Recipes From the Field: Lebanese Kibbeh

IIn times of crisis, a familiar meal like traditional Lebanese kibbeh is more than food. It is comfort, hope, and a reminder that you are not alone.

WCK Chef Corps member Aline Kamakian knows this firsthand. While serving displaced families in shelters across Lebanon, a little girl told her she was craving Kibbeh Labanieh. “Can you make it,” she asked, “like you’re my mom?”

So Aline did—spiced meat and pine seeds from the forests of southern Lebanon, hand-rolled and fried, served over rice in a warm yogurt sauce with coriander and garlic. A dish that takes time, because some things are worth taking time for.

What Is Traditional Lebanese Kibbeh?

Kibbeh Labanieh is a traditional Lebanese dish of spiced meat and bulgur dumplings served in a warm, tangy yogurt sauce. It is one of the most beloved comfort foods in Lebanese cuisine—rich with flavor, rooted in tradition, and deeply tied to the idea of home. Pine seeds, sourced from the forests of southern Lebanon, are an essential ingredient, giving the dish its distinctive taste and cultural connection to the land.

WCK is sharing Aline’s recipe so you can bring a taste of Lebanon into your own kitchen—and experience the comfort this dish brings to families all across Lebanon. Note that the recipe is scaled for a large gathering, yielding approximately 150 individual kibbeh, with 3 to 4 pieces making up one portion.

Traditional Lebanese Kibbeh Recipe

Ingredients

For the Filling:

• 2,500 grams red onions, finely diced
• 1,160 grams beef mix, minced
• 75 grams pine nuts
• 23 grams salt (approx. 1 tbsp if using table salt)
• 16 grams seven spice (approx. 3 to 4 tbsp)
• 12 grams cinnamon (approx. 1.5 tbsp)
• 15 grams red pepper powder (approx. 2 tbsp)
• 3 grams sweet pepper powder (approx. 3 tsp)
• 15 centiliters sunflower oil (approx. 1/2 cup)

For the Kibbeh Dough:

• 500 grams white bulgur
• 500 grams brown bulgur
• 30 grams salt
• Ice water, as needed

Preparation

Prepare the Filling

• In a large pan, heat the sunflower oil and sauté the diced onions over medium heat until softened and wilted.
• Add the minced beef and cook until browned through.
• Season with salt, seven spices, cinnamon, red pepper powder, and sweet pepper powder. Mix well and let the spices bloom into the meat.
• Stir in the pine nuts and cook for another minute or two.
• Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely before shaping.

Prepare the Kibbeh Dough

• Rinse the white and brown bulgur, drain well.
• Combine both bulgurs with salt in a large bowl.
• Gradually add ice water while kneading until a smooth, uniform dough forms. The
• texture should be pliable and easy to shape.

Shape the Kebbe

• Take a small portion of dough and roll it into a ball.
• Using your finger, hollow out the center while rotating it in your hand to create a thin shell.
• Fill with a spoonful of the cooled meat filling.
• Seal the opening and shape into the traditional torpedo form, pinching the ends slightly.

Cook or Freeze

• To Fry: Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown and crisp.
• To Freeze: Arrange uncooked kebbe on a tray, freeze until solid, then store in bags.
• Fry directly from frozen when needed.

About WCK’s Response in Lebanon

Since March 2, WCK teams in Lebanon have served more than 1.7 million meals to families displaced by conflict. Working alongside local partners in communities across the country—from Bsalim and Jbeil in the north to Beirut and Saida in the south—our teams cook traditional Lebanese dishes that bring dignity and familiarity to families who have been forced to flee their homes.

Food is how we show up. And as long as families need us, the kitchens stay open.