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This Brazilian kibe recipe gives you deep-fried beef and bulgur croquettes with a seasoned beef filling. The pointed oval shape is similar to a small football, with a crisp dark-brown shell around the softer middle. Serve them warm with lime wedges and tahini sauce for dipping.
Kibe is pronounced kee-bee, and you may also see the name written as kibbeh or quibe.
Kibe comes from Levantine kibbeh, a dish made with ground meat, bulgur wheat and seasonings. Syrian and Lebanese immigrants brought it to Brazil, where it became a common snack in bakeries, bars and casual restaurants.
Brazilian kibe usually uses ground beef and the mixture is shaped into pointed ovals and deep-fried until brown and crisp.
There are also baked kibe recipes, although this recipe is for the fried kind.
Beef Kibe Ingredients
This recipe has two parts. The outer mixture combines soaked bulgur wheat with raw ground beef, onion and fresh mint. A cooked beef filling with onion, garlic, parsley, nutmeg and optional cinnamon goes inside.
How to Make Beef Kibe
- Press the outer mixture around the filling and seal it well.
- Shape each piece into an oval with pointed ends.
- The kibe are fried in batches until the outside is dark brown and the beef is cooked through.
Top Tips
- Drain the soaked bulgur wheat thoroughly. Too much liquid makes the mixture harder to shape.
- Chill the raw beef mixture for a few hours if you have time. It is easier to work with when cold.
- Press the edges together firmly after adding the filling. Any gaps may open in the hot oil.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the oil temperature. Fry the kibe in small batches so the temperature doesn’t drop too much.
Brazilian Kibe Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 2 pounds 900g ground beef (beef mince)
- ⅓ cup 20g roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup 190g bulgur wheat
- 1 ½ cups 375ml beef broth or water
- Pinch each of salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup 12g fresh mint leaves
- Oil, for frying
- Tahini sauce
- Lime wedges
Method
- Put the bulgur wheat in a bowl.
- Bring the broth (or water) to a boil then pour it over the bulgur.
- Let it sit for half an hour.
- Sauté the garlic, nutmeg and cinnamon (if using) with half the onions in 2 tablespoons of oil.
- When the onions are soft, add about ⅓ of the ground beef, then cook until browned.
- Mix in the parsley and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper or however much you want).
- Drain the bulgur and press down with a wooden spoon to get as much liquid out as you can.
- Put the bulgur in a food processor with the rest of the (raw) beef, the rest of the onions and the fresh mint. Add ¾ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper, then process until very smooth.
- Press golf-ball size balls of the beef mix flat in your hand, then add a tablespoon of cooked beef mixture in the middle, wrap the raw beef mix around the cooked beef mix and press well to seal.
- Shape the balls into long ovals (like an American football or rugby ball) with pointy ends, and arrange on a baking sheet.
- Put a few inches of your favorite deep frying oil and heat it to 350°F (180°C).
- Lower the kibe into the oil, cooking it in batches until crisp and dark brown. Make sure the kibe are 160°F (71°C) in the center.
- Drain on paper towels, then serve warm with tahini sauce and lime wedges.
Notes
- I always chill the raw beef mixture for a few hours because this makes it easier to shape later. So, plan your Brazilian kibe recipe ahead!
- Cook until the centers reach 160°F. The croquettes contain raw ground beef and dark browning alone doesn’t confirm the meat's safely cooked.
More Recipes to Try
And if you want to try a different approach you might like to try authentic Lebanese meatballs, Asian meatballs, spaghetti and meatballs, or these Italian meatballs.
And finally, the Dutch take on meatballs (they’re bacon-wrapped and oh so good!) Or browse some of my other recipes, especially meat appetizers.
