Small casing-free sausages made with ground beef and pork, flavored with herbs and pan-fried until golden.
These small sausages brown quickly in the pan, releasing the aromas of garlic, parsley, oregano and rosemary. Cevapcici are small casing-free sausages made with ground meat, here in an herbed version designed for a weeknight dinner. Allow 20 minutes of cooking and 1 hour of resting, or 1 hour 20 minutes in total for 3 people. This recipe is part of my collection of keto main dishes.
What are pan-fried cevapcici with herbs?
For simplicity, we keep the name cevapcici for this homemade, pan-fried variation with herbs. These are small casing-free sausages made with ground meat, firmly shaped by hand so they hold together during cooking and brown evenly. The base combines equal parts beef and pork, with the option of replacing some of the meat with lamb.
Crushed garlic, parsley, oregano, rosemary and paprika set the tone. The egg binds the mixture, while a drizzle of olive oil carries the aromas without replacing the fat in the meat. The classic version often consists of just meat, garlic, salt and pepper, cooked on a grill or over charcoal; here, the pan creates a nicely browned surface and a tender center.
The origins of this version
This adaptation is designed for everyday cooking. All you need is a hot frying pan, a mixing bowl, a garlic press and a refrigerator. The herbs flavor the meat as soon as they are mixed in, then their flavor comes through as the surface browns and the paprika adds color.
Kneading matters just as much as the herbs. Working the mixture until it is uniform and slightly sticky helps the sausages hold together when you turn them, which is especially useful without casings. The drizzle of olive oil makes the mixture more supple without compensating for meat that is too lean: the beef-pork combination remains essential for flavor and tenderness.
The mixture contains neither bread nor flour. The carbohydrates come mainly from the garlic, herbs and spices, with a little more if you add onion. The 3 g of net carbs per serving apply to the recipe alone; side dishes, raw vegetables, cabbage, ajvar or bread served alongside it change the carbohydrate content of the meal.
The main ingredients
The 500 g of ground meat, half beef and half pork, form the base. Beef brings depth of flavor, while pork adds tenderness; a mixture that is too lean would make dry sausages. Ground lamb replaces only part of the total, adding a more pronounced flavor without overpowering the rest.
The egg binds the mixture and helps the sausages keep their shape. The 4 finely crushed garlic cloves blend into the meat more evenly and maintain a pleasant texture. Two generous handfuls of chopped fresh parsley add freshness and lighten the garlic-paprika combination.
One tablespoon of paprika adds mild warmth and a golden color, with a more pronounced flavor if you use smoked paprika. Oregano adds an herbal note, crumbled rosemary brings its fragrance, and salt and pepper adjust the seasoning without changing the structure. For cooking, butter browns well but does not tolerate high heat; avocado oil, mild olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil give you more leeway, since a smoking-hot pan burns the butter, paprika and herbs.
Technique tips and serving
Helping the sausages hold together starts before cooking: work the mixture until uniform and slightly sticky, then divide it into 60 to 70 g portions, allowing two or three sausages per person. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, then shape each portion into a firm sausage. Preheat the pan with a little cooking fat, space the sausages well apart, sear the first side for one minute, then turn without pressing down with the spatula to preserve their juices and shape.
Lower the heat and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, or about 20 minutes in total, until cooked through. An overcrowded pan prevents proper browning and cooks unevenly, while turning too soon prevents a crust from forming. For a more boldly seasoned version, add half a very finely chopped red onion, ground coriander, cumin and chili flakes; this recipe contains neither breadcrumbs nor baking soda.
For more low-carb ideas, browse all my keto recipes.
Cevapcici with Herbs
Ingredients
- 500 g meat ground meat, half beef and half pork, or ground lamb, some of which is to be incorporated into the mixture
- 1 egg
- 1 dash extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 handfuls fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon paprika smoked if desired
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano or fresh
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or fresh
- pinch black pepper
- 1 pinch salt (Celtic sea salt)
- Butter from grass-fed cows, for cooking, or avocado, mild olive, or high-oleic sunflower oil
Variation
- 0.5 red onion very finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons chili flakes
Instructions
- Finely crush the garlic using a garlic press. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead the ground meat mixture.500 g meat, 1 egg, 1 dash extra virgin olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, 2 handfuls fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, pinch black pepper, 1 pinch salt (Celtic sea salt), 0.5 red onion, 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds, 2 teaspoons chili flakes
- Shape into portions (rough balls) weighing between 60 and 70 grams. Allow two for smaller appetites and three for bigger appetites. Let the ground meat mixture rest for a while. Cover and refrigerate.
- Shape each ball into a small, firm log.
- Heat the frying pan. Add oil or butter (I often use both). Place the little sausages in the pan. Avoid moving them around too much. Wait just under a minute before turning them over and cooking the other side. Repeat twice more so that all sides are seared.Butter
- Reduce the heat and cook through for about 10 to 15 minutes.
