Kibbeh is a unique mixture of soaked bulgur wheat and other ingredients, typically lamb meat, and it is also considered the national dish of Lebanon and Syria. Fragrantly spiced and eaten as a snack for casual or celebratory meals, Kibbeh can be raw, baked, fried, stuffed, or prepared in a vegetarian version, stuffed with potatoes, pumpkins, and tomatoes.
It is typically served with mint leaves and drizzled with olive oil. The word kibbeh stems from an Arabic verb meaning to form into a ball or a circular shape. A fried variety of kibbeh, called kibbeh nabilseeyah is shaped into a ball, stuffed, then fried in oil.
VARIATIONS OF Kibbeh
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Shakriyeh is a traditional stew made with lamb cooked in a tangy yogurt-based sauce. The meat is simmered with garlic and onions, and then blended with a smooth yogurt sauce flavored with spices such as cinnamon or cloves. It's typically served over rice or alongside bulgur and is a popular dish during family gatherings and special occasions.
The creamy, rich sauce and tender meat make shakriyeh a comforting, flavorful meal in Syrian cuisine.
Kubbah bi-aṣ-ṣīnīyah is a Syrian dish that combines raw kibbeh—a combination of minced meat and bulgur—with a filling consisting of minced meat, usually lamb, which is sautéed with onions, pine nuts, mint or parsley, and spices.
The dish is typically prepared in round pans in which the layers are flattened to resemble a thin meat pie. The top is usually sliced in diamond shapes, and the whole combination is doused in melted samneh (clarified butter). This Syrian specialty is often enjoyed with mint-flavored garlic yogurt, potatoes, or fresh vegetables.
Kabab be al-karaz is a traditional and beloved Syrian dish of lamb kebab and cherries, especially popular in the city of Aleppo. It is made from minced meat mixed with onions and sour cherries (St. Lucie cherries traditionally), cooked with sugar and either ghee or butter until tender.
The meat is shaped into balls or patties and then fried until browned. Cherry sauce is added to the kebab, and the mixture is cooked together until the flavors meld. The dish is garnished with toasted pine nuts and parsley and served with Syrian bread or rice, offering a unique taste that combines sour and sweet flavors.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Ouzi is a Syrian phyllo pastry pie filled with a mix of lamb, rice, peas and carrots, seasoned with bay leaves, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, and salt. It is served warm with yogurt and fresh salad and is usually followed by a serving of muhallabia or rice pudding.
The dish can be prepared in various sizes, from a large main course to smaller portions suitable for finger food, making it versatile for different serving purposes.
Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan (with origins traced back to Syria) that plays a key role in all celebrations and festivals in the country. The meat is slowly cooked in fermented, yogurt-like goat's milk called jameed, resulting in a unique dish that is not just a meal, but a social tradition.
Mansaf, an Arabic word for explosion, is commonly offered to guests as a sign of appreciation, value, and respect. It can be made with goat, beef, or chicken meat, where goat signifies the highest level of respect and value, and chicken the least, so beef or chicken is rarely to be seen in Mansaf.
Kubbah qrāṣ is a type of Aleppine stuffed meat patty. It typically consists of ground lamb or beef and bulgur mixture, formed into a flat disc and then filled with seasoned tail fat, lamb, or strained yogurt spiced with coriander. The meat disc is usually fried in hot fat or broiled, then served hot, accompanied by a fresh salad, pita bread, or a mixture of cucumbers and yogurt.
Mahshi is the name for a wide group of dishes which include a variety of vegetables stuffed with rice, vegetables, and meat. It is similar to dolma dishes, but the name is primarily used in Arabic, North African, and Eastern Mediterranean countries.
The most common vegetables used as a container are cored zucchinis, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, onions, and in some regions even cabbage and vine leaves. The stuffing for the vegetables typically uses rice as the base, which is usually flavored with region-specific spices.
VARIATIONS OF Mahshi
Dawood basha is a traditional and Syrian and Lebanese dish consisting of meatballs that are braised in tomato sauce. The meatballs are made from ground beef or a combination of beef and lamb, along with onions, parsley, cayenne pepper, salt, and allspice.
They are baked or pan-fried, then added to a sauce consisting of onions, beef stock, tomato paste, and pan-fried pine nuts. The sauce is sometimes enriched with the addition of pomegranate molasses. The dish is usually served with plain rice on the side.
Warak enab is a traditional Middle Eastern dish consisting of stuffed grape leaves that are simmered in a lemon-flavored broth. The ingredients include grape leaves, ground beef, rice, allspice, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice, oil, and lamb chops or ribs for the broth.
Once cooked, these stuffed rolls are usually garnished with a few lemon slices on top or, alternatively, olives and tomato slices.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 23 Syrian Meat Dishes” list until April 15, 2025, 10,203 ratings were recorded, of which 409 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.