Grilled Cevapi: Traditional Balkan Sausages with a Flavorful Twist Recipe
Cevapi are traditional Balkan skinless sausages made from a mix of ground pork and beef, seasoned with garlic, paprika, and spices, then grilled to perfection. This recipe offers a classic preparation with optional egg for binding and uses baking soda and sparkling water to enhance texture. Perfect for a flavorful, smoky meal served with pita, ajvar, and fresh salads.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 24 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 23 pieces 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Balkan
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Mixture
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg (optional, can leave it out)
- 1/2 yellow onion (grated)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Leavening and Liquid
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons sparkling water (or beer)
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, add ground pork, ground beef, the optional egg, grated yellow onion, minced garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste preference.
- Prepare Baking Soda Mixture: In a small bowl, mix the baking soda with sparkling water or beer until dissolved.
- Incorporate Mixture: Add the baking soda liquid to the meat mixture. Using clean hands, thoroughly combine all ingredients until evenly mixed. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours to allow flavors to meld and improve texture.
- Form Cevapi: Take a generous spoonful of the meat mixture and shape it into a ball. Then roll the ball by hand into a small log or sausage shape approximately 4 inches long.
- Arrange for Cooking or Storage: Place the shaped cevapi on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. At this point, you can freeze them for later use or proceed to cook immediately.
- Preheat Grill: When ready to cook, preheat your gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat around 400°F. Oil the grill grates to prevent sticking.
- Grill Cevapi: Cook the cevapi over medium indirect heat until grill marks develop on all sides. Use a meat thermometer to ensure an internal temperature of 165°F is reached, which typically takes 15-20 minutes depending on size.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the cevapi from the grill and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving to retain juices and flavor.
- Enjoy with Sides: Serve cevapi alongside fresh pita bread, fries, ajvar (pepper-based condiment), kajmak (creamy dairy spread), shopska salad, chopped onions, or any preferred side dishes.
Notes
- The egg is optional and acts as a binder; omit if avoiding eggs or prefer traditional preparation.
- Using baking soda and sparkling water helps create a tender texture in the meat.
- Refrigerating the mixture for 24 hours intensifies the flavors and improves binding.
- Grill the cevapi over indirect heat to cook evenly without burning.
- The shaped cevapi can be frozen prior to cooking for convenient meal prep.
Keywords: cevapi, Balkan sausages, grilled meat, traditional cevapi, sausage recipe, grilled beef pork sausage