starter
Lebanese Kibbeh – Crispy Bulgur and Lamb Shells with Spiced Filling
Football-shaped bulgur and lamb shells filled with spiced minced meat and pine nuts, fried golden.
⏱ 80 min🔥 380 kcalHard
★4.7(8,900)
🇱🇧
Lebanese Lamb Recipes
34 recipes using lamb — Hummus, falafel, kibbeh and the jewels of Levantine cuisine.
These 34 lebanese lamb recipes are ready in about 68 minutes on average, with 180–780 kcal per serving, and 21% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.
34
recipes
68 min
average time
404 kcal
avg per serving
21%
easy recipes
How Lebanese cuisine cooks with lamb
Lebanese food is fresh, herb-forward and built around the table of meze — bright with lemon, garlic and good olive oil. When Lebanese cooks work with lamb, they reach for olive oil, lemon, garlic, tahini, sumac and za'atar, and the techniques that come up most across these recipes are simmering, frying, baking and boiling.
A tender, distinctively rich red meat at home in fragrant, spice-forward and slow-cooked dishes. In this collection it's most often cooked with olive oil, onion, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, pine nuts and cinnamon. The dishes here span lebanese classics ready in as little as 20 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.
Reader favourite: Arayes is the highest-rated dish in this collection at 4.9★ from 2,340 ratings.
34 Lebanese Lamb Recipes
✨ Newdinner
Classic Kibbeh
A traditional Lebanese dish with spiced meat and bulgur.
⏱ 75 min🔥 450 kcalMedium
★4.8(5,200)
dinner
Ablama (Lebanese Stuffed Courgettes in Yoghurt Sauce)
Hollowed courgettes stuffed with spiced lamb and rice, simmered in a warm cooked-yoghurt sauce.
⏱ 90 min🔥 470 kcalMedium
★4.7(1,643)
✨ Newstarter
Kibbeh
Crispy bulgur shells stuffed with spiced lamb.
⏱ 55 min🔥 320 kcalHard
★4.7(1,800)
✨ Newdinner
Kafta Kebab
Seasoned lamb and parsley kebabs grilled on skewers.
⏱ 27 min🔥 360 kcalEasy
★4.6(2,200)
✨ Newdinner
Mansaf (Jordanian Lamb with Jameed Yogurt and Rice)
Jordan's magnificent national dish — slow-braised lamb in a rich, tangy fermented yogurt sauce (jameed) served over rice with flatbread. A celebratory feast dish eaten communally by hand.
⏱ 140 min🔥 780 kcalHard
★4.9(760)
dinner
Kibbeh
Lebanon's iconic dish of spiced lamb and bulgur wheat baked into a fragrant crust around a pine nut and onion filling — a centrepiece of the mezze table.
⏱ 85 min🔥 560 kcalMedium
★4.8(1,102)
✨ Newstarter
Kibbeh
Lebanon's national dish — torpedo-shaped shells of spiced bulgur wheat and lamb filled with a fragrant mixture of minced lamb, onions, pine nuts and warm spices, then fried until golden.
⏱ 65 min🔥 380 kcalMedium
★4.8(1,124)
✨ Newdinner
Kafta bil Sanieh
Lebanese baked kafta patties nestled in a rich tomato and potato sauce, slow-roasted in a single tray until deeply caramelised and fragrant.
⏱ 70 min🔥 490 kcalEasy
★4.7(876)
starter
Sfeeha
Open-faced Lebanese meat pies with spiced lamb — crispy, savory bites perfect as street food.
⏱ 80 min🔥 180 kcalMedium
★4.8(1,450)
starter
Sambousek
Crispy fried pastry pockets filled with spiced meat or cheese — Lebanese party food.
⏱ 65 min🔥 220 kcalMedium
★4.9(1,670)
starter
Kibbeh Nayyeh
Lebanese raw lamb tartare with bulgur, onion, and spices — a prized delicacy.
⏱ 30 min🔥 290 kcalMedium
★4.8(960)
snack
Arayes
Lebanese pita bread stuffed with spiced meat and grilled until crispy — addictive street food.
⏱ 35 min🔥 420 kcalEasy
★4.9(2,340)
starter
Makanek
Lebanese spiced lamb sausages pan-fried with lemon and pine nuts — mezze perfection.
⏱ 45 min🔥 340 kcalMedium
★4.8(1,120)
dinner
Kibbeh bil Sanieh
Baked Lebanese kibbeh layered with spiced meat and pine nuts — the celebratory version.
⏱ 105 min🔥 420 kcalHard
★4.9(1,890)
breakfast
Awarma
Lebanese preserved lamb confit cooked in its own fat — an ancient mountain larder staple.
⏱ 110 min🔥 480 kcalMedium
★4.7(680)
starter
Lahem Bi Ajeen
Lebanese spiced meat pies — individual pastries with savory filling.
⏱ 50 min🔥 280 kcalMedium
★4.8(1,640)
✨ Newstarter
Kibbeh Nayyeh
Lebanese raw lamb pounded with fine bulgur, mountain spices, and ice — Levantine steak tartare ancestor.
⏱ 30 min🔥 280 kcalMedium
★4.8(420)
✨ Newdinner
Kibbeh bil Laban (Lebanese Kibbeh in Yogurt Sauce)
Lebanese mountain dish: spiced lamb-and-bulgur kibbeh balls simmered in warm yogurt-mint sauce — a Tripoli specialty.
⏱ 95 min🔥 580 kcalHard
★4.8(538)
✨ Newstarter
Kibbeh Nayyeh (Lebanese Raw Lamb with Bulgur)
Lebanon's prized raw lamb mezze — finely pounded mountain lamb mixed with bulgur, onion and seven spices, served fresh with olive oil and pita.
⏱ 30 min🔥 420 kcalMedium
★4.7(320)
✨ Newstarter
Kibbeh Nayyeh (Lebanese Raw Meat Kibbeh)
Delicate Syrian-Lebanese raw lamb and bulgur paste seasoned with cinnamon and allspice, served with olive oil and mint.
⏱ 20 min🔥 320 kcalEasy
★4.6(980)
✨ Newdinner
Maklouba (Upside-Down Spiced Rice with Lamb and Vegetables)
Maklouba is the dramatic Palestinian and Jordanian one-pot masterpiece: spiced lamb, fried aubergine, and cauliflower layered with rice, then flipped upside-down at the table.
⏱ 120 min🔥 640 kcalMedium
★4.8(1,050)
✨ Newstarter
Sambousek (Lebanese Fried Meat-Filled Pastries)
Crispy Lebanese sambousek — half-moon shaped fried pastries filled with spiced ground lamb and pine nuts, a beloved mezze and party bite.
⏱ 65 min🔥 320 kcalMedium
★4.8(870)
✨ Newdinner
Tomato Lamb Ragout Levantine
Tomato Lamb Ragout Levantine with bright herbs, yogurt, olive oil and balanced acidity.
⏱ 65 min🔥 431 kcalMedium
★4.8(2,369)
✨ Newdinner
Bekaa Lentil Onion Skillet Dinner
Bekaa Lentil Onion Skillet Dinner brings lebanese flavor into a practical home recipe with lamb mince, tahini, lemon, allspice and olive oil, and a finish of parsley.
⏱ 70 min🔥 478 kcalMedium
★4.5(3,869)
✨ Newsnack
Kibbeh Nayeh Fritters (Lebanese Kibbeh Balls, Fried)
Torpedo-shaped fried bulgur and ground meat shells with a spiced meat filling, a beloved Lebanese meze and street snack.
⏱ 60 min🔥 320 kcalMedium
★4.5(33)
✨ Newdinner
Yakhnet Bamia (Lebanese Okra Stew with Lamb)
Lamb simmered with okra, tomato and cilantro in a tangy, garlicky sauce, a comforting Lebanese stew served over rice.
⏱ 80 min🔥 420 kcalMedium
★4.4(25)
✨ Newdinner
Kafta Mishwi (Lebanese Grilled Spiced Meat Skewers)
Skewered ground beef and lamb seasoned with parsley, onion and baharat, grilled until charred, a Lebanese grill house staple.
⏱ 40 min🔥 440 kcalEasy
★4.5(30)
✨ Newdinner
Koosa Mahshi (Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini)
Hollowed zucchini stuffed with rice and spiced ground meat, simmered in a light tomato broth, a comforting Lebanese family dinner.
⏱ 85 min🔥 380 kcalMedium
★4.4(26)
✨ Newsnack
Sfiha (Lebanese Meat-Topped Flatbread)
Small open-faced flatbreads topped with a spiced ground meat, tomato and pomegranate molasses mixture, a Lebanese bakery favorite.
⏱ 105 min🔥 340 kcalMedium
★4.5(29)
✨ Newdinner
Kafta bil Siniyeh (Lebanese Baked Meatballs with Potato and Tomato)
Spiced Lebanese ground beef and lamb kafta baked in a tray with sliced potato and tomato until tender and deeply savory.
⏱ 65 min🔥 440 kcalEasy
★4.6(47)
✨ Newstarter
Sfeeha (Lebanese Meat Pies)
Small open-faced Lebanese pastries topped with spiced ground lamb, onion, and pine nuts, baked until the dough is golden and crisp.
⏱ 60 min🔥 320 kcalMedium
★4.4(63)
✨ Newdinner
Lebanese Stuffed Peppers with Rice, Mint and Parsley (Mahshi Felfel)
Bell peppers stuffed with herbed rice and warm spices, simmered in a light tomato broth.
⏱ 75 min🔥 320 kcalHard
★4.6(39)
✨ Newdinner
Lebanese Kafta Burger with Warm Spices and Garlic Yogurt
A juicy ground beef and lamb burger seasoned like kafta, topped with garlicky yogurt sauce.
⏱ 30 min🔥 480 kcalEasy
★4.6(45)
Choosing & preparing lamb
How to choose
Look for firm, pink-red meat with white (not yellow) fat. Quick cuts: chops and rack; slow cuts: shoulder, shank and leg for braising and roasting.
Prep & storage
Lamb loves bold seasoning — garlic, rosemary, cumin and mint cut through its richness. Trim excess fat, and rest after cooking as you would beef.
When is it done?
Best served pink at 55–60°C / 130–140°F for chops and racks; tougher cuts go low and slow until meltingly tender.
Nutrition
Rich in complete protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins, with more flavour-carrying fat than lean beef.
Classic flavour partners: rosemary, garlic, mint, cumin, yoghurt, lemon
Lebanese Lamb Recipes — FAQ
How long do Lebanese lamb recipes take to make?
Most of these 34 Lebanese lamb recipes are ready in around 68 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Kibbeh Nayyeh (Lebanese Raw Meat Kibbeh), takes about 20 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 140 minutes.
How many calories are in Lebanese lamb dishes?
Across this collection they range from about 180 to 780 kcal per serving, averaging 404 kcal — Sfeeha is the lightest option at 180 kcal.
What is the easiest Lebanese lamb recipe for beginners?
Kafta Kebab is a great place to start — it's rated easy and comes together in about 27 minutes. 21% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.
What goes well with lamb in Lebanese cooking?
In these recipes, lamb is most often paired with olive oil, onion, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, pine nuts and cinnamon. Lebanese kitchens also lean on olive oil, lemon, garlic, tahini, sumac and za'atar.
How do I know when lamb is properly cooked?
Best served pink at 55–60°C / 130–140°F for chops and racks; tougher cuts go low and slow until meltingly tender.
More Lebanese Recipes by Ingredient
Lamb Recipes from Other Cuisines
Free Kitchen Tools
Calculators and converters that pair with this page — no signup needed.