20 Famous Iraqi Dishes and Foods

Masgouf is a grilled fish dish popular in Iraq and is always considered the country’s national dish. Locals prepare it from carp living in the Tigris River, especially the part that flows through Baghdad.

The waterfront Abu Nawas district is particularly famous for the dish. To prepare masgouf, the carp is split lengthwise down the back before being seasoned with spices like tamarind, turmeric, salt, and olive oil.

Then, the cook bakes the fish on a specifically designed iron clamshell grill over a big fire until the flesh becomes soft and succulent. Iraqis typically serve the grilled fish with crispy flatbread, onions, lime garnish, and pickles.

Quzi, alternatively spelled as qoozi or ghoozi, is a national dish of Iraq. Locals traditionally prepare it by stuffing a whole lamb with nuts, raisins, rice, and various spices, then slowly roasting the lamb in a closed oven or pit.

A common method is to roast lamb legs or lamb shoulders separately, cook the rice in lamb broth, and serve the lamb on the rice with nut garnish. The lamb is then cut into small pieces and served on the rice.

Kebab is a traditional dish and street food in Iraq that is a grilled and skewered meat dish. Marinated lamb is the preferred ingredient for Iraqi kebabs.

The most well-known kebab variant is shish kebab. Tikka kebab (skewered and grilled chunks of lamb) is also a favorite.

Interestingly, locals in Iraq often use ground lamb mixed with spices. To bring out the tempting aromas of juicy kebabs, spices like paprika, sumac, and cumin are essential.

The grilled meat on skewers goes well with flatbread, pickles, and hummus (Middle Eastern chickpea-based dip).

Dolma, or stuffed vegetables, is one of the most common Iraqi foods utilizing many types of vegetables, such as eggplants, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, or zucchini.

The stuffed vegetables are then boiled at low heat with chicken or beef ribs in a tomato-based broth. In Northern Iraq, people usually add pomegranate juice to the filling of the stuffed vegetables for a sweet and tangy flavor.

Unlike people in countries where dolma is also popular, Iraqi locals don’t serve stuffed vegetables with yogurt. Sarma is a must-try variant of dolma made by wrapping grape leaves or leafy vegetables around the savory filling.

Kubba, also called kibbeh, is an Iraqi dish with some similarities to meat dumplings or croquettes. It is usually served at mezza in the country and many other West Asian nations, such as Syria and Lebanon.

The croquette-like dish is prepared by pounding ground meat, bulgur (parboiled, cracked wheat), and spices into a fine paste. The smooth mixture is then shaped into small oval-sized patties and cooked in many ways, like grilling, deep-frying, or even serving raw.

Iraq has several notable kubba versions found nowhere else. Kubba Halab boasts a rice crust, while kubba Mosul is as flat and round as a disc. Kubba shorba is a tomato-based soup with meat patties.

Samoon is a type of bread in Iraqi cuisine, famous for its unique diamond shape. An immensely popular type of bread in the country and its neighbors, samoon is made from yeast-leavened dough and baked in traditional stone ovens.

The versatile Iraqi yeast bread is excellent at pairing with Iraqi dishes, from dips to stews and grilled meat. A classic condiment to pair with samoon is the chutney-like amba, featuring pickled mangoes as the main ingredient.

Kleicha, or kolucheh, is a type of Iraqi cookie that looks like a slice of Swiss roll. Each cookie is filled with a sweet paste, ideally date paste, though nuts, sesame seeds, and desiccated coconut are also popular options.

The cookie is available in many shapes, from rounds to half-moons. Locals usually serve the cookies at special occasions like weddings and Eid al-Fitr.

Biryani is a classic Iraqi rice dish consisting of spiced chicken, almonds, raisins, and seasoned potatoes served over a bed of chicken broth-cooked rice. The rice is usually prepared with saffron or turmeric to acquire a beautiful yellow color.

The rice dish is well-known in Iraq, especially in the Kurdistan region. Locals sometimes serve the mixed rice dish with a sour and spicy tomato sauce.

Mujadara is a simple Iraqi dish combining cooked lentils, rice or bulgur, and sautéed onions, with spices like mint, cumin, or coriander for extra flavors.

The easy lentil and rice dish, first mentioned in a 13th-century Baghdad cookbook, is best savored with salads, bread, or yogurt on the side in Iraq.

Maqluba, literally “upside-down,” is a common Iraqi rice-based dish made with chicken or lamb and fried vegetables, such as eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes, and cauliflower.

The ingredients are meticulously layered in the pot before cooking, with vegetables at the bottom and rice at the top. When serving, the content is flipped upside down so that the tender veggies will sit on top of the fragrant rice.

The upside-down rice dish is often topped with chopped parsley and nuts. Simple salads or chopped vegetables are ideal sides for maqluba.

Mutabbaq samak is a rice dish and comfort food in Iraq, especially in the southern region. Some people even consider it among the national dishes of Iraq.

Mutabbaq samak consists of marinated and fried fish, caramelized onions, and rice cooked in fish stock. Bony fish caught from local rivers are preferred.

Raisins, nuts, or chopped parsley as garnish and salads on the side are other necessary elements to complete the rice and fried fish dish.

Tepsi baytinijan is a casserole dish in Iraqi cuisine. Its main ingredients include fried eggplant, sliced vegetables (like tomatoes, onions, potatoes, etc.), fried meatballs, tomato paste, and spices.

The meatballs and tomato slices are usually arranged on top of other ingredients. After being baked in the oven, the aromatic eggplant casserole is now ready to be enjoyed with steamed rice, ideally basmati rice.

Bamia is a traditional Iraqi stew made from lamb and okra in a tomato-based broth and served with bread or rice. The name was derived from bamya, the Arabic word for okra.

Some people in Iraq refer to the okra-based stew as margat bamya. Bone-in lamb shanks are a favorite cut.

Outside Iraq, the lamb and okra stew is also a common meal in many West Asian, Mediterranean, African, and Balkan countries.

Makhlama is a timeless Iraqi breakfast, prepared by sautéing ground beef with tomatoes or tomato sauce, onions, parsley, and spices before a few eggs are included at the top of the mixture.

A small garnish of chopped parsley, sumac, or cumin will provide a nice finishing touch to makhlama.

Tashreeb, also known as tharid or taghreeb, is an age-old Iraqi stew allegedly dating back to the period of the Islamic prophet Muhamad. The dish is prepared from protein (like chicken, lamb, or chickpeas) and vegetables of onions, carrots, tomatoes, and eggplants.

When the stew is ready, it is poured over crumbled pieces of flatbread on the plate. Historically, poor people served tashreeb with stale old bread, but that isn’t necessarily the case these days.

Harees, also known as harisa or jareesh, is a traditional Iraqi dish made by cooking bulgur (or barley) and meat to a smooth consistency. In the past, wealthy families usually prepared the porridge for less fortunate neighbors during multi-day weddings, Ramadan, or Eid al-Fitr.

Nowadays, the bulgur porridge is a healthy dish widely enjoyed for any meal of the day. To improve the flavor, sugar, cinnamon, or butter is sometimes added to the porridge, which is also popular in many Arab and African countries.

Kanafeh, also known as knafeh, is an age-old Iraqi dessert made from kataifi (spun pastry). This pastry is created by pan-frying a batter of flour and cornstarch, and then shredding it into thin strands.

The spun pastry is used to create the crust of kanafeh, while sweet soft cheese or cream is the main ingredient of the filling. When the cheese-filled pastry is just done baking and still hot, it is covered with sugar syrup and rose syrup before being garnished with crushed pistachios.

While kanafeh is popular year-round, it is most readily available during Ramadan alongside coffee or tea.

Qatayef is a traditional sweet dumpling traditionally served as a Ramadan dessert in Iraq. Dating back to the age of the Abbasid Caliphate, the dumpling dessert is made by stuffing a dumpling or folded pancake with sweet cheese or a blend of nuts (like almonds and hazelnuts).

After being deep-fried or baked, the dumplings will make a terrific dessert with a dash of honey or hot sugar syrup.

Qeema is a classic Iraqi stew made with finely diced meat (like beef or mutton), crushed split peas, tomatoes, onions, and spices. The meat and split pea stew hails from Iran, where it is called gheimeh or qeimeh.

Iraqis usually serve qeema at communal meals during Ashura, a holiday commemorating the death of Husayn ibn Ali, Muhamad’s grandson and the third Shia imam.

Sfiha, or sfeeha is an Iraqi dish with some similarities to pizzas, consisting of a flatbread, ideally samoon bread, topped with a mixture of minced and seasoned lamb, tomatoes, onions, pine nuts, and spices.

Some sfiha versions replace lamb with beef and goat meat or add cheese and more vegetables to the mix. Iraqis love enjoying pizza-like finger food as a breakfast, appetizer, and fast food, highlighting sfiha’s role in local food culture.