19 Middle Eastern-Inspired Mezze Recipes (2024)

Put together a delicious spread of authentic and Middle Eastern-inspired recipes from the cuisines of Turkey, Lebanon and more. Mezze, also spelled meze, means small plates and are served similar to tapas. We like to pair these flavorful Middle Eastern recipes with shish kebabs, lamb, chicken or fish. Try recipes like Chickpeas with Garlicky Yogurt & Toasted Pita (Fatteh Hommos), Pumpkin Kibbeh (Kebbet Laa'tin) and more.

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Tomato Dolma with Roasted Eggplant (Köz Patlicanli Domates Dolmasi)

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Dolma are stuffed vegetables common from the Mediterranean all the way to Central Asia. This easy recipe pairs ripe tomatoes with a ground beef filling that's lightened with eggplant and onions. Serve the stuffed tomatoes as a starter or double up for a main dish.

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Cucumber with Basil, Yogurt, Walnuts & Browned Butter (Yanik Tereyagli Cacik)

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You may not typically serve your cucumbers bruised, but intentionally smashing them releases their flavorful juices. Taking the time to soak the walnuts for this dish gives them a special soft texture and plumpness. Serve this vegetable dish with pita as part of a mezze platter or as a side salad.

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Double-Tahini Hummus

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You'll look like an expert with this easy hummus recipe that produces the lightest, silkiest hummus you've ever had. Chilling the cooked chickpeas ensures that when they're blended with the oil and cold tahini the hummus will come out creamy rather than oily. In a pinch, you can use the quick-soak technique (see Step 1), reduce the chilling time and still get great hummus.

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Chickpeas with Garlicky Yogurt & Toasted Pita (Fatteh Hommos)

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19 Middle Eastern-Inspired Mezze Recipes (4)

Fatteh means "broken" and signifies a dish of toasted bread pieces mixed with other ingredients. In this easy recipe, the yogurt is also "broken" with tahini, garlic and oil. Enjoy it immediately, before the crispy bread gets soggy from the yogurt.

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Pumpkin Kibbeh (Kebbet Laa'tin)

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Yogurt with Beets (Borani Chogondar)

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Borani, a Middle Eastern yogurt dip, can be made with anything from spinach to eggplant to carrots. This recipe gets its shockingly pink color from grated beets. Make it ahead--the longer it sits, the better it tastes.

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Cucumber & Pomegranate Salad (Salad-e Khiar-o Anar)

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A platter of herbs, scallions and feta is typically served alongside Persian meals in lieu of a Western-style green salad. They are meant to be folded into flatbread as an accompaniment to a meal (or sometimes as the meal itself). This salad is a riff on that, with pomegranate seeds and cucumbers mixed in.

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Olive Oil-Braised Jewish Zucchini Peels (Kashkarikas)

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A popular Sephardic Jewish dish, cuajado, is made with just the zucchini flesh mixed with fresh cheese and matzo meal. This vegetable side dish recipe was created so the peels wouldn't go to waste. Serve as an appetizer or a side dish. Use any leftover zucchini flesh in stuffings, breads and muffins or just sauté with garlic in olive oil.

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Eggplant with Sweet-Sour Onions & Pickled Cherries (Visneli Patlican Bayildi)

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This layered dish features super-tender roasted eggplant and sweet sautéed onions spiked with tart and fruity pomegranate molasses. Serve with pita as part of a mezze course or as a side with a larger meal.

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Potatoes with Green Tahini Sauce

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The cilantro- and lemon-laced tahini sauce is a perfect bold partner for potatoes in this Middle-Eastern-style potato salad recipe. The green tahini sauce is also great tossed with roasted carrots or broccoli.

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Roasted Beet Salad

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19 Middle Eastern-Inspired Mezze Recipes (11)

Walnuts, red onion and dill make this roasted beet salad recipe a fantastic accompaniment to chicken or topping for hummus. If you can't find beets with greens attached, use 1 pound of beets and 8 ounces of chard leaves.

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Matbucha (Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce)

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This slow-cooked tomato sauce recipe takes a little time but yields incredible results. Use it as a topping for chicken or salmon, stir it into a soup or stew, or use it as the base for an amazing pasta sauce.

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Baba Ganouj

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Grilled eggplant is pureed along with garlic, lemon juice and tahini to make a lighter version of the classic Middle Eastern dip. If you can't find ground sumac for the garnish, chopped pistachios are traditional as well. Serve with pita wedges or use as a spread for sandwiches.

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Chickpea & Bulgur Stuffed Grape Leaves

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Think hummus meets tabbouleh in these vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, bursting with chickpeas, parsley and bulgur tied together with a lemony, garlicky sauce. The grape leaves will seem soft when just finished cooking, but will firm up as they cool. We prefer these at room temperature or cold--perfect for bringing to work for lunch.

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Parsley Tabbouleh

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Serve this tart, parsley-dominated tabbouleh at your next backyard gathering.

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Chickpea Burgers & Tahini Sauce

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Rather than a heavy, fried falafel, here's a lighter version of the pocket sandwich: a chickpea patty served in a whole-wheat pita with a flavorful and lower-in-fat tahini sauce. Make it a Meal: Serve with a tomato-&-feta salad or Parsley Tabbouleh. Wash it down with an organic Wit Bier from Wolaver's.

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Tabbouleh with Chickpeas

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This tabbouleh recipe with chickpeas has lots of parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumbers. Toasting brings out the flavor in the cumin, and cinnamon adds a subtle depth to the flavors. Bring this tabbouleh recipe as a side to a party or serve as a one-dish supper for 6 instead of 8.

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Bulgur & Lentils

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Caramelized onions add deep flavor to this fast take on the Middle Eastern dish mjadra, a simple vegetarian recipe featuring bulgur and lentils. Serve with a salad of chopped parsley, tomato and cucumber tossed with a lemon vinaigrette.

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Lebanese Potato Salad

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19 Middle Eastern-Inspired Mezze Recipes (19)

?Dressed with a tangy lemon vinaigrette and fresh mint, this invigorating--and dairy-free--potato salad makes the perfect summer potluck contribution.