🧆 Fried Beef Kibbeh
Fried kibbeh made with beef follows the classic shape: a hollow oval shell of fine bulgur kneaded with lean minced beef and onion, filled with minced beef browned with onion, spices and pine nuts, then deep-fried. The shell turns crunchy and deep brown while the inside stays savory and juicy. It is a staple of mezze tables, restaurants and festive trays.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g fine bulgur
- 500 g lean minced beef
- 2 onions
- 40 g pine nuts
- 2 tsp seven-spice (baharat)
- 1 tsp salt
- Oil for frying
Method
- Soak bulgur 15 minutes and squeeze dry.
- Blend bulgur with 300 g beef, 1 onion, salt and half the spices into a smooth paste; chill.
- Brown the remaining beef with the chopped second onion, spices and toasted pine nuts.
- Shape walnut-sized pieces into hollow ovals, fill and seal.
- Deep-fry at 175 °C for 4–5 minutes until deep brown and drain on paper.
How to make it lighter
- Air-fry or bake at 200 °C with a light brush of oil instead of deep-frying.
- Choose 5% fat minced beef for both shell and filling.
- Stop at 3 pieces and add a salad with lemon dressing.
History
Beef is widely used for kibbeh across the Levant and in Arab diaspora kitchens, where it is often easier to find than lamb; the dish itself is a pillar of Lebanese and Syrian cooking.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →