Name: Kibbeh
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Lebanon
Ingredients: 1 cup fine bulgur; 1 lb lean ground lamb or beef, for the shell; 1 small onion, grated; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp allspice; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; For the filling: 1/2 lb ground meat, 1 onion, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1 tsp allspice, 2 tbsp olive oil; Ice water; Oil for frying

Where it comes from

Kibbeh is an everyday and celebration dish of Lebanon and Syria, and variations are made across the Levant, Iraq and Turkiye. It comes in many forms, including raw, baked, fried, in yogurt sauce and in soup.

Explore the cuisine of Lebanon, Syria.

Recipe

Make Kibbeh at home

Serves 6Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup fine bulgur
1 lb lean ground lamb or beef, for the shell
1 small onion, grated
1 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the filling: 1/2 lb ground meat, 1 onion, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1 tsp allspice, 2 tbsp olive oil
Ice water
Oil for frying

How it's made

Rinse the bulgur and soak in cold water for 15 minutes, then squeeze dry.
Process the lamb, onion, bulgur, salt and spices to a smooth paste, adding a little ice water as needed.
For the filling, cook the onion in oil, add the meat, allspice, salt and pine nuts and cook until browned; cool.
Wet your hands, take a ball of shell paste, poke a hole with your thumb and shape it into a thin cup.
Fill with a spoonful of the stuffing and pinch closed into a torpedo shape.
Chill for 30 minutes.
Fry in oil at 350F for 4 to 5 minutes until deep brown, or bake at 400F for 25 minutes.