Fried Potato Kibbeh Balls

As the name suggests, the key ingredient in this kibbeh is potatoes. Over years, I was so eager to share this version with my friends many of whom had never before tried or heard of the quintessentially fried potato kibbeh ball recipe. They’re all acquainted with meat kibbeh balls, though it may seem strange, that most of them have never stepped foot in Lebanon; the vegetarian version is so full of flavor, even the meat eaters forget that every bite is plant-based, but still I have provided you also with an option of meat filling, so it’s actually two recipes in one, equally suited for snacking as for a main course. Watch the detailed video tutorial below.

A truly good old-fashioned Lebanese recipe.

The fried ball stuffed croquettes have an outer shell made with mashed potatoes, fine bulgur and a healthy dose of spices; they are stuffed with a leafy green chickpea and onion filling that sing with flavor, but I also provided you with a spicy filling of minced meat for the meat lovers. A good potato kibbeh should be crispy on the outside with a moist inside, and fried to a golden perfection, this is truly a good old-fashioned Lebanese recipe.

Grandma you’re the best!

Almost every family has a treasured recipe, and best recipes are those that are passed down from one generation to another. This precious potato kibbeh has been passed down to me by my grandma – on my father’s side, and had lots of memories of it as a child when she made it on special occasions. The only time, growing up, we were allowed to eat kibbeh for breakfast was when we spent the night at grandma’s house, because rules are meant to be broken there and she spoiled us like no other, it was her specialty and the best part was when she called us to the kitchen to watch her fry the kibbeh balls that were laid side by side on the platter, ready  to be fried, she had to show up with at least four dozen that were devoured within minutes! Her food was great and thankfully she shared her recipe with me. I make it often for family parties in memory of her, and it’s still as good as I remember, I haven’t changed anything other than I added cornstarch for the kibbeh dough for more crunch.

The challenging part!

Making an oval shaped kibbeh may be challenging a bit, but would be mastered with a few tries. The best way to learn kibbeh crafting is visually, the detailed video tutorial is handy to learn and absorb the technique.

Here is a detailed video tutorial to learn how to make fried potato kibbeh balls.

Tips for successful potato kibbeh balls:

• Soak bulgur in boiling water for crispy potato kibbeh balls.
• Knead the bulgur thoroughly with your hands and never use a food processor.
• Mash the potatoes using a ricer or a potato masher, and never use a food processor.
• You need to keep a bowl of ice water to dampen your hands when crafting the kibbeh, this will help you create better looking kibbeh balls.
• Freeze the potato kibbeh balls for a minimum of 40 minutes before frying (to help the kibbeh balls firm up a bit).
• Fry the kibbeh balls in an adequate frying temperature, to 325 to 375^oF/ 165 °C/ 190°C
• Do not crowd the frying pan with the kibbeh balls at once, this will reduce the temperature of the oil, resulting in a mushy kibbeh, fry every four or five pieces together.
• Do not defrost the kibbeh, as they are sturdier and easier to fry while frozen.

It’s actually two recipes in one: I have provided you with two filling,  a meat filling which we call in Arabic, hasweh, and a chickpea and onion citrus filling that is out of the world good, if you are following up with us, you would know that it is the same filling we used to make the pumpkin kibbeh.

Prepare the kibbeh dough: Place the fine bulgur in a large bowl and add the boiling water, stir well, cover with cling film and leave for 40 minutes, allowing the bulgur grains to hydrate and swell. This is an important step. Meanwhile, place the potato in a small pot cover with water, bring to a boil, cover up and cook over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender. After 40 minutes, knead the bulgur while gradually adding the ice water until you end up with a cohesive ball, watch the video tutorial. Peel the potato and mash with a fork while it is still hot, add to the bulgur and stir in the cornstarch, 7 spice, cinnamon powder, cumin powder, white pepper, dried basil, paprika, dried marjoram and salt to taste, knead well until the mixture is fully integrated and the dough is soft and comes together in a cohesive ball, now our potato kibbeh dough is ready.

For the Vegan filling:

In a skillet, add the olive oil and onions. Sauté the onions over high heat until they become translucent. Add the chickpeas and shredded Swiss chard to the onions and cook for additional 2 minutes. Add the sumac, pomegranate molasses, cayenne pepper, and cumin powder. Cook for one additional minute, place the mixture in a bowl and let it cool down completely.

For the meat filling:

Add 1/4 cup of oil to a skillet and place over medium heat. Saute the pine nuts until it turns golden in color. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Using the same oil saute the minced meat and cook over medium-high heat about seven to 10 minutes until the meat is browned and the juices have evaporated. Add the onions and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat. Add the salt, sumac, allspice, white pepper and cayenne if used. Toss in the toasted pine nuts, mix well and set aside to completely cool down.

To put together:

Dampen your hands with some ice water and grab a handful of the raw kibbeh (the size of an egg). Working with one portion at a time, dig in your finger to make a hole, and work around the hole by pressing your finger to create a thin wall. The wall should be to a thickness of 2mm on all sides (watch the video tutorial) and place 1 heaped teaspoon of the stuffing. Seal and shape the dough into an oval, add a touch of cold water if needed to keep it smooth with no pokes or openings.

Set the kibbeh balls on a tray lined with parchment paper as you make them. Freeze the potato kibbeh balls for at least 30 minutes before frying.

Heat oil to an adequate frying temperature (170°C/ 340 °F), (there should be enough oil to cover the kibbeh while they’re frying) and deep fry the kibbeh in batches (don’t crowd the frying pan to avoid a mushy kibbeh.

Once browned from all sides. It takes about 12 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, serve warm.

This recipe makes about 25 pieces, but you can easily scale it up to you liking, by doubling or tripling the recipe. This is the kind of thing that will go faster with more hands, so feel free to ask friends to join you with the kibbeh crafting, turn it into a group activity and get dinner on the table faster. Serve them up with your favorite dipping sauce. My preferred way to enjoy the wonderful fried potato kibbeh balls

•  Atop a bowl of hummus
• With muhammara, muhammara and kibbeh are a match made in food heaven
• Dip in some pomegranate molasses
• with plain yogurt on the side
• Purslane yogurt salad
• With tabbouleh or fattoush

Storage: Make Ahead: Transfer the kibbeh balls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure they are not touching, and freeze them. Once frozen, they can be placed in freezer bags and frozen for up to 3 months.

Looking for decadent kibbeh recipes?

• Lebanese fried kibbeh balls
• Pumpkin kibbeh
• Grilled kibbeh
• Potato kibbeh
• Baked kibbeh cups with muhammara

I am pretty sure that you are all familiar with the Lebanese fried meat kibbeh balls, but these are equally tasty (if not better). The smell is an absolute trigger, no matter if you are full or have just had dinner. Fried potato kibbeh balls have shown to many that there are other, meat-free paths to kibbeh deliciousness. Make a batch and keep in your freezer, watch the detailed video tutorial.

Ingredients:

For the potato bulgur dough:

• 2 cups fine bulgur
• 1 potato, 250 grams/ 9 oz
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 1/4 cups ice water
• 1 leveled teaspoon 7 spice
• 1 leveled teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1 leveled teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 /2 teaspoon freshly grated white pepper
• 1 leveled teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1leveled teaspoon dried basil
• 1 leveled teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

For the vegan filling: 

•  2 cups canned chickpeas, drained
• 1 kg/2lb 4 oz. red or yellow onions, julienne
• 2 tablespoons sumac
• 4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 2 cups of clean and shredded sorrels, Swiss chard or spinach

For the meat filling

• 500 grams/ 1 lb 2 oz minced veal or lamb
• 3 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 tablespoon sumac
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• A dash of cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or roughly chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil or ghee

sunflower oil or any neutral oil, for deep frying

Directions:

For the Vegan filling:

1. In a skillet, add the olive oil and onions. Sauté the onions over high heat until they become translucent.
2. Add the chickpeas and shredded Swiss chard to the onions and cook for additional 2 minutes.
3. Add the sumac, pomegranate molasses, cayenne pepper, and cumin powder. Cook for one additional minute, place the mixture in a bowl and let it cool down completely.

For the meat filling:

1. Add 1/4 cup of oil to a skillet and place over medium heat. Saute the pine nuts until it turns golden in color. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
2. Using the same oil saute the minced meat and cook over medium-high heat about seven to 10 minutes until the meat is browned and the juices have evaporated.
3. Add the onions and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat. Add the salt, sumac, allspice, white pepper and cayenne if used. Add the toasted pine nuts, mix well and set aside to completely cool down.

To make the potato kibbeh dough:

1. Place the fine bulgur in a large bowl and add the boiling water, stir well, cover with cling film and leave for 40 minutes, allowing the bulgur grains to hydrate and swell. This is an important step
2. Meanwhile, place the potato in a small pot cover with water, bring to a boil, cover up and cook over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender.
3. After 40 minutes, knead the bulgur while gradually adding the ice water until you end up with a cohesive ball, watch the video tutorial.
4. Peel the potato and mash with a fork while it is still hot, add to the bulgur and stir in the cornstarch, 7 spice, cinnamon powder, cumin powder, white pepper, dried basil, paprika, dried marjoram and salt to taste, knead well until the mixture is fully integrated and the dough is soft and comes together in a cohesive ball. Now our potato kibbeh dough is ready.

To put together, choose one of the two fillings:

1. Dampen your hands with some ice water and grab a handful of the raw kibbeh (the size of an egg).
2. Working with one portion at a time, dig in you finger to make a hole, and work around the hole by pressing your finger to create a thin wall. The wall should be  to a thickness of 2mm on all sides (watch the video tutorial) and place 1 heaped teaspoon of the stuffing. Seal and shape the dough into an oval,  add a touch of cold water if needed to keep it smooth with no pokes or openings.  Set the kibbeh balls on a tray  as you make them. Freeze the potato kibbeh balls for at least 30 minutes before frying.

Fry the potato kibbeh balls:

1. Heat oil to an adequate frying temperature (170°C/ 340 °F), (there shouldbe enough oil to cover the kibbeh while they’re frying) and deep fry the kibbeh in batches (don’t crowd the frying pan to avoid a mushy kibbeh), until it is browned from all sides. It takes about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve warm or cold. Watch the detailed video tutorial above.

The recipe for the “Fried Potato Kibbeh Balls” was posted on June 2014, the photos and text were updated on July, 2024!

If you make the "Lebanese Fried Potato Kibbeh Balls", leave a comment below, or share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!! Hashtag, #Hadia’s lebanese Cuisine