Recipe Roundup

94 Middle Eastern Recipes We Love

Tabbouleh, lamb flatbreads, pomegranate-glazed chicken, fattoush salad, and so much more.
Image may contain Plant Food Produce Vegetable Dish and Meal
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
  • Image may contain Plant Food Produce Vegetable Dish and Meal
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    1/94

    Persian Chicken With Turmeric and Lime

    A crisp cucumber-herb salad and a squeeze of tart lime juice gives a light yet vibrant finish to this creamy, quick-cooking chicken dish.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    2/94

    Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice With Barberries (Tachin)

    If you don’t rinse the rice, it will be gummy. If you don’t parboil the rice, it’ll be dry and tough when it comes out of the oven. If you don’t use yogurt, eggs, and oil, it will never get golden and crisp. Now you know!

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  • Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    7/94

    Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Raisin Pesto

    These meatballs are gilded with lots of strong spices, set in a cooling swoosh of yogurt and finished with the sweet brightness of a mint pesto. Sound fancy? Not really. We use ground lamb, which is naturally fatty and can be baked without sacrificing juiciness or a charred crust.

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  • Photo by Elena Heatherwick
    8/94

    Gia's Mushrooms and Egg

    This dish is so simple. Just find excellent mushrooms, really good eggs, some aromatics, and a tiny bit of spice, and you have a beauty of a dish.

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  • Photo by Matt Russell
    11/94

    Eggplant and Mushroom Tahcheen

    This saffron-infused, vegetarian version of the traditional savory Iranian rice cake is made with earthy portobello mushrooms and meaty eggplants.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    12/94

    Pecan-Orange Baklava Pie

    Bourbon-honey syrup and fragrant orange zest add rich flavor to this twist on baklava.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Anna Surbatovich, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    13/94

    Halal Cart-Style White Sauce

    This creamy, tangy sauce with a garlicky, black pepper punch is ubiquitous on platters of grilled meats sold by halal street carts in major cities across the U.S. We can't stop drizzling it on everything from pita sandwiches to roasted vegetables to crisp salads.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    14/94

    Man'oushe with Za'atar Oil, Tomatoes, and Cucumber

    You can serve these flatbreads as is or wrapped around a filling.

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  • Photo by Bobbi Lin
    15/94

    Yogurt with Raisins, Cucumber, and Walnuts

    Mast, which translates to yogurt in Farsi, is a staple side dish on most Persian tables. The yogurt can be mixed with shallots, grated cooked beets, cooked spinach, or, most commonly, with Persian cucumbers, mint, and dried rose.

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  • Photo by Ed Anderson
    16/94

    Sam's Spring Fattoush Salad

    Part of what makes this salad so great is the dynamic textures; the cracker-like baked lavash croutons and the crunchy cucumbers and radishes contrast with the creamy feta and soft herbs.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    19/94

    Herby Chicken Kofta Meatballs

    Make a big batch of these spicy herbed meatballs and stash them in your freezer and you’ll always have the building blocks for an easy weeknight dinner on hand.

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  • Photo by Dan Monick
    20/94

    Shawarma-Spiced Braised Leg of Lamb

    This Flintstonian cut is impressive, and the bone lends flavor as the meat braises. But if you prefer, a boneless tied leg of lamb is a little more manageable and cooks more quickly.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    23/94

    Baked Falafel With Orange-Tahini Sauce

    This healthier falafel dinner brings the Middle Eastern platter home with a tangy tahini sauce and an easy cabbage and tomato salad.

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  • Photo by Bobbi Lin
    24/94

    Kuku Sabzi

    With fewer eggs than the typical frittata, this Persian egg dish is the ultimate clean-out-the-herb-drawer meal.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    25/94

    Black-and-White Halvah

    Both types of tahini should be roughly the same consistency for this halvah recipe—ideally pretty loose and pourable—which makes it easy to marble them.

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  • Photo by Dana Gallagher
    26/94

    Moroccan-Spiced Chicken with Millet Tabbouleh

    Millet, a wonderfully healthy, naturally gluten-free grain, stands in for the more common bulgur wheat in the North African–inspired parsley salad in this simple baked chicken dish.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    33/94

    Preserved Limes

    If you like lox, bacon, or anchovies, you should thank salt—and time. That's all that it takes to turn supermarket limes into this pleasantly salt-tart-funky pantry staple, the sibling of preserved lemons.

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  • Photo by Bobbi Lin
    34/94

    Roasted Black Bass with Orange-Flower Water

    Fried whitefish or smoked whitefish is most commonly eaten during the Persian New Year and is said to represent life.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    37/94

    3-Ingredient Shakshuka

    This delicious breakfast dish comes together fast, thanks to prepared salsa.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    38/94

    Hummus Tehina

    We love chef Michael Solomonov's hummus all by itself, but it's also an incredible foundation for any seasonal toppings, from harissa-spiced shaved carrots to spiced black-eyed peas to fresh spring peas and pickled onions.

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  • Photo by Peden & Munk
    41/94

    Vadouvan Carrot Yogurt

    Vadouvan is sweeter and more aromatic than the typical curry, but Madras curry powder will work in a pinch.

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  • Nicole Franzen
    42/94

    Spicy Lamb and Lentils with Herbs

    Sauté ground lamb with cooked lentils and plenty of spice for a lightning-fast weeknight dinner—then pile extras into a rice bowl or pita pocket for lunch the next day.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    45/94

    Grilled Carrots with Cumin-Serrano Yogurt

    Carrots love to burn when grilled over direct high heat; better to park them over a cooler spot on the grate and keep the cover closed if possible.

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  • Photo by SANG AN
    46/94

    Spinach Shakshuka

    A tomato-free version of the North African poached egg dish, shakshuka, perfumed with warm spices and dotted with creamy feta cheese.

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  • Photo by Kristin Perers
    51/94

    Date Ice Cream (Buza ‘Ala-Tamr)

    Before sugar became commonly available, dates were an important sweetener in Arabia, and even though this date ice cream must be a recent addition to the Arabian culinary repertoire, it makes use of dates as the main sweetener just as they did at the advent of Islam and for long after.

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  • Photo by Colin Price
    52/94

    Instant Pot Hummus

    The secret to making a smooth, light, fluffy dip is to use warm just-cooked chickpeas. And the Instant Pot makes that easy.

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  • Photo by Kristin Teig
    57/94

    Zhoug (Spicy Herb Sauce)

    Zhoug is a spicy herb sauce of Yemenite origin found in Syria and Israel. It’s often the go-to condiment for falafel and is eaten with bread. It’s a must with Shakshuka, and you’ll probably find yourself stirring it into scrambled eggs, spreading it on a sandwich, mixing it with yogurt to make a dip, or just eating it by the spoonful.

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  • Photo by Jonathan Lovekin
    58/94

    Shakshuka With Red Peppers and Cumin

    Shakshuka is Tunisian in origin but has become hugely popular in Jerusalem and all over Israel as substantial breakfast or lunch fare.

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  • Photo by Charles Masters
    61/94

    Spiced Labneh

    The cooling condiment and dip you'll want to eat with absolutely everything.

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    62/94

    Fresh Herb Falafel

    Make your next party a falafel party with this irresistible recipe.

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  • Photo by Patricia Niven
    63/94

    Cauliflower “Shawarma”

    This obviously isn't really a shawarma—there is no lamb and no fat—but it is a way of slow-cooking cauliflower that makes it feel substantial and tasty enough to warrant the association.

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    64/94

    Tomato, Onion, and Roasted Lemon Salad

    Sugared, roasted lemons are edible from rind to flesh and give this salsa-like mix a bracing jolt of sourness.

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  • Photos by Charles Masters, food styling by Sue Li
    67/94

    Lamb Chops with Everything-Bagel Yogurt and Chickpeas

    Lamb chops or lamb ribs—it's not what cut you buy that matters, it's the technique that makes this work. Stew chickpeas and carrots in a spicy harissa paste, and top everything off with yogurt and everything spice, a blend inspired by an everything bagel.

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    68/94

    Fried Eggplant, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad

    Eggplant is like a sponge. Salting it draws out moisture and firms up the flesh, and deep-frying ensures it cooks evenly until creamy throughout. Worth your time.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    71/94

    Oven-Baked Beef Meatballs

    Berbere, the Ethiopian chile-based spice blend, punches up these baked meatballs while a quick sauté of radishes, garlic, and wilted kale rounds things out.

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  • Ed Anderson © 2014
    72/94

    Lemon-Pistachio Israeli Couscous

    This nutty, lemony salad makes good use of preserved lemons, which you can easily buy or make yourself.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    75/94

    Cauliflower "Rice" Tabbouleh

    Swap cauliflower “rice” for bulgur in the classic Middle Eastern salad for a totally grain-free lunch.

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  • Photo by Jonathan Lovekin
    76/94

    Panfried Sea Bass with Harissa & Rose

    This dish originates from Bizerte, the northernmost city in Africa. It is sweet and spicy and beautifully aromatic. Serve it as a main course with some plain rice or couscous and something green, like sautéed spinach or Swiss chard.

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  • © Peden and Munk LLC
    77/94

    Shirazi Salad

    For this juicy, herbaceous salad, feel free to combine different varieties of cucumbers and tomatoes, which are at peak season around the same time.

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  • Gieves Anderson, food styling by Anna Hampton
    78/94

    Green Beans With Za'atar and Lemon

    Prep your green beans quickly; stack a handful of them together on a cutting board and trim the stem ends off the whole stack at once.

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  • Photo by Christina Holmes
    79/94

    Spiced Lamb Patties with Nutty Garlic Sauce

    You'll love this spiced alternaburger with its fresh finishes; kids will love the handheld dinner.

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  • Jonathan Lovekin
    80/94

    Na'ama's Fattoush

    Arab salad, chopped salad, Israeli salad—whatever you choose to call it, there is no escaping it. Wherever you go, a Jerusalemite is most likely to have a plate of freshly chopped vegetables—tomato, cucumber, and onion, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice—served next to whatever else they are having.

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  • Peden and Munk Taylor and Jen
    81/94

    Yogurt with Fresh Figs, Honey, and Pine Nuts

    It's time to move past "just having yogurt" for breakfast. As this gorgeous bowl proves, there's no reason yogurt for breakfast has to be boring.

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  • Jason Lowe
    82/94

    Quinoa Tabbouleh

    The classic Middle Eastern salad gets an of-the-moment upgrade with nutritional quinoa. The tiny powerhouse is loaded with protein, making this dish both a delicious vegetarian main course and a summer-suitable side.

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  • Peden and Munk Taylor and Jen
    83/94

    Lebanese Tomato "Salsa"

    Briefly cooking the tomatoes is key–the finished sauce should still be very fresh-tasting.

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  • Hirsheimer & Hamilton
    84/94

    Yogurt and Sumac Sauce

    Feel free to experiment with other seasonings besides sumac, like lemon zest, za'atar, or crushed red pepper flakes.

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  • Photo by Kristin Teig
    89/94

    Shakshuka (Baked Eggs With Spicy Tomato Sauce)

    Shakshuka means “all mixed up” in Hebrew and is one of the most popular breakfast dishes in Israel and at Sofra.

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  • Peter Cassidy
    90/94

    Mutabal

    The ingredients in this dish are as simple as eggplant, garlic and lemon juice—a lightened up, tahini-free version of baba ghanouj.

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  • Richard Learoyd
    91/94

    Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts, and Honey

    This dish is easy to make, yet looks stunning, and has the most delicate and exotic combination of flavors (rose water, saffron, and cinnamon), which takes you straight to the famous Jemaa el Fna in Marrakech. Serve with rice or plain couscous.

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  • Photo by Okada Kana
    92/94

    Yemeni Spice Rub

    Here's a traditional spice blend from Yemen, where it's called hawayil. Add to onions and celery when making chicken soup; sprinkle on carrots before roasting; or rub into steaks before searing.

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