Juicy spiced ground meat rolls (Printable)

Tender grilled ground meat rolls with smoky spices and garlic, perfect for a flavorful main dish.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.1 lb ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio)
02 - 0.66 lb ground pork
03 - 0.44 lb ground lamb (optional)

→ Aromatics & Spices

04 - 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
06 - 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
07 - 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
08 - 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
09 - 1 tsp dried thyme
10 - 1 tsp baking soda
11 - 2 tsp salt

→ Liquids

12 - 7 fl oz cold beef stock or sparkling water

→ Optional

13 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for shaping and grilling)

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all ground meats until evenly blended.
02 - Add minced garlic, smoked paprika, black pepper, coriander, cumin, dried thyme, baking soda, and salt to the meat mixture, blending uniformly.
03 - Gradually pour in cold beef stock or sparkling water while kneading for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive.
04 - Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to develop flavors.
05 - With lightly oiled hands, form the mixture into small cylinders approximately 3–4 inches long and ¾ inch thick.
06 - Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking.
07 - Cook the sausages on the grill for 3–4 minutes on each side, turning to achieve a crisp exterior and ensure thorough cooking.
08 - Serve hot, traditionally accompanied by mustard and fresh bread.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're impossibly juicy inside with a caramelized crust that shatters when you bite down, no special equipment needed.
  • The spice blend is bold but balanced—warming rather than fiery—and somehow tastes even better the next day as leftovers.
  • Six servings expands to eighteen individual mici, so they're perfect for feeding a crowd or having extras for midnight snacks.
  • Gluten-free by nature and ready in under forty minutes from start to finish, including grill time.
02 -
  • The baking soda is non-negotiable—it's what separates tender, light mici from dense, rubbery ones, and I learned this the expensive way after making twelve batches without it.
  • Cold liquid during mixing is everything; even slightly warm stock will cause the meat's proteins to begin setting, creating an unforgiving texture that grilling can't fix.
  • Never skip the two-hour rest, no matter how impatient you feel; the spices need time to bloom and the meat needs to become properly tacky, which happens only through patience and refrigeration.
03 -
  • For extra juiciness and a lighter texture, substitute half the beef stock with sparkling water—the carbonation creates tiny air pockets that stay tender even after grilling.
  • If you can't find lamb or want to stretch your budget, increase the pork to 400g and keep the beef at 500g; the result is still authentic and delicious, just slightly more pork-forward in flavor.
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