Kibbeh bil Sanieh (Baked Kibbeh)

Name: Kibbeh bil Sanieh (Baked Kibbeh)
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Israeli
Ingredients: 2 cup fine bulgur (fine cracked wheat); 1 lb lean ground beef or lamb; 1 small onion; 0.33 cup fine semolina; 1 tsp ground allspice; 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.5 cup ice water; 1 lb ground lamb or beef; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 medium onions; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp ground allspice; 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.33 cup pine nuts; 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

A Levantine-style baked kibbeh popular in Israel — layers of a seasoned bulgur-and-meat paste surrounding a spiced lamb filling with caramelized onions and pine nuts. It takes an afternoon to prepare but rewards you with a fragrant, shareable main dish.

AI image

2 hr 10 min

start to finish

1 hr 15 min

hands on

Project

difficulty

servings

8 servings

Ingredients

For the bulgur shell

2 cup fine bulgur (fine cracked wheat)rinsed and drained
1 lb lean ground beef or lambdivided — 1 lb for shell
1 small oniongrated
⅓ cup fine semolinaor 1/3–1/2 cup all-purpose flour as substitute
1 tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup ice wateradd a few tablespoons at a time in processor

To finish

2 tbsp olive oilto oil pan and brush top
1 tbsp pomegranate molassesoptional drizzle for serving(optional)

Contains gluten, tree-nut. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

600 kcal34g protein38g carbs38g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Put the fine bulgur in a bowl, cover with cold water to just cover, stir, then drain and squeeze out excess water.
Transfer drained bulgur to a large bowl and set aside while you prepare other ingredients.
Toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant.
Pine nuts burn quickly; stay at the stove and remove them as soon as they color.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium and add the chopped onions for the filling.
Caramelize the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft and deep golden (about 20–25 minutes).
Lower the heat if they begin to brown too fast; add a splash of water if they stick.
Push the caramelized onions to the side of the pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the 1 lb filling meat, and brown it, breaking it up.
Stir the tomato paste, allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper into the browned meat and cook 2 minutes more.
Remove the filling from the heat, stir in the toasted pine nuts (if using) and chopped parsley, and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and oil a 9x13-inch (or similar) baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Combine the soaked bulgur, 1 lb shell meat, grated onion, semolina, allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a food processor.
Work in batches if your processor is small.
Pulse the processor, adding ice water a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture becomes a smooth, tacky paste (about 1–2 minutes of processing in total).
The mixture should hold together when pressed; don’t over-add water.
Transfer the kibbeh shell paste to a bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
Divide the chilled shell mixture into two roughly equal portions.
Press one portion evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared baking dish (use oiled hands), creating a flat, even layer.
Spread the meat-and-onion filling evenly over the shell layer.
Cover the filling with the remaining kibbeh paste, pressing gently to seal the edges and smooth the surface.
Score the top into squares or diamonds with a sharp knife and brush the surface with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Bake until the top is deep golden and the kibbeh is cooked through, about 40–50 minutes.
Let the kibbeh rest 10 minutes before cutting along the scored lines and serving.
Serve warm, optionally drizzled with pomegranate molasses and with plain yogurt or a green salad on the side.

Worth knowing

A food processor makes the shell smooth; if you don't have one, finely mince the meat and knead very well with the bulgur and semolina until it becomes paste-like.
Fine bulgur (not coarse) produces a tender shell; if you only have coarse bulgur, soak longer and expect a coarser texture.
Kibbeh reheats well and can be made a day ahead — bake, cool, then rewarm in a 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes.
If you avoid tree-nuts, skip the pine nuts — the filling is excellent without them.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

Meal prep

More Israeli cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Israeli cooking, not any restaurant's recipe.