Name: Pljeskavica (Belgrade style)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Serbia
Ingredients: 500g minced pork shoulder (20% fat); 300g minced beef chuck; 1 medium white onion, finely grated; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon paprika; 4 lepinja flatbreads; 150g kajmak; Ajvar for serving

Pljeskavica is the Serbian burger-patty, a flat grilled disc of minced pork and beef the diameter of the lepinja bread it sits in. Topped with kajmak, raw onion and ajvar.

Pljeskavica codified in 20th-century Yugoslavia as the Serbian alternative to Bosnian cevapi: same Ottoman-grilled-meat lineage but pressed into a disc. The Leskovacka pljeskavica from southern Serbia is the canonical regional anchor. The Belgrade Burger Festival at Kalemegdan elevates the contemporary version each May.

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

Z Burger ★ 4.6

Street food

stari-grad · Cetinjska 15, 11000 Belgrade

Z Burger on Cetinjska in Belgrade has won the Belgrade Burger Festival in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. Dry-aged ground beef from premium select cuts.

Manufaktura ★ 4.4

Eastern European

stari-grad · Kralja Petra 13-15, 11000 Belgrade

Manufaktura plates traditional Serbian on Kralja Petra near Knez Mihailova. Mangalica meats, regional cheeses, cherry iced tea and garden seating.

Walter Sarajevski Cevap Bulevar Mihajla Pupina ★ 4.4

Street food

novi-beograd · Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 4, 11070 Novi Beograd, Belgrade

Walter Sarajevski Cevap on Bulevar Mihajla Pupina anchors Novi Beograd's Sarajevski cevapi chain. Grilled minced beef-lamb, lepinja bread, kajmak side.

Stara Hercegovina ★ 4.3

Bosnian

stari-grad · Carigradska 36, 11000 Belgrade

Stara Hercegovina has hosted Belgrade artists and politicians from a Carigradska room. Herceg lamb, halls named for Herzegovinian regions, garden.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Pljeskavica makes more sense with someone from Belgrade explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

Book food experiences in Belgrade

Belgrade: Rakija Tasting & Serbian Charcuterie Board

Guided tour1.5 hours4.9 from 29 reviewsfrom $34

Discover the rich world of Serbian spirits with a tasting of 6 premium Rakija varieties in Belgrade. Enjoy a traditional Serbian charcuterie and cheese board and live ...

Check dates and book

Private Truffle‑Hunting Tour from Belgrade – Lunch with Wine

Private tour5 hours5.0 from 14 reviewsfrom $290

Private truffle hunting tour from Belgrade with professional guides and trained Lagotto Romagnolo dogs. Includes traditional lunch with fresh truffles and local wine i...

Check dates and book