Homemade Beef Cevapi Recipe

A childhood favourite of mine, Cevapi (chae-vap or chae-vap-ee), are hand-shaped, skinless sausages that are a Croatian favourite. I have fond memories of helping my mum make them when I was young. Cevapi are easy-to-make and have a delicious smoky flavour. They’re perfect for serving with cabbage salad, potato salad, pickled chilli, ajvar and flatbread, as I have here. You could also enjoy your cevapi street food style on flatbread with sliced onions and a generous dollop of ajvar and cream cheese. Yum!

Homemade Beef Cevapi ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the cevapi up to 24 hours before cooking and store in the fridge—this will allow the flavours to develop and make the cevapi easier to cook (as they will be firmer). You can also freeze uncooked cevapi for up to 2 months and thaw completely in the fridge overnight before cooking.

Are Homemade Beef Cevapi suitable for leftovers?

Yes, Beef Cevapi can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Microwave to reheat. Not suitable for freezing.

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Homemade Beef Cevapi Recipe

Homemade Beef Cevapi

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5 from 2 reviews

  • Total Time: 27 mins
  • Yield: 4 (makes approximately 16 cevapi) 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

Cevapi

  • 500 g regular (20% fat) beef mince/ground beef
  • 1 brown onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic, freshly minced
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 and 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, for cooking

Cabbage salad

  • 2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Serving recommendations

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the cevapi ingredients (except the olive oil) with your hands until combined.
  2. Shape the mixture into sausages, using about 2 tablespoons for each one. They should be around 10 cm long and 2 cm thick (about 4″ long and 3/4″ thick).
  3. Arrange on a platter and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight if you have the time. This will allow the flavours to develop and make the cevapi easier to cook (as they will be firmer). If you don’t have time, you can cook them immediately (they will still be delicious but might be a bit fiddly to turn).
  4. While the cevapi are in the fridge, make the cabbage salad by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  5. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan on medium heat and cook the cevapi, in batches if necessary. Cook for 10-12 mins, turning as needed until golden brown.
  6. Add 1/2 cup of water in the last 3 minutes of cooking. This will deglaze the pan and create a delicious sauce, perfect for soaking up with bread!
  7. Serve with cabbage salad, potato salad, pickled chilli, ajvar and bread.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD

Prepare the cevapi up to 24 hours before cooking and store in the fridge—this will allow the flavours to develop and make the cevapi easier to cook (as they will be firmer). You can also freeze uncooked cevapi for up to 2 months and thaw completely in the fridge overnight before cooking.

LEFTOVERS

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Microwave to reheat. Not suitable for freezing.

  • Author: Nicole
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 12 mins
  • Category: beef, cevapi
  • Method: pan
  • Cuisine: Balkan