Cevapcici Sausages

This recipe for old-world classic ground meat sausages is well loved by all the Slavic people. Cevapcici tastes great as a quick lunch or dinner that disappears from the table in no time!

What Is Cevapcici

Cevapcici is seasoned ground meat hand-shaped into small sausages that are pan-fried or baked in the oven. It is usually served with boiled potatoes, French fries, or fresh bread. 

Cevapcici originated in the Balkan countries, it's widespread in Serbia, Bosnia, or Croatia (former Yugoslavia). Their inhabitants call these sausages Cevapi.

TIP: Here on my blog, you can find more favorite recipes with ground pork such as Czech sekaná meatloaf or Dutch schnitzel.

In the Czech Republic, cevapcici sausages are known as "čevabčiči". They’re based on the original Balkan recipe with a few minor tweaks. Czechs serve čevabčiči with boiled potatoes and a dollop of yellow mustard. As the final touch, rings of fresh onions are sprinkled over the sausages.

Because I am Czech, this is the recipe that is most commonly prepared in the Czech Republic.

Ingredients

• Ground meat; a mixture of finely ground fattier pork (like pork shoulder) and lean beef. Pork should make up at least half of the mixture so that the cevapcici is not dry but juicy. In the traditional recipe, the meat mixture also includes minced lamb.
• Onion; according to the Czech recipe, onion needs to be fried in lard before adding it to the meat mixture. I recommend frying onion in advance. This gives the cevapcici a stronger flavor.
• Lard or vegetable oil; to fry the onion
• Eggs; to hold the cevapcici together
• Salt and ground black pepper; to flavor the meat mixture

These are the essential ingredients for cevapcici. If you want a more varied taste, add some dried marjoram or crushed garlic to the meat mixture.

For the Czech version of cevapcici, you also need yellow mustard and fresh onion rings for serving. As a side dish, serve boiled potatoes topped with melted butter and sprinkled with chopped green parsley leaves.

Instructions with Photos

This is an oven-baked version of cevapcici. Other ways to cook cevapcici include pan-frying or grilling.

Note: If you bought entire pieces of meat, grind them first in a meat grinder.

STEP 1: Peel and roughly chop the onion. Melt the lard in a pan over medium heat and fry the onions in it until golden brown. Leave to cool.

STEP 2: Put the ground meat in a mixing bowl. Add the fried onions and an egg. Season with salt and pepper. 

STEP 3: With hands moistened in cold water, shape small sausages of approximately 3x1 inches (7.5x2.5 cm). Cevapcici sausages will shrink a bit while being baked.

STEP 4: Preheat the oven to 360 °F (180 °C).

STEP 5: Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the cevapcici sausages on it—Bake in the well-preheated oven for 20 minutes. 

Serving

Serve warm with boiled potatoes, topped with melted butter. Add a dollop of yellow mustard, garnish with fresh onions cut into rings. 

Cook's Tips

• Instead of baking cevapcici in the oven, you can also pan-fry the sausages in a bit of oil. Flip them until they're browned on all sides. 
• To make sure the meat mixture is appropriately seasoned, cook a small patty on both sides in a frying pan over medium heat in a bit of oil or lard. Let it cool for a few minutes and taste. Season the remaining mixture with salt and pepper if necessary.

🍲 More Czech recipes:

• Sausage goulash – buřtguláš
• Chicken paprikash – kuře na paprice
• Knedlo vepřo zelo – pork roast with braised sauerkraut and bread dumplings

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