If you’ve never enjoyed lahmacun, you’re missing out! The perfectly crisp edges and a center loaded with the most flavorful meat mixture is to die for. It’s delicious to enjoy just as is, or you can load it up with some fresh toppings like I did. I know they look intimidating complete with a homemade dough, but with my step-by-step instructions this surprisingly easy treat will come out perfect every time.
What Is Lahmacun?
To start off, I’ll show you how to pronounce lahmacun: “lah-MAH-joon”. It’s very similar to pizza or flatbread! In fact, some may say this is the Turkish version of a pizza pie. The dough is rolled out nice and thin, then spread with a meat mixture loaded with fresh veggies, flavorful spices, and herbs. It really is incredible. The lahmacun is baked at a very high temperature. This will give you a perfectly browned and crisp crust! It’s enjoyed widely in Turkey as a popular street food that they will actually roll up like a burrito and enjoy with a few fresh toppings such as lemon juice, tomatoes, and parsley. To die for!
Ingredients in Lahmacun
For the dough:
Milk – Any type of milk will work; I used 1%. Make sure it’s lukewarm to the touch but not too hot. If the milk is too hot it will kill the yeast. Sugar – Granulated sugar will work best. We just need a little bit to feed the yeast. Yeast – I used active dry yeast. Store jars of yeast in the freezer so they’ll last longer. All purpose flour – If you use whole wheat flour you’ll have to use only 3 3/4 cups. Salt – I know it seems like a lot of salt, but it’s a big batch of dough. I promise it’s perfectly salted! Vegetable oil – We need a little bit of oil to oil the dough so it doesn’t dry out as it rises.
For the meat mixture:
Bell peppers – I used green and yellow peppers but, of course, you can use any type you like best. Tomatoes – Any type of tomatoes will work. Onion – I like to use white onion for this recipe because it has a more mild flavor. You can use a yellow or red onion if that’s what you have on hand. Garlic – The more garlic the merrier! Feel free to use more or less as you please. Paprika – I always use smoked paprika! It’s my secret weapon in the kitchen. Chili flakes – You can use more or less depending on how spicy you’d like your lahmacun to be. Cumin – If you don’t have cumin you can use chili powder instead. Parsley – Make sure to use fresh parsley.
How to Make Lahmacun
Do I Have to Use Homemade Dough?
Looking to save some time? You can actually take a shortcut and make this recipe with store-bought pizza dough! The main difference is that you may end up with a slightly thicker crust, but I promise it will still taste amazing.
Some Tips
How to Serve
This popular street food is typically topped with lettuce, fresh lemon juice, parsley, and tomatoes, then rolled up like a burrito. We added some feta as well and it tasted so good! You can also cut slices like a pizza for easier serving. Lahmacun is really taken to the next level with these simple fresh toppings. You can get creative and top it with your favorite fresh veggies, or you can even leave it plain. Either way I know you will love it! Looking for some dips to serve with your lahmacun? Try these!
Best Ever Hummus Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Garlic Sauce
Leftovers
Store your leftovers in an airtight container or large freezer bag in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat in the microwave, but like pizza, you’ll lose the crispiness of the edges. You can also reheat your lahmacun in a 400F oven for 5-7 minutes to crisp it back up.
Freezing
Freezing cooked lahmacun works best. After baking them, stack each lahmacun with a sheet of parchment paper between each one to prevent sticking. Thoroughly wrap the stack with aluminum foil or store in an airtight container if you have one big enough. They will last 2 months frozen. To reheat, set your oven to 425F and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until heated through.
More Great Recipes To Try
Turkish Gozleme with LambMediterranean Grilled Chicken SaladGreek Chicken PastaMediterranean Orzo SaladMediterranean Couscous Salad
