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5 from 21 votes

Turkish Lahmacun

Homemade Turkish Lahmacun (or Lahmajun-Lahmajoun) is a super-thin crispy flatbread topped with minced beef or lamb mixed with vegetables, herbs, and spices. 
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
Diet: Low Lactose
Servings: 6 lahmacun
Calories: 411kcal
Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

  • 1 kitchen scale
  • 1 large baking sheet
  • 1 measuring spoons
  • 1 Sharp knife
  • 1 Rolling Pin

Ingredients

For Lahmacun Dough

  • 2 ¾ cups strong white flour (330 grams)
  • ¾ cups water + 1 tbsp (200 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (8 grams)

For Lahmacun Filling

  • 12 ounces ground lamb or beef with %20 fat (350 grams)
  • 2 tomatoes (12 ounces/300-350 grams)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 Turkish green peppers (or 1 green bell pepper)
  • 1 red romano pepper (or 1 red bell pepper)
  • 1 red chilli (or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
  • 1 cup parsley (finely chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the Dough

  • Place the water, olive oil, and salt in a bowl and mix them until combined. Use a stand mixer if you prefer.
  • Add the flour gradually and knead the dough. Use the dough hook if you are using your stand mixer. Add enough flour to have the dough come together and form a soft and slightly sticky dough.
  • Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, until it is elastic, smooth, and not sticky anymore.
  • Once the dough is smooth, divide it into 6 balls (approximately 3 oz/90 grams each) and place them on a lightly floured tray or worktop.
  • Cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel or cling film and let them rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This step is necessary for the dough to relax and makes it easier to roll out. 
  • Prepare lahmacun filling while the dough is resting.

Preparing the Filling

  • Place onion, peppers (both green and red), tomatoes, garlic, and chili (if using fresh) in a food processor and finely chop them using the pulse function. Be careful at this stage not to turn them into pure. Alternatively, finely chop them using a knife.
  • Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and add the ground meat, tomato paste, pepper paste (you can replace it with tomato paste if you don't have it in your fridge), finely chopped parsley, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, and salt.
  • Mix well until all combined into a smooth mixture that is easy to spread.

Start Cooking Lahmacun on a Pan

  • Preheat the oven to 230° C (450° F) and then line a large sheet tray with parchment paper. Set it aside.
  • Heat a large non-stick pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Ideally, the pan should be 26 cm (10")Ø or bigger.
  • Roll out a dough ball into a thin circle size of 25 cm (9 ½") Ø. If your pan is smaller than that, roll the dough ball small enough to fit in it.
  • Gently place the dough circle in the hot pan.
  • Divide your mixture into 6 and spread ⅙ of the mixture on a dough circle evenly and thinly, including the edges. 
  • Gently press on the filling to make sure it sticks to the dough. 
  • Cook it for 4-5 minutes or until you see some brown spots at the bottom.

Finishing Baking in the Oven

  • Transfer the lahmacun to your prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake them in the preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are crispy on the outside and the filling is thoroughly cooked. 
  • Transfer them to a large plate and then cover them with tin foil or a clean kitchen towel while the rest of the lahmacuns are baking. Covering them will help to keep the lahmacuns warm, and it will soften them enough for you to be able to roll them into wraps.
  • You can prepare the second dough ball while the first one is baking. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and filling.

Video

Notes

  • The traditional way to cook the lahmacun is in a wood oven. But it is still possible to make delicious lahmacuns at home in a domestic oven or even on a stovetop.
  • Lahmacun is often called "Turkish pizza" or "Lahmacun pizza" in Western countries.
  • Use minced meat with a high percentage of fat for topping. It will not only improve the taste but also will make the filling easy to spread on the dough.
  • If you only have lean beef, add a tablespoon of olive oil into your filling to help it to stick to the dough.
  • Knead the dough minimum for 5 minutes until it feels elastic and soft. When you have an elastic dough, you can shape it easily without tearing it.
  • Cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel or cling film and let them rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This step is necessary for the dough to relax and makes it easier to roll out.
  • Covering the lahmacuns will help to keep them warm, and also it will soften them enough for you to be able to roll them into wraps.

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 1044mg | Potassium: 573mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2082IU | Vitamin C: 90mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 5mg