Baked Kibbeh

4.98 from 342 votes

Baked Kibbeh is a quintessential Lebanese recipe that is popular throughout the Middle East - made with beef, cracked wheat, onion and spices

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine Arabic, Lebanese, Middle Eastern

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 331kcal

Author Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

Hashweh Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for greasing pan & drizzling on top
1 pound 95% lean ground beef
1 large onion diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon 7 Spice
¼ cup pine nuts plus more for topping

Kibbeh Mixture

1 ½ cups fine #1 bulgur wheat
½ cup water
1 large onion quartered
½ cup packed fresh basil and/or mint
¼ cup kamouneh spice
1 tablespoon salt + 1 teaspoon
1 pound 100% lean ground beef
2 teaspoons 7 Spice

Instructions

Make the Filling

Heat the olive oil. Add the beef and onions and cook until the beef is browned, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and 7 Spice and fold in the pine nuts.

Make the Kibbeh Mixture

To prepare the base meat mixture, add the bulgur wheat to a medium bowl along with the water, fluff after 10 minutes to absorb all the water.
Transfer soaked bulgur to a food processor along with the onion, basil and/or mint, kamouneh spice and 1 tablespoon salt. Blend until well combined.
Add the lean beef to the food processor, along with the remaining salt and 7 Spice. Blend again until a meat paste forms. Divide the mixture in half.

Assemble and Bake

Preheat oven to 400°F degrees and grease a 14-inch round baking dish with olive oil; set aside.
Spread half of the kibbeh mixture on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spoon all the hashweh filling on top of the base layer. Finally, grab handfuls of the remaining kibbeh mixture and press down on top of the hashweh. Wet your hands with water to easily spread the mixture and fill in the gaps so it's smooth.
Slice kibbeh diagonally to form small diamonds. Top with pine nuts, and drizzle with olive oil to coat the top layer. Bake until meat is fully cooked and pine nuts look toasted, about 40-45 minutes.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.

Freezing Instructions: You can also freeze the baked kibbeh recipe for up to 3 months. While you can freeze it after cooked, it's more common to make a second batch and freeze it before baking them. Thaw in the fridge overnight, drizzle olive oil on top and then bake as directed.

Equipment: I recommend blending the ingredients for the kibbeh mixture using a food processor. And while you can bake it in a large casserole dish, it's more traditional to bake it in a round aluminum or stainless steel pan like this one (Amazon affiliate link).

Sourcing: You can find the bulgur at Middle Eastern markets, natural-foods stores or even in large supermarkets, often located with other Middle Eastern ingredients.

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe

Instead of ground beef, you can use lamb, but it's traditionally made with beef.
Instead of kamouneh spice, you can mix together cumin seeds, black peppercorn, marjoram, basil, mint, cinnamon and 7 Spice. You can find a recipe for how to making kamouneh spice here or use a combination you like.

Nutrition