• كبة البطاطا بالصينية •
A dish with a diverse multitude of preparations and ingredients, kibbeh is a mainstay of Middle Eastern cuisine. My version of Baked Potato Kibbeh is an easy, hearty, and savory entrée you’ll want to make again and again.
Kibbeh, also called kubbeh, is a popular Middle Eastern dish, especially well liked in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. Its ingredients often vary widely from country to country and even city to city, but it typically consists of bulgur (cracked) wheat, onions, and a binding element. Regrettably, the most frequently used binder is ground up animals, but fortunately, vegetables are also commonly used.
Potatoes, pumpkin, and zucchini all make delicious kibbeh. I’ve also posted a delicious Sweet Potato Kibbeh. Some cooks even make it with fruit! Kibbeh safarjaliyyeh, or quince kibbeh, is popular in Syria. In fact, the Syrian city of Aleppo alone claims 17 different versions of kibbeh! Transcending boundaries, it has even made it’s way into the cuisines of many Latin American countries, where waves of immigrants from the Levant introduced the dish in the early 20th century.
And as varied as the ingredients are, so are the preparation methods. Stuffed or unstuffed, deep-fried and torpedo-shaped, pan-fried patties, boiled dumplings, and pressed into a pan and baked are all popular ways to make various kinds of kibbeh. One of the easiest methods is the baked version, kibbeh bil-saniyyeh (“kibbeh in a pan”). Simply press the mixture over sliced onions in a pan and bake until the top is golden and crisp and the onions at the bottom are sweet and caramelized.
I absolutely love making and eating this dish. This Baked Potato Kibbeh is probably the easiest for a beginner to master. Make the optional stuffing or leave it unstuffed—either way, you’ll end up with an utterly delicious entrée. Keep an eye open for more of my plant-based kibbeh recipes in the future, as I hope to surpass the city of Aleppo in its esteemed kibbeh distinction! 🙂
- 2.5lbs (or a little over 1kg) of potatoes
- 1¼ cups fine bulgur wheat (sometimes labeled as #1)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- black pepper (I like at least ¼ teaspoon)
- ¾ teaspoon allspice
- pinch of cinnamon
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 cups of chopped greens, sautéed with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt for 5 minutes (spinach, swiss chard, kale, and bok choy are all great)
- ¼ cup of toasted pine nuts
- First you'll want to cook the potatoes. I prefer baking them, but you can also boil them. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the bulgur wheat by soaking it in lukewarm water for 20 minutes, then drain it in a sieve and let all excess water drip away.
- Prepare your baking pan by adding 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and arranging the sliced onion pieces in a single layer on the bottom of the pan.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Mash the potatoes with a masher or rice them until smooth. Combine them and the bulgur in a very large bowl with the grated onion, salt, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, and parsley. You'll want to thoroughly combine everything together, so the best way, and indeed the most traditional method, is to use your hands. Squish and squeeze the bulgur into the potatoes, onions, and spices until you have a uniform mixture. This only takes about a minute. It should be soft and workable. If it's too crumbly, add a few tablespoons of water.
- You'll now want to press this mixture evenly over the sliced onions in the pan. The best way to do this is to roughly divide the mixture into fourths and place each quarter over each quadrant of the pan. This ensures that you don't overuse or underuse the mixture on some sections of the pan. (See the picture above for a visual explanation)
- Use a little water on your hands to flatten and smooth the surface of the kibbeh then use a knife to score diamond shapes (or any pattern you like) into it, going almost all the way through. Evenly pour the ¼ cup of olive oil over the entire surface of the kibbeh and bake for 40-50 minutes or until it is golden brown. If after this time it doesn't brown sufficiently, stick it under the broiler for a few minutes. (This is preferable to baking it longer and drying it out too much) Remove from oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to cool down slightly. Use a spatula remove pieces of the kibbeh, making sure you scrape up the delicious caramelized onions on the bottom.
-If you choose to boil your potatoes instead of baking, peel and quarter them and start them in cool water and bring it to a boil. Once they are just tender, but not falling apart, drain them and put them back in the hot pot to dry off some excess water.
-If you want to make the optional stuffed version (like the kibbeh in the round pan in the pictures above), spread half of the potato/bulgur mixture over the onions, then spread the sautéed greens and pine nuts over it, and finally spread the remaining half of the potato/bulgur mix over that. Score the top and bake as usual.
-You can make this into a gluten-free kibbeh! Use 3 cups of cooked quinoa instead of the bulgur wheat.
Check out my Sweet Potato Kibbeh — just as easy to make but with a nice twist in flavor.
Thank you Omar for sharing this recipe. I made it and couldn’t stop eating from it. It’s soo good.. Everyone should try it
I’m so glad you liked it! I know, it’s only a few ingredients but it comes out so delicious.
I love everything potato and used to love eating kubbeh when I wasn’t a vegetarian. Now I miss it and this sounds like a great way to be reintroduced to one of my favorite dishes. Do you recommend any specific type of potato? I’m not a fan of onions and I love sweet potatoes but my wife loves red skin potatoes. What do you recommend?
Hi Murat! Happy kubbeh reunion!
You can definitely play around with this recipe to make it to your liking. I usually use yukon gold or russet potatoes but red skin would be great. And sweet potato kubbeh is glorious. If using sweet potatoes, I’d switch around the spices. Swap out the allspice and cinnamon (they can come off as too dessert-like when combined with sweet potatoes) and use cumin and coriander instead, maybe a dash of paprika if you’ve got it. Keep the parsley or use the same amount of chopped cilantro or even 1-2 Tablespoons fresh thyme.
As for the onion…how to do feel about leeks? They’re a bit milder than onions and would be great if you sliced them and layered them on the bottom of the pan. If not, you can omit the onions entirely and use a clove or two of crushed garlic in the mix. The bottom won’t have the caramelized onions, but it’ll still get crisp and golden.
I have never heard of this before. But sounds wonderful. I have semester break in few weeks. Bookmarked to make this the gluten-free way with a ping back to your blog 🙂
Thank you! Can’t wait to hear about your kibbeh. I’m kind of obsessed with kibbeh and this baked version is just so easy to make.
Mate, making it this Wednesday with Avocado hummus 🙂 I am debating between white/red quinoa. Which one do you recommend? I love white ones, and I think it will go very well with it 🙂
Mmm sounds good… Yeah I think the white will give the exact look of traditional kibbeh. Although the red might be fun to try once to have a speckled look! 🙂
Buddy, am making a pumpkin kibbeh. It’s cooking in the oven 😀
OMG. I made it a bit spicy for my man. I will let you know what he says.
Mate, honestly the best dinner in a while. I had with some hummus and heaps of lemon juice. My husband emptied his plate and insisted on packing the leftovers for lunch. LOVED it. Will be featuring it in a couple of weeks <3 Thanks XOXO
This turned out absolutely fantastic. All 4 of my children loved it. I used quinoa in place of the Bulgur, and I had a bit of a hard time getting the mixture on top of the onions, without displacing them altogether, but none of that took away from the excellent flavor. The only thing I might do different next time is upping the spices a bit. I am so happy I am came across your blog.
Wonderful, Claudia! I know what you mean with the onions. Since they slip around everywhere, I find it easiest to just throw chunks of kibbeh onto them and press in place. It is forgiving, though. And yes, adjust those spices to your liking. The amounts listed are great for a basic kibbeh. I often go beyond this amount because I just love spices and it always comes out yummy!
Looks yummy, thank you for sharing it, I am definitely trying it soon. Nice website and facebook page by the way. You should venture on instagramming 🙂
Thank you and enjoy, Rana! Haha thanks for the suggestion…Instagram is now next on my list!
Omar! I got around to making this recipe today actually, I LOVED it! Daughter loved it too. I am a big fan of kibbeh, but somehow I never cooked it before!? I am also doing few vegan days a week so sometimes we run out of ideas, and this recipe was exactly what I was looking for.
I was doubtful about the onions, I used them anyway, and I think they made this kebbeh!! YUM!
I forgot to throw in the onion in the mix (silly me), but all in all it was way too delicious. Will try it with a filling next time. I have a question about the shape, do you sort of slic the kebbeh as in go all the day to the bottom of the pan or just do the shape on top?
Thank you. 🙂
Awesome, Rana! I know what you mean–my mom and grandma used to make the fried, torpedo-shaped kibbeh for parties and birthdays but rarely would they make the baked version. I don’t know why because it’s soooo much easier. Perfect for weekday dinners. I just made a zucchini version the other day—oh my…
And I agree about the onions. I’m not a fan of raw onions but when they get caramelized, they add so much depth of flavor. Before baking, I slice it pretty much halfway or even to the bottom. That way, when it comes out of the oven, you have the guidelines to slice all the way to the bottom for ease of removal from the pan.
By the way, I love your Etsy shop. Absolutely beautiful designs! 🙂
Omar,
I grew up in Brazil – I have no Middle East background….but kibe (this is the way we spell over there) was my favourite dish my mother used to cook for us (she still does)…. We had kibe all the different ways…fish, meat and vegan…a lot of Middle eastern (most rooted in Lebanese / Syrian/ Palestine food).
I tried your suggestion with quinoa plus sweet potato and I add some brown lentils for my toddler. He loved! I loved; hubby loved!
Brought my childhood memory s back!
I baked to be healthy. I frozen some so my toddler can have as lunch or a healthy (cheap)snack on the go.
It is amazing! All the protein plus three of your portion of vegetables ; plus kind to the animals, to my toddler health, to our pocket….
Many thanks
Juju and. Family 🙂
Thanks Juju (and family), I loved your nice message! Yes, there are sooo many people with Middle Eastern background in Brazil, especially Lebanese. I once read how some Middle Eastern foods are enjoyed by all Brazilians–very nice to know.
I see you are a kibbeh expert already and am impressed that you added lentils…great idea! With both quinoa and lentils, you have even more protein than meat! It’s definitely an easy to make dish that everyone enjoys, especially kids. I know I used to love it. And I still do!
Welcome and I hope you enjoy some other recipes on the blog. I think I should include some Brazilian recipes. I’ve only been to Salvador…so maybe some vegan acarajé??? 🙂 🙂
Hi Omar,
I hope no one has asked this yet but can you use whole wheat flour instead of Bulgur wheat? Has anyone done that?
Thanks,
Auryette
Hmm… I haven’t tried it before but think it would be difficult to do a complete substitution because the bulgur is a whole grain with texture compared to a ground wheat flour. I imagine the result may end up pasty and cakey. I’ve used cooked quinoa instead and that comes out good and I think one of the readers tried cooked millet and said it came out good.
Thanks Omar. I guess a trip to the store is in order! 🙂
I just put it in the oven. I can’t wait until it’s done!
I hope it came out well. Maybe you are still enjoying the leftovers? 😀
It was very tasty and we are still enjoying the leftovers. I could probably let the bulgur soak a little longer. I don’t know if I had it in for the whole time, but it was a little crunchy around the edges. Maybe soaking it for longer would help. I might try it with quinoa as well.
I had recently tried some at a local Middle Eastern restaurant and found your site when I went looking for a recipe for it. Yours seemed to match it more closely than some others I found.
Thanks!
Made my first one yesterday, looked good and very tasty. Didn’t have bulgar in the cupboard so used couscous which seemed to do the job. Definitely making this again, planning to play with the spicing and do a sweet potato version as well.