Gluten-Free Baked Kibbeh (with Quinoa)
This gluten-free baked kibbeh recipe is a Lebanese baked stuffed kibbeh that uses quinoa instead of bulgar wheat.
This three-layer stuffed kibbeh is made with minced beef, tender quinoa, onion, allspice, Lebanese seven spice, fresh mint, fresh basil, pine nuts, and pomegranate molasses.
Serve this recipe with cucumber mint yogurt or plain homemade yogurt. Or, try it with a mint cabbage salad or tarator tahini sauce.
Gluten-Free Kibbeh
My brothers have a gluten intolerance, so my family got creative with their Lebanese recipes by substituting cooked quinoa instead of bulgur wheat. Quinoa is a great substitute for bulgur wheat to make gluten-free tabbouleh, too!
The taste and texture of this quinoa kibbeh is similar to traditional bulgar wheat kibbeh, but it's gluten-free!
Ingredient Notes
The middle layer stuffing is made with:
- Minced meat: Use ground beef or ground lamb.
- Pinenuts: This ingredient is optional but adds flavor to the kibbeh stuffing.
- Spices: The kibbeh stuffing spices consist of allspice and Lebanese seven spices.
- Pomegranate molasses (dibz roman): This ingredient adds a tangy sweet flavor to the kibbeh stuffing.
The kibbeh and quinoa meat mixture form the top and bottom layer of the stuffed quinoa kibbeh. Here are some notes on the ingredients:
- Quinoa: I use white quinoa grain because it resembles bulgar wheat; however, any color of quinoa grain works.
- Minced meat: Use either ground beef or ground lamb. Kibbeh is usually made with high-fat minced meat; however, lean ground meat works too.
- Fresh basil: This herb is an excellent flavor maker for kibbeh. Alternatively, use dried basil.
- Dried mint and fresh mint: I prefer dried mint and fresh mint for the kibbeh meat mixture.
- Spices: Kibbeh meat mixture spices consist of ground cinnamon, allspice, and Lebanese seven spices.
How To Make Gluten-Free Kibbeh
This recipe is split into two parts: making the stuffing and meat mixture and assembling the kibbeh.
Make the Stuffing and Kibbeh Meat Mixture
Prepare the dry quinoa per the package instructions. I just boil the quinoa with water for 15 minutes, then strain it. Allow the quinoa to cool.
Make the kibbeh stuffing by frying the chopped onions in butter or oil. Add the minced meat, breaking up the clumps. Once the meat has browned, add the spices. Turn off the stove and add the pomegranate molasses.
Add ⅓ of the minced meat, fresh basil, fresh mint, onion, spices, dried mint, and salt to the food processor.
Blend the food processor on high until the meat is fully blended. Scoop the seasoned meat mixture into a bowl.
Add the cooled quinoa, a couple of ice cubes, and the remaining meat to the food processor. The ice keeps the meat mixture cool when it blends.
Blend the quinoa and meat.
Assemble the Kibbeh
Add the quinoa and ground meat mixture to the bowl. Mix the meat mixture with a few ice cubes.
Dip your hands into ice water and spread half of the meat mixture into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish (or equivalent).
Tip: The quinoa meat mixture is a little stickier than bulgar wheat kibbeh. This is normal.
Spread the meat and pine nut stuffing into an even layer.
Add the remaining kibbeh mixture on top.
Using wet hands, smooth the kibbeh layer.
Cut the horizontal and vertical lines fully to the bottom. The other lines are shallow cuts to form a design.
Continue making lines for a design. Bake in a 400 ℉(205 ℃) oven for 40 to 50 minutes.
The kibbeh will shrink a bit once it cooks. Serve with cucumber yogurt, tarator sauce, or mint cabbage salad.
Tips and Tricks
- Cool the quinoa prior to blending with the minced meat. If you blend the hot quinoa with the raw meat, it will change its texture and possibly make the meat smell.
- Blend the quinoa and meat with ice cubes. This keeps the raw meat mixture cool.
- Wet your hands with cold water while forming the top and bottom kibbeh layers. Otherwise, the kibbeh mixture will be hard to deal with, and it will stick to your hands.
- Quinoa kibbeh is more sticky than bulgar wheat kibbeh, making it difficult to shape.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use lean or fatty minced meat. Lean meat makes kibbeh less moist. Fatty meat makes kibbeh more moist. Use ground lamb, beef, or veal.
- Add lamb fat, beef fat, butter, or oil to the kibbeh before popping it in the oven for added flavor.
- Substitute dried basil in lieu of fresh basil.
📋 Recipe
Quinoa Kibbeh (Gluten-Free Kibbeh Recipe)
Ingredients
Kibbeh Stuffing
- 12 ounces ground beef or lamb
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 to 4 tablespoons of pinenuts
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7 spices
- 2 tablespoons butter
Kibbeh Meat Mixture
- 24 ounces ground beef or lamb
- 1 cup dry quinoa makes 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 6 sprigs of fresh mint
- 6 sprigs of fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7 spices
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon dried mint
- oil to rub on top of kibbeh before baking
Instructions
Make the Stuffing and Kibbeh Meat Mixture
- Cook the quinoa in water as per the package instructions. Allow the quinoa to cool off.
- To make the kibbeh stuffing: Fry the diced onions in butter on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the pine nuts for another minute or two. Add the ground meat breaking up the clumps as the meat browns. Once the meat is cooked, add the salt, allspice, black pepper, and seven spices. Turn off the heat. Add the pomegranate molasses and stir. Allow the stuffing to cool.
- To make the kibbeh meat mixture: Using a food processor, blend ⅓ of the ground meat with the quartered onion, fresh mint leaves, fresh basil leaves, allspice, cinnamon, seven spices, salt, black pepper, and dried mint. Set the meat into a large bowl. Add the remaining ⅔ of ground meat with the cooled cooked quinoa and some ice cubes. Blend the meat and quinoa together. Add this meat mixture to the other meat mixture and mix with your hands.
Assemble the Stuffed Kibbeh
- Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish. Heat the oven to 400 ℉(205 ℃). Get a bowl with water and ice ready.
- Scoop half of the kibbeh mixture into the baking dish. Wet your hands. Press the kibbeh into an even layer. Dip your hands in water when the kibbeh starts sticking to your hands.
- Spoon the kibbeh stuffing evenly on top of the kibbeh base.
- Make the top layer of the kibbeh mixture by spooning the kibbeh onto the stuffing. Continue wetting your hands as you smooth the kibbeh into an even layer.
- Cut all the way through the kibbeh horizontally and vertically once. Then make cuts (only going halfway down) diagonally forming a pattern.
- Add some oil, butter, or lamb fat on top of the kibbeh if desired. Bake in the oven at 400 ℉ (205 ℃) for about 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Notes
- Substitute dried basil for fresh basil.
- Freeze the assembled kibbeh (pre-baked without oil) for up to 4 months. Thaw before baking.
- Storage: Kibbeh is freezer-friendly; just assemble the dish without baking it. Store it in the freezer, covered, for up to 4 months. When ready to bake, thaw prior to baking. Store baked kibbeh in the fridge for up to 4 days. Kibbeh reheats well in the microwave.
Nutrition
FAQs
Cooked quinoa is an excellent substitute for bulgar wheat.
Yes! Quinoa is an excellent substitute for bulgar wheat. In Lebanese cuisine, quinoa can be substituted for bulgar wheat in kibbeh and tabouli.
Loved this recipe. I wanted to bake instead of fry to save time and to be a bit healthier but was worried about the results. This recipe was wonderful and we loved the flavor. We had some leftover which was even better the second day.
My grandfather immigrated from Lebanon around 1904, and my grandmother was full Lebanese from a Minneapolis family. They lived in Tanglewood in Houston, and when we would visit, my Gramma’s kitchen was filled with the smells of kibbeh, stuffed squash, fried eggplant and more. In her kibbeh, she only used cinnamon to spice, and never allspice. I have followed her recipe my entire life, and have gotten close, but never perfect, at recreating her kibbeh.
I married a woman who is wheat sensitive, so I was looking for a gluten-free kibbeh recipe and came across yours. Like April, I had never used basil, mint and pomegranate, and was a little nervous trying them for my Christmas lunch kibbeh yesterday. But it came out awesome! I’m curious - is the addition of mint, basil and pomegranate your original recipe, or do other Lebanese add these to their kibbeh?
Hi Darrell, thats a great question! I think every family tweaks their kibbeh differently. This is the way my family taught me how to make kibbeh.
Thanks for a delicious GF recipe. I’ve never seen a kibbe recipe using fresh mint and basil or pomegranate molasses. I was pleasantly surprised how it all came together. I’ll decrease molasses by half next time but otherwise make it as is. Again thanks so much!
Hi April, thanks for the comment! So
Glad you liked the basil, mint, and pomegranate molasses.
Hi Lilly , this quinoa kibbeh looks great, I wonder how It tastes though.😉
I am also wondering if it’s possible to make the kibbeh ball shaped ones with this same ingredients.
Hi Levon! In my opinion, bulgar wheat will always win in taste and texture, BUT quinoa Kibbeh is really delicious. It is very close to the traditional way, which is why I make it this way for anyone with a gluten allergy. My tips are to make sure the quinoa is cooked, tender, and cooled before assembling the Kibbeh. Use fattier meat if you can. I haven’t tried it for Kibbeh balls, but I think it would work because the textures are very comparable. Hope that helps!
Thank you for this recipe! I make the traditional with bulgar, but my daughter & I can’t have it. So I make it for the extended family at Christmas and wish I could have some. I’ve been wanting to try to substitute with quinoa and your recipe shows me it can be done!
Hi Melanie, thanks for the comment! My brothers have a gluten intolerance so we had to get creative in making kibbeh. I hope you like the recipe. The only tip it to make sure the quinoa is cooked and cooled before mixing it with the raw meat. Let us know how it turns out!
Great substitute for bulgar wheat. Quinoa is a little drier so I used a mix of fatty meat (ground lamb and beef). I liked that the recipe was very close to traditional Kibbeh
Thanks for the comment Lina!