Quick Turkish pizza

Ingredients

• 8wholemeal flatbreads
• 300 gminced meat
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 1red onion
• 2 canstomato purée
• 2red pointed peppers
• 1 bunchparsley
• 1cucumber
• 250 gcherry tomatoes
• 150 gfeta
• to tasteblack pepper and salt
• to tastesriracha

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven

   Heat the oven to 180 °C.

2. 2

   Prepare the vegetables

   Cut the pointed peppers into pieces. Peel the garlic and red onion.

3. 3

   Chop the topping

   Put the minced meat, tomato purée, pointed peppers, red onion, garlic, half the parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor or chopper. Process until finely chopped.

4. 4

   Top the flatbreads

   Spread the minced meat mixture over the flatbreads, smoothing it out with a spoon.

5. 5

   Bake until cooked

   Bake the flatbreads in the oven for 8 minutes, until the minced meat is cooked through.

6. 6

   Prepare the toppings

   Dice the cucumber and quarter the cherry tomatoes. Finely chop the remaining parsley and crumble the feta.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Mix the cucumber, cherry tomatoes and feta together, then divide the mixture over the flatbreads. Serve with sriracha.

What is Turkish pizza?

Turkish pizza often refers to lahmacun, a thin flatbread topped with a finely seasoned meat mixture. This quick version uses ready-made wholemeal flatbreads, making it practical for a weeknight while keeping the savoury meat-and-tomato topping at its centre.

The fresh cucumber, cherry tomatoes, parsley and feta are added after baking. Their cool, crisp and salty flavours balance the rich topping.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 640 calories, 31g protein, 75g carbs, 24g fat.

The flatbreads provide most of the carbohydrates, while the minced meat and feta contribute much of the protein and fat. The vegetables add freshness and fibre; serve a generous side salad or extra cucumber alongside a flatbread to round out the plate.

A finely chopped topping

Meat and vegetables: processing the minced meat with tomato purée, pepper, onion, garlic and parsley distributes the flavours evenly. Chop until the mixture is fine, but stop before it becomes a smooth paste.

Tomato purée: it gives the topping a concentrated tomato flavour and helps bind the ingredients. The recipe does not specify the size of the cans, so use the stated two cans and spread the mixture in a thin layer.

Getting the bake right

Even coverage: spread the topping right across each flatbread in a thin, even layer. Thick patches may take longer to cook than the edges.

Doneness: bake at 180 °C for 8 minutes, checking that the meat is cooked through before serving. The flatbread should be hot and its edges lightly crisp.

Fresh toppings

Cucumber and tomatoes: dice the cucumber small and quarter the cherry tomatoes so they are easy to distribute over the flatbreads. Add them after baking to keep their fresh texture.

Feta and parsley: crumble the feta and chop the remaining parsley just before serving. Their salty and herbal notes lift the savoury topping.

Serving ideas

Serve the flatbreads straight from the oven, with the fresh topping and sriracha added at the end. Offer the sriracha separately so everyone can choose how much heat they want.

A simple green salad or extra sliced cucumber makes a fresh side. If serving all eight flatbreads as a meal for four, allow two per person.

Keep the flatbreads crisp

The meat-topped flatbreads are best eaten soon after baking, before the fresh vegetables release moisture onto them. Prepare the chopped toppings while the flatbreads bake, then add them just before serving.

For the best texture, keep any leftover fresh topping separate from leftover baked flatbreads. This makes reheating the flatbreads easier without wilting the vegetables.

Recipe notes & tips

• Spread the meat mixture thinly so it cooks through in the short baking time.
• Chop the topping ingredients evenly for a more consistent texture.
• Use a spoon to distribute the mixture right to the edges of each flatbread.
• Keep the cucumber and tomatoes off the flatbreads until after baking.
• Add sriracha at the table so the heat can be adjusted to taste.

Variations

• Add chilli: mix a little chilli into the minced meat topping for extra heat.
• Try lamb: use minced lamb instead of minced meat for a different savoury flavour.
• Add lemon: squeeze a little lemon over the fresh topping just before serving.
• Use fresh herbs: replace some of the parsley with chopped mint.
• Make it meat-free: use a plant-based mince and follow the same method.

Common mistakes to avoid

• A thick topping: it may not cook through in 8 minutes; spread it in a thin, even layer.
• Overprocessing: the mixture can turn pasty; stop once the ingredients are finely chopped.
• Adding fresh vegetables before baking: they can soften and release liquid; add them afterwards.
• Skipping the doneness check: cooking times can vary with topping thickness; check that the meat is cooked through.
• Using too much sriracha: it can overpower the other flavours; serve it on the side.

How to store

Store leftover baked flatbreads and fresh topping separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the flatbreads in a 180 °C oven until hot, then add the cold topping.

Frequently asked questions