Kafta bil Siniyeh (Lebanese Baked Meatballs with Potato and Tomato)

About This Recipe

Kafta bil siniyeh is a Lebanese home-cooking classic -- spiced ground meat (kafta) formed into logs or patties, layered in a baking tray with sliced potatoes, tomatoes, and onions, and baked until everything melds together into a savory, one-pan dinner. It's simpler to prepare than skewered, grilled kafta, making it a common weeknight dish across Lebanese households, especially since the oven does most of the work. The technique centers on the kafta mixture itself: ground beef or lamb mixed with grated onion, parsley, and warm spices like cinnamon and allspice, worked by hand until slightly sticky so it holds together during baking without needing eggs or breadcrumbs. Layering thinly sliced potato underneath the meat, with tomato slices on top, allows the potatoes to cook in the meat's rendered juices while the tomatoes soften into a light, informal sauce. Served straight from the baking dish with rice or flatbread, kafta bil siniyeh is unfussy Lebanese family dinner -- deeply savory, warmly spiced, and easy enough to assemble ahead and bake when ready.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gground beef or lamb
• 1onion(grated and squeezed dry)
• 0.33 cupfresh parsley(minced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 0.5 tspcinnamon
• 0.5 tspallspice
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 4 mediumpotatoes(thinly sliced)
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 3tomatoes(sliced)
• 1onion(sliced, for topping)
• 1 cuptomato juice or diluted tomato paste

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the kafta

   Combine ground meat, grated onion, parsley, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper. Mix well and shape into flattened logs or patties.

2. 2

   Layer the potatoes

   Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Toss potato slices with olive oil and a pinch of salt, and arrange in an even layer in a baking dish.

3. 3

   Add the kafta

   Arrange the shaped kafta over the potato layer.

4. 4

   Top with tomato and onion

   Layer tomato and onion slices over the kafta.

5. 5

   Add liquid

   Pour tomato juice or diluted tomato paste over everything.

6. 6

   Bake

   Bake covered with foil for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake 15-20 more minutes until the kafta is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve hot straight from the baking dish with rice or flatbread.

Variations

• •

  Add sliced eggplant to the tray alongside the potatoes for extra heartiness.

• •

  Use ground lamb for a richer, more traditional Levantine flavor.

• •

  Top with a scattering of pine nuts before baking for extra texture and traditional flair.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat covered in a 180C/350F oven for 15-20 minutes, or microwave individual portions.

Frequently Asked Questions