Lamb Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza) Recipe

Introduction

Lamb Lahmacun, often called Turkish pizza, is a flavorful flatbread topped with a spiced lamb mixture and fresh herbs. This delicious dish combines savory meat, tangy sumac onions, and a refreshing chopped salad for a meal that’s both satisfying and vibrant.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pizza dough (at room temperature)
• Flour (for rolling the dough)
• 1 pound ground lamb (or a mix of ground lamb and beef)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried mint
• ½ teaspoon sumac
• 1 small red bell pepper (chopped)
• ½ small red onion (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 1 small tomato (seeds removed and chopped)
• Small handful of fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 Persian cucumbers (peeled and diced)
• 1 large tomato (seeded and diced)
• Fresh mint leaves (chopped)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• ½ cup tahini
• Small handful of parsley or cilantro
• 1 garlic clove
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Water (to thin the sauce)
• ½ small red onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Chopped parsley (optional)
• Additional sumac
• Aleppo pepper flakes
• Lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while it preheats.
2. Step 2: Make the chopped salad by combining cucumbers, tomato, mint, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss well and set aside.
3. Step 3: Prepare the herb tahini sauce by blending tahini, herbs, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor until smooth. Slowly add water starting with ¼ cup until the sauce is pourable but thick. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. Step 4: Toss the thinly sliced red onions with sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, and chopped parsley. Let marinate while you prepare the rest.
5. Step 5: Make the meat topping by pulsing red bell pepper, red onion, garlic, tomato, and parsley in a food processor until finely chopped. Strain any excess moisture.
6. Step 6: In a large bowl, mix ground meat with turmeric, cumin, paprika, dried mint, sumac, and salt. Add the strained vegetable mixture and combine well.
7. Step 7: Divide the pizza dough into four equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into an 8 to 9 inch circle.
8. Step 8: Spread one portion of the meat mixture evenly over each dough circle, pressing gently and leaving a slight border around the edges.
9. Step 9: Transfer each flatbread carefully to a baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake for 10 minutes or until the dough is crisp and the meat is fully cooked.
10. Step 10: Garnish each lahmacun with the chopped salad, sumac onions, a drizzle of tahini sauce, and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper and extra sumac. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy folded like a wrap.

Tips & Variations

• For a milder flavor, substitute ground beef for lamb or use a mix of both.
• Use a pizza stone for a crispier crust, but a baking sheet works well too.
• Add a pinch of chili flakes to the meat mixture for extra heat.
• Fresh herbs like cilantro or dill can be added to the chopped salad for different flavors.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat briefly in a hot oven or skillet to keep the crust crisp. Lahmacun is best enjoyed fresh for optimal texture and flavor.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the dough from scratch?

Yes, making your own pizza dough is a great option if you have the time. Use a basic dough recipe with flour, yeast, water, and olive oil, and let it rise before rolling out.

What can I substitute for sumac if I don’t have it?

If you don’t have sumac, you can use a mix of lemon zest and a little paprika for a similar tangy flavor, though it won’t be exactly the same.

Lamb Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza) Recipe

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4.5 from 63 reviews

Lamb Lahmacun, often called Turkish pizza, is a delicious thin flatbread topped with a spiced ground lamb mixture and baked to perfection. This recipe pairs the savory meat topping with fresh chopped salad, tangy herb tahini sauce, and zesty sumac onions, creating a flavorful, aromatic meal that’s perfect for sharing and folding like a wrap.

• Author: Ria
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Turkish

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Dough and Meat Topping

• 1 pound pizza dough (at room temperature)
• Flour (for rolling the dough)
• 1 pound ground lamb (or a mix of ground lamb and beef)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried mint
• ½ teaspoon sumac
• 1 small red bell pepper (chopped)
• ½ small red onion (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 1 small tomato (seeds removed and chopped)
• Small handful of fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Chopped Salad

• 2 Persian cucumbers (peeled and diced)
• 1 large tomato (seeded and diced)
• Fresh mint leaves (chopped)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Herb Tahini Sauce

• ½ cup tahini
• Small handful of parsley or cilantro
• 1 garlic clove
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Water (to thin the sauce, start with ¼ cup)

Sumac Onions

• ½ small red onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Chopped parsley (optional)

Garnishes

• Additional sumac
• Aleppo pepper flakes
• Lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a pizza stone, place it inside the oven while it’s heating so it gets nice and hot.
2. Make the Chopped Salad: In a bowl, combine the peeled and diced Persian cucumbers, seeded and diced large tomato, chopped fresh mint leaves, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss everything well and set aside to let the flavors meld.
3. Prepare the Herb Tahini Sauce: In a food processor, add the tahini, parsley or cilantro, garlic clove, lemon juice, and kosher salt. Blend until smooth. Slowly add water, starting with ¼ cup, to thin the sauce to a pourable but still thick consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then set aside.
4. Make the Sumac Onions: Toss the thinly sliced red onion with ground sumac, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and chopped parsley if using. Let this mixture marinate while preparing the rest of the recipe.
5. Prepare the Meat Topping: In a food processor, pulse together the chopped red bell pepper, chopped red onion, garlic cloves, small tomato, and parsley until finely chopped. Drain any excess moisture by straining this mixture.
6. Mix Meat and Spices: In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb (or lamb-beef mix) with turmeric, ground cumin, paprika, dried mint, sumac, and kosher salt. Add the strained vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly until well combined.
7. Roll and Assemble: Divide the pizza dough into four equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a thin circle about 8 to 9 inches in diameter. Spread one portion of the meat mixture evenly over each dough circle, pressing the meat gently into the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
8. Bake: Carefully transfer each assembled flatbread to a baking sheet or preheated pizza stone. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes, or until the dough is crisp and the meat topping is fully cooked.
9. Garnish and Serve: Remove lahmacun from the oven. Top each with some of the chopped salad, sumac onions, a drizzle of the herb tahini sauce, and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper flakes and additional sumac if desired. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side. Fold like a wrap and enjoy!

Notes

• For extra crispness, use a pizza stone preheated in the oven before baking the lahmacun.
• You can substitute ground beef or a mixture of lamb and beef for the meat topping according to preference.
• If sumac is unavailable, consider a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of mild chili flakes for tanginess.
• The tahini sauce can be thinned or thickened to your liking by adjusting the amount of water added.
• Leftover lahmacun can be reheated briefly in a hot oven or skillet to restore crispness.

Keywords: Lamb Lahmacun, Turkish Pizza, Middle Eastern Flatbread, Spiced Lamb Pizza, Turkish Cuisine