Torpedo-shaped bulgur shells stuffed with spiced meat and pine nuts, fried until crisp.

Where does Kibbeh come from?

Kibbeh is a Syrian dish from Damascus, Syria.

Can Kibbeh be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Kibbeh recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Kibbeh take to make?

About 70 minutes total (50 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking), serving 6.

Kibbeh — a Damascus, Syria recipe

Name: Kibbeh
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Syrian
Ingredients: 2 cups fine bulgur; 1.5 lb lean ground beef or lamb (for shell + filling); 1/3 cup pine nuts; 2 onion; 1 tsp allspice; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; as needed oil for frying; to taste salt

Asia → 🇸🇾 Syria → Damascus

Kibbeh

Syrian · advanced · serves 6

prep 50 min · cook 20 min

~557 cal · 38g protein · 43g carbs · 27g fat (estimated, per serving)

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Crisp fried torpedo-shaped bulgur kibbeh

🇸🇾 Damascus

Kibbeh is the pride of Syrian and Levantine cooking, considered by many the national dish. A fine paste of bulgur and meat is shaped by hand into a thin shell, filled with spiced minced meat, onion, and pine nuts, then fried to a deep crisp — a labor of love and a test of a cook's skill in Damascus.

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Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 6 —

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2 cups fine bulgur

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1.5 lb lean ground beef or lamb (for shell + filling)

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1/3 cup pine nuts

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2 onion

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1 tsp allspice

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1/2 tsp cinnamon

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as needed oil for frying

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to taste salt

Instructions

1

Soak the bulgur, then blend with half the meat (or lentils and mushrooms), onion, and spices into a smooth shell paste.

2

Fry the remaining meat with onion, pine nuts (or seeds), and spices for the filling.

3

Shape the shell paste into hollow ovals, fill, and seal into torpedoes.

4

Fry in hot oil until deep golden and crisp.

5

Drain and serve hot with yogurt or a squeeze of lemon.

Damascus tradition.

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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Damascus. One of the oldest cities on Earth, still setting the mezze table.

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Syria. Aleppo and Damascus — pantries of the ancient world.

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Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

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Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

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