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Wide grilled pljeskavica beef patty with a cut section showing the cooked interior

Pljeskavica (Balkan Beef Patties)

394kcal
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Prep 25 minutes
Cook 12 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total 2 hours 37 minutes
Wide, thin Balkan beef patties made with thoroughly mixed ground beef, finely chopped onion, sweet paprika, and a little cold sparkling water. Two refrigerated rests help the mixture stay cohesive before grilling or pan cooking.
Servings 4 servings
Course Main Course
Cuisine Balkan

Ingredients

Beef mixture
  • 1 3/4 lb ground beef well chilled; about 18–20% fat; US 80/20 is suitable
  • 2 1/3 tsp fine salt weigh for precision; US volume assumes fine table salt
  • 2 tbsp plain sparkling mineral water very cold; add gradually
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika not hot paprika; US volume approximate
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper US volume approximate; grind size varies
  • 2.8 oz onion peeled and very finely chopped; add after the first chill
Shaping and cooking
  • 1 tsp sunflower oil use sparingly for shaping paper and cooking surface; do not add twice

Equipment

  • Chilled mixing bowl and kitchen scale keep the mixture cold and weigh the salt accurately
  • Covered container and tray for both refrigerated rests; arrange patties without overlap
  • Parchment paper for shaping only; remove before cooking, especially near flame
  • Grill, griddle, or large heavy skillet large enough for the patties to lie flat with space between them; batch cooking extends the cooking time
  • Wide spatula support the whole thin patty when turning
  • Tip-sensitive food thermometer insert sideways into the center of the thickest area
Start Cooking

Method

  1. Keep everything cold. Keep the beef refrigerated until mixing and use a chilled bowl. Prepare a covered container and a tray that can hold the patties without overlap.
  2. Season the beef. Put the cold ground beef in the bowl and distribute the salt, sweet paprika, and black pepper evenly over it. Leave the onion out for now.
  3. Mix thoroughly. Work the meat by hand for 5–6 minutes, repeatedly folding, pressing, and bringing it together. This method develops a cohesive beef mixture rather than a loosely handled hamburger texture.
  4. Add the sparkling water. Work in the very cold sparkling water gradually. Continue only until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is evenly tacky and cohesive. Do not add extra water to compensate for very lean beef.
  5. Chill the mixture. Press the mixture into a shallow covered container and refrigerate for 90 minutes at 40°F (4°C) or below.
  6. Add the fine onion. Shortly before shaping, peel and very finely chop the onion. Work it evenly into the chilled mixture without unnecessarily warming the meat. Large onion pieces can make thin patties fragile.
  7. Portion and flatten. Divide into the displayed number of equal servings. Use some of the measured oil to lightly grease shaping parchment. Flatten each portion between sheets to about 6 1/4–7 inches (16–18 cm) across and 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick, making the center slightly thinner than the rim.
  8. Chill the patties. Lay the shaped patties side by side on a suitable tray, cover, and refrigerate for another 30 minutes. Keep any portions waiting for later cooking batches refrigerated.
  9. Preheat the cooking surface. Fully preheat a grill, griddle, or large suitable skillet. Lightly brush the cooking surface with the remaining measured oil as appropriate for the equipment; follow its heat-use instructions. Remove all shaping parchment before cooking and keep it away from flame.
  10. Cook and turn carefully. Transfer the cold patties to the hot surface with space between them. Cook about 5–6 minutes per side, turning with a wide spatula once the first side has formed a crust and releases readily. Do not press on the patties; adjust heat if the outside darkens too fast.
  11. Check the center. Insert a clean tip-sensitive thermometer sideways into the center of the thickest area of each thin patty. It must reach at least 160°F (71.1°C) before removal. Continue cooking if needed; do not judge safety by surface browning, interior color, or a fixed time alone.
  12. Serve on clean plates. Transfer to a clean plate and serve promptly. Offer warm bread, extra raw onion, ajvar, grilled peppers, or salad separately if desired. Never return cooked meat to the unwashed raw-meat tray.
  13. Store leftovers promptly. Refrigerate cooked leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below, use within 3–4 days, and reheat throughout to 165°F (74°C).

Nutrition

Calories394kcalCarbohydrates2.3gProtein35.85gFat25.88gSaturated Fat9.49gCholesterol121.44mgSodium1461.22mgFiber0.58gSugar0.9g

Notes

  • Base mixture: Use beef with about 18–20% fat; US 80/20 ground beef matches the upper end. No egg, breadcrumbs, flour, baking soda, cheese, or other filling is included. Salt is 1.75% of the raw beef weight. US measures are rounded; Metric gives the precise formula.
  • Chilling: Refrigerate the mixed meat for 90 minutes before adding the onion, then chill the formed patties for 30 minutes. Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below. Working time does not replace either refrigerated rest.
  • Portions: The base recipe makes four large patties. Divide the mixture evenly according to the displayed servings. Patty size is about 6 1/4–7 inches (16–18 cm) across and 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick, with a slightly thinner center. Larger batches need more patties of the same size, not much thicker patties.
  • Oil and optional sides: Use the measured oil sparingly for shaping paper and the cooking surface rather than adding it twice. Somun or lepinja, extra raw onion, ajvar, kajmak, grilled peppers, and salad are separate optional accompaniments, not ingredients in the beef mixture or nutrition estimate. No homemade kajmak method is supplied.
  • Cooking time: About 5–6 minutes per side is a guide for similarly thin patties on a preheated surface. Use a thermometer to confirm at least 160°F (71.1°C) in each patty before removing it; color and time alone are insufficient. Do not press with the spatula. The displayed cook time assumes sufficient cooking space for one batch; smaller pans and scaled batches take longer.
  • Raw storage: Keep ground beef covered and cold and follow the package use-by/storage instructions. Prepare fresh butcher-counter beef promptly, preferably on purchase day, and do not extend its safe storage window by mixing it into this recipe. Freeze fresh formed patties promptly with parchment between them; thaw covered in the refrigerator and cook promptly.
  • Leftovers: Refrigerate cooked patties promptly in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3–4 days. Reheat throughout to 165°F (74°C). Use clean plates and utensils for cooked meat.
  • Nutrition: Estimated per one large patty using USDA cooked broiled 80/20 beef and the USDA reference 69% cooking yield for medium-fat grilled patties, plus all onion, seasoning, salt, and measured oil. This is a reference estimate for cooked meat with drippings not served, not a measured yield of this recipe. A pan-broiled reference calculation is about 380 kcal per serving; the full raw-ingredient sum is about 529 kcal but does not account for discarded drippings. Beef fat content, geometry, cooking, and retained oil change actual values. Bread and all optional toppings are excluded; no personal kitchen or laboratory test is claimed.