Lebanese Kibbeh Classic Dish (Printable)

A spiced Middle Eastern dish blending ground meat and bulgur, fried or baked to a crisp golden finish.

# What You Need:

→ Kibbeh Dough

01 - 1 cup fine bulgur wheat
02 - 1.1 lbs lean ground beef or lamb
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon ground allspice
06 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
08 - 2 tablespoons cold water, as needed

→ Filling

09 - 9 oz ground beef or lamb
10 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
11 - ½ cup pine nuts
12 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
13 - ½ teaspoon ground allspice
14 - ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
15 - ½ teaspoon salt
16 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ For Frying or Baking

17 - Vegetable oil, about 2 cups for frying
18 - Olive oil for brushing if baking

# Directions:

01 - Rinse bulgur thoroughly in cold water and drain. Let it rest for 10 minutes until softened.
02 - In a large bowl, combine softened bulgur, ground meat, chopped onion, salt, allspice, cinnamon, and black pepper. Knead, adding cold water as needed until a smooth dough forms. Cover and refrigerate.
03 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions for 3 minutes until soft. Add ground meat and cook until browned, breaking apart. Stir in pine nuts, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until pine nuts turn golden. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
04 - Moisten hands with water and shape golf ball-sized dough into a thin oval shell. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons filling inside. Seal edges carefully and form a torpedo shape.
05 - Continue shaping remaining dough and filling the same way until all portions are used.
06 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry kibbeh in batches for 4 to 5 minutes until deep golden. Drain on paper towels.
07 - Preheat oven to 390°F. Arrange kibbeh on parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with olive oil. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until crisp and golden.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crispy shell gives way to a tender, spiced filling that tastes like comfort and celebration at once.
  • Shaping them by hand becomes oddly meditative once you get the rhythm down.
  • They freeze beautifully, so you can pull out a few whenever you want something special without starting from scratch.
  • Everyone always asks what they are, and that moment of sharing the name and the story never gets old.
02 -
  • Keep your hands wet while shaping or the dough will stick to your palms and tear, which I learned after ruining my first four attempts.
  • Don't overfill them or they'll burst open during cooking, and you'll lose all that delicious filling into the oil or onto the pan.
  • Let the filling cool slightly before you start shaping, or the heat will make the dough fall apart in your hands.
03 -
  • Chill the dough for at least 20 minutes before shaping, it makes everything easier and the kibbeh hold their shape better.
  • Use the leanest meat you can find so the dough doesn't get greasy and fall apart.
  • Don't skip wetting your hands between each one, it's the secret to smooth, crack free shells.
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