This lahmacun recipe is a family favorite. It’s rolled-out thin dough topped with perfectly seasoned minced meat, generous amounts of garlic, onions, and finely diced sweet red peppers.
Save The Recipe
Enter your email below & we'll send a link to this recipe to your inbox & you'll subscribe for new recipes
Table of Contents
Lahmacun is like a thin and crispy pizza that is topped with peppers and onions in a deliciously spiced meat mixture. It works well for lunch or a quick dinner. You can even slice it up to serve as an appetizer to a crowd.
You do not need any special equipment to make this recipe. You only need a glass bowl, a rolling pin, and a nonstick baking sheet pan. Simple enough, let’s get started.
Lahmacun pronounced [lah-ma-june] can be found all over Turkey. There are different varieties like sarimsakli lahmacun ( with garlic), soğanlı lahmacun (with onions), kemeli Lahmacun (with truffle), and zeytinli lahmacun ( with olives).
All are great, I was aiming for more of an Antep-style lahmacun here. Some know it as Turkish pizza though the method of making it is entirely different.
Ingredients and Estimated Costs
Here are all the ingredients you need to make this recipe, including estimated costs.
- All-purpose flour (2 cups – $0.26)
- Kosher salt (2 teaspoons – $0.02)
- Cane sugar (1 ½ teaspoons – $0.02)
- instant yeast (2 teaspoons – $0.45)
- Water (1 ⅔ cup – $0.00)
- Ground beef (½ pound – $2.08)
- Red bell pepper (⅓ cup – $0.83)
- Onion (½ cup – $0.16)
- Parsley (⅓ cup – $0.11)
- Garlic (2 cloves – $0.10)
- Dried oregano (1 teaspoon – $0.66)
- Dried mint (½ teaspoon – $0.22)
- Cumin (1 teaspoon – $0.44)
- Black pepper (¼ teaspoon – $0.02)
- Turkish red pepper paste (2 Tablespoons – $0.50)
NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have. I updated the prices for this recipe in April 2025.
How to Make Simple Lahmacun Dough
- Add all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the water and fold and mix until a ball of dough forms. Transfer the dough onto a flat surface dusted with all-purpose flour. Dust the top of the dough. Knead with your palms for five minutes straight, adding flour to the surface and to the dough as needed to prevent sticking.
- Move the dough back into the same bowl you started with and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
- Allow the dough to rest and proof for one hour or until it doubles in size.
- Transfer the risen dough to a floured surface. Cut the dough into six even pieces.
- Shape each piece into a circle as best you can. With a rolling pin, create a thin circular shape. Add additional flour to the surface, your hands, and the rolling pin when necessary.
As you can see in the picture below, the dough is thin enough so you can see the shape of my hand. If the dough is rolled too thick, your lahmacun will be too thick and puffy for traditional lahmacun.
However, if your dough is rolled too thin, it will burn in the high-heat oven and will be undesirably crunchy.
How To Make Lahmacun
- In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the meat mixture. Mix well with YOUR HANDS for 5 minutes straight. You know the mixture is ready once it starts to perfume with oniony, garlicky goodness. Chill until ready to use.
- Transfer the rolled-out dough to a rimmed nonstick baking sheet. Spread the dough evenly on the pan. Do not use parchment paper; it will burn. Add 4 tbsp of the meat mixture to the top.
- Spread out the mixture with your fingertips. Do not press hard. Do not create holes. I like to bring the mixture to the edges. I even wet the spot with meat juices where the meat can’t reach. This will create nice golden edges.
- Transfer the lahmacun into a preheated 500 °F oven and cook for 6-8 minutes. Do not open the oven once it’s in there. Turn on your oven light and have a peek there.
- Once baked, transfer to a heat-safe serving tray. Repeat each step until you have finished making all six lahmacuns. Garnish with fresh parsley, pickled red onion, and lemon wedges (all optional). Serve.
Tips For Making Lahmacun Minced Meat Topping
Fine-dice all of the vegetables. In this case, you will fine-dice the red peppers, onion, mince the garlic, and finely chop the parsley. Aim for tiny, tiny pieces of everything. The tinier, the better.
Massage the meat. Once all of the spices and vegetables are added to the meat mixture, massage and mix with your hands for at least five minutes. This is very important.
Spread out the meat mixture with your fingertips evenly. Take your time. Take the mixture to the edge. This is not a pizza. There is no need to leave room for a crust.
I like to wet the ends of the dough with meat juices to prevent dried-out and off-white colored edges. Get every nook and cranny. Try to prevent any meatless areas in the center. Sometimes pressing with your palms can help.
How To Serve Lahmacun
Add pickled red onion and fresh parsley as garnishes or you can make an onion and parsley salad as a topping. To make an onion parsley salad, simply about 1 thinly sliced medium-sized onion, ½ cup (loosely packed) of plucked parsley leaves, 1 tsp sumac, a pinch of salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Toss to combine. Enjoy immediately.
While you can eat your lahmacun as you wish, squeezing lemon on all over and adding onion-parsley salad—then folding it into a wrap can be one of the best ways to enjoy it.
Important Recipe Tips
- Make sure to rest the dough for 1 hour. This will help relax the dough, making it more pliable when rolling it out.
- Do not roll the dough too thin or too thick. If it is too thin, it will burn in the high-temperature oven.
- Mix the meat mixture with your hands. This is very important. Touch and feel the seasoned meat. You know you’ve mixed enough once the mixture starts to perfume.
- Be consistent. Roll each dough out the same way and add the same amount of topping to each one. In this recipe, you will have 6 rolled doughs; each one gets 4 tbsp of meat mixture—no more, no less. Be consistent!
- Finally, you want to bake each lahmacun in an oven set at 500 ° F for 6-8 minutes. This will give the meat a nice caramelized flavor. Steamed meat? No thanks!
More Mediterranean Recipes You Will Love
- Creamy Crimini Tuscan Chicken with Kale (without cream)
- Smokey Roasted Eggplant Dip with Tahini
- Marinated tomatoes over Seasoned Greek Yogurt
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a comment below and an honest rating.
Lahmacun Recipe
Recipe Cost $5.87 Serving Cost $0.98
Recipe Cost $ $5.87 Serving Cost $ $0.98Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp cane sugar
- 2 tsp dried instant yeast
- 1 cup of lukewarm water
For the meat mixture
- ½ pound ground beef or lamb
- ⅓ cup small-diced red bell pepper packed
- ½ cup small-diced onion lightly packed
- ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley lightly packed
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried mint
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp kosher salt do not use iodized
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste scraped and leveled
- ⅔ cup of water
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
MAKE THE DOUGH
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Mix well to incorporate the ingredients. Next, add the lukewarm water a little at a time. Mix and knead until a ball of dough forms. When ready, transfer the dough to a floured hard surface. Dust addition flour on top of the dough, and on your hands. Knead for five-minutes straight.
- When ready, cover the bowl with a cloth or saran wrap and store at room temperature for one hour or until the dough doubled in size. While that is rising, let’s make the seasoned meat mixture.
SEASONED MEAT MIXTURE
- In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients. Mix well with YOUR HANDS for 5-minutes straight. You know the mixture is ready once it starts to perfume oniony, garlicky, goodness. Set aside until you are ready to work with your dough.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
- Preheat the oven to 500 °F
- Get the proofed dough and cut it into 6 even pieces. Flour a hard surface. You will work with one piece of dough at a time. Flour your hands, a rolling pin, and add a little sprinkle to the top of the dough. Roll out the dough to a thin circle. Roll slowly. Be patient. I like to roll the edges flat as well. Once again, this is not a pizza, there is no need to make the edges puffy.
- Now that the lahmacun shape is created, dust off any excess flour that is left on the dough. Transfer the dough to a nonstick baking sheet pan. Make sure to spread out the dough evenly on the pan. Do not use parchment paper. It will burn.
- Next, add 4 tbsp of the meat mixture to the top. Spread out the mixture with your fingertips. Do not press hard. Do not create holes. I like to bring the mixture to the edges. I even wet the spot with meat juices where the meat can’t reach. This will create nice golden edges.
- Transfer the lahmacun into the preheated oven and cook for 6-8 minutes. Do not open the oven once it’s in there. Turn on your oven light and have a peek there.
- Once baked, transfer to a heat-safe serving tray. I used my pizza stone or use another nonstick baking sheet.
- Repeat each step until you have finished making all six lahmacuns.
TO SERVE
- Serve with onion salad, additional sprigs of parsley, and lemon wedges.
Notes
- This recipe contains halal beef.
- You can use ground beef or lamb as a part of the meat mixture.
Equipment
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Make sure to tag @PoshPlateRecipes on Instagram for more!
Lahmacun – Turkish Pizza FAQ’s
Lahmacun is like a thin and crispy pizza. Some people roll it up like a burrito to eat, or you can use a knife and fork to cut it into pieces. You can even slice it into triangles or squares to serve as an appetizer to a crowd.
Pide is similar in shape to a submarine. It has thick and crisp edges with various fillings. In contrast, Lahmacun is similar in shape to a pizza. It is topped with a meat mixture and has thin, crispy edges.
More Turkish Recipes
- Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
- Quinoa Kisir Salad
- Instant Pot Turkish White Bean Stew
- Turkish Kisir Salad
Comments & Reviews
Mairead says
I love trying out recipes from around the world. This Turkish pizza looks divine. This recipe is a keeper for me. Thanks you.
AISilva says
I’ve never made lahmacun before, but this sounds so delicious. I love that you give a cost breakdown as well, that’s so helpful!
Lauren Michael Harris says
This Turkish pizza sounds amazing! Definitely adding it to our weekly pizza menu – my husband and I love these ingredients!
Lucy says
This baked pizza is a meal the whole family loves. It’s so crisp and the filling is seasoned perfectly.
Dannii says
This is my go-to order from my local takeaway. I have to try making it myself.