Kibbeh maqliyeh, fried lamb kibbeh balls
Crisp torpedo shaped shells of bulgur and lamb, hiding spiced lamb and pine nuts. Fiddly but worth every minute.
- Time1 hr 30
- LevelHard
- Costabout £1.40 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Rinse the bulgur in a sieve, press out the water and leave in a bowl for 20 minutes to swell.
20 min - 2
Make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped onion for 6 minutes. Add 150 g of the lamb and cook for 6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Stir in the pine nuts, 1/2 tsp of the allspice, 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon, the cumin and 1/2 tsp salt. Cool completely.
12 min - 3
For the shell, blitz the grated onion, the remaining 200 g lamb, the swollen bulgur, the remaining spices, black pepper and 1 tsp salt in a food processor, in batches, with a splash of the iced water, until you have a smooth, sticky paste.
- 4
Wet your hands in iced water. Take a lemon sized lump of paste, roll to a ball and push a finger in to make a thin walled hollow. Spoon in 1 tbsp of the filling, then pinch the end closed and shape into a torpedo with pointed ends. Repeat to make about 12. Chill for 20 minutes.
20 min - 5
Heat the sunflower oil in a deep, heavy pan to 180 degrees C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Fry 3 or 4 kibbeh at a time for 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until deep brown and crisp.
4 min 30 s - 6
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with lemon wedges.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.