Baked Kibbeh (Kibbeh Bil Sanieh)
Updated Mar 10, 2026
Baked Kibbeh, also called Kibbeh Bil Sanieh is a popular delicious Lebanese recipe made with ground beef, cracked wheat, onion and spices
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Jump to Section
My Mom’s Baked Kibbeh
One of my favorite childhood recipes my mom always makes is this baked kibbeh, or what we call Kibbeh Bil Sanieh. For so long I was so intimidated by making the recipe because it seemed tedious. However I’ve made it with my mom a handful of times and fine-tuned all the steps to simplify it while keeping all the classic flavors intact. This Lebanese Baked Kibbeh will remind you of your family’s recipe and I hope you love it!
Happy Baking!
– Yumna
What is Kibbeh?
Kibbeh is an arabic word derived from “kubba”, which means ball. It is a combination of very lean ground meat, cracked bulgur wheat and spices. Some compare kibbeh to meatloaf, which is a great way to describe it especially for this baked kibbeh version.
In this Lebanese recipe called Kibbeh Bil Sanieh, we layer the kibbeh with a hashweh mixture – made with onions, ground beef, spices and pine nuts. The layers are spread into a baking dish and then baked like a casserole. There are 4 popular ways to make kibbeh:
- Kibbeh Bil Sanieh (this baked version)
- Kibbeh Nayyeh (similar to a raw steak tartar)
- Kibbeh ‘Rass (balls or croquettes)
- Kibbeh bi Labanieh (balls cooked and served in warm yogurt)
Baked Kibbeh Ingredients
- Kibbeh Dough Ingredients: This is what will form the bottom and top base of the Kibbeh Bil Sanieh recipe. You’ll need 100% lean ground beef or as close to it as you can get so that it doesn’t shrink after baking from the fat. You’ll also need #1 fine bulgur wheat, fresh mint and/or basil, onions, along with 7 Spice and salt and a special Kamouneh seasoning you can buy on Amazon or make yourself with using cumin seeds, black peppercorn, marjoram, dried basil, dried mint, cinnamon and 7 Spice (see my recipe for it in FAQ).
- Kibbeh Hashweh Ingredients: This is like all of my other Lebanese style stuffing recipes made with lean ground beef, onions, 7 Spice, salt and pine nuts, which are optional.
How to Make Baked Kibbeh
Baked Kibbeh
Ingredients
Hashweh Filling
Kibbeh Mixture
- 1 ½ cups fine #1 bulgur wheat
- ¾ cup water
- 1 large onion quartered
- ½ cup fresh basil and/or mint
- ¼ cup kamouneh spice
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons 7 Spice
- 1 pound lean ground beef 100%
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Heat the olive oil. Add the beef and onions and cook until the beef is browned, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and 7 Spice and fold in the pine nuts.
Make the Kibbeh Mixture
- To prepare the base meat mixture, add the bulgur wheat to a medium bowl along with the water, fluff after 10 minutes to absorb all the water.
- Transfer soaked bulgur to a food processor along with the onion, basil and/or mint, kamouneh spice, salt and 7 spice. Blend until well combined.
- Add the lean beef to the food processor and blend again until a meat paste forms. Divide the mixture in half.
Assemble and Bake
- Preheat oven to 400°F degrees and grease a 14-inch round baking dish with olive oil; set aside.
- Spread half of the kibbeh mixture on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spoon all the hashweh filling on top of the base layer. Finally, grab handfuls of the remaining kibbeh mixture and press down on top of the hashweh. Wet your hands with water to easily spread the mixture and fill in the gaps so it's smooth.
- Slice kibbeh diagonally to form small diamonds. Top with pine nuts, and drizzle with olive oil to coat the top layer. Bake until meat is fully cooked and pine nuts look toasted, about 40-45 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Prepare the hashweh filling layer before making the kibbeh layer. Since the kibbeh layer uses raw meat, you want to handle it for as little as possible and bake it immediately after prepping. Having the filling ready will make it more efficient.
- Divide the kibbeh in half and freeze half for later. This makes a very large amount with 8 generous servings. You can make in 2 smaller baking dishes and freeze one. Make sure not to add olive oil to the one being frozen until ready to bake.
- Use wet hands for layering the kibbeh mixture. Adding water to your hands will help to mold and shape the kibbeh “dough” mixture for the bottom and top layer so it’s smooth and even.
- Eliminate using water in the bulgur by adding more onions. You don’t need to soak the bulgur with water, but you will then need to add another small onion to the food processor. That moisture will help to soak and fluff the bulgur so it’s not crunchy.
Serving Ideas
- Sauce: Traditionally, we usually enjoy kibbeh with a cucumber yogurt sauce or just plain thick yogurt.
- Salads: Here are three traditional ones that go so well with baked kibbeh fattoush salad.
FAQs
While I’ve never tried it myself, I’ve heard of some success with using quinoa instead of bulgur wheat. I recommend cooking the quinoa halfway so it’s softer but not fully cooked. It will continue cooking in the oven.
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried rose petals (optional)
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon 7 spice
Comments
This brings back so many beautiful memories and the way my mother made it. May God Bless her beautiful soul. My mother is Armenian from Lebanon, and she was truly the best cook! My mother was a cook for the Armenian school in Fresno, and all the children loved her food and still talk about it today. 🙂 Every year, my family looked forward to her amazing Sini Kubbe. It was always the best dish on the table during the holidays. I helped her prepare and cook it, but it was my mother’s love of cooking and her chef brain that made it the best! She made the best Armenian and Middle Eastern food! 🙂 I love you mamma and miss you so, very much. May God continue to Bless your beautiful and kind soul <3
Aww, I love that! So happy the recipe reminds you of your mother, that is so beautiful!! Thank you for sharing, Faten!
Remind me Of my mother’s kibbe may she rest in peace. Will Make it for my partner soon. Thank you.
I hope you both love it!
Thanks for this amazing recipe, it was perfect on the first attempt! Always assumed it was so complicated but your instructions are always so easy and simple to follow, thank you! Do you by any chance have a recipe for kamouneh banadourah? Hardly any recipes about this online and the ones I found are not great!
So happy you love the recipe, Tima! Thank you!! I don’t have a recipe for kamounet banadoura, unfortunately. So sorry!
I only have coarse bulgur. Would it work if I just blended the bulgur first by itself?
Hi, I haven’t tried this myself so I’m not sure if it would work. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it, though. Good luck!
THANK YOU for sharing this WONDERFUL recipe!! Just made it and it came out GREAT! I never dreamed I could make Kibbeh that tasted this good! Bless you and thank you for sharing!!
Aww, so happy you loved it! Thank you!!
First time making kibbeh from scratch, and I used this recipe it turned out sooooo good!
Yay, so glad you loved it!! Thank you!
Hello, I love your recipe but have a question. I would like to freeze the baked kibbeh but totally cooked. Is it possible? Hopefully you will let me know how to do it because I only have found in internet to freeze it raw and that is not possible for me. Thank you for your help
Yes, you can freeze baked kibbeh up to 3 months. But I recommend you freeze it raw, it turns out much better that way!
Thanks for the article, can I set it up so I receive an email sent to me whenever you publish a fresh post?
Yes! You can sign up for email updates here: https://feelgoodfoodienet.bigscoots-staging.com/instant-updates/
Hi, great recipe, but the reason I believe people are getting a dry result is because the amount of water you used to fluff the bulgur is too low. When I tried it the first time that is what I got, but then my mom told me that the bulgur needs to be soaked in water for at least half an hour if not up to an hour, then squeeze the bulgur from the water and let it dry out before starting. Since I started prepping the bulgur like this it’s been coming out great.
This is a great tip—thank you, Fatima! I will have to try soaking the bulgur for longer to see if that can help with the dryness people seem to be struggling with. I really appreciate you (and your mom!) sharing your tricks for making an amazing baked kibbeh!!
Please tell me the general rule for the Bulgur ratio to the meat ratio in the Kibbeh mixture. For example if I use 500g of meat, how many g should the bulgur be?
Thanks for recipe although it’s traditionally made made with lamb so was interesting to see your recipe with beef.
You’re welcome! My family has always made kibbeh with ground beef so that’s how I like to prepare it. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you Youmna! How can i make it vegetarian ? can i simply replace the meat with spinach ?
Hi! I think the best ways are to make potato kibbeh and pumpkin kibbeh. The spinach would not work unfortunately since you need the meat to form the crust and the filling of the kibbeh. I’m hoping to create potato and pumpkin kibbeh in the future!
Hi Yumna,
I recently got married and moved to Canada and never laid a hand in the kitchen before. I want you to know that your website has helped me survive 1 year so far while enjoying Lebanese food.
Im making the Kebbeh today thanks to you! I got a “kibbeh spice” from the supermarket the other day so im hoping its the kamouneh spice thats mentioned 🙂
Thank you for making this website and sharing all our favorite recipes that bring us so much joy!
This is so nice to read, thank you!
Made all spices from scratch did as requested in recipe but unfortunately turned out so dry. Good taste but crumbly and didn’t serve up well
So sorry to hear this didn’t turn out as expected. Do you mean the beef layer was dry or the Kibbeh mixture?
The beef layer was dry. I used mince with fat in it but how can I make this stay together. The two layers seperated and was crumbly
I grew up on Kibbeh, (my family is Lebanese), and I want to make it properly for my kids… However, I can’t seem to make it the way my mother used to make it. I have tried various recipes and it is hit and miss. Sometime is it works and sometimes it does not. And when it does, I can’t seem to repeat it.
I think my problem is the ratio of meat to wheat. I noticed that the amount used is so different in different recipes. My kibbeh turns out so dry. Mind you, my mother used to always fry her Kubbie and I bake it. I would really appreciate it if I can get some suggestions. Thank you thank you thank you
I know what you mean and this was a really hard recipe for me to write until I made it with my mother a few times and finally understood how the mixture should look and feel for the best results. Honestly, all of my tips and ratios are in the post and I highly recommend making the recipe as it’s written. You can reduce the amount by half if you want to test it. Let me know what you think and if you have any questions I can help with!
I did not like this at all. I think the ground beef/bulgur wheat proportion was wrong, resulting in a very dry product. The spices were overpowering. I will have to find a different recipe next time.
Sorry to hear that. Are you used to have a Lebanese kibbeh or a different one? This is how it’s traditionally made in Lebanon and I did not deviate much from the way my family all makes it. Sorry to hear it didn’t work for you.
Hi Yumna J, I was really excited to find your website, having grown up eating Lebanese food, I found recipes I can do, especially since my older relatives are gone now and I only learned a few of the dishes. I have one comment, I can’t wait to use your Kibbeh recipe and I remember my grandmother adding cream cheese to the hasweh filling. It seemed to give the kibbeh a smooth texture. Thanks again! Yours is my go to cooking site.
Thank you so much, David and welcome! I hope you enjoy, you’ll have to let me know what you think!
I was missing some of the herbs for the spice mix, notably the rose petals and fresh mint, I substituted pine nuts for roasted almonds, and added a bit of pomegranate molasses to the filling.
Overall, it turned out pretty well
When i make this again, i plan on sourcing those herbs, adding raisins to the filling, and concocting a type of fresh herb chimichurri or pomegranate chili sauce to serve over top.
That sounds so good!
The flavor was absolutely delicious! I don’t know what I did wrong though- my top layer came out super dry and leathery in texture. I baked for 40 minutes.
Hmm, I am not sure what went wrong. Does your oven run hot? You could try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and see if that helps.
I was sure that putting the meat in the food processor was going to be a mess. I’ve been making kibbeh with my aunts since I was a kid in the 60s and 70s and I’ve never used a food processor. We used to hand grind the meat and onions. It took hours. This recipe is a game changer. It was so fast and easy and the results were better than our old hand grinder method. Awesome.
So glad it turned out well for you, Don!
Love any insights to Arabic cooking.
I’ve been baking kibbeh, SoufSouf, spfehis and Yabras for years.
I don’t know what 7 spices?? Interested to hear more.
Hi Anita! So happy to hear that you enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine! I have a recipe for 7 spice with some info on it in the post that can help explain what it is.
I grew up eating kibbee, but haven’t made it more than 5 times since I moved out of my parents house, & they eventually passed away; all I have is wheat bran, can it work? Thank You
Hi Marilyn, great question. I’ve never made it with wheat bran, but you can try it! Let me know what you think when you do!
Hi! I think I have made this exact recipe before yet either way I have made baked kibbeh gluten free and usually do. The secrete is hemp hearts instead of bulgar. No soaking just add in as directed! It works great! You can also use this in tabouli 🙂
Looking forward to making this again gluten free!
I have never tried this recipe with that substitute and method before. Excited to hear how it goes!
This really needs a video. I have grown up cooking and eating Lebanese food all my life- my mom was Lebanese. The one recipe i tend to not make is Khibbeh- The first several times one or another problem occurred and i just gave up. I was looking for a Baklava Recipe ( i make it often however i was stuck by a suggestion a Lebanese cooking site- the butter hack) and found your site. So ii said what the heck- lets try the kibbeh- and here i am. SOOO- I just assembled this- did not use basil- my mom did not use it in anything other than Italian food. Fortunately we have a middle eastern grocer so i can get all of the spices and have the meat ground especially for the kibbeh. My food processor did not like making this mixture. Also I have never used these spices- my mom tended to use only a few spices, mainly allspice. Some ladies use a dash o cinnamon – I did add some pomegranate molasses to the heshwah ( my moms addition). And reading the comments i may have not pressed it down enough but we will see!!!
Thank you for your feedback! While I don’t have a video for this exact recipe at the moment, I have a similar one for Lebanese Kibbeh with Yogurt on my YouTube account: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbAhem0CBQk
I didn’t actually see any comments from anyone that made the recipe. I made this exact to the recipe. It was very very dry and the spices are very harsh. I find that 100% beef seems like a very luxurious meat however- it is dry and adds nothing in flavor. So I would go with 93%. The wheat germ needs to soak in more water- my mom’s way was to soak in warm water and squeeze out excess water. Between the dry wheat germ and the dry beef it was not a good texture. I find 1/4 cup of the kibby spice plus the 7 spices was overkill. I did not like this recipe at all. SO sorry.
If I want to make it ahead and bake it the next day, can I just put the raw kibbeh assembled in the fridge instead of the freezer?
It should still work that way!
hi i love all your recipes. do you have pumpkin kibbeh in pan recipe?
Thank you so much! I do not have a recipe for that on my website at the moment.
Can you think of any way to make kibbeh paleo/low carb?
Unfortunately I have yet to try this with a substitute, but the majority of the carbs come from the bulgur wheat, so a substitute for that would help it be lower in carbs.
What temperature in oven do you bake?
400°F! The full recipe is at the bottom of the page in the recipe card.
Thank you, looks delicious!
Thank you so much!
How do I make the kamouneh spices? Thank u
Instead of kamouneh spice, you can mix together cumin seeds, black peppercorn, marjoram, basil, mint, cinnamon and 7 Spice. You can find a recipe for how to making kamouneh spice here (https://zaatarandzaytoun.com/kamouneh-spice-blend/) or use a combination you like.
Here is what you can use for the “kamouneh” spice if you don’t have it:
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried rose petals (optional)
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon 7 spice
I don’t want to fry kibbeh balls.
I want to BAKE some 20 kibbeh balls.
At what temperature and for how long should I bake them in an electric oven?
Thanks
MR
Bake until meat is fully cooked and pine nuts look toasted, about 40-45 minutes, at 400F.
Hi!!!!, Quick question about the meat. Can you buy a chunk and process/ground it yourself? if so what kind of meat would you recommend that is 100% lean?
Thank you <3
I haven’t tried that yet, but I would buy sirloin meat if you’re going to go that route!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’m gonna give it a try today! I just wanted to ask you, for the step of the “adding the meat” to the processor, the minced beef I buy is not that thin but it is 96/4 in terms of “lean”. Will the processor thin out the meat if I place it with the burghol mixture right away or do I need to put the meat in the processor alone first to soften it out and then remove it, put the other ingredients and then add the meat back?
You’re welcome! It should be fine adding in the meat to the food processor after the other ingredients.
I made the Kibbeh and it tasted great. The problem that I have is that after I cook it, the 2 layers do not come out as one piece, they kind of split. What do you think I am doing wrong?
Thanks
It’s possible you didn’t have enough oil or didn’t push the down enough when layering. I can add more tips to the recipe to help clarify this. Thank you!
That’s the way we like it. You split it then eat the side with less beef and pine nuts and save the loaded half for last. My uncle was Syrian and made this version and one that had shrimp instead of beef in the what mixture without pine nuts. I like the original version best. I bought the ingredients yesterday and am making it Sunday when the kids come home for Thanksgiving.
We use cooked millet instead of the bulgar wheat and find the texture very similar to the traditional recipe, and guests have told us they actually prefer my version. We use quinoa as a substitute for the wheat in recipes where the extra little bite is appreciated, like tabbouli.
I love the sound of millet in this!
I made your recipe for a gluten free friend by using red quinoa instead of bulgar and it was still delicious. The biggest difference was the course texture making it crumbly when trying to cut…but she loved it and it quickly disappeared !
I’m glad she still enjoyed it! Next time, I recommend cooking the quinoa halfway, so it’s softer but not fully cooked. It will continue cooking in the oven!
One of my favourite traditional recipes but living abroad never made it easy to find the right recipe and ingredients. But I tried this one and I was so happy to finally taste the real kibbe! And that I can make the kamouneh as well! Very practical and always a good idea when we are having people over to present an elegant Arabic dish! Easy peasy and absolutely delicious. Thanks Yumna!!!
I’m so glad this reminded you of the ones you used to have! Thank you so much!!
Do you recommend baking it then freezing it? Or putting it in the freezer raw?
I recommend putting it in the freezer raw, but make sure not to add olive oil to the one being frozen until ready to bake. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then add olive oil on top and follow the baking instructions per the recipe.
Delicious
Thank you!
Just used your Recipe for the baked Kibbeh, i used ground chicken and used a little curry seasoning. It came out so good! Definitely making it again, my whole family loved it!
So glad to hear it! Thanks Rita!!
I would really like to know wat temperature u bake this at thankyou
I baked these at 400°F for about 40-45 minutes.
Just used your Recipe for the baked Kibbeh, i used ground chicken and used a little curry seasoning. It came out so good! Definitely going to make this again, my whole family love it!
Yay! So happy to hear that! Thank you!