Recipes for Bosanski lonac vary greatly according to personal and regional preference, but the main ingredients generally include chunked meat and vegetables.

The wealthy prepared the dish with more meat and other expensive ingredients, while the poor used what was available.

Typical ingredients are beef, lamb, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, parsley, garlic, and peppercorns (whole, not ground).

Bosanski lonac is prepared by layering meat and vegetables (alternating layers of meat and vegetables until the pot is full) into a deep pot, then adding 1-2 dl water.

Originally, Bosanski lonac was made in ceramic pots[3] and cooked in a fireplace or pit in the ground.