Sarajevo cevapi are finger-shaped beef sausages grilled and served in a dry somun with chopped onion and kajmak; ten pieces is a common order.

The word cevap comes through Ottoman Turkish kebap. Wikipedia dates the present Sarajevo form to the 1950s and 1960s, when Ferhatovic and Mrkva (1963) were among the first cevabdzinice. Ferhatovic says its family opened Sarajevo's first one in 1957 and Petica in 1984, during the Winter Olympics. In August 2024 Sarajevski cevapi, made in Sarajevo Canton from fresh beef and salt, received protected geographical indication in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Where to eat Cevapi in Sarajevo

4 editor picks for Cevapi in Sarajevo, ranked by editorial score. All Sarajevo signature dishes · Cevapi across every city.

  • Petica Ferhatovic

    Order Cevapcici Petica, or the pljeskavica, one of the classics of the kitchen.

    Petica Ferhatovic is a family cevabdzinica at Bravadziluk 21 in Bascarsija that opened in 1984, when the Winter Olympic Games were held in Sarajevo.

    DetailsDirections

  • Cevabdzinica Zeljo

    Cevabdzinica Zeljo is a Bosnian restaurant at Kundurdziluk 19, 71000 Sarajevo.

    DetailsDirections

  • Cevabdzinica Hodzic

    Order Cevapi, 10 pieces at 220gr, with a side of kajmak.

    Cevabdzinica Hodzic opened its doors on Bravadziluk in 1991 and grills cevapi, sudzukice and pljeskavice from a secret recipe every day from 07:00 to 23:00.

    DetailsDirections

  • Cevabdzinica Mrkva

    Order Desetka: 10 cevapcici for 13 KM, the most popular format of the dish.

    Cevabdzinica Mrkva opened in 1963 as one of the first cevabdzinice in the Balkans, and its cevapcici follow a family secret recipe of three generations.

    DetailsDirections

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Make it at home

Serves 42 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g beef chuck, twice-minced
  • 200g beef brisket, twice-minced
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 100ml sparkling water (cold)
  • 4 somun flatbreads (or pita)
  • 1 white onion, finely chopped
  • 200g kajmak cream (or thick clotted cream)

Method

  1. Mix the minced beef chuck and brisket in a cold bowl with baking soda, salt, pepper and garlic.
  2. Add sparkling water gradually, kneading by hand for 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and slightly sticky.
  3. Rest the mixture covered in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
  4. Shape into finger-length sausages about 8 cm long and 1.5 cm thick (four fingers together).
  5. Heat a charcoal grill to high; cook the cevapi 2 minutes a side, turning twice, until well-charred and just cooked through.
  6. Warm somun flatbread on the grill for 30 seconds a side.
  7. Open the somun, place 5 cevapi inside, top with raw onion and a spoon of kajmak. Serve immediately with kefir or beer.

Editor tip. If you cannot get kajmak, use thick clotted cream mixed with a pinch of salt as a substitute.

Common allergens: Gluten.