Lahmacun Turkish Pizza Recipe

Lahmacun is thin and crispy flatbread bursting with flavor. Topped with meat, parsley, peppers, tomatoes and a mixture of delicious spices, this Turkish pizza is a must-try! 

Another day, another Turkish recipe for you. We’ve shared some of our favorites here including simit recipe, Turkish yogurt soup, Turkish eggs (cilbir) and Turkish almond cookies. Today’s recipe is one of our absolute favorites that you can find anywhere in Turkey. It’s called lahmacun and it’s basically a crispy thin flatbread – you could even say it’s something like a pizza – topped with the best meat mixture ever. 

When we were living in Istanbul, having lahmacun once a week was a given, no questions. The crispy and light bread with a thin layer of the most delicious spiced topping was always a great choice for lunch or dinner. Borsam Taşfirin, our favorite pide and lahmacun place, always had the best food and it was one of the things we missed the most when we moved to the US. Then, I started making lahmacun at home and now you can do it, too! 

What is Lahmacun? 

Lahmacun (pronounced Lah-Ma-Joun) is a crispy and thin flatbread topped with a combination of minced meat and vegetables. Also called Turkish pizza, Armenian pizza, Syrian pizza and Lebanese pizza, lahmacun is like a thin pizza that’s common in Turkish restaurants and eateries. Unlike pizza, traditional lahmacun doesn’t contain cheese.

Where does lahmacun come from?

Lahmacun is of Middle Eastern origin and comes from the Levant. This meat and vegetable flatbread is popular in Turkey, Armenia, Lebanon and Syria which were formerly part of the Ottoman empire.

Lahmacun vs. Pide

Pide and lamacun can often be confused. Lahmacun is very thin and is often eaten like a wrap whereas pide is boat-shaped and has a thicker crust. Moreover, pide usually contains cheese and comes with different toppings. 

What do I need to make lahmacun turkish pizza?

There are two major parts of any lahmacun recipe:

• The dough which is made of flour, water and salt. This is a basic dough that comes together is no time and literally is the easiest dough out there. 
• The topping which is made with ground lamb or beef (or a combination of both), tomatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, red bell peppers and Italian green peppers. This mixture is seasoned with Aleppo pepper, tomato paste, black pepper and salt. 

Years of living in Iran and Turkey and savoring Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food has taught me that nothing elevates a dish like fresh ingredients, a good selection of spices and a lot of herbs. It’s best to be generous with all the fresh ingredients. 

How to make lahmacun

Start by making the topping mixture. In a food processor, puree onions and garlic cloves with some olive oil and transfer it to another large container. Next, process Italian green peppers and red bell peppers in the food processor and add them to the onion and garlic mixture. Finally, blend parsley and tomatoes in the food processor and mix it with the peppers and onion mixture. Add the rest of the olive oil and mix well. 

Add the ground lamb (or beef) to the vegetable mixture and mix until well combined. Season with Aleppo pepper, cumin, salt, black pepper and tomato paste. Smooth the top and refrigerate for at least one hour. 

Meanwhile, Mix water and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time and knead the dough using the dough hook. Add enough flour to have the dough comes together and doesn’t stick when you hold it. You’ll need about 5 cups of all purpose flour. Once the dough comes together, divide it into 12 balls and place them on a baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. 

Heat a nonstick pan with a lid over medium heat (have the lid on) until very hot. Take the topping out of the fridge and place it on the counter top near the pan. On a floured surface, roll out one of the dough balls into a very thin circle no bigger than the pan. Transfer this dough gently into the pan and spread the topping on top using a serving spoon, leaving 1/2 inch from the edges. Make sure not to put on too much topping. A thin layer of topping works best. Put the lid back on and let it cook for about 7-8 minutes until it’s crispy and has marks at the bottom. Place the cooked lahmacun on a plate and continue with the remaining ones. 

Cooking lahmacun: Stove top or oven?

Traditionally, lahmacun and other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flatbread are made in stone ovens (Masonry ovens) called Tanoor or Tandoor. I love making lahmacun in a pan with a lid because it makes that hot Tandoor like environment that we’re looking for. That being said, you can also make lamacun in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450F and place a baking sheet upside down in the oven. Roll out a dough ball into a thin circle. Once the oven is hot, place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet and transfer the lahmacun onto the baking sheet Spread a thin layer of the meat and vegetable topping on top. Bake for about 7-9 minutes until the topping is cooked and the dough is crispy on the edges. 

How to serve lahmacun

Even though in recent years, this delicious flatbread is called Turkish Pizza, it definitely isn’t served like pizza. To serve lahmacun, top it with fresh parsley and tomatoes and squeeze some lemon juice. Season with some sumac and Aleppo pepper (if you like it spicy) and make it into a wrap. Bite into this delicious lahmacun wrap and enjoy! 

Can I use pizza dough for this turkish pizza recipe?

If you’d like to take a shortcut, store-bought pizza dough works for this lahmacun recipe. 

Can I freeze lahmacun

It’s very easy to freeze lahmacun. I prefer freezing cooked lahmacun because I can easily heat them in the oven. Once all the Turkish pizza breads are cool, place them on top of each other, with wax paper or parchment paper between each two lahmacuns so they don’t stick to each other. Wrap the whole stack in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. 

To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 and place two lahmacuns on a baking sheet. Heat it in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes until it’s completely heated through and warm. Serve with tomatoes, parsley and lemon juice.

Notes and tips for making lahmacun

• It’s best to refrigerate the topping for at least one hour. The longer it sits, the better it’s going to taste. You can refrigerate the topping anywhere from one hour to twenty four hours. 
• While rolling out each dough ball, make sure the other dough balls are covered with a kitchen towel so they don’t get dry on the surface. 
• I used half ground lamb and half ground beef for this recipe, but you can use only lamb or only beef. 
• It’s important to roll out the dough very thinly to make lahmacun. The dough is even thinner than pizza and each dough ball can roll out to be a 10 or 12 inch wide circle. 
• Originally this lahmacun recipe is made with Turkish green pepper (called yeşil biber). However, this kind of pepper is not common in the US, therefore I used Italian green peppers which are very close to the Turkish peppers. You can also simply use green bell peppers for this recipe.