Kousa (Stuffed Squash)
Updated Mar 08, 2026
This Kousa is a popular Middle Eastern dish made with a spiced beef & rice mixture stuffed in squash and cooked in a garlicky tomato broth!
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Try My Mom’s Kousa Recipe!
Kousa is a traditional Lebanese recipe that I grew up eating, and this recipe is passed down from my mom who learned it from her mom! It’s one of those labor of love meals that requires coring squash, making a stuffing, stuffing it in the squash and then cooking it all together. However, it only uses a handful of ingredients, and the result is a soft squash filled with juicy meat and rice in a delicious broth you can literally drink!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
How to Make Kousa
Serve the stuffed squash warm with the sauce on top.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Kousa (Stuffed Squash)
Video
Ingredients
- 16 Mexican squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons 7 Spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups short grain white rice rinsed
- 2 large tomatoes cut into 16 chunks
Tomato Broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups water plus more if needed
Instructions
- Cut off the stalks of the squash. Using an apple corer, carefully hollow out the squash and remove the flesh without puncturing the outside of the squash. You can reserve the flesh for another recipe.
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ground beef, and season with 7 Spice, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes, until the beef is browned. Add the uncooked rice and stir to combine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Using a small spoon or your hands, fill the hollowed-out inside of each squash with the rice stuffing. Be sure to leave about ¼ inch of empty space at the top since the rice will expand when cooked. Then stuff a tomato chunk on top to seal the squash and prevent the stuffing from coming out while cooking. Repeat with the remaining squash. If you have any leftover stuffing, you can cook it separately with water.
- To make the tomato broth, heat the olive oil in the pot used to cook the beef over medium heat. Add the tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, or until the mixture becomes fragrant. Add the water and stir to combine.
- Transfer the stuffed squash to the deep pot, making sure they're almost entirely submerged in the tomato broth. Add one more cup of water if needed. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Place a heatproof plate directly on top of the squash to hold them in place and cook covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Uncover and continue cooking for 15 more minutes, or until the sauce is reduced and the rice is fully cooked.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Reserve the squash flesh for another purpose. That part is completely edible and tasty. You can use it to make an omelette, vegetable frittata or even baba ganoush!
- Keep the kousa extra firm when cooking by washing it with salted water. You can fill a medium bowl with water and add about 1 teaspoon of salt and then scrub the squash with your hands.
- Seal the stuffed squash with small wedges of tomatoes. This is not necessary and many cooks don’t take the time to do this step. However, I found it’s really useful for keeping the stuffing inside the squash instead of spilling into the broth.
- Use a deep pot. You want the stuffed squash to be almost entirely covered by the tomato broth. If they’re not, add more water as needed.
FAQs
Kousa is another name for squash or zucchini in Arabic. They’re often called Mexican Squash, Mexican Zucchini or Grey Zucchini. It’s usually available in the winter months in local markets in Michigan and it’s often called Mexican Squash so you can ask your local grocer about it where you live. If you can’t find kousa, try using yellow summer squash, which will be the closest to it.
I found that an apple corer (Amazon Affiliate link) works really well to remove the flesh inside the squash for stuffing purposes. It works really well with one motion. But you may need to core a couple times depending on the thickness of the squash. To get it extra hallowed, you can also use an electric veggie corer drill (Amazon Affiliate link).
Yes, the vegetarian stuffing would be uncooked rice, parsley, tomatoes, green onions and green peppers. It’s basically the same stuffing that I use when I make my vegetarian stuffed grape leaves.
Comments
Hi Yumna. I had a fairly good idea how to prepare kousa mahshi, but your instructions really helped me in making one of my favorite Arab foods that have loved since childhood. Came out with superb flavor and well presented as in the pictures here
Aww, that makes me so happy to hear! Thank you, Joseph!! Glad you enjoyed it!
Due to time constraints, I had to modify this recipe, making a “deconstructed” version. Cooked the meat as prescribed. Cooked the rice separately. Cooked the tomato sauce as prescribed, adding cubed zucchini. Mixed everything together to serve, adding a blend of chopped fresh cilantro, mint, and parsley. Delicious! I’ve added this site to my bookmarks!
Yum, that sounds so good! So glad you enjoyed!! Thanks!
I was just looking to find a deconstructed version exactly as you described!
Kousa was my fave growing up but I have yet to buy an apple corer…
🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
I’m Lebanese and love this recipe
Yay, so glad you love it!! Thank you, Lynn!
I have tried this recipe twice a year or so ago, for some reason it did not come out great. Both times the rice was still uncooked even going over the time described in this recipe. I used it as is. I tried to just let it sit and simmer for a longer time until the rice was cooked well but the zucchinis fell apart from that long cooking time. I used long grain rice. What is it that I’m doing wrong? Thanks
Hi Ann! Long grain rice doesn’t cook fast enough; you need to use short grain rice for this recipe.
This has always been one of my favorites when my mum used to make it… I never cooked it before and I can’t believe I am doing this myself now. Thank you so much for all of these recipes.
Aww, I’m so happy that you’re enjoying my Lebanese recipes!! Thank you, Nassrine! I also grew up eating kousa at home, so it’s a very nostalgic dish for me too!
Thanks for this recipe! Quick question… how do I figure out how much water to cook the remaining meat and rice mixture with? Thanks!
Good question! I recommend doubling the amount of water for how much rice you have leftover. Cook it in a pot for 15 minutes covered and then uncover and fluff the rice. Hope that helps!
I made it deconstructed, the Kousa was too small so I cut them in half, scraped out the seeds , put the beef and rice over top then poured the boiling tomato sauce over and baked! Just like grandmas!
Yay, so glad you liked it!! Love the tweaks you made. Thanks, Allan!
This is such a great idea. I had that issue and then just gave up. Now I know I can still have it. Awesome! Thank you.
I was trying to recreate what my host mom would make me when I studied in Jordan, and this brought me right back! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Aww, this makes me SO happy! Thank you so much, Emma! I’m glad the recipe was able to bring you back, that’s amazing!!
I’m thinking of trying this recipe. Is there anything else I can use to remove the core as I don’t have an apple corer?
Hi Gina, you can use a knife!
Love this recipe, I love making it. It’s very delicious and my granddaughter, that’s 3 loves it. Thank you for the recipe.
Aww, so happy you and your granddaughter enjoy it!! Thank you!
cooked this in the instant pot for 15 min on high pressure cook setting. It came out wonderful
Amazing! I’ve never tried making them in the Instant Pot before, it’s good to know they turned out great for you. Thank you, Laura!!
Hello, can you mail me the Kousa recipe for one person? I am a retired 73-year-old Lebanese. I love ALL your recipes, they taste like what my mother used to make at home. Thank you, Yumna, you are great.
Thank you SO much for your comment, Nick! Your kind words mean the world to me, I’m so glad my recipes remind you of your mother’s cooking. What an honor! Here is the printable version of the recipe for you: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/wprm_print/kousa-stuffed-squash
You can get to the printable version of my recipes by clicking the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the page, then clicking on the printer icon button in the upper-righthand corner of the recipe card (on the photo). I hope this helps, please let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you!!
This Koussa recipe is amazing! Your recipes are my go-to whenever I’m missing home and my mom’s recipes, and my husband loves it so can’t complain. Thank you!
Aww, that makes me so happy!! Thank you, I’m glad you like the recipe!
Love the recipes..
The way it is encoded is so wholesome,just love it..😍.It just elevates the cooking experiences and enhances the sheer joy of cooking..
Love your recipes and your channel
Thanks so much!
Kouss mehshi is a distant memory from when I was a young kid growing up in Lebanon. Now a father of 4 teens, I wanted to treat my family to a traditional Lebanese dish and tried this recipe. I’ve never tried making this dish before so I was not expecting it to work out. Goes what? Everyone loved it. I’m so glad I came across your recipe.
Aww I love this, so happy it was a big success!
Hi, this sounds delicious, my mother made something like this when I was a little girl… can this be cooked in an instant pot? Thanks so much!
Hi there! I have not tried that yet myself, but I’m sure it could work, I just wouldn’t know the exact timing to tell you without retesting the recipe.
I’m going to attempt making this recipe this weekend! Which ground beef do you recommend (85/15, 93/7, etc.)?
Either one works, but I would go for 93/7
Sounds delish & I’m gonna try it.
How many does the single recipe serve? 16 zucchini sounds like a lot!
Hi there! As written the recipe serves about 8. However, the squash is not zucchini, it’s Kousa, also sometimes called Mexican squash. They are smaller than zucchini, but if you can’t find it the best substitute would be summer squash.
Made it last week & it was a big hit!! I grew up on this (from our Lebanese friends when I was very young) but I had never made it myself.
Thanks!!! I’m eyeing the next recipes to try from your site.
This is a delicious recipe, it tasted just like my grandma’s stuffed squash. I’m vegetarian so I subbed cooked green lentils for the meat, but otherwise kept the recipe the same. Thank you for sharing this.
Love the idea of using green lentils instead of meat here. Thank you for making it!
I’ve tried a few different Kousa recipes and this one is by far the best.
So happy you tried this one and loved it!
This might sound odd, but do you add the leftover mince mixture to the pot of broth or a separate saucepan of water?
So if you have any stuffing which is made up of the uncooked rice and beef, you can put it in a pot and estimate double the amount of water for how much rice you have. Cook it for 15 minutes covered and then uncover and fluff the rice. Hope that helps!
Grew kousa for the first time this year. Wasn’t really sure what to do with them, and those plants are prolific producers!
Glad to have found this delicious recipe. Tonight is the third time in recent weeks we’re having it and it just gets better each time. Now that I have the coring down to a fine art, I can really get those squashes super stuffed.
The kids absolutely love them too! Thanks for such a great recipe and allowing us to bring a touch of Lebanon into our lives.
You’re so welcome, Fraser! So happy to hear that you and your family are enjoying the stuffed squash. Once you get the coring down, it’s really a quick, convent way to eat them!
I’m so happy to have found this recipe! This is one of my favorite childhood dinners from my summers in Jordan and I wanted to learn more Middle Eastern dishes to have my husband try. He’s not a fan of zucchini, but he absolutely loved this! It definitely brought me back to a place of nostalgia and after not having this for almost 17 years it tastes exactly how I remember! Thank you so much for sharing!<3
That’s amazing! I’m so glad to hear you both enjoyed the recipe. You’re so welcome!!
Yumna another beautiful recipe! I want to make grape leaves (your recipe) with in the same pot as the kusa what would be the measurements for the liquid to cook it all.
Thank you again!!
Thank you so much! You can check out my Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves recipe as a guide! https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/lebanese-stuffed-grape-leaves/
Your kusa recipe was delicious ! Do you have a recipe for cooking kusa in a yogurt
(Lebon) sauce ? Using either sour cream or Greek yogurt ? Thanks
Thank you so much! I do not at the moment.
Dena,
Your question brought back memories from when I lived in Bethlehem. Laban/Jameed is a Bedouin staple and is made with sheep or goat milk which is eventually dried until it becomes hard, like a rock. You make soup by putting the “rocks” in warm water and rubbing the stones against each other until the flavour of the water is strong enough.
When my family moved to the US after the 1967 “Six- Day War”, we did not have access to laban, so my mom began to make the soup for the Kousa Mahshi with sour cream. She would sauté some beef, pork or lamb neck bones in a bit of olive oil or ghee in a big pot, add some chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, pepper, 7 spice and water. When the meat was almost done, she would then place the kousa in the pot. Next she would dilute a BIG container of sour cream with some water, salt, pepper and add it to the pot. At this point, you just need to proceed cooking the kousa. The thickness of the soup depends on taste but if it is too thick just add some water and stir well.
Yumna,
My daughter and I made your recipe for Kousa Mahshi b/c she wanted to try it with tomato sauce. We loved it! it is also a healthier alternative to the sour cream based soup. Thank you!
MAbe
This is such a beautiful memory to share, thank you for taking the time to write it! It means so much to me. I love hearing about how your mom adapted when she moved to the US, especially using sour cream when laban wasn’t available. That’s exactly how so many of our traditional recipes evolve, out of necessity and creativity. And I’m so happy you and your daughter tried the tomato sauce version together! Cooking these dishes with our kids is my favorite way to keep the traditions alive, even if we make them a little differently. I love that you found it to be a lighter option, too. Thank you again for sharing your story. These are the kinds of comments that make this community so special!
Making it now and smells delicious! Are you supposed to cover it when simmering on low? I put it on, but not sure. I cover the pot when I make grape leaves
Thank you
I love that! Yes, you should cover it when it’s simmering. I just edited the recipe to reflect this. Thank you!
Hello! So excited to make this! Quick question, due to dietary needs I need to use ground turkey…can this recipe be made with ground turkey?? Thank you for sharing your family recipe ☺️
Absolutely, you can use ground turkey here. Let me know what you think when you make it!
Can you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth ? Also is there a big difference in flavor cooking beef before stuffing or not cooking beef and having it cook inside squash. ? Thanks
Yes, you can use vegetable broth! I prefer cooking the beef for best flavor.
These were delicious! Took me back to being a kid when my Dad would cook. These are much easier to make than they look; great for a weeknight meal or for guests on the weekend. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you! So nostalgic. Glad you enjoyed!!
Bringing my “Stuffed Kousa” to the next level. Thank you so much for sharing this mouthwatering recipe. I make Kousa a lot but decided to follow your recipe this time and turned out “So Good”!
You’re so welcome! I love that!
I’m so excited to fall onto a fellow Michiganders page and your making authentic Arab food!!! I would normally have to look these up in Arabic. Jazak illahu khaira for this! I’m not sure if you have ever experimented, but I’m curious to know, can I make this without the rice? I’m on a low carb diet right now.
Welcome to the page! You could also try this with cauliflower rice instead of rice.
5 stars.
Thank you so much!
Found the kousa in our local market the other week. Surprised I bought 6! Been a decade since I made them. I loved your recipe Yumna! I used wild rice, however, but it was so nostalgic. I have the same little tool as in your video that I bought in Damascus 30 years ago, but I do love the simplicity of the apple corer!!! Long live kousa maHsheh! Thank you.
Thank you so much! Love a good nostalgic meal. You’re so welcome!
I usually follow my grandma’s recipe but this time I’m going to follow your recipe. What a good side dish for kousas?
Excited for you to give it a try! You can eat Kousa on its own, but you can also pair it with recipes like my Lebanese Mujadara, Bulgur Pilaf, or Spinach Pies.
Hi Yumna,
Great u tube video on kussa mehshi !!! I loved it. What brand was the electric apple corer that Summer was using? Where can I find it ? I searched it on Amazon without success. Which apple corer brand works best???
Mazen
Thank you so much! Is this the apple corer you are referring to? https://amzn.to/2TkyDDK
I used to eat kousa from New Yasmeen bakery when I lived in Michigan. Now, I live in Colorado and there are no Lebanese restaurants and bakeries that I’ve found. I have made this dish a few times, typically when I have a build of summer squash from my garden. The first time I used this recipe, I was thrilled by the familiar smell after adding the spices to the pan. It is absolutely delicious and takes me back to my childhood home. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
That makes me so happy that you can now enjoy it at home and it’s nostalgic! You’re so welcome!!
Amazing! Just like I remember my moms tasted. Thank you so much for this recipe and for helping me relive one of my favorite childhood dishes!
That’s perfect! You’re welcome!! I’m so happy to hear it.
Oh my goodness…absolutely delicious! It was a lot of work and having had hand surgery 3 & 6 months ago, my hands were screaming by the time I was finished. But I am so happy with how this turned out! I used the vegetarian suggestion of the stuffed grape leaf filling, just changed it up a bit by adding the 7 spice powder. I won’t make this again anytime soon but look forward to it when I do.
Thank you so much. So glad you enjoyed it!! Hope you rest up those hands!
Tasted great from 1st try!!
Followed the recipe except that I recalculated the ingredients for 9 zucchinis… Cooked them in 30 min in a regular pot. One thing is that I had a lot of rice and beef mixture leftover, I think the zucchinis were not hollowed properly (bought them ready and tried to empty even more though). Overall it’s delicious.
Thank you!
Yay! You can also cook or freeze the hashweh stuffing on its own.
Forgot to leave star rating. Delish and easy to follow recipe. A reminder of my childhood.
Thank you for leaving a rating and a comment! I love a good nostalgic dish!
This was just like the I remember my aunt and the ladies from the church made. So authentic. Easy to follow. Thanks am not a cook but I rocked this.
That makes me so happy to hear! Easy and simple recipes are what I’m here to share!
Really horribly disappointed. I bought cousa squash at their prime & googled a generous dozen recipes for stuffed Mediterranean/Lebanese squash & chose to follow this one. The rice did NOT cook according to recipe instructions… my entire Sunday meal was ruined plus time & ingredients were wasted. So bey9 d annoyed!
I’m so sorry to hear that. What happened with the rice?
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! The most delicious kousa I have ever eaten!
You’re so welcome! I’m so happy to hear that!
Can you tell me where I can get the recipe for your friend Summer’s keto version that I saw on YouTube from March 2020? In the meantime I’ll be making yours! Yum!!
Summer doesn’t have a blog, but she has her recipes on her Instagram highlights (@summers_homemade_meals), so it might be there!
Easy recipe , Delicious !
Thank you!
Hi, i’m making this for my friend and her family for eid. what would be the time change/temp. if i were to cook this in a pressure cooker?
Since I don’t have a pressure cooker, I am not sure exactly, so you may need to experiment a little!
Hi! Awesome recipe, thank you! Is the nutritional information 444 cal for 1 Koussa?
Thank you so much! It is 444 kcal for one serving, which is an eighth of the recipe, so that should be two squash.
I just made your kousa recipe and it was so wonderful 😊 I am Lebanese too! I’m teaching myself about the culture. It has been very fun to learn to make the recipes through your website. Thought you should know that you’re helping me connect to my roots and it’s so much fun ! Amazing dish – I’m definitely going to make this again and again!
Thank you so much! I love that you are working to connect to your roots! Yay!!
So good! Thank you Yumna 😃
Yay! You’re so welcome!
One of my favorite childhood dishes! Turned out amazing! Thank you Yumna 😃
I love that! You’re welcome, Fahed!
The recipe and details were really helpful though the stuffing was extra. I just used it to stuff a few small green peppers,that were from my garden. The capsicums were really tiny so they looked lovely with the kusa.The end result and flavour of the whole dish was amazing!!
I’m so glad you found it helpful and enjoyed the dish! I love what you chose to do with the extra stuffing!
A favorite in our house.
Your recipe is amazing.
Thank you
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much!!
You don’t put any fresh herbs or dry mint?
Just parsley for serving, but you can definitely add others!
Cook the insides of the squash in the pot with everything else. So yummy!!
Good idea! Yum!
My family from Lebanon
Matches this recipe to a T!
Yay! Glad to hear that!!
I have made these for years, I have used both, a long handle iced tea spoon and a grapefruit spoon, with serrated edges to scoop out the squash, makes it really easy.
Great tip! Thank you!!
Thank you for a great recipe. It was delicious. I made a zucchini bread for dessert with the insides of my zucchini’s.
Oh great idea to use the insides to make bread! So glad you liked the kousa!
Unstuffed Kousa? Since it all ends up cut up into a pile on my plate anyway, can I just cook it together in a pot like stew with the squash cut up? Thanks!
Sure thing! That would work!
I grew up eating this and I love it. Decided to try it with cauliflower rice and it’s just as good!!!
OH what a great idea to use the cauliflower rice like my friend did in the video. Glad you enjoyed it!
So amazing. I had a friend make this for me years ago and I still remember the amazing taste. I used your recipe to make it for myself and my husband for the first time and he loved it! Will be making again!
Aww I’m so happy to har that you were able to recreate it using my recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
Can I use quinoa in place of rice?
As a Lebanese I highly recommend you try this recipe!! Soo good!!
Aww thank you so much!!
I stuffed the Kousa a day earlier. Used rice cauliflower and took your tip to fill it all the way, since there won’t be any rice expansion.
Kousa came out delicious. Super instructions .
Looks yummy. Can’t wait to try it. Do you have a Koosa with Laban recipe?