8 minute Lebanese Pizzas (Lahmacun!)
Invented in pursuit of more interesting ways to use chicken mince, this is a SOS take on traditional manakish Lebanese pizzas made with flatbreads topped with a thin layer of meat, commonly known by the Turkish name lahmacun.
- 1 x ~30cm/12" Lebanese bread (, (sub other thin flatbreads, Note 1))
- 125g / 4 oz chicken mince ((ground chicken) (Note 2))
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Baharat spice mix (aka Lebanese 7 spice) ((Note 3 subs))
- 1/2 tsp paprika (, sweet (or smoked))
- 1 garlic clove (, crushed using garlic press)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt ((halve for table salt))
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley (or coriander/cilantro, totally optional (sub 1 tsp dried oregano))
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (, for cooking (or regular olive oil))
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp Danish feta or goats cheese (, crumbled (or regular feta))
- Lemon juice (, just a light drizzle)
- Dried chilli flakes / red pepper flakes
- ~1 tbsp toasted pine nuts (, roughly chopped (sub pistachios, almonds, sesame seeds))
- 1 tsp finely chopped parsley (or coriander/cilantro)
- Trim bread to fit pan, mix filling, smear on bread. Heat oil on high, pan fry 90 seconds meat side down, then bread side 90 seconds until crispy. Top, cut, eat!
- Use a large 30cm/12" non-stick pan. If needed, use scissors to cut one side of the Lebanese bread so it fits in your pan (Note 1 & 5)
- Mix the Chicken Spread ingredients in a bowl. Spread all across the surface of one side of the bread like peanut butter, smearing and pressing it onto the bread well so it sticks. Use it all! (It will be a fairly thin layer.)
- Cook meat side - Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan over high heat. Place the bread in meat side down and cook for 90 seconds, pressing down lightly to encourage colour. The meat will stick to the bread!
- Crisp bread - Turn with tongs (there should be some golden patches) and cook the bread side for 90 seconds until golden and crispy (lower heat if browning too quickly).
- Toppings - Slide onto cutting board, sprinkle with feta, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with other toppings you choose. Cut into 8 like pizza, enjoy!
Astoundingly fast to make, and extremely versatile, think of this recipe as a blueprint rather than a rule book. Use any ground meat, add shredded vegetables - and topping options are endless!
Don't skip the feta and olive oil for toppings. Heat oil on high, pan fry 90 seconds meat side down, then bread side 90 seconds until crispy.
If needed, use scissors to cut one side of the Lebanese bread so it fits in your pan (Note 1 & 5) Mix the Chicken Spread ingredients in a bowl. Spread all across the surface of one side of the bread like peanut butter, smearing and pressing it onto the bread well so it sticks.
Use it all! (It will be a fairly thin layer.) Cook meat side - Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan over high heat. Place the bread in meat side down and cook for 90 seconds, pressing down lightly to encourage colour. Crisp bread - Turn with tongs (there should be some golden patches) and cook the bread side for 90 seconds until golden and crispy (lower heat if browning too quickly).
Toppings - Slide onto cutting board, sprinkle with feta, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Dear Lebanese nationals
, Please don’t be offended by this recipe I’ve called a “Lebanese pizza.” I know they’re actually called manakish (among other names), made with homemade dough and comes with various toppings. I adore them all – I’d have the za’atar ones with every meal, the cheese ones stole my heart, and the meat ones (called lahmacun in Turkish) – wow. Just wow! So I don’t present today’s method as the real agreement, but wanted to give a nod to the inspiration behind it, hence the name. Think of it as a SOS version of lahmacun for all those nights you’ve got no time to cook. And an interesting way to use chicken mince, which can be so dull and bland!
Ingredients for 8 minute Lebanese pizza
The speed of the method relies on a no-chop mince meat topping, store acquired Lebanese bread for the base, and toppings that call for nothing more than first day a jar. But the main point I want to make here is versatility . There are loads of substitution options, and it’s hard to go wrong!
1. Spiced meat topping
Here’s what you need for the meat topping. The method was born on a day I was trying to think of interesting ways to use chicken mince, so that’s what I’ve used. It’s delicious as is, and I’m glad to have another great chicken mince recipe in my arsenal, but frankly, even better with fattier meats – lamb or beef. Chicken mince (ground chicken) – I’ve used chicken here but you can use anything you want – lamb (Lebanese favourite!), beef, turkey, even pork. The spicing for the topping works with everything, and the cook time remains the same. Baharat (aka Lebanese 7 Spice) is the shortcut spice here. It’s a spice mix used in Middle Eastern preparation that is made with – yup, you guessed it – 7 spices! Cinnamon forward (very Middle Eastern), usually with cumin, coriander, all spice and pepper, then the other spices vary between paprika, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom. I’ve popped a homemade vers
2. lebanese bread for the base
Are you familiar with this large pita bread? It’s a staple at every grocery store here in Australia! Don’t worry if you can’t get it. This recipe will work with any flatbread. Or even tortillas! Lebanese bread – this is a type of flatbread that is sold in every grocery store here in Australia. It’s like a large pita bread – about 30cm / 12″ in diameter, a thin double layer of bread that can be separated. It’s not bready, like this type of pita pocket, which is why it cooks up crispy quite quickly. Other suitable flatbreads – Anything fairy thin but not paper thin (won’t be sturdy enough) that will go crispy when pan fried. Tortillas will work, though they won’t be quite as crispy. I’d make then quesadilla style (spread with meat, toppings, fold then fry). Greek pita bread , the thin kind not bready kind (like Golden Top brand , pictured in Lamb Souvlaki ) is ideal.
3. TOPPING OPTIONS
I can’t stress enough though – toppings are essential, else it’s a little boring. I really recommend at least feta and olive oil, or anything that serves a similar purpose – goats cheese, labne, drizzle of yogurt mix with lemon, or even sour cream. Feta – I like to use Danish feta because it gets a bit smeary, though the more crumbly Greek feta is just as good. Goats cheese is extra excellent! Got leftovers from last weeks’ Goat Cheese Risoni ? Other ideas – Labne, yogurt, sour cream, avocado sauce (yes!), tahini sauce or whipped tahini yogurt sauce would in addition be fabulous. Essentially, a crumble or drizzle of something a little creamy goes a long way here. Extra virgin olive oil – Chicken mince is so lean, so this too is highly recommended. Though, if you use a creamy drizzle sauce in place of feta, you mightn’t need it. Everything else pictured is recommended but not essential! Here’s s
How to make this 8 minute Lebanese Pizza
4 minute prep, 3 minute cook, 1 minute toppings. YOU GOT THIS! Mix the spiced meat topping ingredients in a bowl. Trim the Lebanese bread so it fits in your pan. Only trim along one side so the bread stays together. Pan size – I use my large non-stick pan which is 30cm/12″ wide ( this one ). Spread the meat all over the bread, like you would peanut butter on toast! It will be and should be fairly thin. Pan fry the meat side down for 1 1/2 minutes on high heat until there are some golden patches. No longer – chicken mince dries out in a flash! (PS Don’t skimp on oil when pan frying, else the bread will just burn rather than go golden and crispy). Crisp base – Turn with tongs (the meat sticks!) then pan fry the bread side for 1 1/2 minutes until crispy, lowering the heat slightly if needed so the bread doesn’t burn. Sprinkle with toppings. Baseline is feta or goats cheese + olive oil, ever
Final words
Cooked Lebanese pizzas will keep for a few days, but I recommend reheating by pan frying to re-crisp the base and a fresh drizzle of olive oil to rejuvenate the chicken. And final words of advice – don’t get hung up on having the exact components listed. This recipe is more of a blueprint for you to use and make your own with what you’ve got! Hope you can find 8 minutes in your day to give this a go. 😉 I promise you won’t regret it. – Nagi x PS Some of you may have picked up that this recipe is like an open-faced Arayes , Lebanese meat stuffed pita breads, pan fried until crispy. Funnily enough, that’s where this recipe began! See Development Woe tales in the FAQ section below. 🙂
8 minute Lebanese pizza FAQ
