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Turkish Pizza Lahmacun

Thin flatbreads topped with a spiced ground meat mixture and baked until set, served with fresh herbs and sliced vegetables.
Prep Time2 hours
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 batch of the best pizza dough or no-knead over-night pizza dough
  • 1 small red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 large tomato
  • 2 tablespoonstomatoes paste
  • 1 tablespoontahini paste
  • 1/4 cupfresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoonred pepper flakes or to taste
  • 1 teaspoonkosher salt
  • 1 teaspoonblack pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoonnutmeg
  • 1 teaspooncinnamon
  • 1 teaspoonallspice
  • 1 teaspoonsumac spice
  • 1 teaspoondried thyme or oregano leaves
  • 1 1/2 lbsground beef or lamb
  • 2 teaspoonssumac for serving
  • 1/2 cupfresh mint leaves for serving
  • 1 red onion sliced for serving
  • Tomatoes feta cheese, cucumbers, jalapeño peppers and any extra toppings you like

Instructions

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 500°F. Line one or more baking sheets with parchment paper. If using store-bought dough from the refrigerator, take it out now to come closer to room temperature while you prepare the topping.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough to about 1/8-inch thick. Place each rolled dough onto a prepared parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • In a food processor, pulse the small red onion, garlic cloves, large tomato, tomato paste (2 tablespoons), tahini paste (1 tablespoon), and 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves until you have a thick salsa-like mixture.
  • Add the red pepper flakes (1/2 teaspoon or to taste), kosher salt (1 teaspoon), black pepper (1 teaspoon), nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon), cinnamon (1 teaspoon), allspice (1 teaspoon), sumac spice (1 teaspoon), and dried thyme or oregano leaves (1 teaspoon) to the food processor. Pulse to combine evenly.
  • Add the 1 1/2 lbs ground beef or lamb to the processor and pulse just until the meat and seasoning form a cohesive paste — the meat should be broken up and fully combined but not pureed.
  • Scoop about 1 cup of the meat mixture (adjust as needed by dough size) and spread it in a thin, even layer over each rolled dough, pressing gently so the mixture adheres to the dough.
  • Bake the lahmacun in the preheated oven for 10–15 minutes, until the crust is set and the meat is cooked through. Baking time will vary with dough thickness and size; avoid over-browning the edges if you plan to roll them.
  • Remove the lahmacun from the oven. Sprinkle the finished pizzas with the reserved 2 teaspoons sumac, dividing it among them as you prefer. Top with the 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, the sliced red onion for serving, and any optional tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumbers, jalapeño peppers, or other extra toppings.
  • Serve warm — either flat or rolled into a wrap.

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Sheet
  • Parchment Paper
  • Rolling Pin
  • Food Processor

Notes

For best results, use Lamb, and always choose American Lamb!
I always prefer my HomemadeBest Pizza Doughas a base, however store-bought works too!
Make sure your oven is at the right temperature to get the perfectly crispy Turkish Pizza.
Process your ground beef or lamb along with the marinade until smooth. This helps you smear the mixture over the dough easily.
Press the ground lamb mixture well in to the dough so it bakes and sticks.
A pizza Stone is great to use here!
Top your Turkish Pizza with fresh veggies and cheese to add texture, flavor and goodness!
Serve the Lahmacun as a pizza or roll it in to a wrap like a classic Turkish version and eat it on the go!