North Macedonia's finger-shaped grilled rolls of seasoned minced beef (often with lamb), served ten to a portion with raw onion, kajmak, and somun flatbread in dedicated kebapčilnica grills. The name is a direct Slavicization of the Ottoman kebab, kin to Bosnian ćevapi but typically leaner and more pepper-forward.
Also known as: kebapi, ќебапи, makedonski kebapi, kebapchinja, Macedonian kebapi
Watch it made
Ingredients
- 600 g minced beef (about 20% fat)
- 200 g minced lamb (optional but traditional)
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely crushed
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 50 ml sparkling water
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- somun or lepinja flatbread, to serve
- 1 white onion, finely chopped, and ajvar, to serve
How to make it
- 1
Knead both minces with the salt, pepper, garlic, bicarbonate and sparkling water a full 5 minutes, until smooth and tacky, then refrigerate overnight.
- 2
With wet hands, roll into finger-size cylinders 8-9 cm long.
- 3
Grill on a hot, lightly oiled grate or plate 8-10 minutes, rolling them so all sides brown while the centres stay juicy.
- 4
Serve ten to a portion in warm somun with raw chopped onion and a generous spoon of ajvar.
Pro tip: The overnight rest plus the long knead builds the bouncy bite — kebapi mixed and grilled within the hour simply fall apart on the grate.
The story of Kebapi
Kebapi are North Macedonia's finger-shaped grilled rolls of minced beef, usually with some lamb, and the name is a direct Slavicisation of the Ottoman kebab. They are served ten to a portion in kebapčilnica — grill houses that do this and very little else — with raw onion, kajmak and somun flatbread.
They sit in the same family as Bosnian ćevapi and Albanian qebapa, and the Macedonian version is typically leaner and more pepper-forward than its neighbours. Skopje and Bitola both have kebapčilnica with long-standing reputations, and the portion size and price are near-standardised across the country.
The technique that defines it
The mixture is beef, often with lamb, worked with salt, black pepper, garlic and bicarbonate of soda, then rested overnight. Macedonian versions use less onion in the mix than the Serbian ones, which keeps the texture tighter and puts more emphasis on pepper.
Shaping is into short even fingers, done with wet hands. Grilling is fast over hot coals, turned once or twice, and the somun bread is warmed on the grill edge to take on the fat. As everywhere in this family, they are not pressed on the grill — the juice inside is the point.
Choosing your ingredients
Minced beef at around 20 percent fat, with lamb added for flavour in many recipes. Coarse black pepper in quantity is the Macedonian signature. Garlic, either as juice or infused in water. Bicarbonate of soda at half a teaspoon per kilo, and an overnight rest.
Somun — the thick, soft round flatbread — is the correct bread and should be warmed until it puffs. Kajmak if you can get it; thick strained yoghurt or crème fraîche otherwise. Raw onion, chopped fine, in quantity.
Mistakes that ruin it
Too much onion in the mixture
The Macedonian version is leaner on onion than the Serbian one, which keeps the texture tighter. Grated onion in quantity changes the dish.
Pressing them on the grill
It squeezes out exactly the juice you want. Turn, never press.
Under-peppering
Black pepper is the signature. Be more generous than feels right.
Cold bread
The somun must be warmed on the grill so it absorbs fat and puffs.
How it is served
Ten to a portion on a plate or in a split somun, with chopped raw onion, kajmak and a pepper relish. Chips are common alongside. Beer or a Macedonian red. In a kebapčilnica it arrives fast and the turnover is high, which is part of the appeal.
Questions about Kebapi
How are kebapi different from ćevapi?
The same family. The Macedonian version tends to be leaner, uses less onion in the mixture and considerably more black pepper.
How many kebapi in a portion?
Ten is the standard portion across North Macedonia, served with somun bread, onion and kajmak.
What is somun?
A thick, soft round flatbread used across the Balkans, warmed on the grill so it puffs and absorbs the fat from the meat.
Does the mixture need bicarbonate of soda?
Yes, as with all Balkan grilled mince — it gives the springy texture. Half a teaspoon per kilo, then rest overnight.
