The Atlas · Croatia's Largest Department

Croatian Meat Dishes

69 of Croatia's 350 ranked dishes are meat, the deepest department in the whole cuisine. By our raters the best is Kotlovina, the open-fire cauldron feast of the continental north, Nº 225 in the world.

69 dishes ranked·19.7% of the cuisine·883 diner ratings·Top rank Nº 225

Croatia cooks its meat over fire and low heat, rarely in a hurry. The department is the country's biggest, 69 ranked dishes in all, and it splits cleanly by geography: pork, turkey and sausage inland, spit-roast and grill-charred lamb and fish down the Adriatic coast. Two things recur everywhere, an open flame and the patience to stand beside it.

The best by our raters is Kotlovina, meats and sausages simmered in a wide iron pan over the fire, just ahead of the Zagorje holiday roast Purica s mlincima, turkey over soaked mlinci. Fame follows a quieter dish: the summer staple punjena paprika, stuffed peppers, outdraws the showier spit-roasts on ratings. The richest seam runs through coastal Dalmatia, home of peka-baked veal and the grill they call gradele. Read them below: the signature dishes, by region, or the complete list of all 69.

The Signature Dishes

Twelve signature meat dishes in rank order, four told in full, then eight more from the fire.

Kotlovina, meat dish from Croatia
Plate IMeat Dish · Northern Croatia

1Nº 225 worldwide

Kotlovina

Meat Dish · Northern Croatia

An outdoor feast of mixed meats and sausages cooked with onions, peppers, and wine in a wide, shallow cast-iron pan set over an open fire. A dish for gatherings in continental Croatia, it simmers slowly while everyone stands around the flames waiting.

★ 4.3|76 ratings

Purica s mlincima, turkey dish from Croatia

2Purica s mlincimaNº 319

Turkey Dish · Zagorje

Croatia's festive roast, a whole turkey served over mlinci, thin sheets of dried unleavened dough that are broken up and soaked in the roasting juices until soft and savory. A Sunday and holiday dish of the northern Zagorje region and Zagreb.

★ 4.2|83 ratings

Punjena paprika (Croatia), ground meat dish from Croatia

3Punjena paprika (Croatia)Nº 710

Ground Meat Dish · Croatia

Bell peppers stuffed with a mix of ground veal or pork, rice and spices, then simmered in tomato sauce. In Croatia it is the summer counterpart to winter's sarma, a household staple served warm with a spoonful of the cooking sauce.

★ 4.1|30 ratings

Žgvacet od kokoši, chicken dish from Croatia

4Žgvacet od kokošiNº 918

Chicken Dish · Istria

An Istrian braise of chicken drumsticks and thighs, first pan-seared then simmered slowly in a sauce of tomato and onion, flavoured with rosemary or marjoram. Rustic and homely, it is traditionally spooned over the region's own hand-rolled fuži pasta.

★ 4.0|17 ratings

  1. Gradele, barbecue from Croatia5

    Gradele

    Nº 1,133

    Barbecue · Dalmatia★ 4.0

  2. Češnjovka, sausage from Croatia6

    Češnjovka

    Nº 1,188

    Sausage · Central Croatia★ 4.0

  3. Međimursko meso 'z tiblice, pork dish from Croatia7

    Međimursko meso 'z tiblice

    Nº 1,189

    Pork Dish · Međimurje County★ 4.0

  4. Teletina ispod peke, veal dish from Croatia8

    Teletina ispod peke

    Nº 1,286

    Veal Dish · Dalmatia★ 4.0

  5. Iločki ćevap, pork dish from Croatia9

    Iločki ćevap

    Nº 1,301

    Pork Dish · Ilok★ 4.0

  6. Istarski ombolo i kobasice s kiselim kupusom, pork dish from Croatia10

    Istarski ombolo i kobasice s kiselim kupusom

    Nº 1,531

    Pork Dish · Istria★ 3.9

  7. Odojak na ražnju, pork dish from Croatia11

    Odojak na ražnju

    Nº 1,593

    Pork Dish · Croatia★ 3.9

  8. Pašteta od fazana, pâté from Croatia12

    Pašteta od fazana

    Nº 1,945

    Pâté · Slavonia and Baranja★ 3.9

The Gazetteer

Where the meat is cooked

The regions of Croatia with the deepest meat traditions. Choose one to filter the complete ledger below.

Placed dishes only · top 6 regions

  7. Another 3 ranked dishes are logged simply as pan-Croatian, with no single regional home.

The Complete Ledger

All 69 Croatian meat dishes in the world ranking, every entry.

69 entries
  1. 225 Kotlovina Meat Dish Northern Croatia ★ 4.3
  2. 319 Purica s mlincima Turkey Dish Zagorje ★ 4.2
  3. 710 Punjena paprika (Croatia) Ground Meat Dish Croatia ★ 4.1
  4. 918 Žgvacet od kokoši Chicken Dish Istria ★ 4.0
  5. 1,133 Gradele Barbecue Dalmatia ★ 4.0
  6. 1,188 Češnjovka Sausage Central Croatia ★ 4.0
  7. 1,189 Međimursko meso 'z tiblice Pork Dish Međimurje County ★ 4.0
  8. 1,286 Teletina ispod peke Veal Dish Dalmatia ★ 4.0
  9. 1,301 Iločki ćevap Pork Dish Ilok ★ 4.0
  10. 1,531 Istarski ombolo i kobasice s kiselim kupusom Pork Dish Istria ★ 3.9
  11. 1,593 Odojak na ražnju Pork Dish Croatia ★ 3.9
  12. 1,945 Pašteta od fazana Pâté Slavonia and Baranja ★ 3.9
  13. 2,262 Polpete u šalši Ground Meat Dish Dalmatia ★ 3.8
  14. 2,312 K Kaštradina Meat Dish Dalmatia ★ 3.8
  15. 2,356 Janjetina s ražnja Lamb Dish Dalmatia ★ 3.8
  16. 2,545 Brački vitalac Offal Dish Brač ★ 3.8
  17. 3,278 Pisanica Stubica Pork Dish Zagorje ★ 3.8
  18. 3,610 Šunka u kruhu Pork Dish Croatia ★ 3.7
  19. 4,393 Pašteta od čvaraka Pâté Slavonia and Baranja ★ 3.7
  20. 4,537 Janjetina na gradele Lamb Dish Pag ★ 3.7
  21. 4,720 D Dinstane teleće šnicle s rižom Veal Dish Virovitica ★ 3.7
  22. 4,727 Dželadija Meat Jelly Dish Lika-Senj County ★ 3.7
  23. 4,764 Patka s mlincima Duck Dish Northern Croatia ★ 3.7
  24. 5,216 S Samoborski kotlet Pork Dish Samobor ★ 3.6
  25. 5,300 Zagrebački odrezak Meat Dish Zagreb ★ 3.6
  26. 5,674 Pohani V Fried Chicken Dish Virovitica ★ 3.6
  27. 5,890 Kupus s mesom Pork Dish Lika-Senj County ★ 3.6
  28. 6,126 Sinjski arambaši Meat Dish Sinj ★ 3.6
  29. 6,252 Janjetina ispod peke Lamb Dish Dalmatia ★ 3.5
  30. 6,346 Mikeška pašteta Pâté Virovitica ★ 3.5
  31. 7,789 M Mljevena jetrica Offal Dish Virovitica ★ 3.3
  32. 7,836 Čurke Sausage Međimurje County ★ 3.3
  33. 8,027 M Medvjeđa šapa Game Dish Primorje-Gorski Kotar County ★ 0.0
  34. 8,266 Dolce garbo Offal Dish Dalmatia ★ 3.1
  35. 8,269 Janjetina s bižima Lamb Dish Dalmatia ★ 3.1
  36. 8,487 Žgvacet od teletine Veal Dish Istria ★ 0.0
  37. 8,656 L Lastavičje gnijezdo Veal Dish Virovitica ★ 0.0
  38. 8,756 Krvavice Blood Sausage Zagorje ★ 2.4
  39. 8,787 Samoborska češnofka Sausage Samobor ★ 0.0
  40. 8,815 Samaštrani jezik Offal Dish Split ★ 0.0
  41. 8,854 Šestinska pečenica Pork Dish Zagreb ★ 0.0
  42. 8,855 V Varaždinska pečenka Pork Dish Varaždin ★ 0.0
  43. 8,905 Nonina kanavaca Ground Meat Dish Istria ★ 0.0
  44. 8,921 P Punjeni fazan Zelendvor Game Dish Zelendvor ★ 0.0
  45. 8,930 Kotlet s trsja Pork Dish Northern Croatia ★ 0.0
  46. 8,964 P Purica na lovranski način Turkey Dish Lovran ★ 0.0
  47. 8,965 P Požeški vinogradarski ćevap Meat Dish Požega ★ 0.0
  48. 9,057 L Leber pašteta Pâté Virovitica ★ 0.0
  49. 9,059 I Istrian-Style Leg of Lamb (Janjeći but na istarski) Lamb Dish Istria ★ 0.0
  50. 9,112 M Martinjska guska s marunima Goose Dish Zagorje ★ 0.0
  51. 9,291 Pečeni puh Game Dish Dalmatia ★ 0.0
  52. 9,953 J Janjetina po staru zi šurlicama Lamb Dish Primorje-Gorski Kotar County ★ 0.0
  53. 10,087 K Kutjevo-Style Venison Medallions (Kutjevački srneći medaljoni) Game Dish Kutjevo ★ 0.0
  54. 10,092 B Boiled Lamb with Tomato Sauce (Kuhana janjetina sa salsom od rajčice) Lamb Dish Dalmatia ★ 0.0
  55. 10,127 S Suva prasetina na ječmu Pork Dish Otočac ★ 0.0
  56. 10,141 G Goveđi file Patačić Beef Dish Varaždin ★ 0.0
  57. 10,143 B Buckwheat-Stuffed Roasted Duck (Pečena raca punjena heljdinom kašom) Duck Dish Međimurje County ★ 0.0
  58. 10,150 L Lički nabod Pork Dish Lika-Senj County ★ 0.0
  59. 10,151 S Svinjski ombulić na creski Pork Dish Cres ★ 0.0
  60. 10,398 T Turopolje-Style Goose (Guska na turopoljski način) Goose Dish Turopolje ★ 0.0
  61. 10,480 D Dalmatinska pržolica Meat Dish Dalmatia ★ 0.0
  62. 10,556 Z Zec na istarski Rabbit Dish Istria ★ 0.0
  63. 10,558 K Kunelić na padelu Rabbit Dish Istria ★ 0.0
  64. 10,560 Z Zec na hvarski Rabbit Dish Hvar ★ 0.0
  65. 10,710 R Rooster with Walnuts (Pijetao s orasima) Poultry Dish Zagorje ★ 0.0
  66. 10,737 P Pevec z oreji Chicken Dish Đurđevac ★ 0.0
  67. 10,738 P Punjeni kopun Chicken Dish Zagorje ★ 0.0
  68. 10,739 P Picek v kuruznoj meli Chicken Dish Međimurje County ★ 0.0
  69. 10,816 T Tagliata od boškarina na posteljici od rikule Meat Dish Istria ★ 0.0

Questions, Answered

Croatian meat dishes, frequently asked, answered from 883 ratings.

What is the best Croatian meat dish?
By our diners' ratings the best is Kotlovina, meats and sausages cooked in a wide iron pan over an open fire, at Nº 225 worldwide. Behind it come the Zagorje holiday roast Purica s mlincima, the summer stuffed peppers punjena paprika, and Istria's chicken žgvacet od kokoši.
What is Croatia known for when it comes to meat?
Fire and slow cooking. Croatia's ranked meat dishes lean on the open flame: the iron-pan Kotlovina, the whole suckling pig on a spit, and peka, meat baked under an iron bell buried in embers. Inland it favours pork, turkey and sausage; the coast turns to grilled and spit-roasted cuts.
What is the most famous Croatian meat dish?
It depends on how you count. By ratings the crowd-pleaser is punjena paprika, the summer stuffed peppers, with 30 logged reviews, yet it ranks only Nº 710. Kotlovina leads by score at Nº 225. Fame and rank rarely line up.
What is kotlovina?
Kotlovina is a Croatian outdoor feast: mixed meats and sausages cooked with onion, pepper and wine in a wide, shallow cast-iron pan set over an open fire. A dish for gatherings in the continental north, it is our top-rated Croatian meat dish at Nº 225 worldwide.
Which region of Croatia has the best meat dishes?
By our data Dalmatia has the deepest tradition, with 11 ranked meat dishes, its coastal grill and peka-baked cuts leading the way. Istria follows with 8 and Zagorje with 6, home of the festive turkey roast Purica s mlincima.
Where else should I look for great meat dishes?
Across the borders and beyond: worldwide the department runs to 1,423 dishes from 155 countries, topped by Greece's grilled lamb chops païdakia at Nº 2. Nearer home the pork-and-grill nations dominate, with Italy fielding 172 ranked meat dishes and Germany 67. See Meat Dishes worldwide.

This Department, Elsewhere

Meat dishes from Croatia's neighbours, ranked the same way.

ItalianMeat Dishes172SpanishMeat Dishes54GreekMeat Dishes28PortugueseMeat Dishes18SerbianMeat Dishes9BosnianMeat Dishes8CypriotMeat Dishes5SlovenianMeat Dishes5MacedonianMeat Dishes4MalteseMeat Dishes2GibraltarMeat Dishes1MontenegrinMeat Dishes1AlbanianMeat Dishes1
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