Potato kibbeh is a delicious twist on regular kibbeh. The outer layers are a made of mashed potatoes and bulgur while the filling is a spiced ground beef.
Anytime I make this dish, there’s never leftovers. The kids love it so much that they’re always coming back for more. We like to serve it with plain yogurt and fatoush salad.
WHAT IS KIBBEH?
Kibbeh is a popular dish in the Lebanese cuisine. It can be baked or shaped into balls and deep fried. There are many varieties of kibbeh. It’s made of an outer layer of kibbeh dough and a ground beef filling. In this recipe, I’ve switched the beef in the outer layer to potatoes. It can be made ahead and frozen which makes it great for meal prepping.
HOW DO I MAKE IT?
It’s best to start out with the bulgur since it needs some time to soak. I rinse the bulgur really well and then soak it. While it’s soaking, you can get started on the filling. The filling is a mix of onions and beef but seasoned with Lebanese 7 spices, cinnamon and salt. I sauté the onions first then add the ground beef and spices. Once it’s cooked through, it’s transferred to a plate to cool.
While the filling cools, you’ll boil the potatoes until fork tender then drain immediately. In a large bowl, the potatoes, bulgur, flour and spices are mashed together to create a dough that will hold it’s shape well.
Olive oil is spread across the bottom of a baking dish then half of the potato dough is flattened in the dish. Cover the entire surface with the filling then slowly add the top layer of potato dough. Wet your hands then flatten a portion of the dough in between your hands and place over the filling. Continue this process until you’ve covered all of the filling. Use wet hands to smooth out the surface then cut into squares or diamonds. Drizzle olive oil over the kibbeh and bake in a preheated oven until it’s golden brown.
Ingredients
6 boiled potatoes
1 cup fine bulgur - cleaned
1 cup hot water
¼ cup flour
1 tbsp 7 spices (all spice) + ½ tsp
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt divided
1 diced onion
1/2kg lean ground beef
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Water to help smooth the top
Instructions
In a bowl, add bulgur & hot water. Set aside for 10 min or until water has absorbed into the bulgur
In a bowl, mash potatoes then add bulgur, flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp 7 spices. Mash until it’s all incorporated
In a pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil, add onions; cook until softened
Add ground beef, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp 7 spices & cinnamon. Cook until browned. Set aside
Preheat oven to 425°
Spread 1 tbsp olive oil in a 9x13 baking dish, spread half the potato dough
Use water to prevent mixture from sticking to your hands
Add the beef mixture
Top with remaining potato dough, again using water to help spread and prevent it sticking to your hands
Cut through to make a diamond pattern
Pour olive oil over top
Bake covered for 20 minutes, remove cover and bake for another 20-25 min or until golden brown
Notes
If baking from frozen, add drizzle olive oil over the surface and baked covered. Add an additional 20 minutes to the baking time.