Turkish Lahmacun Recipe: Easy & Homemade

Crispy Turkish lahmacun cut into 4 pieces on a circular wooden tray

Lahmacun is popular street food in Turkey that, round, thin piece of dough topped with minced meat, tomatoes, onions, parsley, black pepper, and isot (red chili pepper), then baked in wood-fired ovens.

It is a favorite lunchtime snack in Turkey and one of the most common foods found at restaurants. Turkish people put parsley, onion, a little tomato, and lots of lemon in their lahmacun and make it a wrap.

Related content: The Best Turkish Foods: 44 Lip-Smacking Turkish Dishes (w/ Photos)

Lahmacun recipe

Makes 8

Ingredients:

Spicy Lamb Topping

  • 230 gr medium-lean lamb, ground twice
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 plum tomatoes, finely diced
  • ½ bunch finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • Salt
  • ½ cup cold water
  • Pita bread dough
  • Cornmeal, for dusting
  • Butter

Method:

  1. To prepare the lamb topping, place all the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt.
  2. Preheat the oven to 235°C. Place a pizza stone or quarry tile on the middle rack of the oven.
  3. Dust your fingers with flour. On a cool, lightly floured work surface (preferably marble), turn out the pita dough once it has risen to double its size. Gently punch out the air and roll out the dough into a cylinder and cut it into 8 equal pieces with a sharp knife. Shape each piece into a ball, then press each ball with the heel of your palm to flatten it. Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let them rest in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
  4. To assemble, flatten each piece of dough with the heel of your palm once again. Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough into a 10-inch circle. Divide the spicy lamb mixture among the rounds of dough, spreading it thinly and leaving a ½ inch border around the edges.
  5. Sprinkle cornmeal over the pizza stone or on your baker’s peel. Bake the lahmacuns in batches for about 7 minutes each batch, until the meat is browned. Remove the breads from the oven and brush the edge of each one with melted butter. Garnish and serve warm or at room temperature.

You may also like:

2025 Edition 🤩

Get the Istanbul Food Guide for FREE

By signing up, you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Yummy Istanbul about news, events, offers, and promotions.