Kibbeh Balls

4.99 from 166 votes

These traditional fried Lebanese kibbeh balls are a delicious appetizer made with bulgur wheat and seasoned ground beef and onions filling!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Lebanese

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings kibbeh balls

Calories 268kcal

Author Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

Kibbeh Mixture

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

Hashweh Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound 95% lean ground beef
1 large onion diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon 7 Spice
¼ cup pine nuts

For Frying

Vegetable or canola oil for deep frying

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 ground beef to the food processor and blend until well combined.
Add the lean beef, along with the remaining salt and 7 Spice. Blend again until a meat paste forms. Divide the mixture in half.

Assemble and Fry

Add water to your hands, and scoop about 3 tablespoons of the kibbeh mixture. Use one finger to indent the middle of the scooped mixture and then hollow out the inside using your finger until it looks like a half shell.
Add about two tablespoons of the mixture into the shell and then close the shell and shape into a football with your hands. Place the kibbeh ball on a tray and repeat for the remaining mixture and filling.
Deep fry the kibbeh balls in the oil in batches of 6-8 until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Serve warm with cucumber yogurt sauce, if desired.

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 them after cooked, it’s more common to make a second batch and freeze them before frying them. Thaw in the fridge overnight or fry from frozen.

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.

* Please note the nutrition label does not include the oil for frying.

Nutrition