Lahmacun is Turkish street food at its best: a flatbread rolled so thin that it is almost see-through, and spread with a spiced topping of minced meat, tomato, bell pepper, garlic and parsley. The topping goes onto the dough raw and bakes along with it, so the edge turns golden and lightly crisp, while the middle stays soft enough to roll.
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Many people call it Turkish pizza, but it is not. A lahmacun is always made without cheese, and it is rolled up around red onion, parsley and a good squeeze of lemon before it is eaten with your hands. In the air fryer you bake them one at a time at 200 °C, and each lahmacun is ready in 6 minutes.
Table of Contents
Why I love lahmacun in the air fryer
A lahmacun needs high heat for a short time. That is how the edge turns crisp without the base drying out, and the thin layer of topping has time to cook through while the dough stays soft enough to roll. The air fryer handles this well, because the hot air circulates closely around the small flatbread.
The size suits the basket too. The dough is divided into 8 balls of about 60 g, and each ball is rolled out into a very thin circle of 18-20 cm, or just large enough to fit the bottom of your air fryer basket. You roll out the next one while the previous one is baking, so there is always a warm lahmacun on its way.
Why lahmacun is not a pizza
The biggest difference is the cheese: there is none. There is no bare rim of dough either, because the topping is spread out in a thin layer right to the edge. The meat is not fried first. It is mixed raw with very finely chopped onion, tomato, red bell pepper and garlic, plus tomato purée, parsley, sweet paprika and chilli flakes. The chilli flakes replace the Turkish pul biber. If you have pul biber in the cupboard, use 2 tsp instead.
My kitchen test of lahmacun
I have baked lahmacun in my Cosori Dual Blaze at 200 °C fan, and 6 minutes per piece is what it takes. That gives a golden, lightly crisp edge, and the topping is cooked through with no pink meat. The model has one basket with heating elements both above and below, and you can tell from the base, which is baked right through even though a lahmacun does not need turning. If the topping is still pink after the 6 minutes, it gets 1 more minute.
Keep in mind that it takes time to bake 8 pieces one at a time. The total baking time is about 48 minutes, and with 25 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of rising time, the recipe takes 103 minutes in total. I cut two pieces of baking paper to size, so the next lahmacun is ready to go when the previous one is done. If you have two baskets or an extra-large basket, you can bake two at a time and halve the baking time.
Press the liquid out of the chopped vegetables in a sieve before you mix them into the topping. That is the difference between a crisp edge and a base that turns soft and soggy.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is a base that is too thick. Roll the dough so thin that you can almost see the table through it, otherwise it will not have time to bake through in 6 minutes. The second mistake is too much topping. One eighth of the topping, about 2 heaped tbsp, is enough for one lahmacun, and it is spread out in a very thin layer with the back of a spoon. The third mistake is wet vegetables. Remove the seeds from the tomato, chop the vegetables very finely, and press the liquid out in a sieve, otherwise the base will turn soft and soggy. And never put baking paper in the air fryer without food on top.
How to serve lahmacun
Lahmacun is eaten warm and with your hands. Stack the finished lahmacun in pairs, topping against topping, under a clean tea towel, so they stay warm and soft enough to roll. Put this on the table:
- Lemon wedges to squeeze over just before you roll
- Red onion in very thin slices, ideally with a sprinkle of sumac
- Coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- A tomato and cucumber salad on the side
Storage and reheating
Lahmacun is best freshly baked, but leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container with baking paper between the layers. Reheat them in the air fryer at 180 °C for 2-3 minutes, until the flatbreads are heated through and still soft enough to roll. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months with baking paper between the layers. Thaw them in the fridge before reheating.
Lahmacun in the air fryer is all about rolling thin, spreading thin and pressing the liquid out of the vegetables. Do that, and you get golden, crisp edges and a juicy, spiced topping every time. You will find the recipe with all the quantities below.
FAQ
No. The topping goes onto the dough raw in a very thin layer and cooks through in the air fryer at 200 °C in 6 minutes. If the meat is still pink, give it 1 more minute.
Yes. Minced lamb gives the most classic flavour, and you can also use half beef and half lamb. Choose minced meat with 8-12% fat.
Roll each ball of dough out into a very thin circle of 18-20 cm, or just large enough to fit the bottom of your basket. Place it on a piece of baking paper cut to size, so that it is easy to lift in.
Recipe
Lahmacun in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
Keep the screen on and follow the recipe step by step while you cook.
Step 1:
Avoid the screen turning off while you cook.
Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chefs knife
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Rolling pin
- 2 Parchment paper (for air fryer)
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Turner
- 2 Kitchen towel
Shopping list
Ingredients
Meat topping
- 250 g minced beef (Or minced lamb, 8-12% fat)
- 1 pcs onion (Small)
- 1 pcs tomato (Large and ripe)
- 0.5 pcs red bell pepper
- 2 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 dl parsley (Fresh flat-leaf, finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (Replaces pul biber)
- 1 tsp paprika (Sweet)
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (Freshly ground)
Serving
- 1 pcs lemon (Cut into wedges)
- 1 pcs red onion (Thinly sliced)
- 2 dl parsley (Fresh flat-leaf, coarsely chopped)
How to make it
Preparation
- Pour 175 ml water into a mixing bowl. The water should be lukewarm. Dissolve 10 g yeast in the water, and stir in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt.
- Add 300 g plain flour, and knead the dough for 6-8 minutes, until it is smooth and supple and comes away from the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel, and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Put the chopped vegetables in a sieve, and press out as much liquid as possible with the back of a spoon. Otherwise the thin base will turn soft and soggy.
- Mix the vegetables with 250 g minced beef, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 1 dl parsley, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper in a bowl until the topping is even and spreadable. Do not cook the topping first. It goes onto the dough raw.
- Knock the air out of the risen dough, and divide it into 8 equal pieces of about 60 g each. Roll them into balls, and keep them covered with the tea towel.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Roll out one ball of dough on a floured work surface into a very thin circle of 18-20 cm, or just large enough to fit the bottom of your air fryer basket. Place it on a piece of baking paper cut to fit the bottom of the basket.
- Spread one eighth of the topping, about 2 heaped tbsp, over the dough in a very thin layer with the back of a spoon. Spread right out to the edge, so that there is no bare rim of dough.
- Lift the baking paper with the lahmacun into the basket, and bake at 200 °C for 6 minutes, until the edge is golden and lightly crisp and the topping is cooked through with no pink meat. It does not need turning. Give it 1 minute more if the topping is still pink.
- Lift the finished lahmacun out with a spatula, and repeat with the remaining 7 balls of dough at 200 °C for 6 minutes each. Roll out the next one while the previous one is baking. Stack the finished lahmacun in pairs, topping against topping, under a clean tea towel, so they stay warm and soft enough to roll.
Our notes for the recipe
Roll the dough so thin that you can almost see the table through it, and spread the topping out in a very thin layer. A thick base or a thick layer of topping will not cook through in 6 minutes. Cut two pieces of baking paper to size so you can get the next lahmacun ready while the previous one is baking. The paper can be reused. Never put baking paper in the air fryer without food on top. Variation:
Use minced lamb for the most classic flavour, or half beef and half lamb. If you have pul biber, you can use 2 tsp in place of the chilli flakes. Use just 0.5 tsp of chilli flakes if children are eating too. A sprinkle of sumac over the red onions gives a fresh, tangy flavour. Serving:
Lahmacun is eaten with your hands, rolled up around lemon, parsley and onion, and always without cheese. Feel free to serve a tomato and cucumber salad on the side. Portion size:
The recipe makes 8 pieces, which is 2 per person. They are baked one at a time, so the total baking time is about 48 minutes. If you have an air fryer with two baskets or an extra-large basket, you can bake two at a time and halve the baking time.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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