whole goal is recipes that don’t require much time or ingredients and making sure we get to the table together!