17 Delicious Traditional Lebanese Foods to Try  Before You Die

Are you looking for the best Lebanese dishes? Wondering what are some of the highlights of Lebanese food? You’re at the right place.

Here’s a detailed guide on the best Lebanese foods to try at least once in your lifetime.

I have lived and traveled around the Middle East for the past 10 years, and I have tried and tested every single dish in this guide. I now live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanese is always my go-to comfort food.

From dipping a pita bread into a bowl of creamy hummus to eating a sumptuous meal of shish tawouk, sliced onions, and parsley sprinkled with a generous dose of sumac, Lebanese cuisine has always held a special place in my heart.

If you’re visiting the Middle East or looking for traditional Lebanese food in your city, this Lebanese food guide will surely help you.

A quick clarification: Lebanese food is often broadly used to describe the food of the Levant region, including the countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. We will stick to that definition in this guide.

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Lebanese Bread

Pita Bread

Traditional Lebanese food is vibrant, fresh, and deeply rooted in tradition. And at the heart of almost every meal is the humble yet essential Lebanese pita bread.

This soft, fluffy, and slightly chewy bread is a staple at every table. Whether you’re scooping creamy hummus or stuffing it with grilled shawarma, pita bread is your ultimate tool.

Best Mezze Dishes in Lebanese Cuisine

Lebanese mezze is a delightful Middle Eastern culinary tradition that usually includes a variety of small, flavorful dishes designed to be shared and savored over conversation. Think of them as appetizers or small plates of Mediterranean cuisine.

You cannot miss the combination of creamy cold dips like hummus and muttabal, stuffed grape leaves, fresh salads such as tabbouleh and fattoush, marinated olives, and hot, savory delights like falafel, kibbeh, and sambusas.

The mezze is the star of Lebanese cuisine – the variety of flavors, textures, and tastes is incredible. I prefer mezze dishes over the mains because of the sheer variety!

If you’re a vegetarian, you’re definitely going to love the mezze section in any Lebanese restaurant.

Hummus

Hummus, a universally loved dish, is a creamy blend of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. While the ingredients may sound simple, the balance of flavors is magical.

Whether served as a dip with pita bread or as a side dish to grilled meats, hummus is a dish you’ll find in every Lebanese home and restaurant.

If you’re new to Lebanese cuisine, begin with pita and hummus – you cannot go wrong!

I love mutabbal more than baba ghanoush, but that really boils down to your choice.

Muhammara

Muhammara is a flavorful red pepper and walnut dip with pomegranate molasses and breadcrumbs, offering a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and nutty flavors.

Muttabal/Baba Ghanoush

Muttabal is a dip made with roasted eggplants, tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and garlic. Its smoky, rich flavor and a drizzle of olive oil make it an unforgettable treat.

Baba Ghanoush, on the other hand, is a dip made from smoked eggplants, pomegranate molasses, tomatoes, walnuts, and parsley.

Hindbeh

Hindbeh is a humble yet flavorful dish made with sautéed dandelion greens, crispy onions, and olive oil, served with a squeeze of lemon juice.

I am a big fan of sautéed greens, so you can imagine my happiness when I recently discovered hindbeh at a quaint Riyadh restaurant called Yawmiyat by Dalal. As you must have guessed, hindbeh is a bit of a hidden gem and not that easy to find.

★ Related Read: 15 Best Restaurants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Haraa Osbao

Haraa osbao is a heartwarming dish made with black lentils, pasta, caramelized onions, and some pomegranate molasses, giving it the required tartness. The dish is usually topped with pomegranate seeds to give it a dash of color.

Tabouleh

Tabouleh is a refreshing and zesty salad made with finely chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, bulgur, and green onions, all dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. It’s the perfect appetizer or a fresh side to heavier dishes like grilled meats or shawarma.

Falafel

A favorite among vegetarians and street food lovers, falafel is a deep-fried fritter made from ground chickpeas (Egypt has its own fava bean version called ta’amia) mixed with herbs and spices.

Batata Harra

Batata harra, translating to “spicy potatoes,” is a favorite during feasts and celebrations. These crispy cubes of fried or roasted potatoes are tossed with garlic, cilantro, chili, and lemon, giving them the perfect blend of heat and freshness.

Best Lebanese Main Dishes

Lebanese mains usually consist of grilled meat, enjoyed with a side of fries, onion, and parsley salad.

Shish Tawouk

Shish Tawouk is one of the most popular Lebanese main dishes, featuring marinated chicken skewers grilled to perfection. The marinade is a rich blend of yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and a medley of aromatic spices, such as paprika and cumin, which infuse the chicken with a mouthwatering taste.

Typically served with fluffy rice, crispy fries, or warm pita bread, shish tawouk is often accompanied by a special garlic sauce, known as toum, for an extra layer of flavor. I love toum and can eat shish tawouk plates just for this garlic dip!

Grilled Lamb Chops

Grilled lamb chops are another popular Lebanese main dish. These chops are typically marinated in a mixture of salt, black and white pepper, oregano, garlic, and lemon juice, allowing the flavors to deeply penetrate the meat before grilling.

Often served with roasted vegetables, herbed potatoes, salad, and pita bread, grilled lamb chops are deliciously filling.

Mixed Grill Plate

In Lebanese cuisine, the mixed grill plate is a beloved staple. These plates usually feature an assortment of char-grilled meats like shish taouk (marinated chicken skewers), kafta (seasoned minced lamb or beef with parsley and onion), and lahm meshwi (grilled lamb cubes).

The mixed grill is usually accompanied by garlic sauce (toum), grilled vegetables, fresh herbs, pickles, and warm pita bread, making it a wonderfully balanced dining experience.

Manakish

Manakish is a Levantine flatbread dish often described as the Middle Eastern answer to pizza.

In a manakish, soft, chewy dough is traditionally baked in a wood-fired oven and topped with various ingredients, depending on the region or preference.

The most classic version is topped with za’atar. Other popular toppings include cheese (like akkawi or halloumi), minced meat (lahmeh), or even labneh (strained yogurt) and vegetables.

Manakish can be eaten at any time of day, but I love to have one when I am done with the Lebanese mezze and cannot have one of the heavy grilled dishes. Manakish is perfect then.

Shawarma Platter

Ahh, how can I miss the shawarma platter in this list of my favorite Levantine foods! Although shawarma is believed to have originated in Turkey, it has been wholeheartedly absorbed into the food of the entire Middle East.

A shawarma platter is a hearty, full-meal version of the popular street food. Instead of being served wrapped in pita or flatbread, the thinly sliced, marinated meat—typically beef, lamb, or chicken—is presented on a plate alongside various accompaniments such as fries, garlic sauce, salads, and pita bread.

Fatteh

Fatteh is a comforting Levantine dish made from toasted pita bread, which forms a crunchy base layer, chickpeas, chicken, meat, or shrimp, and a garlicky yoghurt sauce on top.

Best Lebanese Desserts

Kunafa

Kunafa (kanafeh, knafeh, or konafa) is one of my favorite Levantine desserts. It is made from thin, shredded pastry dough, soaked in a fragrant sugar syrup, and typically layered with a rich filling like soft cheese and clotted cream, and topped with pistachios.

The best thing about kunafa is the combination of crunchy and gooey textures, which makes it an absolute winner.

Halawat el Jibn

Halawat el jibn is made of sweet cheese dough rolled with clotted cream and topped with sugar syrup, orange blossom water, and crushed pistachios. You can leave the sugar syrup out if you do not want it to be very sweet. This one is just heavenly!

★ Related Read: 13 Best Desserts to Eat in the Middle East

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