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
MOST ICONIC Kibbeh
View moreDawood basha is a traditional and Syrian 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 3 Lebanese Ground Meat Dishes” list until February 14, 2025, 1,219 ratings were recorded, of which 227 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.