One of the things I love about food is its ability to transport you back to a place. My husband loves making a Slavic dish he grew up with in Austria- ?evap?i?i (or cevapcici as an English spelling).
The first time he made cevapcici for me, they seemed oddly familiar. I couldn’t quite place the flavour, but I remembered their distinctive shape. I dug back through my travel photos and, sure enough, there they were on a plate at a restaurant overlooking the Neretva River in Mostar, Bosnia.
They reminded me that food travels just as much as people do. This is the version we’ve cooked together for years.
Editor’s Note (July 2026): Since publishing this recipe, several readers from Bosnia and Herzegovina have kindly pointed out that our version differs from traditional Bosnian ?evapi. Austria has long been influenced by Balkan cuisine, and many families have their own versions of dishes like cevapcici. We’ve decided to keep it because it’s how we make and enjoy it at home, but if you’re looking for an authentic Bosnian recipe, be aware that traditional Bosnian ?evapi are typically much simpler, often using just meat, salt, pepper, garlic water and baking soda, with regional variations. Thank you to the readers who shared their knowledge and helped make this article more accurate.
Now I know I can always get a little rise out of my husband when he says he’s cooking cevapcici and I ecstatically say “ooooh meatballs!” but I think my preferred label for them are “hamburger fingers.” Unlike burgers, they are shaped like little sausages and heavy on the hot paprika giving them an extra kick.
Cevapcici can be baked in the oven, cooked on the stove top, but are frequently grilled over high heat charcoal giving them a crusty outside and juicy inside.
INGREDIENTS
- 750 grams or 1.5 lbs. mince meat (a combination of beef/pork/lamb), or whichever ground meat you prefer and is available to you)
- 1 egg
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 onion minced
- 3 tbsp hot paprika
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp oregano
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 C oats, bran, or flour for binding
- 2 chilis minced
- oil for the pan or the grid
EQUIPMENT
- mixing bowl
- baking pan, frying pan, or grill grate
METHOD
- Fold all ingredients except for the chilis together in bowl. Mix thoroughly.
- Fold chilis into mix carefully.
- Let rest for atleast 30 minutes.
- Portion mince mix and roll into “hamburger fingers.”
COOKING OPTIONS - Option 1: GRILL: Over hot coals grill for 10-15 minutes flipping once halfway thru.
Option 2: STOVE: Heat a heavy pan on medium high heat, add a little oil to coat. Avoid crowding the pan. Cook in batches for roughly 12 minutes, rotating them to get cook on each side. They should feel firm yet have a little bounce in them.
Option 3: OVEN: Preheat oven 400°F /200°C then bake for 18-25 minutes, flip halfway thru. - Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Prijatno!
8 Responses
I’m sorry but this is nowhere close to our original cevapi recipe. Instead it seems like you mixed our “fasirane snicle” and “cevapi” and some additions into same recipe. Cevapi do not have any of the following:eggs, paprika, onions, mustard is definitely NOT in there neither is OREGANO? I’m not saying your recipe isn’t tasty but it’s definitely NOT authentic CEVAPI. Every Bosnian and Herzegovina person that reads your recipe willl agree with me.
For cevapi – grate 1 clove of garlic for every 500g of ground meat (mix of beef and lamb or pure beef- choose meat that is more greasy). Add grated garlic to a pot with very little water And boil for a few minutes. Cool down a bit and add to ground beef. Add salt and pepper only and let stay in the fridge for 24 hours. Add baking soda to meat either before cooking or right away with other ingredients. And cook on high heat or a grill.
For fasirane snicle recipe is more like yours – add onions, garlic, bread crumbs or flour, vegetable, salt pepper and Eggs. And fry right away or keep in fridge for whenever you’re ready to cook it – within a few hours.
Thank you so much Marija for taking the time to write such a thoughtful comment. I genuinely appreciate it.
I had no idea our family recipe differed so much from traditional Bosnian cevapi! My husband learned it from his mum, and it’s simply the version we’ve always made together.
I’ve updated the post with an editor’s note to explain that this is our family’s adaptation rather than an authentic Bosnian recipe. Thank you as well for sharing how they’re traditionally prepared and I look forward to cooking this as well.
I really appreciate you helping make the article more accurate.
In 1999 I was visiting Sarajevo just before bombing started in Kosovo. I would take daily walks along the faradea(sp) and here were two restaurants, one a bakery, another that served the classic cucumber, tomato , onion yogurt and this pan bread with the cevapcici. It’s was wonderful. And the Bosnian resilient, welcoming people were soo nice. I dream some day to go back.
Thanks Carolee for sharing. I hope you enjoy the recipe and are able to return to Bosnia someday to appreciate everything the country has to offer.
Sounds and looks good.
Thanks everything you make is delicious. Let me know if you make it how it turns out. Also give my mom a hug for me when you see her?