Kibbeh Bil Sanieh (Baked Kibbeh)

Kibbeh bil Sanieh is a classic Middle Eastern dish, particularly popular in Lebanon and other Levantine countries. It is the baked (and easier) version of the fried kibbeh balls. It features two layers of a flavourful bulgur wheat dough sandwiching a seasoned ground beef stuffing. Baked until golden perfection and served with a salad, it makes for a satisfying and complete meal.

All About Kibbeh

Kibbeh is one of the most common dishes across the middle east, and it comes in so many different variations. However, all of them have a few things in common: a bulgur based outer shell or dough, encompassing a fragrant ground beef filling.

Fried kibbeh balls are the most common, usually served as an appetizer across the Levantine countries. They are delicious but time consuming to shape each one by hand and then fry. I still have memories of helping to roll balls of dough for my mom to stuff and shape – it takes hours!

This baked kibbeh is the same thing – but in a casserole! Instead of shaping each bite-sized kibbeh, the dough is spread out on a circular tray and filled with the ground beef filling. “Kibbeh bil sanieh” literally translates to “tray” kibbeh, and when cooked in this way, it is typically served as a main meal.

The stuffing is called “hashweh” and it’s a common beef filling used in many other meals like this phyllo meat pie, this hashweh rice (easy & delicious!), and this yogurt pasta.

Notes on Kibbeh Ingredients

A few important recipe testing notes on the bulgur, beef, and spices:

• Fine bulgur: It’s very important that you find fine or extra fine bulgur. It sometimes will have “#1” on the package, indicating it is the smallest variety of the grain. Coarse bulgur will simply not work for this recipe: the fine bulgur will mixes into the dough seamlessly, whereas coarse bulgur will not. See below for a photo of the one I used.

• Extra Lean Ground Beef: the beef must have a maximum of 10% fat content, which helps it blend into the dough much better. Fattier beef will usually cause the dough to fall apart – so this is important!

• Herbs and Spices: Lebanese style kibbeh uses a mixture of dried basil, dried mint, seven spice, and kamouneh spices. This kibbeh spice mix is referred to as “kamouneh”, and each family has their own mix. See below for how to make your own kamouneh mix.

How to Make Kamouneh Spice At Home

If you can’t find kamouneh spices at your local middle eastern store, you can make it using the following herbs and spices. Grind everything together and then store in an airtight container and use as needed.

• 2 tablespoons Cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons Dried rose petals
• 1 tablespoon Black peppercorns
• 3 teaspoons Dried marjoram
• 1 tablespoon Dried basil
• 1 tablespoon Dried mint
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon 7 spice

How to Make This Recipe, Step by Step

While straight forward, baked kibbeh can be a little finicky. That’s why I’m going to walk you through the process step by step, to make sure you nail it on your first try.

First, start by soaking the fine bulgur in water and set it aside for 10 to 15 minutes. The water will soften the bulgur.

Next, make the ground beef filling. Cook the onions in olive oil until translucent, then add the beef. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned, then add the spices. Finally, add the pine nuts (but make sure to set some aside for the top of the kibbeh).

To make the kibbeh dough, start by using a large food processor and blitzing together the onions, peppers and spices until very finely chopped.

Note: Use a powerful food processor to get the dough as smooth as possible. Many people will also use a fine meat grinder as an even better tool to ensure the dough is very smooth. But I don’t have a meat grinder at home, so my food processor does the job.

Then, add the soaked bulgur along with the herbs and spices and continue to process. Process the mixture for at least 5 minutes until it starts to form into a dough.

Add the raw beef to the food processor and continue to process for at least another 5 to 7 minutes. If you don’t have a large food processor, you can divide the ingredients in half and process them in two batches.

Once a smooth and homogenous mixture forms, you can remove the dough from the food processor and place it in a large bowl. Use your hands to split the dough in half, as evenly as you can.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a 30 to 35 cm round pan (that is at least 1 inch deep) with olive oil, then use the first half of the dough to press it firmly into the pan. Even it out as much as possible using your hands to create a smooth layer.

Next, add all of the ground beef mixture on top and pat it down gently to form an even layer.

To create the top layer of dough, with wet hands, grab fistfuls from the remaining dough and pat them down between your palms to form small thin layers, then place on top of the filling. Repeat this until you’ve used up all the dough, placing them as close as possible. Then, wet your fingers and gently smooth the dough patties together to close them all up and create one even layer.

Next, the top of the kibbeh is typically scored into a diamond shaped pattern. I’m going to walk you through how to create one of the most intricate and beautiful patterns you can make, but I will also note how to go about doing an easier version. You only need to score the top layer of the kibbeh, and not actually cut all the way down. This is just a pattern for visual purposes.

For the small diamond grid pattern: start by scoring the top layer into 8 even “pizza slices”. Do this by cutting one line down the middle, then another across, then two diagonal lines on either side.

Next, work within each eighth or “pizza slice”. Score three lines parallel to one edge of the slice, then another three lines parallel to the other edge of the slice. Continue to do this for all the slices, until a diamond shaped grid pattern forms.

Place a pine nut in the middle of each small diamond.

To Create An Easier Pattern: You can simply score the kibbeh into small square shapes, or small diamonds. For the diamonds, simply score straight parallel lines on the surface. Then, turn the pan slightly to achieve an angle, and score another set of diagonal lines.

Drizzle the top with olive oil. As an optional step, you can also break up 2 tablespoons of cold butter into pieces and add them on the surface. This adds a lot of extra flavour.

Finally, bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, then broil the top for 5 minutes. You are looking for a golden brown top that is slightly crispy.

Storage and Serving Suggestions

Kibbeh bil sanieh is typically served with a cucumber yogurt salad, or a Lebanese cabbage salad. This makes it a complete and satisfying meal.

Usually, many families will make a double batch and freeze one pan of kibbeh for later use. To do this, simply assemble the kibbeh as directed but don’t drizzle the top with olive oil or add butter. Seal it tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months.

To bake from frozen, thaw it at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Then, remove the cover and drizzle with olive oil and proceed to bake as directed. You may need to bake it for a few extra minutes.

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