What Is Kibbeh?

One of my absolute favorite things to eat in the world are little fried balls. Actually, they don’t even have to be fried. Little tasty balls of food are always good. It can be something like dumplings, or arancini, or falafel. It doesn’t matter. If I can carry a bunch around and pop them in my mouth, I like them a lot. And one of the most overlooked foods in the elite little balls of food parthenon is kibbeh. Seriously, don’t sleep on kibbeh. 

Now if you don’t have a good Middle Eastern restaurant in your area, you may not have even heard of this stuff. So, what is kibbeh? What is kibbeh made of? How do you pronounce kibbeh? How is kibbeh made? Let’s all get comfy with some kibbeh!

What is kibbeh?

Kibbeh is a delicious, small, roundish, oval-shaped food that is extremely popular around the Levant region. Both Syria and Lebanon consider kibbeh to be their national dish. Kibbeh is traditionally made with spiced lean ground meat and bulgur wheat.

The thing is, when you have something like kibbeh, a food that’s extremely popular in several different places, you’re naturally going to have some variety. The meat used and the cooking method can change from place to place. Kibbeh can be baked, fried, grilled, or even served raw. Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Armenia, and Turkey all have their own versions of kibbeh. Then there’s the Latin American versions! That’s a lot of kibbeh! 

How do you pronounce kibbeh? 

Kibbeh is pronounced “KI-buh.” 

What is kibbeh made of?

The primary ingredients in kibbeh are ground meat and bulgur wheat. Usually there are also some pine nuts, chopped onions, and baharat (a Lebanese spice blend), mixed in as well. As for the ground meat, it’s usually beef, goat, lamb, or fish. But you can get pretty wacky and throw some game meat in there or even go vegetarian. 

How is kibbeh made?

So we know what goes into kibbeh, and frankly it sounds pretty dang tasty. But how do you make this stuff? Traditionally, kibbeh was made by pounding the meat and bulgur wheat into a paste with a mortar and pestle, then kneading in the spices and forming small ovalish shapes with your hands. 

These days, you can throw your meat and bulgur into a food processor. You can still hand-form the balls or patties and toss them into the oven to bake or into some oil for a nice deep fry. Or go hardcore and eat that stuff raw. 

Some folks compare baked kibbeh to meatloaf. And sure, the texture can be a little similar. However you make it or cook it, the finished kibbeh will make a wonderful addition to your mezze platter. Or throw a couple into your pockets for some walking around kibbeh.


About the Author

Will Morgan

Will Morgan, a freelance contributor to Sporked, is an L.A. based writer, actor, and sketch comedy guy. Originally from Houston, TX, he strongly believes in the superiority of breakfast tacos to breakfast burritos. Will traveled the world as one of those people that did yoyo shows at elementary school assemblies, always making a point to find local and regional foods to explore in whatever place he was, even in rinky-dink towns like Tilsonberg, ON. Will spends his birthdays at Benihana’s. Let him know if can make it.

Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!

Your thoughts.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *