READY IN 32 mins

Middle Eastern Kibbeh

Read Reviews (25)

"Kibbeh is a wonderful dish from the Middle East traditionally made with lamb meat but beef is acceptable, too. I prefer it made into patties and fried in olive oil. However, it is most often found in restaurants in baked form. Serve kibbeh with tahini, a sesame seed paste." — Ron Shepherd

Directions

Place bulgur in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with water just to the top of the bulgur. Place in the microwave and cook on High 1 to 2 minutes until bulgur is swollen and the water is absorbed. Toss briefly and allow to stand until cool.
Place the mint leaves in the bowl of a food processor. Process, gradually adding onion through the feed tube, until both mint and onion are finely chopped. Stir the mint-onion mixture into the bulgur, with the cumin, allspice, salt, and pepper. Stir the bulgur mixture into the ground lamb and mix thoroughly. Using damp hands, shape the lamb mixture into small, palm-sized patties.
Place the olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the kibbeh patties and cook until outside is golden brown and center is cooked through, turning once, about 6 minutes on each side.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 12 mins
READY IN 32 mins

Footnotes

Cook's Tip
Kibbeh can also be baked in the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Press the lamb mixture evenly 3/4 to 1 inch thick into an 8x8 inch pan. Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil over the top. Bake in preheated oven until the top is light brown, 35 to 40 minutes depending on thickness. Cool, cut into diamond pieces while still in the pan, and serve.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Mar 16, 2009

I was surprised to find a recipe for kibbeh here... it's very similar to my recipe which is also very popular in Brazil. I finally found bulgur CAN be found here and the first thing I made was kibbeh. My recipe takes toasted pine nuts (about 1/2 cup) mixed in and you can place the whole mixture in a 9x13 baking pan (foil or glass) and bake it at 350F for 30/35 minutes. It's very popular to serve this way as well. I use to make a little vinaigrette to serve on the side: diced tomatoes, cucumbers, chopped parsley, some hot pepper drops and chopped parsley. My husband fell in love with it and the next time we'll make patties and grill the kibbeh. Thanks for posting, I'm sure everybody will enjoy this dish very much.

—SONIAEDGAR

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 26, 2011

Being Lebanese and this one of our national dish, we use fine burghul and we add some ground marjoram to the meat mixture.... And we serve it with youghurt mixed with chopped cucumber or green salad.

—Imane

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31 Ratings

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Jun 02, 2009

Hubby gives this recipe a definite 5 stars! I finally realized why I can't get my Lebanese husband to care for any meatloaf recipes - after eating kibbeh, no meatloaf can compare! Only addition I would make is 1/2 c. or so of pine nuts (sold in small bags in the baking aisle with other nuts). Just isn't authentic kibbeh without the pine nuts. (You can also use 1/2 ground turkey and/or 1/2 lean ground beef for your meat if desired; the spices make this recipe!) Yummy!

—zamfam

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Jul 20, 2008

This was AWESOME!! I had been wanting to make kibbeh for a long time. When I was studying in Mexico, I found that there were quite a few middle eastern restaurants, and this dish was very popular. In the US, it seems not many people have heard of it. I liked the fact that the mint and onion was mixed right up into the meat/bulgur mix, as I've only had it on the side before. I made raita to eat with this b/c I thought the flavors would go well together and it was DELISH!! Thanks for the recipe!

—DeusaCozinheira

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Oct 18, 2008

Thank you so much for this recipe, it was absolutely wonderful. I had been looking for a recipe for baked kibi (kibbeh) for a while now and this one was the closest to perfect I could find. The only thing that i changed, and it is a personal taste thing, is added more bulgar and less meat. Oh, one other thing, for an extra little change gently stir in some fresh toasted almond slices. Thanks again for the great recipe!

—Aaron

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Nov 11, 2008

it was perfect! I made it with low-fat minced beef and did not add any oil, baked it, and it was still really good. I also added more bulgur and spices (bit of cinammon, clove of garlic, ginger powder and cayenne pepper). For a dip, I mixed 1/2 cup of yogurt, 2 tbsp of tahini and 2 tbsp of water, salt and pepper. thanks for the inspiration!

—Mari*

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Mar 08, 2010

Just took this out of the oven and sampled.....it is delicious! I pressed it into a pan and baked it as instructed. It held together well. I do find the allspice a little overpowering for my taste, so I may cut it back a little bit next time. This tastes very similar to the Kibbeh I have tasted that was made by my friend's Lebanese mother.

—nicmacdonald

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Nov 03, 2010

WOW! This was so good. Don"t change a thing.

—Crystal Hatch

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Nutrition

Calories
159 kcal
8%

Carbohydrates
7.4 g
2%

Cholesterol
38 mg
13%

Fat
9.6 g
15%

Fiber
1.7 g
7%

Protein
10.9 g
22%

Sodium
228 mg
9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Middle Eastern Kibbeh

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 159
Calories from Fat: 86

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9.6g 15 %
Saturated Fat 3.4g 17 %
Cholesterol 38mg 13 %
Sodium 228mg 9 %
Potassium 193mg 5 %
Total Carbohydrates 7.4g 2 %
Dietary Fiber 1.7g 7 %
Protein 10.9g 22 %
** Sugars 0.6g
Vitamin A < 1 %
Vitamin C 4 %
Calcium 3 %
Iron 12 %
** Thiamin 2 %
Niacin 26 %
** Vitamin B6 6 %
** Magnesium 9 %
Folate 8 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.