Libyan cuisine (Arabic: المطبخ الليبي) is a diverse culinary tradition shaped by Amazigh, Arab, Egyptian, Ottoman, and Mediterranean influences, reflecting both the country's geography and its historical interactions with neighboring cultures. Food customs vary between the coastal and inland regions. Along the Mediterranean coast, particularly in Tripoli, the cuisine features seafood, olive oil, grains, and fresh herbs, with noticeable influence from Italian cuisine due to Libya's colonial history. Pasta is widely consumed, and dishes like imbakbaka, a spiced one-pot pasta, are common in households. In eastern Libya, the same dish is often referred to as macarona jariya.

Mutton is the most frequently consumed meat throughout the country, while camel meat is more typical in southern regions. One of the most recognizable Libyan dishes is bazin, an unleavened bread prepared with barley, water and salt. Bazin is prepared by boiling barley flour in water and then beating it to create a dough using a magraf, which is a unique stick designed for this purpose.

Tuna is also widely consumed, especially in canned form, and is a staple of school lunches and casual meals, making it one of the most accessible protein sources across the country. While fruit like figs, dates, oranges, apricots, and olives are abundant, especially in coastal regions, legumes and grains are dietary mainstays throughout the country. Pasta is common, and many seafood dishes are available. Southern Libyan cuisine is more traditionally Arab, and Amazigh. Meals in the south often center on preserved ingredients such as dried meats, fermented dairy, barley, and hardy legumes, reflecting both the arid landscape and nomadic roots of the region’s communities. As in many Muslim-majority societies, the consumption of pork is prohibited under Islamic law, and the sale and public consumption of alcohol are also forbidden.

Libyan cuisine features a complex and rich use of spices that create layered flavors. Harissa, a chili paste made from chili peppers, garlic, caraway, and cumin, is commonly used as a condiment. Traditional spice blends such as bzarr, which includes coriander, caraway, garlic, turmeric, ginger, and dried chili peppers, and bokharat, composed of black pepper, paprika, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom, are essential for marinating meats and flavoring stews. Other frequently used spices include rosemary, basil, fennel seed, aniseed, fenugreek, spearmint, allspice, saffron, and rosebud.

Libyan culinary ingredients include the following typical elements:

Lamb and mutton are the most commonly consumed meats in Libya, though beef and chicken are also eaten. Gideed is a type of preserved meat made using an ancient method of salting and sun-drying cuts of lamb or camel, then storing them in olive oil for long-term use. It is traditionally added to soups, couscous, and stews, especially during the colder months or when fresh meat is scarce. Another traditional cooking method is bourdeem, where lamb is slow-cooked in an underground pit lined with hot coals alongside onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. This primitive technique imparts a smoky flavor and produces tender, fall-apart meat, commonly prepared for special occasions such as Eid al-Adha. Other types of meat:

Bazin is a traditional Libyan dish made with barley flour and a small amount of plain flour. The mixture is boiled in salted water to form a dense dough, which is then shaped into a smooth, rounded dome placed at the center of the serving dish. Surrounding the dough is a thick sauce prepared by frying chopped onions with lamb, turmeric, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, fenugreek, sweet paprika, and tomato paste. Potatoes may be added to the sauce, and the final presentation often includes boiled eggs arranged around the dough. The dish is typically served with lemon wedges and either fresh or pickled chili peppers, known locally as amsyar.

Other popular Libyan dishes include batata mubattana (stuffed potato), consisting of fried potato slices filled with seasoned minced meat and coated with egg and breadcrumbs. Macarona imbakbaka, a one-pot pasta dish cooked in a spiced tomato-based sauce with meat, is widely consumed, especially in colder months. Couscous is also common, often steamed and served with lamb or chicken and vegetables, and is particularly associated with festive and communal meals. Shakshouka, a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and spices, is eaten throughout Libya and is especially popular as a breakfast or light meal.