Mom’s Special Mansaf

Name: Mom’s Special Mansaf
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 170 min
Ingredients: 2.2 lb beef shank (or beef brisket); 1 white onion (medium, peeled and quartered); 7 cloves garlic (smashed); 3 bay leaves; 6 cardamom pods; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 cups water (or beef stock); 4 cups long-grain rice; 6 cups water (or beef stock); 8 oz ground beef; 2 Tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil); 1/2 Tbsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp ground cinnamon powder; 1/4 tsp Lebanese 7-spice; 1/2 cup cashews (raw); 1/2 cup blanched almonds; 1/4 cup pine nuts; 2 Tbsp vegetable oil; 2 Tbsp parsley (chopped)

By Samira

published January 06, 2025

5 from 1 vote

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My mom’s special mansaf is a delicious Lebanese rice and ground beef recipe topped with flavorful, tender beef and seasoned with aromatic spices.

A serving of mansaf with topping of nuts and parsley.

Lebanese Mansaf (Riz bi Lahme) is a childhood comfort food of mine, especially the way mom makes it. Whenever I make it now, I go down memory lane, recalling so many stories from spending time with my family and enjoying the dish.

What is Mansaf?

Mansaf is made with spiced ground beef, fragrant fluffy rice, toasted nuts, and tender slow-cooked meat. Traditionally, we serve it at family gatherings and events. This recipe is indeed perfect for any special occasion—so aromatic and delicious, and it adds a Lebanese touch to the holiday table.

This Lebanese beef and rice dish might seem complicated, but the preparation of each element is simple—cook the beef shanks, cook the rice with ground beef, toast the nuts, and assemble it all together. You just need a bit of patience before you can enjoy the mansaf recipe. In the meantime, you can prepare a fresh side salad like Tabbouleh and a refreshing Ayran yogurt drink. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Watch how to make it

Ingredients

There are three main elements to prepare for this Lebanese mansaf recipe—rice with ground beef, slow-cooked beef, and toasted nuts.

For the rice:

Rice: I love to use long-grain rice. In a pinch, use short-grain.
Ground meat: I use ground beef, but you can also use ground lamb or a mix of the two.
Spices: I flavor the rice with black pepper, cinnamon, Lebanese 7-spice mix, and salt. You can make a homemade 7-spice mix with cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, coriander, allspice, cloves, and black peppercorn.
Water: Or, for added flavor, you can use beef stock.
Olive oil: You can use vegetable oil as well.

The toasted nuts:

Nuts: I love to use raw cashews, blanched almonds, and pine nuts. You can blanch almonds at home in a few minutes if wanted.
Vegetable oil.

For the slow-cooked beef:

A photo of the ingredients for cooking beef brisket.

Beef: I use either beef brisket or beef shanks.
Aromatics: You will also need white onion and garlic.
Spices: Use green cardamom pods, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper.
Water: Or beef stock.

Finally, to garnish the Lebanese rice with meat dish, you will need fresh parsley leaves.

See the printable recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make mom’s Mansaf

Cook the Beef Shank: You can cook the beef in the oven, on the stovetop, or using the Instant Pot. Choose your preferred method.

First, cube the beef, peel and quarter the onion, and smash the garlic.

In the oven: Preheat the oven to 350ºF/1750ºC. Place the beef cubes in a large roasting pan. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, cardamom pods, salt, and black pepper. Pour 2 cups of water (or beef stock) into the pan. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 2.5-3 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender.
On the stovetop: In a large pot, add the beef brisket, onion, garlic, bay leaves, cardamom pods, salt, and black pepper. Pour about 6 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Skim off any foam that develops, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 2.5-3 hours, or until the beef is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.
In an Instant Pot: Set your Instant Pot to the “Sauté” mode and add a bit of oil. Brown the beef brisket on all sides for about 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, cardamom pods, salt, black pepper, and 3 cups of water to the pot. Close the Instant Pot lid and set it to “Pressure Cook” on high for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the brisket. Once the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally.

Cooked beef brisket with spices in a crockpot.

Rinse the rice: While the beef is cooking (towards the last 30-40 minutes), you can prepare the other elements of this recipe. Alternatively, at the end of cooking the beef, strain the broth and use it to cook the rice.

Wash the rice under cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. Or you can fill a bowl with water and swish the rice in it, then drain and repeat a few times until the water is clear.

Brown the ground beef: In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil (or vegetable oil) over medium heat. Add the minced beef and cook until browned, breaking it up into small pieces. This usually takes 3-5 minutes.

Add in the rice, spices, and mix: Add the rinsed rice in the pot, then stir in the cinnamon, black pepper, 7-spice mix, and salt. Mix well and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Rice mixed with ground beef in a large pot.

Add the water and cook: Pour in the 6 cups of water (or beef stock), bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook the rice for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Once cooked, fluff the rice with a fork and set aside.

If you prefer, you can also cook the rice in a rice cooker.

Prepare the nuts: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the raw cashews, blanched almonds, and pine nuts. Toast them, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Remove the nuts from the pan and place them on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Assemble the Mansaf: On a large serving platter, spread the cooked rice evenly. Arrange the cooked beef brisket on top of the rice. Scatter the toasted nuts over the beef and rice. Finish by garnishing with chopped parsley for a burst of color and freshness.

A serving dish of mansaf topped with nuts and chopped parsley.

Serve and Enjoy: Mansaf is traditionally served as a communal dish, where everyone gathers around and digs in.

What do you serve with Mansaf

At home, we usually top the mansaf dish with nuts and serve it with a side of salad and a refreshing glass of Ayran (yogurt drink). Here are some salads I recommend: Tabbouleh salad, Fattoush salad, or Shirazi salad. You can also use whatever veggies you have in the fridge! Just chop them up, add a lemon dressing, and you’re all set.

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If you try this mansaf recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!