Lahmacun is a popular flatbread found in Türkiye, Armenia and the Levant region. It consists of a thin and delicate dough that is generously topped with spiced ground lamb or beef, tomatoes and bell peppers. To enhance its flavors, it is common for diners to drizzle the dish with lemon juice and then roll it up before indulging in its deliciousness.
Especially in Istanbul, you can easily come across this tasty, social dish, which fills a similar place in the culture as pizza in many other places, with equally exacting standards for what makes a good lahmacun. The toppings are chopped coarsely for a rustic texture, the dough is expertly stretched by hand, and the flatbread cooks in minutes in a roaring-hot oven.
Though delicious, authentic lahmacun is out of reach for kids trying to do something nice for Father’s Day. Kids can help out, though the recipe does involve a food processor and a very hot oven.
We swap the usual homemade flatbread dough for store-bought pita bread. Simply combine the meat mixture in a food processor and spread it onto the pita, then bake it in a hot oven. Either ground lamb or beef will taste great with a mixture of paprika, cumin and red pepper flakes.
Served with lemon wedges on the side, it evokes the real thing while finishing in about half an hour.
When processing the meat mixture, don’t overdo it or the meat may become tough. Pulse a few times, just until combined. If you like, finish the dish with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and a drizzle of cool yogurt to complement the spiced meat.
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Makes four 8-inch flatbreads
Four 8-inch pita breads
1 small red OR yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup roasted red peppers drained and patted dry
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
8 ounces of ground beef, or ground lamb
Heat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius) with racks in the upper and lower-middle positions. Arrange the pita bread on two rimmed baking sheets and set aside.
In a food processor, pulse the onion until finely chopped, about five pulses. Add the roasted peppers, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the beef and pulse just until incorporated, three or four pulses.
Divide the beef mixture evenly among the pitas (about a scant 1/2 cup each) and spread over the rounds, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Bake until the pitas are golden brown on the edges and the meat is sizzling, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through, eight to 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and cut into wedges.
