Kubba Halab are crunchy, football-shaped balls with delicious ground beef or lamb filling. The shell is made from a mixture of rice and potatoes. They are usually served as finger foods or appetizers (Mezza). However, they are filling enough to serve as a meal with Lebanese Tabbouleh, or your favorite salad.
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"Kubba Halab" or "Kubba't Halab" (used interchangeably) means "Kubba from Halab" (Halab is the Arabic word for Aleppo, which is a city in Syria). Kubba in general describes either flat, disc-shaped pies (both large and small) or football-shaped balls. Both types are filled with seasoned ground meat. Sometimes raisins, pine nuts, and almonds are also included in the filling.
The outer shell is usually made with a mixture of ground beef or lamb and any of the following grains:
- Jareesh (cracked wheat)
- Bulgur
- Semolina
- Rice flour
Kubba Halab's shell, on the other hand, is made with a mixture of rice and potatoes. The other difference is that Kubba Halab is fried, instead of being boiled (like Kubba't Mosul).
Still, some kubba or "Kibbeh" is prepared in soup, similar to dumplings. Two examples include "Kubba Hamuth" (which means sour kubba) and Kubba't Pirda (kubba made with bulgur).
And finally, Kibbeh Nayeh, a Lebanese Kubba recipe that is served raw, similar to Beef Tartar.
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🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
Shell Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- Meat: Use ground beef, lamb, or even ground turkey in the filling.
- Turmeric: Turmeric is used more for color than flavor. Sometimes saffron is used instead, while others use chicken bouillon to cook the rice. If you choose to use chicken bouillon, you may need to leave out the salt or use less of it.
- Baharat: I realize not everyone has Baharat in their cupboard. You can make your own Baharat using my recipe, or buy it at any Middle Eastern market, or on Amazon. You can also substitute Kubba spice, Arab 7-spice, or use the following mixture: ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1¼ teaspoons allspice, and ¼ teaspoon Cardamom. Or use a blend of your favorite spices.
🔪 How to Make Kubba Halab
Prepare Shell Dough/Paste
Wash and rinse the rice and chopped potatoes. Soak both in cold water for 20 minutes. While they are soaking, prepare the filling.
Pro Tip: You may want to dice the potatoes even smaller than shown, so they can cook faster
Drain rice and potatoes and add to a medium-sized pot. Pour 5 cups of water over them and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool.
Add rice, potatoes, salt, egg, and turmeric to a food processor. Pulse to form a paste or dough. Mix in the breadcrumbs.
Pro Tip: The dough should stick together when rolled into a ball and be easy to work with (with wet hands). If needed, water or breadcrumbs can be added to get it to the right texture. See the recipe video for the correct texture.
Prepare the Filling
Sauté meat, minced onion, filling spices, and seasoning. Break up the meat as you stir the ingredients in the pan so that no large clumps remain. Add parsley and cook for one more minute, then cool. While the filling is being cooled, cook the rice and potatoes.
How to Assemble Kubba Halab
Take a walnut-sized portion of the rice dough and roll it into a ball. Make a dent in the center to form a bowl. Add one tablespoon of filling into the center, then pinch the dough closed.
Dip your hands in cold water, as needed, and shape the filled dough into a torpedo or football-shaped dumpling with pointy ends. Continue until the dough and filling ingredients are all used up.
Pro Tip: Try to form the outer shell as thin as possible, without having the stuffing poking through the shell. This will take some practice but will impress even the most hard-to-please Middle Eastern mother-in-law. 😉
How to cook Kubba
Fry the Kubba in 375°F vegetable oil until golden brown or approximately 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Drain on paper towels and serve while hot.
Pro Tip: If you don't have a way to tell the oil temperature, make sure the oil begins to sizzle as soon as the Kubba is gently placed into the hot oil. If the oil doesn't sizzle, it is not hot enough.
Air Fried Kubba Halab
Preparing Kubba't Halab in an air fryer couldn't be simpler or more delicious! Unlike some dishes that don't taste as good air-fried (falafel comes to mind; see falafel wrap recipe ), Kubba't Halab tastes even better air-fried. Just follow these simple steps to make Air-Fried Kubba Halab:
- Spray the air fryer tray with a light coating of oil.
- Lightly brush kubba with oil and place in a single layer on the air fryer tray.
- Air fry at 400 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. No need to flip them over.
How to Make Kubba Halab with Boxed Mash Potatoes
Just like I prefer potato chops prepared with instant mashed potatoes, I think I prefer Kubba Halab with a mixture of rice and boxed mashed potatoes. The dough is easier to work with, and I love the texture.
Here's how:
- Cook the pre-soaked rice for 10 to 15 minutes, then cool slightly.
- Mix 1-½ cups of instant potatoes (I use Idaho Mashed Potatoes) with the rice. Add salt, turmeric, egg, and up to 1 cup of water. (You don't need to add breadcrumbs since the instant mashed potato flakes will soak up the extra moisture, doing the job of the breadcrumbs in the original recipe steps).
- Mix by hand, a food processor, or a meat grinder until the dough comes together, then follow the original recipe steps.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Most Kibbeh varieties have a shell stuffed with ground meat, with the exception of Kibbeh Nayeh (or raw kibbeh).
The shell is made with a mixture of ground lamb or beef and any of the following: finely ground bulgur, cracked wheat, rice flour, and semolina.
The filling contains ground beef or lamb, diced onion, and spices. Sometimes parsley is included. There are also varieties that contain raisins and slivered almonds or pine nuts. Kubba't Mosul is one example.
Kubba is popular throughout the Middle East and is prepared by the various ethnic groups that are in that region. Kibbeh, however, is often credited to the Lebanese.
Some Kubba is named after the town in which it originated, leaving no room for argument as to who invented it. For example, "Kubba't Mosul" originated in Mosul, Iraq. "Kubb't Halab," on the other hand, originated in Halab (Aleppo), Syria.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Be sure to wet your hands often while you're forming the dumplings. The dough is a lot easier to work with when you have wet hands.
- If the paste is too sticky, add breadcrumbs, a little at a time, until it's manageable.
- To freeze the Kubba, place it in a single layer on a tray, then store it in freezer bags.
- You can also freeze Kubba AFTER it's been fried. Reheat Frozen Kubba in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer.
- Reheating the Frozen Kubba in a microwave will give the Kubba a soft texture, instead of crunchy.
- You don't need to defrost Kubba Halab before you fry it in oil or air-fry it.
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash and rinse the rice and chopped potatoes. Soak both in cold water for 20 minutes. While they are soaking, prepare the filling.
- Drain rice and potatoes and add to a medium-sized pot. Pour 5 cups of water over them and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool.
- Add rice, potatoes, salt, egg, and turmeric into a food processor. Pulse to form a paste or dough. Mix in the breadcrumbs.
- Saute meat, minced onion, and filling spices and seasoning. Break up the meat as you stir the ingredients in the pan so that no large clumps remain. Add parsley and cook for one more minute, then cool. While the filling is being cooled, cook the rice and potatoes.
- Take a walnut-sized portion of the rice dough and roll it into a ball. Make a dent in the center to form a bowl. Add one tablespoon of filling into the center, then pinch the dough closed.
- Dip your hands in cold water as needed, and shape the filled dough into a torpedo or football-shaped dumpling with pointy ends. Continue until the dough and filling ingredients are used up.
- Fry the Kubba in 375°F vegetable oil until golden brown or approximately 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Drain on paper towels and serve while hot.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Be sure to wet your hands often while you're forming the dumplings. The dough is a lot easier to work with when you have wet hands.
- If the paste is too sticky, add breadcrumbs, a little at a time, until it's manageable.
- To freeze the Kubba, place it in a single layer on a tray to freeze, then store it in freezer bags.
- You can also freeze Kubba AFTER it's been fried. Reheat Frozen Kubba in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer.
- Reheating the Frozen Kubba in a microwave will give the Kubba a soft texture instead of crunchy.
- You don't need to defrost Kubba Halab before you fry it in oil or air-fry it.
Hala says
Can you replace rice with rice flour?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Hala, I do have another recipe that uses rice flower that you might want to try, but in this particular recipe, I would stick to rice. Here's the other recipe: https://hildaskitchenblog.com/recipe/kubba-hamouth-meat-dumpling-soup/
Kk says
Is there an alternative to frying? Could it be cooked in the oven, for example? Thanks.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi KK, You can brush them with out and then bake them or even air fry them but just know they won't have the same exact texture that they're famous for.
Kelly Methey says
These are very good! Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They reheat very nicely.
These would make a perfect party appetizer.
Kathy Fisher says
Great appetizer...they won't last long. So good. I love the texture and the crunch. Perfect. Thanks Hilda. I highly recommend these.
Hilda Sterner says
As always, thank you for the review, and thanks for being my taste-tester.
Kelly Methey says
Forgot to leave a 5 star rating!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you!!!