Grilled Cevapcici with Zesty Ajvar Delight

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Cevapcici (pronounced che-vap-chee-chee) is a traditional Balkan dish featuring flavorful, spiced ground meat shaped into small sausages and grilled to perfection. Pairing it with homemade ajvar, a rich roasted red pepper and eggplant spread, takes this dish to a whole new level of flavor. Serve it alongside creamy yogurt potatoes, and you’ve got a meal that’s vibrant, comforting, and deeply satisfying!

This recipe serves 4 and is perfect for anyone looking to explore the tastes of Balkan cuisine from the comfort of their own kitchen. The homemade ajvar does require a bit of time to roast and blend, but trust me—it’s absolutely worth it!

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for the Ajvar:

  • 1 small onion
  • 2 eggplants
  • 4 large red peppers
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1–2 teaspoons red wine vinegar (to taste)
  • Sambal oelek (optional, for spice)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Ingredients for the Potatoes:

  • 1.3 lbs potatoes (about 5 medium potatoes)
  • ½ cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Ingredients for the Cevapcici:

  • 1.1 lbs ground meat (beef, pork, lamb, or a combination)
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1½ tablespoons liquid fond (vegetable or meat stock concentrate)
  • ½ onion, finely chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (for cooking or grilling)

Tools You’ll Need

  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Blender or food processor
  • Large skillet or grill pan
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Small saucepan
  • Sharp knife and cutting board

Pro Tips

  1. Char the Veggies for the Ajvar: Roast the red peppers and eggplants until their skins are deeply charred—this adds a smoky flavor to the ajvar.
  2. Make Ajvar in Advance: The flavors deepen as it sits, so you can make the ajvar a day or two ahead of time.
  3. Mix Meat Gently: When forming the cevapcici, avoid overmixing the meat mixture to keep the texture tender.
  4. Control the Heat: Sambal oelek in the ajvar is optional but adds a delightful kick. Adjust the amount to suit your spice tolerance.
  5. Crispy Potatoes: Toss the potatoes with breadcrumbs for added crunch when roasting.

Instructions

Step 1: Roast the Vegetables for the Ajvar

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Halve the eggplants and red peppers lengthwise. Place them cut side down on the prepared baking sheet along with the unpeeled onion and garlic cloves. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  3. Roast for 25–30 minutes, or until the skins are charred and the vegetables are soft. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly.

Step 2: Make the Ajvar

  1. Peel the charred skins off the peppers, eggplants, onion, and garlic.
  2. Add the peeled vegetables to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, then add 2 tablespoons olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, and sambal oelek if using. Blend again to combine. Season with salt to taste and set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the Potatoes

  1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Boil them in salted water until fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain and let them cool slightly.
  2. In a bowl, toss the potatoes with plain yogurt or buttermilk, breadcrumbs, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread them onto a baking sheet and roast in the same 425°F (220°C) oven for 15 minutes, or until golden and slightly crispy.

Step 4: Make the Cevapcici

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, thyme, rosemary, liquid fond, finely chopped onion, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Mix gently until combined.
  2. Shape the meat mixture into small sausage-like shapes, about 3 inches long.
  3. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook the cevapcici for 4–5 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through.

Step 5: Assemble and Serve

  1. Serve the grilled cevapcici alongside the roasted potatoes and a generous dollop of homemade ajvar. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired, and enjoy!

Leftovers and Storage

  • Ajvar: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
  • Cevapcici: Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave.
  • Potatoes: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven to maintain crispiness.

Conclusion

Cevapcici with Homemade Ajvar is a dish that’s packed with bold, smoky flavors and textures that your family will adore. From the juicy, spiced meat to the creamy roasted vegetable spread and crispy potatoes, this meal is an absolute treat. It’s the perfect way to bring a little taste of Balkan cuisine into your home. I can’t wait to hear how it turned out—please leave a comment and let me know! 😊

Grilled Cevapcici with Zesty Ajvar Delight
Yield: Serves 4

Grilled Cevapcici with Zesty Ajvar Delight

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • Ajvar:
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 eggplants
  • 4 large red peppers
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Sambal oelek (if you want the ajvar spicy)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
  • 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 1 lb potatoes
  • 2+2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground meat
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 0.5 tsp rosemary
  • 1.5 tbsp liquid fond (vegetable or meat)
  • 1/2 onion
  • Black pepper
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 480°F (250°C).
  2. Start with the ajvar: Peel and quarter the onion. Rinse the eggplants and cut them lengthwise. Rinse the peppers, quarter them, and remove the seeds. Place the onion, eggplants, peppers, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a lined baking sheet. The cut side of the eggplants should face up, and the peppers should have the skin side up.
  3. Bake in the oven until the eggplants feel soft all the way through, which takes about 30 minutes. Remove the onion when it has softened and gotten a bit of surface color. Remove the garlic when the cloves have softened. Do the same with the pepper pieces, but the skin should be really burnt, almost completely charred, before you take them out and put them in a plastic bag.
  4. Remove the skin from the pepper pieces. Put them together with the onion, the insides of the eggplant pieces, and the garlic cloves in a large bowl.
  5. Blend into a paste and season with red wine vinegar, sambal oelek, salt, and pepper. Stir in 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Leftover ajvar keeps for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
  6. Meatballs: Mix the yogurt and breadcrumbs in a large bowl and let swell. Lower the oven temperature to 435°F (225°C).
  7. Peel the potatoes and cut them into wedges. Place in a roasting pan, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes in the oven.
  8. Mix the ground meat, thyme, rosemary, and fond with the yogurt in the bowl. Salt lightly and pepper. Roll into relatively small, oblong meatballs.
  9. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the meatballs thoroughly all around. You'll probably need to do this in batches so the pan doesn't get overcrowded. The meatballs can then finish cooking in the oven together with the potatoes. Peel and chop the onion coarsely. Serve the meatballs with the potato wedges, raw onion, and ajvar.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 744Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 466mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 12gSugar: 22gProtein: 42g

Note that I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietitian. Any nutritional information on mybudgetrecipes.com is calculated automatically and should only be used as a general guideline.

© Cora
Category: Recipes

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