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Lebanese Hushwee – Ground Beef with Pine Nuts

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LIZ DELLA CROCE

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Hushwee (or hashweh) is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine as a humble, flavor-packed dish made of ground meat cooked in clarified butter.

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prep time25 minutes

Scooping Lebanese hushwee- ground beef with pine nuts.

Lebanese Hushwee (or hashweh) is a simple, modest Middle-Eastern recipe made with ground meat, cinnamon, and toasted pine nuts. Every family has a staple, comfort food that they go to over and over. For my family? That’s Lebanese Hushwee or Ground Beef with Pine Nuts with a side of lebanese green beans. Packed full of flavor, but done quickly, we use it in a handful of different dishes, but also enjoy it on it’s own!

Ingredients

  • Clarified butter: Also called ghee, it has more of a roasted, nutty taste than normal butter, and also stores and lasts longer than typical butter.
  • Onion: I use a white onion, as it’s mild and palatable to most, but still adds great flavor.
  • Ground beef: I use ground sirloin, but you can use ground chuck or even a different ground meat that you have on hand!
  • Lebanese spice blend: My Lebanese spice blend is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and pepper.
  • Pine nuts: Mild and sweet in flavor, and buttery in texture, they’re flavir is greatly enhanced when roasted or toasted.

How to Make Lebanese Hushwee

Start by melting your clarified butter over medium-high heat, then add in your diced onion and sauté until slightly translucent.

Add your ground beef and season with some salt and pepper, breaking up with a wooden spoon or potato masher.

Add your Lebanese spice blend and continue cooking until ground beef is all browned and crumbled.

Finish by adding your toasted pine nuts and minced parsley (if you have it).

Lebanese hushwee- ground beef with pine nuts.

Serve with pita bread and brown rice, and enjoy your Lebanese Hushwee!

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is hushwee?

Hushwee (or hashweh) is a one-pot dish full of warm spices and flavor that comes from the Middle-East. I make it the way my family did, which stems from Lebanon, but there are variations from many countries!

What do you serve with hushwee?

We love eating it with creamy, cucumber laban and a giant Syrian salad. To eat, ditch the fork and scoop up your bites with pieces of pita bread!

What type of meat do you use with hushwee?

This recipe works with any type of ground meat you have on hand, but I prefer beef sirloin, ground lamb, or a combination of the two.

Recipes with Hushwee

Lebanese Hushwee- ground beef with pine nuts.

More Middle Eastern Recipes

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hushwee

What family recipes always bring you back to special times in the kitchen? Lebanese Hushwee is one that we always come back to in my family.

No fork required.

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Lebanese Hushwee - Ground Beef with Pine Nuts?

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Lebanese Hushwee – Ground Beef with Pine Nuts

Liz Della Croce
4.75 stars average
Hushwee rice is a beef and rice mixture made with cinnamon, toasted pine nuts and rice pilaf cooked in clarified butter. An easy one-pan meal.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
CourseMain Dish
Serves8

Ingredients
 
 

Video

Instructions
 

Toasting the Pine Nuts:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a small cookie sheet place raw pine nuts and cook for 5-7 minutes or until they are at a light brown in color. Keep a careful eye on them as they can burn quickly.
Lebanese Hushwee
  1. In a deep pan, melt butter over medium high heat then add the minced onion. Sautee until translucent, 4-5 minutes.
    1 tablespoon clarified butter, 1 medium onion
  2. Add ground sirloin and spices. Cook 8-10 minutes or until meat is browned, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to break up meat. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in toasted pine nuts and set aside.
    20 ounces ground sirloin, 2 tablespoons All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend, 1/4 cup pine nuts

Liz’s Notes

To toast pine nuts simply spread in an even layer on a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
If you don’t wish to make your own clarified butter (also known as “ghee”), you can find it online or in most health stores.
For lasting freshness, store pine nuts in the freezer to keep them fresher, longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 517mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you tried my


Lebanese Hushwee - Ground Beef with Pine Nuts?

Leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how you liked it in the 📝 comments and share it on Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest.

We love hearing from you! This helps us continue to provide free, high-quality recipes.


4.75 from 31 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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74 responses to “Lebanese Hushwee – Ground Beef with Pine Nuts”

  1. Jean Fuller Avatar
    Jean Fuller

    Saw this recipe yesterday and made today. I added shredded chicken (and toasted vermicelli pieces). It was exactly as I remember from great Lebanese restaurants in Detroit/Dearborn. I will be following you. Thanks!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you so much for the best compliment! I’m glad you enjoyed!

  2. Liz Avatar
    Liz

    Hey Liz. Thanks for a great recipe and spice mix. I served it over salad. Love it with the pine nuts. Thanks again, Liz

    1. Lynda Mende Ruggiano Avatar
      Lynda Mende Ruggiano

      How I miss my sister in-laws wonderful cooking and culture. 💖😘😢

  3. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    We make this adding rice and leftover chicken or turkey chopped.

    1. Lisa Avatar
      Lisa

      Oh, and we brown the meat in one pan, and toast the pine nuts in a stockpot near the end of sautéing the onions. Add the browned meat, chopped chicken or turkey, rice, and chicken stock to stockpot, cover, and simmer until rice is done.

  4. Cara Avatar
    Cara

    I love, love, love this recipe. It’s easy, flavorful AND my toddlers will eat it!!!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh yes my boys love it too Cara!!! So glad!

  5. Basmah Avatar
    Basmah

    Parboiled rice isn’t available in my area at the moment. How should I prepare it with long grain white rice?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Same way! :)

      1. Mj Avatar
        Mj

        I absolutely love this recipe, however I do not think it is gluten-free with the vermicelli, nor would it be Paleo. If you remove the rice and pasta it would absolutely be gluten-free and Paleo! Would probably taste great over cauliflower rice cooked in ghee!

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          Hi MJ! Sorry for the confusion – you just pointed out an error: the recipe listed is for hushwee WITH RICE (but it’s supposed to just be the hushwee/meat part which is gluten free and paleo.) :) We are working to resolve – sorry about that!

  6. Tina Avatar
    Tina

    The missing ingredient is rice. We have made this dish with rice for generations.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Hi Tina – We make it with rice also but that’s a separate recipe. :) https://thelemonbowl.com/lebanese-hushwee-rice-with-toasted-pine-nuts/

  7. Danielle Avatar
    Danielle

    Oh my goodness, this was absolutely divine! We added some sultanas to it during the cooking, which gave it a little sweet pop, but… ohhh my. I can’t begin to describe how amazing this was. I am not a massive parsley fan, but it really was amazing in this, and I added lemon juice at the end just to cut the fat of the lamb. I actually forgot about the chicken, but it didn’t need it. :)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I love the lemon juice idea at that end!!!!!!

  8. Sabrina Silver Avatar
    Sabrina Silver

    This was delicious. I served mine over cooked spinach, less salt and more ghee. Ahhh. My husband had his over butternut squash. I can think of many ways to eat it. Thank you.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      What a great idea! So glad you enjoyed it!

  9. Jeanette Avatar
    Jeanette

    This might sound crazy but can this be made without the nuts as my dialysis diet doesn’t allow nuts?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes totally just leave them out!!

  10. Denise Dayie Avatar
    Denise Dayie

    Liz, 1 1/4 teaspoon of salt is way too much. You must love a lot of salt. You really don’t need the salt with the other spices mixed.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Hi Denise – I always do 1 teaspoon of salt per one pound of meat but you’re welcome to adjust to your personal taste! Enjoy!

  11. Denise Dayie Avatar
    Denise Dayie

    I make the Hashwe with the 5 spices but I use much less salt in the spices. This is great in pita bread with a Lebanese salad.

  12. Arlen Avatar
    Arlen

    This recipe is a fave in my family, and my kids are very finicky. Thanks for sharing this.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad you enjoy it!!! We love it too.

  13. Holly Avatar
    Holly

    Could this be made with ground turkey? I can only eat poultry due to food allergies and really want to try this!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes it absolutely could but it will be a bit on the drier side. Enjoy!

      1. Holly Avatar
        Holly

        Would adding some ghee help that?

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          Yes absolutely!!

      2. Basmah Avatar
        Basmah

        Hey, i only have stir fry rice noodles. Will this method work? Or should i soak them in water per the box’s instructions?

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          Oooo that sounds tasty too. I would cook them according to package instructions!

  14. Christine Avatar
    Christine

    My husband made this for our family tonight. My grandmother was Lebanese and I have missed the food immensely since I had to pack up my Lebanese cookbook several months ago. So glad I found you today; there’s no telling how mediocre our meal would have been without your hushwee! Thank you very much!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it!!!

  15. Carm Avatar
    Carm

    Made it…Loved it. And, it’s so easy. It’s all about those spices.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      So glad you enjoyed it!! The spices are the best aren’t they?

  16. Jordan Baker Avatar
    Jordan Baker

    Lovely recipe, perfect for some of our spices, nutmeg and beef always go great together a little Chipotle Chilli Powder would add to the taste too!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Good idea!!!

  17. Sue Bunton Avatar
    Sue Bunton

    My mom was pretty much a plain Jane when it came to cooking but was a wonderful baker. My favorite cookie of hers was the Brown Christmas cookie. It is a cutout ginger/molasses cookie. It was “brown” and made at Christmas time….thus the name!! I think my mom got the recipe from these little holiday cookbooks that the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company published WAY back in the day (like the ’50s and ’60s). I was the “froster” and even when I had moved out of the house and had a “big girl” job, I took a day off of work in December to perform my frosting job!! I miss those days!! I am making your hushwee recipe tonight and am thankful for the Beirut Baking in Redford, MI for scooping out some ghee from their giant can in the kitchen and putting it in a little container for me :) Serving it on hummus with pita bread and fattoush salad!!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh my goodness this makes me so happy!! I love the memory of baking with your mom and I love that you found ghee!! How did it turn out?!

      1. Sue Bunton Avatar
        Sue Bunton

        It turned out amazing and so easy to make! Everyone loved it! I posted it on Instagram if you are interesting (suebunton5)!!

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          I’m so thrilled!

  18. julia Avatar
    julia

    Reminds me of my Grandma’s cooking! I just love this dish and toasted pine nuts make everything better in my book!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I’m so thrilled you approve of this one!!

  19. Kirsten Avatar
    Kirsten

    Liz,
    We’re getting one step closer to the ground meat and rice dish I’d get, along with some chicken shawarma and hummus, at the Lebanese butcher down the road from my son’s wheelchair basketball practice gym. It’s on the list of foods I crave since we moved to Ohio.
    I’ve got plenty of ground beef in the freezer (and leeks in the freezer too, wonder if they would sub for frozen onions) as well as a few more weekly trips to sled hockey (7 minutes away from the closest Costco, which is down in Cincinnati). This is on the list. Thanks!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Let me know if you try the leeks!! I bet it would be good!

  20. Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog Avatar
    Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog

    Love love love the sound of this recipe! And you made it look so pretty! I also have a love for toasted pine nuts, so i’m definitely going to add this to the dinners-to-make list!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Who hasn’t over toasted pine nuts??! :)

  21. Gaby Avatar
    Gaby

    Liz, this looks fantastic!

  22. Joanne Avatar
    Joanne

    For me, that meal is my mom’s mac and cheese…but I could totally see this being a CRAZY COMFORT FOOD. I love cinnamon in savory places.

  23. Meredith Avatar
    Meredith

    So amazing!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I hope you try it!!

  24. Alyssa (Everyday Maven) Avatar
    Alyssa (Everyday Maven)

    So, is this the same recipe your Aunt uses? I am so curious as to what she does different and why they come out different? It looks pretty amazing to me Liz!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      The biggest difference is the amount of clarified butter we use. ;-) Let’s just say she isn’t watching her waistline like I am these days – haha. Also she uses frozen onions which I swear make a difference but I never have them around (can’t find them!)

      1. irene Avatar
        irene

        Try chopping your onions first and soaking them in cold water until you need them. That might reproduce the mildness of frozen onions without any extra work. And none of us want any extra work.

        Thanks for the pine nuts tip. I needed that.

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          Good idea!

  25. Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg Avatar
    Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg

    Oh yes, I love hushwee! I’m drooling now just thinking of it with hummus. Pass the pita.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I have got to serve it over hummus soon!! I want that right now!

  26. Aggie Avatar
    Aggie

    I’ve been craving this since you originally told me about it. Looks so delicious!
    Ps…I’m the queen of burnt pine nuts.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I have burnt so many batches!!! So easy to do. :)

  27. Samantha @FerraroKitchen Avatar
    Samantha @FerraroKitchen

    You know I am madly in love with this dish. And I never ever use pine nuts! I don’t know why..they’re v=pretty amazing.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I am obsessed with pine nuts!! I buy them in bulk at Costco. :)

  28. KalynsKitchen Avatar
    KalynsKitchen

    I’m loving the sound of this. (I think I must have lived in the middle east in a previous life. All the food from there just speaks to me.)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I completely get it!! It’s my favorite food ever!!

  29. Vijay @ NoshOn.It Avatar
    Vijay @ NoshOn.It

    This looks delicious Liz! Definitely going to try it with lamb one of these days.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Lamb is the best!!! Definitely a little fattier but so so good.

  30. tanya Avatar
    tanya

    I absolutely love the cinnamon in this dish! It reminds me of so many of my moms Greek dishes.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh my goodness I adore Greek food for that reason!! Do you have many Greek recipes on your site??

      1. Tanya Schroeder Avatar
        Tanya Schroeder

        Only a few adaptations of my mom’s Greek cooking. As with many good dishes, they take so long to prepare!

  31. Cassie Avatar
    Cassie

    I wish we were neighbors so I could benefit from your amazing Lebanese cuisine!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I wish you were too – I need more taste testers!!

  32. Tina Muir Avatar
    Tina Muir

    This looks wonderful Liz, how original! I would love to give this a try! Toasted pine nuts are looovveellly! Thanks for the recipe :) Excited to try it!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      You would love this protein-packed dish!! Great for running!!

  33. Kim | Just For Clicks Avatar
    Kim | Just For Clicks

    I LOVE finding new dishes to make my family. Your Slow Cooker Chicken Curry was a HUGE https://thelemonbowl.com/slow-cooker-chicken-curry/ hit in my family – and curry was something I’d never made before. So I’m anxious to make this one! Thanks for all the tips (including the frozen onions). I agree on the pine nuts… in a matter of seconds they go from being “done” to “DONE”. :-)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I love that curry too!!! I’m so glad you guys like it!!!