8 Middle Eastern Dinner Recipes You Must Try
Middle Eastern cuisine is pure magic on a plate. It is bold, aromatic, deeply comforting, and built on a foundation of spices, herbs, and cooking techniques that have been perfected over thousands of years across one of the most culturally rich regions on earth.
Here are eight authentic Middle Eastern dinner recipes that belong on every food lover’s table. Every recipe is explained clearly with full ingredients and step-by-step instructions so you can cook these extraordinary dishes with total confidence.
See Also: Trinidadian Dinner Recipes
Lebanese Chicken Shawarma
Prep: Fifteen min plus two hours marinate | Cook: Thirty min | Serves: Four | Difficulty: Easy
Chicken shawarma is the undisputed king of Middle Eastern street food. Tender, juicy chicken thighs marinated in a deeply aromatic blend of warm spices, garlic, and lemon are roasted until perfectly caramelized and served in warm flatbread with garlic sauce, pickles, and fresh vegetables. Once you make this at home, you will never need to order it again.
Ingredients:
- Seven hundred grams boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Three tbsp olive oil
- Juice of one lemon
- Four garlic cloves, minced
- One tsp ground cumin
- One tsp ground coriander
- One tsp smoked paprika
- One tsp ground turmeric
- Half tsp ground cinnamon
- Half tsp ground allspice
- Half tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the garlic sauce (toum):
- Half cup mayonnaise
- Two garlic cloves, minced very finely
- One tbsp lemon juice
- Salt to taste
To serve:
- Warm flatbread or pitta
- Sliced tomatoes and cucumber
- Pickled turnips
- Fresh parsley
Instructions:
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and all the spices in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat every piece thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. The longer it marinates the more extraordinary the flavor becomes.
Make the garlic sauce by whisking the mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt together until smooth. Refrigerate until serving.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to two hundred and twenty degrees Celsius. Arrange the marinated chicken on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for twenty-five to thirty minutes until the edges are caramelized, slightly charred, and deeply golden.
Rest the chicken for five minutes then slice it thinly against the grain. The slicing releases all those incredible spiced juices.
Warm the flatbreads in a dry pan or directly over a gas flame. Spread generously with garlic sauce. Add sliced chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, pickled turnips, and fresh parsley. Roll tightly and serve immediately.
Pro Tip: Roasting the chicken at very high heat in the last five minutes creates the caramelized, slightly charred exterior that gives shawarma its signature smoky flavor. Do not lower the temperature during cooking.
Persian Lamb and Eggplant Stew (Khoresh Bademjan)
Prep: Twenty min | Cook: One hour thirty min | Serves: Four | Difficulty: Medium
Khoresh bademjan is one of the most celebrated dishes in Persian cuisine. Tender slow-braised lamb is cooked with silky fried eggplant in a rich, tangy tomato sauce flavored with saffron, turmeric, and a hint of lemon. It is deeply aromatic, incredibly satisfying, and the kind of stew that improves with every passing hour on the stove. Served over fragrant basmati rice, it is extraordinary.
Ingredients:
- Five hundred grams lamb shoulder, cut into chunks
- Three medium eggplants, sliced into thick rounds
- One large onion, thinly sliced
- Four garlic cloves, minced
- One can crushed tomatoes
- Two tbsp tomato paste
- Juice of one lemon
- Half tsp saffron, soaked in two tbsp hot water
- One tsp ground turmeric
- One tsp ground cinnamon
- Half tsp ground cumin
- Three tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Basmati rice and fresh herbs to serve
Instructions:
Salt the eggplant slices generously and let them sit for twenty minutes to draw out moisture. Pat dry then fry in batches in hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Set aside on paper towels. Fried eggplant is the heart of this dish.
In the same pot, cook the sliced onion in a little oil over medium heat for ten minutes until deeply golden and caramelized. Add garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin and cook for one more minute.
Add the lamb chunks and brown on all sides for five minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the saffron water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for forty-five minutes. Gently nestle the fried eggplant slices into the stew on top of the lamb. Continue simmering uncovered for another thirty minutes until the lamb is fork-tender and the sauce is rich and glossy.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over steamed basmati rice with fresh herbs scattered over the top.
Pro Tip: Frying the eggplant before adding it to the stew is essential. Raw eggplant added directly to the pot becomes waterlogged and loses its texture completely. Frying first gives it a silky, meltingly tender quality that defines authentic khoresh bademjan.
Turkish Kofta with Tomato Sauce (Izmir Köfte)
Prep: Twenty min | Cook: Thirty min | Serves: Four | Difficulty: Easy
Izmir köfte are juicy, spiced Turkish meatballs baked in a rich tomato sauce with potatoes and peppers. This is proper Turkish home cooking. The meatballs are seasoned with onion, cumin, and fresh herbs then baked until tender in a bubbling, deeply flavored tomato sauce. Simple, comforting, and absolutely delicious with warm bread to soak up every drop of that sauce.
Ingredients:
For the kofta:
- Five hundred grams ground lamb or beef
- One small onion, grated
- Three garlic cloves, minced
- One egg
- Three tbsp breadcrumbs
- One tsp ground cumin
- One tsp smoked paprika
- Half tsp ground cinnamon
- Half tsp ground allspice
- Large handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the tomato sauce:
- One can crushed tomatoes
- Three ripe tomatoes, sliced
- Two green peppers, sliced
- Two medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
- Two tbsp olive oil
- One tsp dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Combine all kofta ingredients in a bowl. Mix gently but thoroughly. Shape into oval meatballs about the size of a large walnut. Do not overwork the mixture or the meatballs become dense and tough.
Mix the crushed tomatoes with olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour half the tomato sauce into the base of a wide baking dish.
Arrange the sliced potatoes across the bottom of the dish in a single layer. Place the kofta on top of the potatoes. Tuck the sliced peppers and fresh tomatoes between and around the meatballs.
Pour the remaining tomato sauce over everything. Cover tightly with foil and bake at one hundred and ninety degrees Celsius for twenty minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for a further fifteen to twenty minutes until the sauce is bubbling, the kofta are cooked through, and the top has a beautiful, slightly caramelized color. Serve directly from the baking dish with warm crusty bread.
Pro Tip: Grating the onion into the kofta mixture rather than dicing it adds moisture and flavor without any chunky texture. Grated onion keeps the meatballs incredibly tender and juicy throughout baking.
Lebanese Lamb Kibbeh
Prep: Thirty min | Cook: Thirty min | Serves: Five | Difficulty: Medium
Kibbeh is the soul food of Lebanon. A golden, crispy shell made from spiced ground lamb and bulgur wheat encases a warm, aromatic filling of minced lamb cooked with onions, toasted pine nuts, and warm spices. Fried or baked until deeply golden, kibbeh is served with cool yogurt and a fresh herb salad. It is one of the most beloved and celebrated dishes in all of Levantine cooking.
Ingredients:
For the outer shell:
- Three hundred grams lean ground lamb
- One cup fine bulgur wheat, soaked in cold water for twenty minutes and drained
- One small onion, roughly chopped
- One tsp ground allspice
- One tsp ground cinnamon
- Half tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
For the filling:
- Two hundred grams ground lamb
- One medium onion, finely diced
- Three tbsp toasted pine nuts
- One tsp ground allspice
- Half tsp ground cinnamon
- Half tsp black pepper
- One tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
To serve:
- Full-fat plain yogurt
- Fresh mint leaves
- Lemon wedges
Instructions:
Make the filling first. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the diced onion for five minutes until golden. Add the ground lamb and break it apart well. Cook for six to eight minutes until browned. Add allspice, cinnamon, pepper, and salt. Stir in the toasted pine nuts. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Make the outer shell by blending the ground lamb, drained bulgur, chopped onion, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, and salt together in a food processor until a smooth, cohesive dough forms. If it feels dry add one to two tablespoons of cold water.
Wet your hands thoroughly. Take a portion of the shell mixture slightly larger than a golf ball. Press it flat in one palm and shape it into a cup with your other hand. Fill with a generous spoonful of the cooled lamb filling. Close the dough around the filling and shape into an oval football shape, smoothing any cracks.
Fry in hot oil at one hundred and seventy-five degrees Celsius for four to five minutes until deeply golden all over. Alternatively bake at two hundred degrees for twenty-five minutes, brushing with olive oil first.
Serve with cool yogurt, fresh mint, and lemon wedges.
Pro Tip: Keeping your hands wet throughout the shaping process is essential. Wet hands smooth the surface of the kibbeh, seal any cracks in the dough, and prevent the mixture from sticking to your palms while you work.
Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Apricots and Almonds
Prep: Twenty min | Cook: One hour thirty min | Serves: Five | Difficulty: Medium
This Moroccan lamb tagine is pure soul food. Tender, slow-braised lamb shoulder is cooked in a warming, aromatic sauce with sweet dried apricots, toasted almonds, and a magnificent spice blend of ras el hanout, cinnamon, and ginger. The combination of savory braised meat with gentle sweetness from the fruit is one of the defining characteristics of Moroccan cooking and it is absolutely magnificent.
Ingredients:
- One kg lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
- One cup dried apricots
- Half cup blanched almonds, toasted
- Two large onions, thinly sliced
- Four garlic cloves, minced
- Two tbsp ras el hanout spice blend
- One tsp ground ginger
- One tsp ground cinnamon
- One tsp ground turmeric
- Two tbsp honey
- One can crushed tomatoes
- One cup chicken or lamb broth
- Three tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro and couscous to serve
Instructions:
Season the lamb chunks generously with salt, pepper, and half the ras el hanout. Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or tagine over high heat. Sear the lamb in batches for four minutes per side until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, cook the sliced onions over medium heat for ten minutes until very soft and golden. Add garlic, remaining ras el hanout, ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric. Stir and cook for two minutes.
Return the lamb to the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, and honey. Stir well. Bring to a boil then reduce to a very low simmer. Cover tightly and braise for one hour.
Add the dried apricots. Continue braising covered for a further twenty to twenty-five minutes until the lamb is completely fall-apart tender and the sauce has thickened around it.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Scatter toasted almonds over the top and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve over fluffy couscous.
Pro Tip: Ras el hanout is a complex North African spice blend containing twelve or more spices. Using it as a base for the marinade and the sauce gives the tagine a layered, multi-dimensional flavor that single spices simply cannot achieve.
Lebanese Garlic Lemon Chicken with Rice (Djej w Riz)
Prep: Fifteen min | Cook: Forty five min | Serves: Four | Difficulty: Easy
Djej w riz is pure Lebanese comfort. Whole chicken pieces are roasted with garlic, lemon, and Lebanese seven spice until golden and fragrant, then served over a beautiful spiced rice cooked in the roasting juices. It is simple, deeply satisfying, and the kind of home-cooked meal that Lebanese families make every single week. Nothing complicated. Just extraordinary flavor from honest ingredients treated well.
Ingredients:
- One whole chicken, cut into eight pieces
- Juice of two lemons
- Zest of one lemon
- Five garlic cloves, minced
- Three tbsp olive oil
- One and a half tsp Lebanese seven spice (baharat)
- One tsp ground cinnamon
- One tsp ground turmeric
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the rice:
- Two cups long grain white rice, rinsed
- Three and a half cups chicken broth
- One tsp ground cinnamon
- Half tsp ground allspice
- Two tbsp butter
- Half cup toasted pine nuts and slivered almonds
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, olive oil, seven spice, cinnamon, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Score the chicken pieces deeply with a knife then coat every piece thoroughly in the marinade. Marinate for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to two hundred and ten degrees Celsius. Place the chicken pieces skin-side up on a roasting rack. Roast for thirty-five to forty minutes until the skin is deeply golden and crackling and the juices run completely clear when pierced.
While the chicken roasts, make the spiced rice. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the rinsed rice and toast it for two minutes, stirring. Add the chicken broth, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to the lowest heat. Cover and cook for eighteen minutes. Rest covered for five minutes then fluff with a fork.
Transfer the rice to a large serving platter. Arrange the roasted chicken pieces on top. Scatter the toasted pine nuts and almonds generously over everything.
Pro Tip: Toasting the rice in butter for two minutes before adding the broth adds a subtle nutty depth to the finished rice that elevates the entire dish. It is a small step that makes a noticeable difference.
Egyptian Koshari
Prep: Twenty min | Cook: Forty min | Serves: Six | Difficulty: Easy
Koshari is Egypt’s national dish and one of the greatest budget meals in the world. A hearty, deeply satisfying combination of rice, lentils, pasta, and chickpeas is topped with a bold, spiced tomato sauce, crispy caramelized onions, and a punchy garlic vinegar dressing. It sounds simple. It tastes extraordinary. It is completely vegetarian, costs almost nothing, and feeds a crowd magnificently.
Ingredients:
For the base:
- One cup long grain rice, rinsed
- One cup green or brown lentils, rinsed
- One cup elbow macaroni or small pasta
- One can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Two cups water for lentils
- Two cups water for rice
- Salt to taste
For the tomato sauce:
- One can crushed tomatoes
- Four garlic cloves, minced
- One tsp ground cumin
- One tsp smoked paprika
- Half tsp cayenne pepper
- One tbsp white vinegar
- Two tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
For the crispy onions:
- Three large onions, very thinly sliced
- Half cup all-purpose flour
- Oil for frying
- Salt to taste
For the garlic vinegar dressing:
- Three garlic cloves, minced
- Three tbsp white vinegar
- Half tsp ground cumin
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
Cook the lentils in two cups of salted water for twenty minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside. Cook the rice in two cups of salted water for eighteen minutes until fluffy. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside separately.
Make the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic for one minute. Add crushed tomatoes, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and vinegar. Simmer for fifteen minutes until thick and deeply flavored. Season generously.
Make the crispy onions. Toss the sliced onions in flour seasoned with salt. Fry in batches in hot oil for four to five minutes until deeply golden, crispy, and caramelized. Drain on paper towels. Season immediately with salt while hot.
Mix the garlic vinegar dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
Assemble the koshari in layers in a large bowl or individual plates. Start with rice, then lentils, then pasta, then chickpeas. Ladle the tomato sauce over everything generously. Top with a mountain of crispy onions. Drizzle the garlic vinegar dressing over the top. Serve immediately.
Pro Tip: The crispy caramelized onions are what elevates koshari from simple to extraordinary. Take your time frying them properly until deeply golden. Pale, soft onions simply do not deliver the same crunch and sweetness that makes this dish so special.
