History

Cevapcici arrived in Slovenia via Yugoslav-era Bosnian and Serbian migration; the dish became ubiquitous in Ljubljana from the 1960s. Cevapdzinica Sarajevo 84 has cooked the Bosnian-style version with the somun (puffed flatbread) since 1984. Klobasarna serves a Slovenian-Carniolan adaptation with house-blend ground meat.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 12 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 400g ground beef (20 percent fat)
  • 200g ground lamb
  • 200g ground pork
  • 1 large onion, very finely grated and squeezed dry
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely crushed
  • 1 tsp baking soda (the Bosnian secret for puffy juicy cevapi)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 60ml ice water
  • Neutral oil, for the grill
  • For service: 4 soft lepinja or pita flatbreads, 1 large white onion finely chopped, 1 jar ajvar (red pepper relish), 200g kajmak (or substitute clotted cream or thick crème fraîche), pickled red chilies

Method

  1. Combine all ground meat, grated onion, garlic, baking soda, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and ice water in a large bowl.
  2. Mix vigorously by hand for 4 minutes until the meat becomes tacky and emulsified; this is the texture that produces the proper bouncy cevapi.
  3. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours, ideally 24, to allow the seasonings to penetrate and the baking soda to tenderise.
  4. Wet your hands and shape the meat into 30 small finger-sized sausages, 7cm long and 2cm thick. Place on a tray lined with parchment.
  5. Heat a charcoal grill to high heat (gas grill or cast-iron grill pan also works). Brush the grates with oil.
  6. Grill cevapi 90 seconds per side, turning 3 times, for a total of 6 minutes; they should be deeply charred outside and just cooked through.
  7. Warm the flatbreads briefly on the grill.
  8. Split each flatbread to form a pocket. Place 7 to 8 cevapi inside. Top with chopped raw onion.
  9. Serve alongside a generous spoon of ajvar, a dollop of kajmak, and pickled chilies. Eat by hand.

Tip from the editors. The baking soda and the 12-hour rest are the Bosnian-pro secrets; without them you get standard grilled meatballs, not the puffy juicy cevapi of a Sarajevo or Ljubljana grill.

Where to eat cevapcici

Cevapcici in Ljubljana

Klobasarna ★ 4.3

Slovenian€stari-grad

Klobasarna's signature kranjska klobasa with Kaiser roll, mustard and horseradish goes for around 5 euros, the canonical Ljubljana 4-euro lunch.

Try: Kranjska klobasa in a Kaiser roll

Ciril Metodov trg 15, 1000 Ljubljana

Hot Horse Tivoli ★ 3.9

Slovenian€center

Hot Horse's signature horseburger has been a Ljubljana street icon since 1995, kept under 8 euros at the Tivoli park kiosk. Located in Center.

Try: Horse burger with ajvar

Park Tivoli, 1000 Ljubljana

Daktari ★ 4.0

Slovenian€€stari-gradMon-Sat 08:00-01:00, Sun 09:00-24:00Until Mon-Sat until 01:00

Daktari runs a snack kitchen alongside its evening live music programme, keeping plates moving until 01:00 six nights a week. A TableJourney editor pick.

Try: Snack plates with cocktails

Krekov trg 7, 1000 Ljubljana

Joe Pena's Cantina y Bar ★ 3.9

Mexican€€centerMon-Thu 11:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-22:00Until Mon-Thu 01:00, Fri-Sat 02:30

Joe Pena's late kitchen pulls past midnight every night and past 02:00 on Friday and Saturday, the city's most consistent late-night Tex-Mex room since 1998.

Try: Quesadillas and frozen margaritas

Cankarjeva cesta 6, 1000 Ljubljana

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