Kibbeh | Easy Air Fried Kibbeh Recipe

If you love meatloaf and Middle Eastern cuisine, this Air Fried Kibbeh is going to be one of your favorite new dishes. Enjoy a dish that is complex in flavor but not in technique.

I absolutely love the days where I get to experiment with making recipes. Especially when it involves my air fryer because that thing surprises me every time with what it's capable of. One of the recipes I'm recently excited about is this Air Fryer Kibbeh recipe.

I thoroughly enjoy sharing some of the traditional recipes I'm used to and the air fryer did a marvelous job of creating the perfect consistency on this one.

Dare I say, it turned out better than I even expected it to. I mean, I knew it would be good once I honed the recipe with it but, it took little effort for this one to turn out perfect.

Why You're Going To Love This Air Fried Kibbeh

• Fast. Cooks in under 30 minutes with the help of your air fryer.
• Easy. Cook the aromatics, prepare the lamb, layer the ingredients, and air fry.
• Low Carb. While this isn't the lowest carb dish I've ever created, it is still under 20 net carbs per serving.
• Authentic Tasting. Get all of the flavors of your favorite fried kibbeh without all of the oil.

What Is Kibbeh?

The easiest way to explain the way I made this dish is to say that it's a Middle Eastern style meatloaf.

Typically you'd make little kibbe separately. I'm #lazyefficient. So I wanted to see if I could make it like a meatloaf.

Guess what?

You can.

It's made much in the same way the traditional meatloaf here in the US is made, just with quite a few different spices. Air Fried Kibbeh is traditionally made with bulgur, onion, and beef (or lamb, camel, etc.). I like to make mine with finely ground lamb meat which has a deliciously rich and satisfying flavor.

The word "kibbeh" can be spelled numerous ways and the spelling and pronunciation will vary depending on which country and region you're in. Kibbeh itself is a very common dish in the middle east and has been around for a long time. Some have even been known to eat this dish raw. To me, it's much more delicious cooked like this Air Fried Kibbeh. 

I have seen kibbeh shaped into balls or patties before being cooked, however, with the air fryer, I like going to most traditional route and do it more loaf style. Kibbeh can often be a greasy or difficult dish, especially for those who are unfamiliar with middle eastern spices.

However, that's exactly why I was so excited to share it because, this version is not only far less greasy but, it's much easier to tackle. Air Fryer Kibbeh recipe takes very few ingredients to accomplish a delicious traditional dish.

What Is Kibbeh Made Of?

For the Filling

• Sliced Onions
• Oil
• pine nuts
• Kosher Salt

For the Lamb

• fine-grain bulgur
• Ground lamb
• Kosher Salt
• Lebanese 7-spice mix
• Ground Cumin

How To Make Air Fried Kibbeh

1. Rinse the bulgur and cover it with cold water.
2. Mix together sliced onions, pine nuts, oil, and salt.
3. Spray a heatproof pan with oil. Place the onion mixture into the pan. Cook the onions and toast the pine nuts in the air fryer. Stir halfway through.
4. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine soaked bulgur, lamb, salt, 7-spice mix, and cumin until you have a smooth, sticky mixture.
5. Remove the onions and nuts from the air fryer and place them into a bowl.
6. Begin layering the kibbe. Oil the sides of the 7 x 3 pan. Spread half the lamb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Add all the onions and nuts. Cover with the remaining lamb mixture.
7. Place the pan into the air fryer basket and cook.
8. Serve and enjoy!

What Is Lebanese 7-Spice Mix?

You will notice that I call for a 7-spice mix in this recipe. You can make your own Lebanese 7-spice mix using my recipe here. If you chose not to, I can recommend this brand of Lebanese 7-spice blend. But I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that homemade is MUCH BETTER than the store-bought, largely because you're making it fresh.

If you're curious about the differenmces between freshly ground and ready-made spices, you may want to take a look at my spice video as it will offer a ton of information that will be very helpful not only with this dish but many other of my dishes as well.

What To Serve with Kibbeh

• Add Tzatziki on the side, and you're all set. With the extra Tahini, try making Air Fryer Cauliflower with Tahini for a side dish that complements this meal very well. 
• You may also want to make Instant Pot Baba Ghanoush, or make Air Fryer Baba Ghanoush from my air fryer cookbook as a lovely side to this dish. 

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

If you enjoyed this recipe and are looking for more delicious lamb recipes, check out my Tandoori Raan! It's a spicy lamb sirloin steak recipe that's easily made in your air fryer!

Another delicious lamb dish is my Sichuan Cumin Lamb recipe. It's rich with flavor and is done in no time thanks to your air fryer!

My favorite way to do this is with my air fryer because it always seems to make recipes healthier and so much easier to make. Also, I definitely recommend this recipe if you're trying to practice using spices.

Pin It!

If you love this Air Fried Kibbeh recipe as much as we do, make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook and Instagram so they can try it too! Don't forget to Pin it so you can make it again soon.