Dominican Quipes Recipe + (Video)
Dominican Quipes, also called Kipes, are crispy fried bulgur rolls filled with seasoned ground beef. They have a beautifully crunchy outside with a soft, flavorful center, and they are one of those Dominican snacks that are hard to stop eating once you start.
đź’› Victoria prepared these Quipes for us at La Cocina de Keesha Studio. As an experienced cooking teacher, she shared some especially useful techniques for keeping the Quipes compact, preventing them from breaking during frying, and getting that classic Dominican shape.
If you enjoy traditional Dominican recipes, try our Dominican Spaghetti with Salami, Dominican Fried Salami and Tostones, Dominican Asopao too.
Variations to Try
- Cheese-Stuffed Quipes: Add a small cube of mozzarella or queso de freĂr inside.
- Lamb or Turkey Quipes: Swap the ground beef for ground lamb or turkey.
- Air-Fried Quipes: Skip the deep fryer and air fry them instead. They won’t be quite as crispy, but still come out golden and delicious.
Keesha’s Tips & Tricks
- Keep the filling dry: Cook the beef until there is very little moisture left. This helps prevent the quipes from opening in the oil.
- Knead the bulgur thoroughly: Processing alone is not enough. Kneading helps create a compact mixture that stays together during frying.
- Don’t overcrowd the oil: Fry only a few quipes at a time so the oil stays hot and they become crisp instead of breaking apart.
- Wet Hands For Shaping: When shaping the quipes, keep a small bowl of water nearby. Wetting your hands stops the mixture from sticking and gives you smoother, tighter rolls.
The Secret to Quipes That Don’t Fall Apart
Use just enough water to hydrate the bulgur, then knead it well until the mixture is compact. Keep the beef filling fairly dry too, since too much moisture can make the quipes open while frying.
How to Store Dominican Quipes
Store cooked quipes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in an oven or air fryer rather than the microwave if you want to bring back some of their crisp texture. You can also freeze shaped, uncooked quipes and fry them later.
FAQs about Dominican Quipes
More Snack Recipes
If you loved this recipe, you definitely should try my Jamaican Beef Patties, Colombian Empanadas, or Beef and Cheese Empanadas.
Dominican Quipes
Ingredients
For the bulgur wheat mixture
- 1½ cups bulgur wheat
- 1½ cups golden wheat
- 1 large onion
- 1 cubanela pepper
- 1 Tbsp salt
- ½ Tbsp ground allspice (pimienta malagueta)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh mint
- Leaves from 1 sprig fresh basil
For the Beef Filling
- 1 lb ground beef 454 g
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic mashed,
- black pepper to taste
- ground allspice to taste
- mint stems
- basil stem
- salt as needed
For Frying
- Oil, as needed
Instructions
- Prep: Place both types of wheat in a large bowl and have the vegetables and herbs ready.
- Soak the Wheat: Cover the wheat with hot water, leaving the water about Âľ inch (2 cm) above the wheat. Let it hydrate for at least 2 hours.
- Cook the Beef: While the wheat is soaking, season the ground beef with black pepper, allspice, finely chopped onion, mashed garlic, and salt.
- Finish the Filling: Cook the beef with the mint and basil stems until browned and completely cooked through. Remove the herb stems and set the filling aside to cool.
- Process the Wheat: Once hydrated, drain the wheat very well. Transfer it to a food processor with the mint leaves, basil leaves, cubanela pepper, onion, salt, black pepper, and allspice.
- Blend: Process until the mixture is finely ground and holds together well enough to shape.
- Shape: Lightly wet your hands and form a portion of the wheat mixture into an oval. Use your finger to create a hollow space in the center.
- Fill: Add some of the cooked beef, then carefully close the opening. Smooth and gently press the outside until completely sealed.
- Check the Shape: Make sure there are no cracks or openings before frying. A smooth, well-sealed quipe is much less likely to break apart in the oil.
- Fry:Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C), then fry the quipes until deeply golden and crispy on the outside.
- Drain: Transfer to a rack or paper towel-lined plate and let the excess oil drain before serving.
Video
I love quipes I’ve tried about 10x. Very flavorful and delicious. However for some reason I can’t get them crispy and yes I fry with vero hot oil 380 in deep fryer also tried on stove with thermometer to ensure enough heat but no matter what I do they are soft not crispy. They do not break apart in oil my only problem is I can’t get them crispy. What in the world am I doing wrong please help. I do also put in fridge overnight to ensure the texture and don’t fall apart