September 25, 2024

Lahmacun is sometimes called “Turkish Pizza” (without the cheese) and is a delicious meal you might get at a Döner Kebab stand. You can eat it like a pizza, or use it as the base for a döner/gyro-like wrap by topping with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki and rolling it up!

Ingredients:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Start by putting your tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and garlic cloves in a food processor with the spices, olive oil, and lemon juice. To get a nice smokiness, it's ideal to use smoked paprika. I did not have any smoked paprika, so I used paprika and added chipotle powder. Chipotle powder isn't a bad option anyway, but it will add extra spice!

If you use tomato paste in lieu of fresh tomatoes, you’re all set, but if you use fresh tomatoes I recommend reducing this mixture on the stove to thicken and eliminate some of the moisture. If you cook your mixture, continue until you have a nice, thick consistency. Then let cool somewhat before the next step.

Mix your spiced tomato mixture with the raw ground lamb. If you’re feeling unsure on the amount of seasoning, feel free to take a small amount of the mixture and cook in a pan to taste and determine if you need to add more salt or other spices. Then spread evenly across your pizza crusts or flatbread. Oil your baking sheet or use parchment paper and place the lahmacun on the sheet to bake.

Depending on the thickness of your lamb, the lahmacun will take more or less time to cook, though often just 8-10 minutes is sufficient.

After baking, top the lahmacun with fresh parsley and enjoy! We enjoyed ours like pizza with tzatziki dipping sauce.