Kibbeh Nayyeh Recipe

Kibbeh Nayyeh is a traditional Lebanese dish of raw spiced meat. Finely ground meat is mixed with soaked bulgur wheat, white onions and kamouneh spice.

The mixture is kneaded, rolled into balls and slightly flattened. It is then drizzled with olive oil and garnished with fresh greens like cilantro. Kibbeh Nayyeh is eaten as a side dish and served with salad, vegetables or bread.

The meats used to make Kibbeh Nayyeh is lamb, beef or veal. Nayyeh means raw. Regular kibbeh contains most of the same ingredients as its raw counterpart, but the meat mixture is fried before consuming.

Kamouneh is a spice mixture which includes cinnamon, all spice and mint. It is also called kibbeh spice.

While the general recommendation is not to eat raw meat, Kibbeh Nayyeh has been eaten safely by Lebanese for decades. There are several precautions taken to ensure food safety. The first is eating Kibbeh Nayeh only on the same day it is prepared. The second is preparing the meat quickly and chilling it properly.

Fresh meat is purchased from reputable butchers, not prepackaged meat from the grocery store. The meat is ground just before purchasing or ground freshly at home to ensure the cleanliness of the equipment. Leftovers are discarded or cooked thoroughly.

Origin & Cultural Significance

It’s believed that Kibbeh Nayyeh originated in Syria. It is eaten in other countries in the Levant region such as Lebanon and Jordan. Books emerging in the 1950’s began claiming Kibbeh as a Lebanese dish.

An old Lebanese wives tale describes events during the Ottoman period when the Mamluk – non-Arab soldiers serving under the Ottoman dynasties attacked Lebanese Christians who fled to the mountains with their goats.

Out of fear of being caught, they would not light fires to cook food and instead ate the goat meat raw, starting the practice of eating Kibbeh Nayyeh.

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Kibbeh Nayyeh Recipe

Yield: 12 Servings

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Kibbeh Nayyeh is a traditional Lebanese dish of raw spiced meat dish.

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Ingredients

• Fine bulgur wheat - 1 cup
• Water (plus more for shaping) - 1 cup
• 100% lean beef - 1 lb
• Red pepper (deseeded) - 1
• Butter (unsalted) - 4 tbsp
• Salt - 2 tsp
• Onion (quartered) - 1
• Kamouneh spice mixture - ¼ cup
• Basil (fresh) - ¼ cup
• Mint (fresh, plus more for serving) - ¼ cup
• Olive oil - as needed

Instructions

1. Place the bulgur and water in a small bowl to soak for 15 minutes. The water should all be absorbed.
2. Fluff the bulgur with a fork
3. Place the beef, red pepper, butter and salt in a food processor.
4. Blend until the meat forms a dough ball, stopping to scrape down the food processor as needed, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the mixture from the food processor and place it in a large shallow bowl in the fridge while the kamouneh mixture is prepared.
6. In the same food processor used to make the meat paste, add the soaked bulgur, onion, kamouneh spice, basil, mint and blend until well combined.
7. Transfer the bulgur kamouneh mixture on top of the meat paste.
8. Wet your hands with cold water and knead the kamouneh mixture into the beef until well combined.
9. Continue to add water to your hands while kneading until everything is well combined and smooth to form the kibbeh, about 5 minutes.
10. Transfer the kibbeh to a serving dish and spread it out to cover the surface of the plate. You can use a knife or fork to make designs across the kibbeh.
11. Garnish it with fresh mint, drizzle olive oil and serve with pita bread. Eat immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 455mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 11g

Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.