Kibbeh
Football-shaped croquettes with a crisp bulgur-and-meat shell encasing a spiced meat and pine nut filling — found across the Levant and Iraq under names like kibbeh and kubba, not one country's dish alone.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Tree Nut. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine bulgur, rinsed and soaked in water 20 minutes, then squeezed dry
- 500g very finely ground lean lamb or beef (for the shell)
- 1 onion, finely grated
- 1 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 300g ground lamb or beef (for the filling)
- 1 onion, finely chopped (for the filling)
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp cinnamon (for the filling)
- 2 tbsp oil, for the filling
- Oil, for deep-frying (or baking)
Steps
- For the filling, heat oil in a pan and cook the chopped onion until soft. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Stir in the allspice, cinnamon, and toasted pine nuts. Season and set aside to cool.
- For the shell, combine the squeezed bulgur, very finely ground meat, grated onion, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, and salt in a bowl.
- Knead the shell mixture with damp hands until it becomes a smooth, cohesive paste (a food processor can help achieve the fine texture, pulsing in batches).
- Wet your hands and take a portion of the shell mixture, forming it into a ball, then use your thumb to hollow out the center, shaping it into a thin-walled football shape.
- Fill the hollow with a spoonful of the cooled filling, then pinch the opening closed and smooth into a pointed oval.
- Deep-fry the kibbeh in oil heated to 350°F (175°C) for 4-5 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp (or bake at 400°F/200°C for 25-30 minutes, brushed with oil).
- Drain and serve hot, with yogurt or a squeeze of lemon.