Middle Eastern & North African · Lunch · Dinner

Baked Kibbeh

Name: Baked Kibbeh
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 47 min
Total time: 82 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern & North African
Ingredients: 1 cup Fine bulgur; 2 cups Cold water (for soaking bulgur); 1 lb Extra-lean ground beef (95% lean), for the shell; 9 oz Extra-lean ground beef (95% lean), for the filling; 1 small, quartered Onion, for the shell; 2 medium, finely chopped Onions, for the filling; 3 tbsp Pine nuts; 5 tsp Olive oil; 1 1/2 tsp Ground allspice; 1 tsp Ground cinnamon; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper; 1 1/2 tsp Salt; 3 tbsp Ice water (for binding the shell); 1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses

كبة بالصينية (Kibbeh bil Sanieh)

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 20, 2026 · How we make recipes

Layers of spiced bulgur and lean beef wrapped around a savoury onion and pine nut filling, baked in a tray until golden and crisp at the edges. A lighter version of a Levantine family favourite that slices neatly into diamonds.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 47 min
Total: 82 min
Serves: 6

Medium
Dairy Free
High protein

17%

Per serving344kcal17% of a 2,000 kcal day

30gProtein

28gCarbs

13gFat

5gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 32% · Fat 34% · Protein 34%

Jump to recipe

Track it in BerryFit and see how it fits your own daily target. Get the app ›

Ingredients

For 6 servings

1 cup170 gFine bulgur
2 cups480 gCold water (for soaking bulgur)
1 lb450 gExtra-lean ground beef (95% lean), for the shell
9 oz250 gExtra-lean ground beef (95% lean), for the filling
1 small, quartered70 gOnion, for the shell
2 medium, finely chopped220 gOnions, for the filling
3 tbsp27 gPine nuts
5 tsp23 gOlive oil
1 1/2 tspGround allspice
1 tspGround cinnamon
1 tspGround cumin
1/2 tspGround black pepper
1 1/2 tsp9 gSalt
3 tbsp45 gIce water (for binding the shell)
1 tbsp20 gPomegranate molasses (optional)

Steps

1
Rinse the bulgur in a sieve, then cover it with the 2 cups of cold water and soak for 15 minutes.
2
Drain the bulgur and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands.
3
Heat 1 tsp of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the chopped onions for about 6 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
4
Add the 250 g filling beef and cook, breaking it up, for 6–7 minutes until no pink remains.
5
Stir in 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, the pine nuts and the pomegranate molasses if using, then cook 1 minute more and set aside to cool.
6
Heat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F and grease a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking dish with 1 tsp of the olive oil.
7
Pulse the quartered onion in a food processor until very fine.
8
Add the 450 g shell beef, the squeezed bulgur, 1 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, the cumin, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1 tsp salt.
9
Process in batches, adding the ice water a spoonful at a time, until the mixture forms a smooth, sticky paste.
10
Press half of the shell mixture evenly over the base of the dish with damp hands.
11
Spread the cooled filling over the base in an even layer.
12
Flatten small patties of the remaining shell mixture with wet hands and lay them over the filling, then smooth them into one seamless top layer.
13
Score the top into diamonds with a sharp knife, cutting most of the way down, and press a small hole in the centre of each piece with your fingertip.
14
Brush the top with the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil.
15
Bake for 30–35 minutes until deep golden and the centre reaches at least 71 °C / 160 °F.
16
Rest for 10 minutes, then cut along the scored lines and serve.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Use ground lamb or ground turkey instead of the extra-lean beef for a more traditional or milder flavour.
Swap the pine nuts for chopped walnuts or slivered almonds if pine nuts are hard to find or pricey.
Replace the pomegranate molasses with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice mixed with 1 teaspoon of honey for a similar sweet-tart note.
For a meatless filling, use cooked green lentils and finely chopped mushrooms instead of the filling beef, keeping the beef shell as is.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating in the oven or microwave until steaming hot. Cooled, cut pieces can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed in the fridge before reheating.

Make ahead

Cook the onion, beef and pine nut filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. You can also assemble and score the whole tray a day in advance, refrigerate it covered, and add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

Track this in BerryFit

Log Baked Kibbeh in one tap and see how it fits your remaining calories for today.

Or ask Coach Berry to change it

Make it veganMore proteinFewer calories

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Allergens and nutrition

Contains: GlutenTree nuts

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (292 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	344 kcal	118 kcal
Protein	29.7 g	10.2 g
Carbohydrates	27.6 g	9.5 g
of which sugars	2.3 g	0.8 g
Fiber	4.9 g	1.7 g
Fat	13.3 g	4.6 g
of which saturated	3.4 g	1.2 g
Sodium	670 mg	229 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.