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What to eat in Iran? Top 29 Iranian Meat Dishes

Last update: Thu Feb 13 2025
Top 29 Iranian Meat Dishes
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01
Chelow kebab
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Chelow kebab consists of fragrant, saffron-spiced rice, grilled tomatoes, and kebab, which can be prepared with minced or sliced meat. It is believed that the dish originated among the Caucasian people, who passed down the recipe to the Iranians.


The serving of chelow kebab is a unique experience: rice and tomatoes are served first, followed by meat, while the final touch is a dollop of butter that is placed on the top of saffron rice. The dish is commonly enriched with sumac, a spice native to the Middle Eastern area, and is best paired with doogh—Persian sour yogurt.

MOST ICONIC Chelow kebab

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02
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Kabab chenjeh is a traditional meat dish originating from Iran. This type of kebab is usually made with a combination of lamb, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. The meat is cut into cubes and marinated in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.


The meat and cherry tomatoes are threaded on skewers, brushed with the marinade, then grilled on each side over hot coals. Once done, kabab chenjeh is served hot with rice or bread on the side.

03

Lamb Dish

KERMANSHAH PROVINCE, Iran
4.5
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Dande kabab is a traditional meat dish originating from Kermanshah. This type of kebab is usually made with lamb ribs that are cut into large pieces, placed on skewers, and then grilled. As the meat cooks, it is brushed with a sauce consisting of tomato paste, lemon juice, saffron, oil, salt, and pepper.


Once grilled over hot coals, dande kabab is traditionally served with rice or bread on the side. It is recommended to garnish the dish with onion rings, lemon wedges, or sour orange slices.

04
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Kabab koobideh is the Iranian term for a variety of minced meat kebabs usually prepared with onions and finely ground lamb, beef, or chicken. The meat is seasoned with various spices, formed around metal skewers, then grilled on charcoal barbecues.


Whether it is enjoyed as a quick street food item served with lavash bread or as a satisfying dinner accompanied by grilled vegetables and flavorful saffron rice, kabab koobideh is a staple dish eaten throughout Iran.

MOST ICONIC Kabab koobideh

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05
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In Iran, grilled chicken kebab is known as jujeh kabab. This simple dish is a staple of Iranian cuisine and has two popular variations, one which uses boneless chicken, while the other is prepared with meat left on the bone. Chicken is usually cut into larger chunks, marinated in various marinades and saffron, skewered, then grilled.


It is often enjoyed with grilled tomatoes, onions, lavash bread, or saffron rice served on the side.

06
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Kabab barg is a variety of Iranian kebab which consists of pieces of lamb or beef, and - less commonly - chicken. It usually employs fillets, tenderloin, or lamb shanks, which are cut into strips and marinated before they are skewered and traditionally grilled on charcoal barbecues.


The meat is typically served alongside rice and an assortment of grilled vegetables, but it can also be placed inside lavash bread, when it is topped with vegetables and occasionally drizzled with a refreshing yogurt-based sauce.

MOST ICONIC Kabab barg

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07

Stew

IRAN and  2 more regions
4.4
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Korma is a creamy meat stew (although it could also be made in a vegetarian version) with a mild flavor, made with saffron, yogurt, and various spices such as coriander, ginger, cumin seeds, chiles, and turmeric. It is believed that it originated in the royal kitchen of Akbar during the mid-1500s as a fusion of Persian and Indian cuisine.


The dish got its name after one of the tribes of the Rajputs, a warrior clan of western India. It is recommended to serve kormas with flatbreads such as chapati, paratha, or naan. There are three main bases of korma: North Indian korma with almonds, cashews and yogurt (there are two subgroups of this korma: Mughalai (with reduced milk) and Shahi (with cream)), korma Kashmir with almonds, cashews, yogurt, milk, and dried fruits, and South Indian korma with coconut, coconut milk, almonds, cayenne peppers, and fennel seeds.

08

Beef Dish

GILAN PROVINCE, Iran
4.4
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This Iranian kebab variety is traditionally associated with the provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran. The kebab is usually made with lean cuts of beef or lamb which are marinated in a flavorful combination of pomegranate molasses, walnuts, garlic, parsley, and olive oil.


The meat is skewered and then grilled, and the whole dish is served with grilled vegetables and rice.

09
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Ghormeh sabzi is an Iranian herb stew, commonly eaten everywhere in Iran and considered to be the national dish of the country. Although there are numerous ways to prepare the dish, the essential ingredient is a combination of fried herbs, usually made with chopped parsley, cilantro, and chives.


Other varieties occasionally include greens such as leeks, kale, or spinach, which give the dish its dark green color and rich, pungent flavors. These essential ingredients are incorporated with kidney beans and cubed meat (most commonly lamb) to create a rich and dense stew. 

MOST ICONIC Ghormeh sabzi

10
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Kabab loghmeh is a traditional meat dish originating from Iran. This type of kebab is usually made with a combination of ground lamb, onions, saffron, tomatoes, garlic, turmeric, flour, sumac, salt, and pepper. The meat is mixed with grated onions, salt, pepper, flour, sumac, turmeric, and saffron.


It is then marinated in the fridge and placed on skewers. The skewers are brushed with oil and the loghmeh kabab is grilled over coals until the meat is fully cooked. Once done, the dish is served with grilled tomatoes, rice, and bread on the side.

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Mutton Dish
ISFAHAN PROVINCE, Iran
3.8
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Stew
GILAN PROVINCE, Iran
3.7
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Chicken Dish
GILAN PROVINCE, Iran
n/a
27
Stew
GILAN PROVINCE, Iran
n/a
28
Ground Meat Dish
ISFAHAN PROVINCE, Iran
n/a
29
Meatballs
KHUZESTAN PROVINCE, Iran
n/a

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 29 Iranian Meat Dishes” list until February 13, 2025, 1,965 ratings were recorded, of which 1,207 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.

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Iranian Meat Dishes