Kibbeh Nayyeh

5 from 19 votes

Kibbeh Nayyeh is a tasty Lebanese dish made from raw meat, simple ingredients, and easy preparation and served for special occasions.

Cuisine Lebanese

Prep Time 25

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 133kcal

Place the bulgur and water in a small bowl and all the bulgur to soak for 15 minutes. The water should all be absorbed. Fluff the bulgur with a fork
Place the beef, red pepper, butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the meat forms a dough ball, stopping to scrape down the food processor as needed, about 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the food processor and place it in a large shallow bowl in the fridge while you prepare the kamouneh mixture.
In the same food processor used to make the meat paste, add the soaked bulgur, onion, kamouneh spice, basil, mint and. Blend until well combined.
Transfer the bulgur kamouneh mixture on top of the meat paste, wet your hands with cold water and knead the kamouneh mixture into the beef until well combined. Continue to add water to your hands while kneading until everything is well combined and smooth to form the kibbeh, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the kibbeh to a serving dish and spread it out to cover the surface of the plate. You can use a knife or fork to make designs across the kibbeh.
Garnish it with fresh mint, drizzle olive oil and serve with pita bread.

Kibbeh Nayyeh should be consumed within 24 hours and is not recommended to make ahead of time or store leftovers.

If you do have leftovers, cook the beef first.

Recipe Tips:

Buy the meat the same day you make the recipe. Because the beef is raw, it's important for it to be fresh. Avoid buying it from a grocery store and go directly to a butcher you trust.
Work fast. Again, because you're working with raw meat, you want to make sure you're not handling the beef for too long to remain safe. Knead the dough quickly and store it in the fridge when you're preparing other parts of the recipe.
Work in batches. Depending on how large your food processor is, you may need to grind the meat in batches in order to create a paste from the beef chunks. It's faster to do it in two batches, but it's convenient if you can fit it all into one large food processor.
Keep processing until it forms a ball. Just like making bread dough, you're looking for the mixture to form a dough ball essentially in the food processor. This is your cue that the meat is finely minced and ready to be mixed with spices and herbs.
Use extra virgin olive oil for serving. Although it's not an ingredient needed to make the recipe, it's essential for serving the kibbeh the authentic way. High-quality extra virgin olive oil will really bring out the flavor of the dish.