Lahmacun (Turkish Meat Pies)

Learn how to make this Lahmacun Turkish Meat Pies recipe with my simple step-by-step guide and how to video. This popular street food is big in flavor yet so basic to throw together!

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

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

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

1. Make the dough: Whisk the milk, sugar and yeast together and allow the mixture to froth up. Add the flour and salt to the bowl of your mixer. Use the dough hook on low speed to give everything a quick mix. Pour in the yeast mixture in, and mix on low until a loose ball begins to form. Increase the speed and knead until the dough is soft and elastic. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size.
2. Make the meat mixture: Add everything but the meat to your food processor and pulse until everything is pureed. Pour the mixture over your ground meat and combine everything using either a spoon or your hands.
3. Assemble the lahmacun: Preheat the oven to 550F degrees, or as high as your oven will go. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Punch the dough down and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll out until around 12″ in diameter and 2mm thick. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Spread 1/8 of the meat mixture evenly over the dough leaving about a 1/2″ border around the edges. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes or until the edges brown. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
4. Garnish and Serve: Serve warm drizzled with a bit of lemon juice. If preferred, garnish with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, parsley and feta cheese.

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

1. The milk should be warm to the touch- not hot.
2. Make sure the yeast froths up well in the milk. If it doesn’t, the dough will not work! You’ll need to buy a new jar. Store the yeast in the freezer for a longer shelf life.
3. Roll the dough out at thin as possible! We’re talking about 2mm thick.
4. Set your oven as high as it will go to get the best results.
5. Keep a close eye on the lahmacun as it bakes. They cook up fast!

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 Mediterranean Recipes To Try:

• Turkish Gozleme with Lamb
• Moussaka
• Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad
• Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
• Chicken Marsala
• Avgolemono Soup
• Greek Salad
• Mediterranean Orzo Salad
• Greek Chicken Pasta