Top 20 Syrian Foods and Popular Dishes to Try

These amazing Syrian foods embody the fragrant, bold, and rich reputation Middle Eastern cuisine has garnered throughout the world.

Due to its location and history, Syria is known for a variety of cuisines.

Different regions of the country often have their own distinct dishes with influences from former empires or neighboring countries.

Syrian cuisine as a whole is a fusion of foods from all around the Middle East.

Even though the dishes might vary, they do all have one thing in common. They’re simply delicious!

With fresh ingredients like eggplant, garlic, chicken, lamb, chickpeas, mint, and honey, even picky eaters will find something they like. 

These 20 recipes are sure to bring a whole new world of flavors to your table.

1. Jazmaz- Syrian Shakshuka

Jazmaz is the perfect dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Honestly, it’s so good, you’ll want it any time of day.

This spicy egg dish is a cinch to make and looks like it belongs in a five-star restaurant. 

Jazmaz features soft and creamy eggs cooked in a spicy chile and tomato sauce.

Top it with fresh herbs and chopped olives and serve it with warm bread. 

2. Kibbeh

The movie Inception centers around the idea of a dream within a dream.

Well, this dish is like “meat inception.” It’s meat within more meat, and it’s really delicious!

Kibbeh is a type of croquette. It features bulgur (a wheat grain common in the Middle East), your choice of ground meat, pine nuts, onion, garlic, and spices.

Form your croquette, deep fry it to perfection, and prepare to wow all of your guests at your next party.

3. Tabakh Roho (Syrian Lamb and Vegetable Stew)

While versions of many Syrian dishes can be found throughout the Middle East, Tabakh Roho is a Syrian specialty.

Featuring spiced lamb and tender vegetables, this stew is healthy and delectable.

4. Horaa Osbao

Earthy lentils, chewy pasta, caramelized onions, citrusy sumac, and tantalizing pomegranate molasses make horaa osbao the perfect stew.

Top it with fresh herbs and homemade pita chips for a sweet, savory, deliciously balanced bite. 

Did I mention that horaa osbao is naturally vegan? But even the carnivores will love it. 

5. Jaj Bl Hamed w Tum (Baked Chicken with Lemon and Garlic)

This simple, one-pan meal is so good, everyone will think you’ve been toiling over the stove all day. Your secret is safe with me. 

In this dish, chicken legs are oven-roasted on a bed of thinly sliced onions and potato wedges.

Just before the dish is ready to serve, you slather the chicken legs in lemon-garlic oil and return it to the oven for a few more minutes.

Your end result is bright, crispy, succulent chicken and insanely flavorful veggies. 

6. Syrian Fattet Djaj (Layered Chicken Platter)

If Middle Eastern cuisine seems a bit intimidating, this Syrian fattet djaj is a fantastic way to introduce yourself to the flavors.

This delicious chicken platter features some of the best elements of Middle Eastern food while keeping more mild flavor profiles. 

7. Syrian Fatteh

Colorful, delectable, and power-packed with protein, Syrian fatteh is a healthy dish the whole family will love.

If you’re familiar with British trifle, the concept is similar. There are lots of delicious layers.

This fatteh features layers of toasted pita bread, minced beef, chickpeas, and a hummus-like sauce.

It’s seasoned with 7-spice, Aleppo pepper, and cumin. Finally, it’s garnished with parsley, pine nuts, and fresh pomegranate. 

It’s fresh, textured, and full of flavor!

8. Syrian Kawaj

Kawaj is a casserole-like dish that features flavorful meatballs, potatoes, pepper, onion, and tomatoes.

It’s healthy, filling, and accompanies rice beautifully. This version is done in the Crockpot for minimal effort and clean-up. 

The meatballs are the star of this dish. They’re seasoned with a special Arabic spice blend, called baharat.

Baharat is a little sweet, a little savory, and seriously tasty. 

If you can’t find baharat in your store, no worries, you can make it yourself.

It typically contains these spices: black pepper, paprika, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, cumin, cloves, and cinnamon.

9. Syrian Baba Ganoush

If you love eggplant, then you can bet that you’ll love this Syrian baba ganoush.

Fire-roasted eggplant, pomegranate molasses, tomatoes, and walnuts mix together to create a super flavorful salad. 

It is common to add cucumbers, onion, or other vegetables as well. This works as a great appetizer or side dish. 

10. Mutabal- Traditional Eggplant Dip

Mutabal is the Syrian version of what is known in some Middle Eastern regions as baba ganoush, but they’re not the same.

Syrian mutabal is like the simpler cousin of baba ganoush.

It contains fewer “main” ingredients: only tahini and roasted eggplant.

The other ingredients are seasonings or aromatics, like garlic and lemon. This really allows the eggplant and tahini to shine through. 

This is a dip and all of the ingredients are blended together. Serve it with pita bread and fresh vegetables. 

11. Syrian Hummus

Earthy, bright, and garlicky, hummus is so simple, but so delectable!

It’s made with chickpeas, lemon, garlic, tahini, salt, olive oil, and cumin. Puree everything to your desired consistency, season to taste, and you’re done.

Serve it with pita chips, fresh vegetables, in a wrap, or on a salad. Hummus is good with everything.  

12. One-Pot Mujadara  

This one-pot mujadara is easy to make, extremely healthy, and scrumptious to boot.

Starring bulgur and lentils, this nutty vegan dish is full of fiber, folate, and iron.

You could certainly add some of your favorite vegetables for an extra nutrient boost.

It’s served alongside a creamy and refreshing cucumber-mint yogurt sauce.

This recipe uses coconut yogurt to keep it vegan, but feel free to use any other plain yogurt you like. 

13. Muhammara (Syrian Red Pepper Dip)

Syria has mastered the art of creating simple but wholly amazing food. This red pepper dip is a prime example. 

The three main ingredients are rich roasted bell peppers, nutty toasted walnuts, and sweet-sour pomegranate molasses. It’s simple yet sublime.

14. Middle Eastern Syrian Salad

This Syrian salad is light, fresh, and full of flavor. It’s also bursting with health benefits!

Romaine lettuce, cucumber, radish, bell pepper, tomato, and red onion make up the bulk of this beautiful salad.

It’s topped with grated garlic, fresh herbs, and a homemade dressing.

15. Syrian Pita Bread

Famous for its pockets, pita bread is a staple in Middle Eastern cooking, and it’s easy to see why.

It’s soft in texture and mild in flavor, so it balances some of the strong flavors found in Syrian cuisine.

As with all bread, fresh pita is the best. Luckily, it’s easy to make.

16. Syrian Stuffed Vine Leaves

Stuffed leaves are common throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and for good reason.

Spiced rice is rolled into vine leaves and steamed in the same pot as tender chicken legs.

You taste lemon, garlic, pomegranate molasses, and tomato, as those ingredients are in the rice and the cooking liquid.

The result is an exquisite dish that everyone will love.  

This recipe is time-consuming and a bit fussy, but you won’t regret taking the time to make it.

17. Syrian Rice

This tasty and savory rice dish is full of surprising and fantastic textures.

Want to know the secret to all of that great texture? Toasted pine nuts and spaghetti noodles!

Butter, cinnamon, and chicken bouillon impart tons of flavor. This dish may sound a little funny, but I promise it’s fantastic.

The best part is that everything is done in the same pot, so you have more time with your family!

18. Easy Syrian Turkish Delight

Turkish delight is like a fancy adult fruit snack. It’s chewy, sweet, and you won’t be able to stop eating it.

Turkish Delight has notes of rose, orange blossom, and lemon. It’s delicious topped with pistachios or dates! 

19. Halawet El-Jibn

Halawet El-Jibn is a light and aromatic Syrian confection.

It features a dough made with a mild Middle Eastern cheese (you can substitute mozzarella), so it’s chewy and a little salty.

The cheese dough is filled with a milky cream called ashta, which is similar to clotted cream.

A sweet syrup flavored with rose water and orange blossom is delicately poured over the top. 

Halawet El-Jibn is then topped with crushed pistachios and rose jam. It’s dainty and delectable.

20. Knafeh

Cheesecake lovers unite! Then, come try knafeh. 

Knafeh is a rich, milky pastry made with cream and ricotta cheese (traditionally ashta). It has a texture similar to cheesecake.

The crust is made with butter and kataifi- a shredded phyllo pastry common throughout the Mediterranean and Levant.

This buttery, flaky crust is layered above and below the cheese mixture for a fantastic mix of textures. 

Everything is topped with a lemon and rose syrup for a delicate sweetness. It’s absolutely fantastic!