Lebanese Kibbeh Croquettes Classic (Print version)

Spiced meat and bulgur croquettes with pine nuts, crisp and golden, perfect for a savory treat.

# What You Need:

→ Kibbeh Dough

01 - 1 cup fine bulgur wheat
02 - 1.1 lbs lean ground beef or lamb
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 tsp salt
05 - 1 tsp ground allspice
06 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
07 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
08 - 2 tbsp cold water, as needed

→ Filling

09 - 9 oz ground beef or lamb
10 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
11 - 1/2 cup pine nuts
12 - 1 tbsp olive oil
13 - 1/2 tsp ground allspice
14 - 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
15 - 1/2 tsp salt
16 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Frying or Baking

17 - Vegetable oil, about 2 cups for frying
18 - Olive oil for brushing if baking

# How to Make:

01 - Rinse bulgur under cold water, drain thoroughly, and let sit for 10 minutes to soften.
02 - In a large bowl, combine softened bulgur, ground meat, onion, salt, allspice, cinnamon, and black pepper. Knead, adding cold water gradually to form a smooth dough. Cover and refrigerate.
03 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add ground meat, cook until browned, breaking up lumps.
04 - Stir in pine nuts, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes until pine nuts are golden. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
05 - With wet hands, take a golf ball–sized piece of dough, flatten into a thin oval shell. Place 1–2 teaspoons of filling in center, pinch edges to seal, shaping into a torpedo.
06 - Continue shaping with remaining dough and filling until all are formed.
07 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry kibbeh in batches for 4 to 5 minutes until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
08 - Preheat oven to 390°F. Place kibbeh on parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and bake 25 to 30 minutes, turning halfway, until crisp and golden.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • These crispy-outside, tender-inside croquettes become addictive after the first bite, and you'll find yourself making triple batches.
  • The filling is pure comfort—toasted pine nuts and warm spices that make your kitchen smell incredible while cooking.
  • They freeze beautifully, so you can have restaurant-quality appetizers ready whenever guests arrive unexpectedly.
02 -
  • The dough temperature matters—if it's warm when you shape it, the filling bursts through during cooking; keeping it cold makes handling smooth and sealing reliable.
  • Pine nuts burn quickly, so watch them carefully the moment they hit the pan; they should turn golden in just a minute or two, transforming from raw to toasted to bitter if you look away.
03 -
  • Keep your hands wet while shaping; it's the difference between wrestling with sticky dough and moving through the process like someone who knows what they're doing.
  • The moment you smell the pine nuts turning golden in the filling pan is your cue to add the spices—cooking them together for those last few minutes is what creates depth.
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