Koupes Kibbeh Pie: Zero FRYING!! SO MUCH FLAVOR!

Kibbeh, an oval-shaped meatball, is made with bulgur wheat, ground meat, and lots of herbs and is a very popular Lebanese dish. The first time that I had it was when my friend, Nadia (from Lebanon) made it for my family. The kibbeh was deep fried then served with a creamy tahini sauce and was absolutely delicious! This recipe has all of those delicious flavors in pie-form and is super easy to make.

Serves 8:
For the Crust & Top:
2 cups (315 grams) fine Bulgur wheat
2 cups (500ml) boiling hot water
½ cup (81 grams) all-purpose flour
1-pound ground beef or lamb
¼ cup olive oil
¼ - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
For the filling:
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1-pound ground beef or lamb
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2-3 tablespoons pine nuts or sliced almonds
For serving: tahini sauce or tzatziki
INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
Place the bulgur with the flour in a large bowl and pour 2 cups of boiling hot water over it. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix together. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to absorb the liquid and soften.
Make the meat filling:
Cook the onions (both onions from the meat filling and the crust) with the olive oil over medium heat until soft and golden. Transfer half of the onions to the bulgur mixture.
Add the garlic to the remaining onions in the pan and warm through 20 seconds or so.
Add 1 pound of ground beef and sauté until lightly browned.
Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and add nuts. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Add the herbs and mix together. Set aside.
Season the bulgur wheat and mix together. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Add the uncooked ground beef with a half teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Knead the mixture with your hands until it is all combined and holds together.
Press half of the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch round deep-dish pie pan (3 inches deep).
Spread the meat filling in the center and top with the remaining bulgur mixture. Lightly press it down.
Brush the top with some olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Scour it with a knife into either diamond shapes (in the video) or into 8 pieces.
Bake on the center rack of your preheated oven for 1 hour or until golden. Turn the broiler element on for a few minutes to get some good color and crispiness on the top of the crust.
Allow the pie to set for at least 20 minutes then, serve with tahini sauce or tzatziki.
NOTES

Make-Ahead Instructions: This pie can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 1 day then, baked. It may also be assembled and then frozen up to 2 months.


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[RhapsodyOfJoy]

Yum, yum, yum.
I'm middle-eastern / mediterranean, and i LOVE anything Greek: greek food, greek culture, greek music. Where i come from (Egypt) Hellenic culture is deeply ingrained in our collective subconscious, i guess. And the cuisine here has definite greek influences, right down to the names of dishes. Greetings from Cairo to you and your loved ones, dear Dimitra. Stay safe and happy 🙏

[selenataylor]

Love all of your recipes Dimitra! You always make it look so easy. I'm from Australia and all of the ingredients that you use are easy to find. I've tried a few of your dishes and they always turn out delicious! Also you always look stunning in every video.

[silkytp]

One of your better ones Dimitra. I'm Armenian and it's SO rare to see bulghur used in middle eastern dishes. I grew up on it. I'm making this on the weekend. Thank you

[Rawmommyathome]

Yes, I’d love a vegetarian version please

[tanvav]

TY sweet Dimitroula mou! 'Ill try to make this as soon as I can get the fine bulgur wheat. Stay safe &vigilant!

[AnneCherch]

Delicious as always. My Yaya used to make Goupes all the time, but she used to fry them. I've had this oven version as well. Both simply delicious. Many thanks for the recipe, Dimitra.

[magdamanoli]

We Cypriots all eat Koupes and I adore them. But they’re so labourious to make. I’ve never considered making the filling as a pie version but I will now

[claudinemckay]

You make it look so easy! I love Kibe. I grew up eating it often. My mouth is watering! Thank you 🙏

[AussieAngeS]

Oh my Lordy I know that was delicious 😍😍😍 I love kibbeh they’re so good, but never heard of this pie before. Yum

[adrianwilliams]

Nice. I can't face the raw one, kibbeh naya?

[IvanValerioCortesi]

KOUPES IN CYPRUS 🇨🇾 ...IT WAS VERY TASTE

[nanasyrian]

kibbeh is the national dish of my country syria

[rinaldodavalle]

Hi dimitra
Χριστός Ανέστη

Thanks for your lovely recipe very nice 👍
Greetings from Australia stay safe to all ❤️❤️
Betty 🇦🇺🇬🇷🙏🙏👍👋👋🐣🐣

[claudehaddad]

The meat that goes in the burghel must be super fine and must be ground with it in a machine so that it does not crumble.

[mariavassileiou]

Οι κουπες δεν ειναι πολυ γνωστες στην ελλαδα . Στη κυπρο ομως ειναι μερος της κουζινας κ πολυ αγαπητο μαλιστα. Την εκδοχη ομως της κουπας στο ταψι μονο σε αραβικες χωρες την συναντας, οπως ο Λιβανος, η Παλεστινη , η Ιορδανια κ η Συρια η οποια κραταει κ τα σκηπτρα ...εχωντας πανω απο 10 ειδη κουπας

[LSK]

Please can you make a vegetarian version of this!!!! With mushrooms??

[sallyreynolds]

Great recipe but not well xplained with measurements!

[stephanastasiadis]

Koupes are a Cypriot cuisine! Please clarify specific areas next time.