Serbian cuisine offers many dishes worth trying during your vacation in Serbia. You’ll want to approach your choices carefully: portions in Serbia are large, and you’ll most likely only be able to eat one dish per meal. Plus, some dishes are seasonal, meaning you can only try them in winter or summer. That’s why I’ve put together a list of the tastiest dishes in Serbia to help you navigate the diversity of the national cuisine and decide what to try first and what to save for later.
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🍷 Alcohol in Serbia: Beer, Rakija, Wine
15 Serbian Dishes You Absolutely Must Try
Let’s be honest: it’s impossible to choose the 15 best Serbian dishes. Serbian cuisine may not be as sophisticated and refined as French cuisine, but every region here has its own specialty. I’m constantly discovering new Serbian dishes—some strictly seasonal, others that require a trip to the other end of the country. That’s why I had to be very careful and selective when choosing dishes for this list.
Pečenje—meat on a spit
Serbian pečenje is meat roasted on a spit over coals or in a large oven. Usually, a whole piglet (in which case it’s called “prasetina”) or a whole lamb (called “jagnetina”) is roasted. This is a 100% Serbian specialty. Pečenje is always present on Serbian festive tables, especially during major holidays. For example, at Christmas, Easter, or during the “Slava” celebrations. It is also very popular at Serbian fairs (vashars) and Balkan festivals. For instance, no trumpet festival in Guca is complete without pecenje.
Šumadija, one of Serbia’s regions, is famous for its cookies. The cities of Čačak, Mladenovac, and Aranjelovac compete for the title of best “pečenjars” (specialty shops where the menu consists solely of cookies). I wrote about the best pechenyars in Čačak—which even deliver to Belgrade—in my travel guide to the city of Čačak →
Karađorđeva šnicla
Serbs joke that Karađorđeva šnicla is meat wrapped in meat. Traditionally, šnicla is a veal roll stuffed with kaymak, but prosciutto is often added to the filling.
Karađorđeva šnicla is named after Karađorđe—the leader of the uprising against Ottoman rule, who founded the Karađorđević dynasty. But the history of its creation isn’t that old. The dish was invented by chef Miča Stojanović in 1959, when he was tasked with preparing a Kiev-style cutlet for an important guest who had arrived from the USSR. Since there was no chicken available, he had to improvise. The chef took a thin veal steak, substituted kaymak for butter, and rolled the meat into a roulade. He coated the roll in breadcrumbs and, for decoration, arranged slices of tomato and lemon to resemble the Order of the Star of St. George. That is how the schnitzel got its name.
Nowadays, no one arranges stars on top of it, but some traditions of serving it have been preserved. For example, tartar sauce is always served with the Karadjordje schnitzel. It’s usually accompanied by French fries (pompfrit) or, as shown in the photo above, mashed potatoes.
Komplet Lepinya—a specialty from the city of Užice
Komplet lepinja is a culinary symbol of Western Serbia and the hallmark of the Zlatibor region. The dish consists of a freshly baked, fluffy flatbread with a mixture of thick kaymak and eggs baked inside, and just before serving, it’s generously doused with pretop—hot juice and fat left over from roasting a piglet or lamb. It is customary to eat this incredibly filling and high-calorie dish strictly with your hands, breaking off the crispy top “lid” of the flatbread and dipping it into the sizzling, melting filling. Here’s what it looks like (click on the circle):
Komplet lepinyu was invented not too long ago, during World War II in the city of Užice. That’s why you can only try authentic komplet lepinyu there—or so some Serbs say. I tried my first komplet lepinya in Zlatibor, but if you’re not planning to go there, there’s now a place in Belgrade that specializes exclusively in the Zlatibor breakfast. It’s called Samo komplet (location).
This Serbian dish—just a minute!—was named the best breakfast in the world by the authoritative Taste Atlas!
Pršut
If you’ve heard of the Italian dish “prosciutto,” then you already know what pršut is. It’s a pork leg that’s cured in a special way and sliced into thin, translucent strips when served. The curing process is very important, and it often takes a whole year.
First, the leg is cured in brine for several weeks, then removed and placed under a press to remove excess liquid. It is then smoked for several more weeks in light smoke outdoors, after which it is finished drying indoors.
Although pršut is considered a delicacy, it is eaten not only as a standalone appetizer but also added to certain dishes, such as the aforementioned Karađorđe schnitzel.
Riblja Čorba – a red Serbian soup
Riblja čorba (riblja čorba or riblja corba) is the Serbian equivalent of fish soup. Fish is eaten rarely and in small quantities in Serbia, so riblja čorba can be considered an exception to the rule. Serbs add tomato paste and hot paprika to their fish soup, giving it a rich orange-red color.
In the Vojvodina region, riblja čorba is prepared slightly differently. They also have their own variation of fish soup—riblji paprikas—which is made with the addition of paprika. What I love about Vojvodina are the riblja čorba cooking competitions. They take place regularly in the summer and are called “Name of the City Where the Competition Is Held” + “kotlič.” You have to see these competitions: people cook the soup in cauldrons over charcoal somewhere in a park. You can walk up and try some. Participants prepare the soup using family recipes that they keep secret.
Meat from under the “sach” (meso ispod sača)
Meat that is slowly braised in clay pots over coals or in an oven. This dish is best enjoyed at traditional restaurants and kafanas.
Uštipci—Serbian breakfast doughnuts
Uštipci are similar to donuts. They are a classic Serbian breakfast dish. They are usually served with homemade cheese and honey, but can also be served with pršut and kajmak.
Sarma – Serbian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
One dish in which pršut is added to the usual meat is sarma. Sarma is somewhat similar to stuffed cabbage rolls: ground meat mixed with rice is wrapped in cabbage leaves and cooked. But there are a few key differences. First, sarma isn’t boiled—it’s baked. Second, it uses a mixture of pork, beef, and pršut, which gives the dish an unusual, savory flavor. And third, it is wrapped in cabbage leaves whose heads have been fermented for a month beforehand. Additionally, sarma may include hot peppers, making the dish quite spicy. Also, unlike stuffed cabbage rolls, there is no vegetarian version of sarma.
Ajvar
Ajvar is one of Serbia’s most iconic appetizers. It’s used to season meat, spread on bread, added to salads, or even simply eaten by the spoonful. At the same time, ajvar is very labor-intensive to prepare and is rarely found in commercial production. That is precisely why it is considered the pride of every home and a measure of a household’s efficiency.
The base of ajvar is a special variety of red bell pepper (red, long, and tapered at the end), which is first roasted and then manually seeded and peeled. It is then pureed, and garlic and chili peppers—sometimes along with pureed roasted eggplant—are added to the resulting paste, after which it is simmered in large pots until thickened. Depending on the amount of chili peppers used, ajvar is classified as sweet or spicy.
Kajmak
Variations of kajmak can be found all over the world, but only in Serbia has it attained the status of a national dish. The production process makes it nearly impossible to produce industrially—it can only be made by hand on farms where the animals are healthy and well-fed.
Essentially, kajmak is thickened cream skimmed from very high-fat milk and fermented. First, the milk is boiled for about two hours, then it cools for a day in specially shaped wooden tubs—oval and almost flat—to make it easier to skim off the cream. Then the thickened top layer is skimmed off and transferred to a deeper barrel for fermentation, usually with salt added during the process. Several layers of kaymak accumulate in this barrel; it can be eaten immediately, or you can wait until it matures.
Both young kaymak—soft and with a delicate creamy flavor—and mature kaymak—thick and salty—are consumed. It is served as a side dish with meat dishes, spread on flatbread, and used as an ingredient in certain dishes—such as Karadjordje schnitzel.
Urnebes
Urnebes is the second most popular Serbian national appetizer. It is made primarily from “sirene” cheese, to which large amounts of dried paprika, roasted bell peppers, and chili peppers are added. Urnebes may also contain garlic and boiled egg yolk.
Like ajvar, urnebes varies in spiciness depending on the ratio of peppers added to it. But Serbs themselves, especially in the southern regions of the country, prefer the spicy variety. Therefore, although urnebes is technically classified as a salad (in Serbia, it is called “salata”), it is usually served as an accompaniment to meat or as a dipping sauce, rather than as a standalone dish.
Burek (burek) – a Serbian pastry made from puff pastry
A traditional burek is a meat-filled puff pastry. But there are different kinds of burek: burek with mushrooms, with cheese (white cheese, more like cottage cheese), with spinach, and even plain burek with nothing inside (prazan burek). Recently, vegetarian bureks have even appeared.
You can buy burek at any bakery in any city, but if you want to try the most delicious and authentic burek, you should head to Niš. They say that this city is the one that introduced burek to the entire Balkans.
You can try the most famous and unique burek in Pančevo at the Stankoski burek shop (burek Stankoski, location)—burek with kolenica. Kolenica is another meat specialty of the country.
If you’re in Subotica, be sure to try the poppy seed burek at . It’s a blend of traditional poppy seed strudel and traditional burek. I really liked it.
Čevapi
Čevapi is another Serbian national dish that came to the country from abroad. The word “čevapčići” is a diminutive form of “čevapi,” and “čevapa,” in turn, comes from the Turkish word “kebab.”
They consist of small sausages made from ground meat mixed with onions and grilled. Typically, not just one type of meat is used, but two or three at once—lamb, pork, and beef.
Čevapi are especially popular as street food, where they’re wrapped in pita bread. In kafanas, they’re served in portions of 7–10 pieces, accompanied by ajvar or kajmak as a sauce, or simply with onions.
Where can you try ćevapi? In Belgrade, the Walter chain of ćevapi restaurants (which serves only ćevapi) is very popular, and the restaurant “Ćevap kod Dekija” (location) has even made it onto the prestigious Gault & Millau list of restaurants.
Pljeskavica—a Serbian burger and street food favorite
Pleskavica is the most popular meat-based street food dish in Serbia. “Pleska”—as the Serbs abbreviate the name—originated in southern Serbia; the recipe originated in the city of Leskovac. That’s why Leskovac-style pleskavic is considered the “authentic” version. It differs from the standard version in its spiciness and the addition of lard.
Like ćevapi, pleskavica is usually made from several types of meat—chopped or ground into mince. It is a large meat patty, weighing 200 g or more, that is grilled. It is considered a standalone dish and is served with onions, kajmak, ajvar, or urnebes—more details about all these condiments will be provided below.
The town of Leskovac hosts an annual grilled meat festival, the Rostiljijada, where the world’s largest pleskavica was prepared in 2026—weighing 90,5 kg!
Gibanica
Gibanica is a cheese pie whose name reflects the method of its preparation. It is baked from “kora”—unleavened dough as thin as paper—which is folded into many layers, interspersed with and soaked in filling. It is placed in a baking dish in folds, being folded as it is layered—hence the name.
The main ingredient in the filling is “sirene” cheese, mixed with eggs into a smooth paste. Depending on whether you want to make a savory or sweet gibanitsa, additional ingredients—lard, meat, nettles, walnuts, or fruit—are added to the cheese mixture. However, the classic recipe for savory gibanica includes only dough, cheese, eggs, and lard. It is usually served with fresh kaymak.
Dumplings with Plums (Knedle sa šljivama)
Another popular Serbian dessert is knedli with plums. They look like breaded doughnuts, but each one has a large, pitted plum in the center. They have an interesting feature—mashed potatoes are used instead of flour dough, which is rare in desserts.
Although the classic recipe calls for plums, in some bakeries you can buy knedli with apricots, nuts, poppy seeds, raspberries, strawberries, and even white chocolate.