Chicken Kibbeh

Oh my gosh does chicken kibbeh remind me of my nana Jeanie. She loved making Lebanese classics and instilling those gorgeous flavors in her children and grandchildren. Kibbeh has many versions, but it is always a well spiced ground meat or poultry with a lovely filling. There are the ovals, which is what I made in this recipe, or it can be in a layered cake form called flat kibbeh. No matter how you make it, it’s just such a different and wonderful dinner to break up the usual. These ovals were also really simple to make, similar to making stuffed meatballs.

The filling for the oval kibbeh was so fragrant with lots of texture. I used dried apricots, onion, pine nuts, pecans and cinnamon. To bring out the flavors I just toasted everything quickly in the pan in some olive oil.
Before I made the chicken mixture, I soaked my bulgar wheat in hot water for 30 minutes. That softened it perfectly and made it expand a little. I used 2 cups dry, which expanded a lot. I only needed 2 cups of it after it soaked, so I just used the rest in a salad! The rest came together quickly from there with lots of spices and seasoning.
Then it was time to assemble the chicken kibbeh. I just took a decent handful of the chicken mixture about the size of my palm and pressed a big indentation into the middle. A tablespoon of the yummy filling went into the indentation before I closed it up and smoothed it into a nice oval.
Depending on the size, this recipe was enough to easily make 16-20 kibbeh. They all just needed to bake for 20 minutes and they were ready to go!

Oh my goodness, they smelled so incredible when they came out. The bulgar wheat baked and became nicely brown and crisp on the outside. There was such a gorgeous experience that happened when I bit into the chicken outside and then got to the sweet apricots and crunchy nuts in the middle. I served it with the classic Middle Eastern salad tabbouleh and it made the meal complete. Both recipes are such a special part of my family’s culinary history and I hope you all love them too! xoxo

Chicken Kibbeh
Chicken Kibbeh
5 from 1 vote
Chicken Kibbeh
Chicken Kibbeh
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Wheat Soaking Time
30 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 

Chicken kibbeh is such a classic, wonderful Lebanese dish with a gorgeously spiced chicken and bulgar wheat mixture stuffed with fragrant apricots and nuts.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Chicken, Chicken Kibbeh, Kibbeh
Servings: 8
Calories: 342 kcal
Author: Jeanie and Lulu’s Kitchen
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING
  • 1 dash olive oil
  • 1 whole onion diced small
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup dried apricots roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
FOR THE CHICKEN MIXTURE
  • 2 cups dry bulgur wheat
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 1 teaspoon dried onion
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
  1. First, quickly get the wheat from the chicken mixture soaking. Simply pour hot water over the wheat in a large bowl until it is submerged. Let it sit for 30 minutes. While it sits, make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Then just add the rest of the filling ingredients in and let them get fragrant for a couple of minutes while you stir it. Take it off the heat and let it cool. When the 30 minutes are up, drain the wheat in a fine mesh colander. It will have expanded, so measure out 2 cups of it into a mixing bowl. Use the rest in salad, like tabbouleh. Then pre-heat the oven to 350 and line a sheet tray with a silicone mat or foil. 

  2. Add the remaining chicken mixture ingredients to the bowl with the meat and mix it all together thoroughly so that it holds together well, like a meatloaf. Take a big handful of it about the size of your palm and make a big indentation in the middle. Scoop a tablespoon of filling into the indentation and close the sides in around it. Smooth it out into an oval and make sure it is all sealed. Place it on the sheet tray and repeat this until the chicken mixture is gone. Bake them for 20 minutes, then serve immediately! Enjoy!! 

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Kibbeh
Amount Per Serving (2 kibbeh)
Calories 342 Calories from Fat 132
% Daily Value*
Fat 14.7g23%
Saturated Fat 3.1g19%
Cholesterol 98mg33%
Sodium 75mg3%
Potassium 825mg24%
Carbohydrates 30.3g10%
Fiber 7.5g31%
Sugar 1.7g2%
Protein 25.4g51%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 2.5mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Chicken kibbeh is such a classic, wonderful Lebanese dish with a gorgeously spiced chicken and bulgar wheat mixture stuffed with fragrant apricots and nuts. #chicken #dinner #kibbeh #chickenkibbeh #jeanieandluluskitchen
Chicken Kibbeh

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