How To Make Vegan Kibbeh! (Middle Eastern Croquettes)
Have you heard of kibbeh? They are kinda like Middle Eastern croquettes made with soaked bulgar wheat then stuffed with spiced meat. I’m part Lebanese and have been dreaming of vegan kibbeh for so long! I haven’t had them in 15 years since my great Aunt Julia passed. I think of her and her golden fried morsels often. She was a journalist and author with quick wit and a heck of a sense of humor, and she made the BEST kibbeh I ever had. Though making vegan kibbeh might seem time consuming, there is something therapeutic about methodically stuffing and shaping the footballs. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
For more incredible plant-based Mediterranean inspired food, check out my Vegan Greek Meatballs or my Sweet Potato Falafel Burgers!
Vegan Kibbeh (Lebanese Croquettes)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
AMAZING Vegan Kibbeh (Middle Eastern croquettes) made with bulgar wheat, vegan ground beef, and plenty of spices. With air fryer, fried, and baked versions!
Author: Carrots and Flowers
Recipe type: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Lebanese, Vegan
Serves: 30 kibbeh
Ingredients
- Spice Blend
- 1 tbsp all spice
- rounded tsp turmeric
- rounded tsp black pepper
- rounded tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cumin
- scant tsp paprika
- scant tsp coriander
- scant tsp cayenne
- Filling
- 8 oz. vegan ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp spice blend
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ chopped walnuts
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- Dough
- 2 cups fine bulgur wheat
- 16 oz vegan ground beef
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1.5 tbsp spice blend
- 1.5 tbsp cornflour
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- Cooking oil spray or oil for frying
Instructions
- Soak the bulgur wheat in enough water to cover and set aside for 30-35 minutes to soak. Mix the spices together.
- To make the filling, sauté the chopped onions in regular olive oil for ten minutes on medium low heat.
- Add the half package of grinds to the onions and break it up with a wooden spoon.
- Add the walnuts, spice blend, black pepper and salt. Mix well and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest.
- Drain the bulgur wheat and ring out the water with a fine cloth. Add it to a large bowl.
- In several batches, add the bulgur wheat and equal amounts of meat to a large food processor and process until it clumps together and starts to roll in the processor bowl.
- Add the roughly chopped onion to the food processor along with the 7 spices, black pepper and salt. Process until finely chopped.
- Add vegan beef and bulgur wheat back to the bowl, the add the onion spice mixture and the cornflour. Mix well with your hands.
- Take some of the bulgar mixture and roll into golf ball size, indent the middle then hollow out the inside with your index finger turning as you do so until you have a half shell. Add a spoon of filling and close up the dough. Compress well with your hands and shape into a football.
- Air Fryer (my preferred method)- Line on an air fryer tray. Spray with cooking oil and cook for 12-15 minutes at 350F.
- Fried- Heat 1-2” of oil in a large pan until the top appears to shimmer. Working in batches, fry the kibbeh to a deep golden brown, turning occasionally, for 4-5 minutes. Place the fried kibbeh on a plate lined with paper towels
- Baked- Cook for 28-30 minutes at 350F, turning halfway through cook time.
- Serve kibbeh with hummus, non-dairy yogurt, tabouli, or as part of any fabulous Middle Eastern spread.
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