Today, we’re making içli köfte, also known as kibbeh, a beloved dish in Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisine. This delicious stuffed bulgur dish has been enjoyed for centuries, traditionally made with a crispy bulgur shell and a flavorful spiced meat filling.
In this video, I’ll show you two different ways to make içli köfte/kibbeh:
✅ The classic method – A traditional version with a rich, spiced meat filling, shaped using different techniques to help you perfect the process.
✅ The vegan alternative – A plant-based version made with lentils and walnuts, shaped on a tray and baked to perfection in the oven or air fryer.
Whether you prefer the crispy fried kibbeh, the oven-baked method, or a healthy vegan içli köfte, this recipe is easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro & History of İçli Köfte / Kibbeh
01:00 Traditional İçli Köfte / Kibbeh – Bulgur cracked wheat crust
02:34 Minced meat filling
03:36 Shaping Methods – From classic to beginner friendly
06:48 Freezing icli kofte / kibbeh and serving
08:11 Vegan Kibbeh – Lentil & Walnut Filling, Air Fryer & Oven Baking
11:16 Shaping and baking
15:18 Conclusion
📌 Ingredients for Traditional İçli Köfte:
3 cups Fine bulgur
1/2 cup fine semolina
2 tbsp less then 1+1/2 cup water (add later more if needed until you have playable consistency)
1/2 cup flour
tsp salt
heaped tsp tomato or pepper paste
tsp of paprika
1 egg
For the minced meat stuffing
400gr. ground beef or mix of lamb and beef
4-5 tbsp olive oil
2 big onions
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp cumin
1tsp chili flakes
tsp black pepper
handful of chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
freezer bag, and rolling pin to shape
put two bowls with oil and water to dip your hands while shaping
📌 Ingredients for Vegan Kibbeh: (half amount for small baked vegan kibbeh içli köfte)
For the filling
3/4 cups green lentil, cooked until soft
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 big onion
tsp salt
chopped parsley
1/3 cup chopped walnut
about tsp or less chili flakes, black pepper, cumin
1/4 tsp coriander and curry
1 tsp pepper or tomato paste
1/3 cup chopped green olives
For the bulgur crust
1+1/2 cup thin bulgur
1/4 cup each fine semolina and flour
tsp tomato paste
tsp salt
1 small potato (diced and cooked until soft and use while it is hot)
more olive oil to brush the top
👉 Watch now to learn how to make the perfect içli köfte / kibbeh at home! Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more authentic Turkish recipes and Middle Eastern cuisine.
#İçliKöfte #KibbehRecipe #TurkishFood #MiddleEasternCuisine #VeganKibbeh #StuffedBulgur #TurkishRecipes #AirFryerKibbeh #OvenBakedKibbeh #KibbehTutorial #EasyKibbehRecipe
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27 Comments
🚨So sorry that the bulgur should be 3 cups not 2 as I wrote in the video! I appreciate your support by giving thumbs up 👍🏻 sharing and commenting since it helps to get to a wider audience 😊🙋🏻♀ I will be adding the recipe as a post with more information on my website turkishfoodtravel.com so stay tuned!
Saludos desde México!!!
Your recipes are always so delicious, & you make them very easy to follow along making😊 Thank you very much for taking the time to share your wonderful gift of cooking with everyone 😁 You're a real blessing 💖
Que es bulgur? Saludos desde México
eselamu alejkum my dear….how many grams is 1 cup of bulgur
Ma Sha Allah
Wow!!! Special thanks for a vegan version, Aysenur!
Great versions
A really nice dish in both variants! And – very well shown and explained.👍
Is there a dip with it, or do you eat it pure?
Bellissima ricetta ♥️ Credo che domani la proverò, tante grazie da Italia 😊🤗😍
This looks easier than I thought it would.
Is there a dip we can use? Maybe a yogurt type of dip?
Looks delicious! Thanks!
Hi! Both versions look so delicious. Personally I would opt for the meat version and I enjoyed both ways you shaped. As you said they are ideal for freezing to cook when you want. I shall look forward to the receipe you will post and Thanks for sharing this great recipe. God Bless and TC. Love to all ❤️👏🌹😘😋🇲🇹
Shukran
Sha Khan from Cape Town South Africa
I like your channel…but you have to admit this is not a Turkish food! Kibbe is Syrian and Lebanese traditional food….Not Turkish or middle eastern …perhaps this is why your recipe is not authentic…
Iovely recipe❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Ohhh i miss those!
I took it in "Pehlivan" thinking they were meatballs (köfte) 😂
Thank you for sharing the vegan version! It looks delicious and I will give this a try. I look forward to more of your videos!
For me: I know how to make icle kofte or kibbeh in the Middle East; but I get busy sometimes and buy it ready. However, the home made ones are more delicious than the ready ones.
♥️
Hi, I am living in Sweden 🇸🇪
Stunning 😊God bless your family…love your talent ❤😊
Everything you touch turns into a blessing you are really gifted. Blessings to you and your family Amin
YOU DIDNT MIX MEAT WITH BULGUR?
I've been going through your recipes, and so far I loved each and every one of them! I've done tahini rolls, baklava, lahmacun, and then a cheese borek. I've tried a couple of recipes from other channels before, yet yours are the ones matching exactly what I tasted (and absolutely loved) in Istanbul.
One thing I'd note – I have a feeling we might be using slightly different measurement units. Let's say, for this recipe, I used slightly less than 3 cups of bulgur, but the resulting mixture felt a bit dry, so I had to add another egg and some more water, and then it became sticky and pliable enough to be similar to what you are showing in your video.
I am in the United States, and cups/teaspoons/tablespoons are exact measurement units here. Long time ago, I lived in Eastern Europe, and back then seeing "1 cup" in a recipe I would assume about 200 ml, a typical small glass. Here, 1 cup = 8 liquid oz = 236 ml. A teaspoon is slightly less than 5ml, and a tablespoon is slightly less than 15ml. Either our flour here has a slightly different density, or your cups are a bit smaller than standard American ones. Every time you include measurements in ml, this actually helps a ton, as it removes a lot of guesswork.
But with that said, I am also not expecting that while doing content for ~750k subscribers you can adapt recipes to each and every part of the world, so I am still absolutely enjoying everything you are sharing. Thank you so much! I am also taking notes on what I should taste on my next trip to Türkiye!