Turkish Lahmacun, also called Turkish Pizza, is a thin, crispy flatbread topped with spiced ground meat, onion, peppers, tomato, and parsley. You roll it up with a good squeeze of lemon and eat it with your hands. It's one of the most popular street foods in Turkey, sold on corners, market stalls, and outside kebab shops all over the country.
I used to think good lahmacun only came from a Turkish restaurant. Thin, crispy, packed with flavor, gone in five bites. Then I started making it at home, and I haven't ordered it out since.
The dough itself is simple: no yeast, no waiting around for it to rise. The meat gets mixed with a handful of chopped vegetables and a few spices, then spread on thin. Once you get the hang of rolling the dough out really thin, the whole thing comes together fast, and it tastes better than most of what you'd get from a restaurant.
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For a quick lunch, pair your lahmacun with a cold glass of Ayran (Turkish Yogurt Drink), the way most people in Turkey drink it.
If you love street food, you may also want to take a look at my other recipes, such as Izmir Kumru - Turkish Sandwich, Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, and Tantuni.
Lovely Comment From Barbara
"Wonderful!! Easy instructions to follow. Better than any Turkish restaurant I have had. And its homemade!"
What Is Lahmacun?
Lahmacun, pronounced lah-ma-JOON, is a popular street food enjoyed all across Turkey and the Middle East, and many people in Western countries refer to it as Turkish pizza.
The dough is rolled paper-thin, topped with a filling of ground lamb or beef and finely chopped vegetables, then baked in a very hot oven until it is crispy and lightly charred at the edges.
The filling stays true to what's actually used in Turkey: tomato paste, red pepper paste, salt, and black pepper, with pul biber or Aleppo pepper for heat if you like it spicy. It doesn't include cumin, allspice, or cinnamon, spices you'll sometimes see added in Western versions of the recipe.
It's often enjoyed as a snack or light meal, similar to Arayes (Meat Stuffed Pita), usually with a side of yogurt sauce or a simple salad. Lahmacun is also similar to Turkish Pide - Kiymali, but the dough is thinner and is round rather than boat-shaped.
Even though there is no clear evidence about where it was invented, they are popular in countries formerly parts of the Ottoman Empire, especially Turkey, Lebanon, Armenia, Syria, and Iraq.
Lahmacun is often called "Turkish pizza", "Turkish Lamb Pizza", " Flatbread Pizza", or "Lahmacun pizza" in Western countries.
Why This Recipe Works?
- Crispy, thin crust - Cooking it on the stovetop first, then finishing it in a hot oven, gives you that shatter-crisp base without a wood-fired oven or a pizza stone.
- No yeast, no rising time - The dough comes together in minutes and only needs a short 20-minute rest, so there's no waiting around for it to double in size.
- Authentic Turkish flavor - The filling sticks to what's actually used in Turkey: red pepper paste, tomato paste, and simple spices, not the cumin or cinnamon some Western versions add.
- Easy to size up or down - Make them full-size for dinner, or roll the dough smaller and serve them as appetizers.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Lahmacun Dough
- Strong white flour / strong bread flour - It gives some elasticity to the dough which makes it easier to roll out.
- Olive oil - It tenderizes and flavors the lahmacun dough, while also creating a crispy texture on the bottom.
Meat Filling
- Ground beef or lamb - You can use beef or lamb, or a mixture of both. Try to use fatty meat, with a minimum of 15-20% fat. Ground lamb is naturally fatty, but if using beef or a mixture, make sure your ground beef isn’t lean. If you only have lean beef, add a tablespoon of olive oil to your filling.
- Turkish green peppers - Always check the spiciness before using them. Don't use any extra chili or chili flakes if you don't want overly hot lahmacuns. You can replace them with bell pepper or Spanish Padron peppers.
- Onion - It adds moisture and a mild sweetness to the filling and helps it bind together so it spreads easily on the dough.
- Tomatoes - Fresh tomatoes add juiciness and a little acidity that balances the richness of the meat.
- Garlic - Optional in many Turkish restaurants, but it adds a good punch of flavor if you like it.
- Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavor to the dishes as well as a bright red color.
- Red pepper paste - Turkish red pepper paste is a delicious condiment that I use often in my Turkish recipes. You can make your own with my Biber Salcasi - Turkish Red Pepper Paste recipe, or substitute it with tomato paste.
- Parsley - Use fresh flatleaf parsley for both the lahmacun filling and for lahmacun wraps.
How to Make Homemade Lahmacun - Turkish Pizza
Prepare the Dough
This simple dough needs only 4 ingredients, and yeast is not one of them! If you don't feel confident working with yeast, this is the perfect recipe for you.
To make the dough, place the water, olive oil, and salt in a bowl and then mix them until combined.
Use a stand mixer if you prefer. Sift the flour, add gradually to the bowl, and then knead the dough. Use the dough hook if you are using your stand mixer.
Add enough flour to have the dough come together and then form a soft and slightly sticky dough. Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, until it is elastic, smooth, and not sticky anymore.
Once the dough is smooth, divide it into 6 balls (approximately 3 oz/90 grams each) and place them on a lightly floured tray or worktop.
Cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel or cling film and let them rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This step is necessary for the dough to relax and makes it easier to roll out. Prepare the lahmacun filling while the dough is resting.
Prepare the Filling
Place onion, peppers (both green and red), tomatoes, garlic, and chili (if using fresh) in a food processor.
Finely chop them using the pulse function. Be careful at this stage not to turn them into purée. Alternatively, you can finely chop them using a sharp knife.
Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and add the ground meat, tomato paste, pepper paste, finely chopped parsley, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, and salt.
You can replace red pepper paste with tomato paste if you don't have it in your fridge.
Mix well until all combined into a smooth mixture that is easy to spread.
Start Cooking Lahmacun on a Pan
The traditional way to cook the lahmacun is in a wood oven. But it is still possible to make delicious lahmacuns at home in a domestic oven combined with a stovetop.
Preheat the oven to 450° F (230° C) and then line a large sheet tray with parchment paper. Set it aside. Heat a large non-stick pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Ideally, the pan should be 10" (26 cm)Ø or bigger.
Roll out a dough ball into a thin circle size of 9 ½" (25 cm) Ø. If your pan is smaller than that, roll the dough ball small enough to fit in it.
Place the dough circle in the hot pan. Divide your mixture into 6 and then spread ⅙ of the mixture on a dough circle evenly and thinly, including the edges. Gently press the filling into the dough so it sticks well.
Cook it for 4-5 minutes or until you see some brown spots at the bottom.
Finish Baking in the Oven
Transfer the lahmacun to your prepared baking sheet. Bake them in the preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are crispy on the outside and the filling is thoroughly cooked. Transfer them to a large plate and then cover them with tin foil or a clean kitchen towel while the rest of the lahmacuns are baking.
You can prepare the second dough ball while the first one is baking. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and filling. Covering them will help to keep the lahmacuns warm, and it will soften them enough for you to be able to roll them into wraps.
Lahmacun vs Pide
Lahmacun and pide are both Turkish dishes, but they have some differences.
Pide is usually topped with different toppings such as mushroom and cheese, sucuk (a type of Turkish spicy sausage), or a mix of beef and vegetables. Lahmacun is made with minced beef mixed with onions, peppers, and tomatoes.
Lahmacun is very thin, round-shaped, and is often eaten like a wrap. The pide is boat-shaped and has a thicker crust. While both lahmacun and pide are popular Turkish dishes, they are distinct from each other in terms of their texture, toppings, and how they are served.
How to Eat Turkish Lahmacun?
Lahmacun is not only a snack, but it is also perfect to serve as a meal for lunch, dinner, or as an appetizer. The typical way to enjoy it is by topping it with fresh parsley leaves, red onion, tomato, and cucumber slices.
You can add a generous squeeze of lemon juice to enhance the flavors. To complement the dish, make sure to have a glass of refreshing Ayran! You can either eat it wrapped with a salad like a burrito or slice it like a pizza.
I also quite like to add a good pinch of flaked chili (pul biber) on top of my Lahmacun.
If you want to serve Lahmacun as a meal, it is best to serve it with a bowl of soup such as Turkish Lentil Soup, Red Pepper and Tomato Soup, or Ezogelin Corbasi.
For extra flavor, try topping it with thinly sliced red onion tossed with a pinch of sumac, or a few slices of tomato drizzled with pomegranate molasses. Both are common accompaniments in Turkey.
If you're serving a crowd, slice the lahmacun like a pizza instead of rolling individual wraps, and put out a bowl of tahini sauce for dipping.
Try not to wrap it until you're ready to eat. Rolling it up too early traps steam and softens the crisp edges.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Use ground meat with a high fat content for topping. It will not only improve the taste but also make the filling easy to spread on the dough.
- Knead the dough minimum for 5 minutes until it feels elastic and soft. When you have an elastic dough, you can shape it easily without tearing it.
- Let the dough balls rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This step is necessary for the dough to relax and makes it easier to roll out.
- Keep the filling soft and spreadable, almost like a thick paste, not dry or crumbly. A dry filling tears the thin dough when you spread it. If yours looks stiff, mix in a touch more olive oil or a splash of water.
- Test the dough before you roll it out. Pull a small piece between your fingers. If you can stretch it almost see-through before it tears, it's ready. If it tears right away, knead it a little longer.
Troubleshooting
- Dough tears when you roll it out - This usually means it needs more kneading or a longer rest. Knead it until it passes the stretch test (see Recipe Tips), and if it still resists, let it rest for another 10 minutes before trying again.
- Base turns out soggy instead of crispy - This is usually the filling, not the dough. Make sure the meat mixture isn't watery, and spread it in a thin, even layer instead of piling it on thick.
- Filling slides off the dough - The topping needs to be spread firmly into the dough, not just laid on top. Press it in gently with your fingers or the back of a spoon so it grips the surface.
Variations
- Make it vegetarian - Swap the meat for finely chopped mushrooms or well-drained canned lentils, and add a little extra olive oil to make up for the fat you'd normally get from the meat.
- Use a pizza stone - If you have one, heat it in the oven for at least 30 minutes before baking. It gets hotter than a regular baking sheet and gives you an even crispier base.
- Try it the Gaziantep way - In southeastern Turkey, home cooks often make a simple version with just tomato and plenty of parsley in summer, and swap in extra onion for the tomato in winter.
Storage and Reheating
Let leftover Turkish pizza cool completely, then stack them with a sheet of parchment paper between each one and store in an airtight container or freezer bag.
They'll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, warm them in a hot, dry pan for a minute or two on each side, or in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 5 minutes. This brings back the crisp base better than a microwave, which will leave them soft.
Recipe FAQs
Lahmacun is considered healthy, it has a moderate amount of calories (411 calories per lahmacun with my recipe) and it is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Manganese. It is also considered a good source of protein.
You can make the meat filling up to 3 days in advance and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container until you need it.
The same goes for the dough. Make sure to bring the dough to room temperature before dividing and rolling it out.
Yes. Swap the ground meat for finely chopped mushrooms or well-drained canned lentils, and add a little extra olive oil to make up for the fat you'd normally get from the meat.
This usually means the dough needs more kneading or a longer rest. Knead it until it stretches almost see-through without tearing, and let it rest a little longer before you try rolling it again.
Yes, and it actually gives a crispier result. Heat the stone in the oven for at least 30 minutes before baking, then slide the topped dough directly onto it.
No. Traditional lahmacun dough is made without yeast, which is part of what makes it so thin and quick to put together compared to other Turkish flatbreads.
Related Recipes
For more scrumptious Turkish pastries, why not try:
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I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Homemade Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Lahmacun - Turkish Pizza
Ingredients
For Lahmacun Dough
- 2 ¾ cups strong white flour (330 grams)
- ¾ cups water + 1 tbsp (200 ml)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
- 1 teaspoon salt (8 grams)
For Lahmacun Filling
- 12 ounces ground lamb or beef with %20 fat (350 grams)
- 2 tomatoes (12 ounces/300-350 grams)
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Turkish green peppers (or 1 green bell pepper)
- 1 red romano pepper (or 1 red bell pepper)
- 1 red chili (or ½ teaspoon chili flakes)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
- 1 cup parsley (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Place the water, olive oil, and salt in a bowl and mix them until combined. Use a stand mixer if you prefer.
- Add the flour gradually and knead the dough. Use the dough hook if you are using your stand mixer. Add enough flour to have the dough come together and form a soft and slightly sticky dough.
- Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, until it is elastic, smooth, and not sticky anymore.
- Once the dough is smooth, divide it into 6 balls (approximately 3 oz/90 grams each) and place them on a lightly floured tray or worktop.
- Cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel or cling film and let them rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This step is necessary for the dough to relax and makes it easier to roll out.
- Prepare lahmacun filling while the dough is resting.
Prepare the Filling
- Place onion, peppers (both green and red), tomatoes, garlic, and chili (if using fresh) in a food processor and finely chop them using the pulse function. Be careful at this stage not to turn them into pure. Alternatively, finely chop them using a knife.
- Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and add the ground meat, tomato paste, pepper paste (you can replace it with tomato paste if you don't have it in your fridge), finely chopped parsley, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, and salt.
- Mix well until all combined into a smooth mixture that is easy to spread.
Start Cooking Lahmacun on a Pan
- Preheat the oven to 230° C (450° F) and then line a large sheet tray with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- Heat a large non-stick pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Ideally, the pan should be 26 cm (10")Ø or bigger.
- Roll out a dough ball into a thin circle size of 25 cm (9 ½") Ø. If your pan is smaller than that, roll the dough ball small enough to fit in it.
- Gently place the dough circle in the hot pan.
- Divide your mixture into 6 and spread ⅙ of the mixture on a dough circle evenly and thinly, including the edges.
- Gently press on the filling to make sure it sticks to the dough.
- Cook it for 4-5 minutes or until you see some brown spots at the bottom.
Finish Baking Lahmacun in the Oven
- Transfer the lahmacun to your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake them in the preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are crispy on the outside and the filling is thoroughly cooked.
- Transfer them to a large plate and then cover them with tin foil or a clean kitchen towel while the rest of the lahmacuns are baking. Covering them will help to keep the lahmacuns warm, and it will soften them enough for you to be able to roll them into wraps.
- You can prepare the second dough ball while the first one is baking. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and filling.
Video
Notes
- If you're using beef instead of lamb, choose 80/20 ground beef. Very lean beef makes the filling dry and hard to spread thinly.
- The filling should look like a moist, chunky paste, not watery and not dry. If it looks dry after processing, mix in a teaspoon of water or olive oil.
- No pan big enough for your dough circles? You can bake the lahmacun the whole way through on a preheated baking sheet instead of starting it on the stovetop. It takes a few extra minutes and the base will be slightly less crisp.
- Out of red pepper paste? Use the same amount of tomato paste instead.
- Authentic lahmacun keeps its spice profile simple: red pepper, black pepper, and salt, with pul biber or Aleppo pepper for heat. It doesn't include cumin, allspice, or cinnamon.
- Covering the baked lahmacun with a towel while the rest cook keeps them warm and softens them just enough to roll into wraps.
- Cooled leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, warm it in a dry pan over medium heat for a minute or two on each side, or in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 5 minutes, until it's hot and crisp again. Avoid the microwave, it makes the dough go chewy instead of crisp.
Sue says
Sounds yummy and I can’t wait to try!
Ayla Clulee says
It is so yummy, I don't need to buy from restaurants anymore. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know if you have any questions.
Best wishes
Ayla
Laura says
Thanks a lot Ayla for the details
It definitely helps : )
Gary says
Perfect, good instructions! Good bit of prep but the effort is worth it was top drawer.
Katherine says
My husband loves lamb and raved about the topping on this! Thanks for the recipe.
Francisco says
It is easy to make and delicious, everyone loves it. Thanks
Siri says
I love the meat mixture! So much flavour!!! This is so perfect and taste great!
Elenora says
The flavours sound incredible! Such a great make ahead lunch or dinner option!
Tommy says
Awesome Recipe!
worth the time and effort
Claudia says
I am so glad I made this recipe! It was beyond delicious. My husband and I couldn't get enough! We will definitely be making it again!
Rita says
This is my first time seeing a recipe for Turkish Lahmacun, looks fantastic! I love all the flavours and yet it's so simple to make! I'll be trying this very soon.
Jasmine says
We love lahmacun and yours looks tasty. This reminds me I should make it again soon!
Sara says
Just made this tonight and loved it! The kids ate it up too! The dough is really easy to work with.
Natalie says
I have had a similar version of these many years ago...I served mine with sliced fresh tomato & rocket rolled up in each slice with the lemon juice and the kids inhaled them and begged for more!
Absolutely fantastic recipe - even for fuss pots!
Barbara says
Wonderful!! Easy instructions to follow. Better than any Turkish restaurant I have had. And its homemade!
Christina says
I loved these! Perfect in every way. I mixed more dough because we had more meat mixture.
Ayla Clulee says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Christina!
Best wishes
Ayla x
Laura says
That is a really tasty recipe I tried.
Is there any step which can be made in advance and Can the lahmacun be frozen ?
Thank you !
Ayla Clulee says
Hi Laura
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe!
You can make the mince filling up to 3 days in advance and keep it refrigerated until you need it. The same goes for the dough. Make sure to bring the dough to room temperature before dividing and rolling them out.
And yes the leftovers can be frozen and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure you cool them down totally and wrap them individually before freezing them.
Hope that helps.
Best wishes
Ayla
Manny says
I've made this a few time and I love it! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
Jo says
Delicious! I served it with the Greek salad.
Zainab says
We really enjoyed the lahmajuns. Thank you for sharing this.
Ayla Clulee says
My pleasure:) I am glad you all loved the lahmacuns!
Christina says
Love lahmacun! I can’t wait to try this at home.
Ayla Clulee says
Hi Christina
Hope you enjoy it with your family 🙂
Best wishes
Ayla