Lahm Bi Ajeen (Middle Eastern Pizza) is popular throughout the Middle East, and for good reason! It has a crispy crust that's topped with a mixture of ground beef or lamb, onion, herbs, and a unique blend of spices. You don't need sauce and cheese for this Lahm Ajeen recipe because it's already loaded with flavor! Serve with this Lebanese Tabbouleh!
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First things first, what does Lahm Bi Ajeen mean? In Arabic, "laham" (لحم) means "meat," and "bi ajeen" (بعجين) means "with dough." Put it all together, and you have "meat with dough" or "lahm bi ajeen" (لحم بعجين). Laham Ajeen is the shortened version of the name.
The name is pronounced a little differently based on the country, however, the recipes are all pretty similar. Some of these names include Lahm Ajeen, Lahmacun, Lahmajun, and Lahmajo.
Lahm Ajeen is a popular street food in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and many other Middle Eastern countries. This is one of those recipes that many ethnicities claim as their own including the Turks, Lebanese, and Armenians. Unfortunately, it's often difficult to trace the origin of such recipes.
When I published my cookbook (Mom's Authentic Assyrian Recipes) in 2009, it included a recipe for Lahm Bi Ajeen. However, it was a simpler version that involved using homemade pita bread instead of making the dough from scratch.
If you find yourself short on time, you can still use pita bread to make Lahm Bi Ajeen. Some even use tortillas, which are not exactly authentic, but will do when you're short on time!
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Lahm Bi Ajeen is a unique and delicious recipe that can be prepared in advance and baked when you're ready to serve it.
- You can also freeze them to have on hand when you want a quick and effortless dinner, just defrost the night before in the fridge.
- Lahm Bi Ajeen can also be served as an appetizer or for breakfast.
- This easy dough recipe can be used to make smoked pizza, spinach and cheese fatayer, or manakish.
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Meat: You can use ground beef, lamb, or a combination of the two. Choose meat with 10% fat to avoid the fat rendering and making a mess in your oven.
- Dough: Make the dough from scratch, or if you're in a hurry, use flatbread or lavash bread.
- Herbs/Veggies: Onion, garlic, jalapeno, and parsley. If you'd like, you can also add a medium-sized tomato.
- Tomato Paste: Two tablespoons of tomato paste to mix with the meat.
- Spices: Sea salt, black pepper, paprika, sumac powder, and cayenne pepper (optional). I also add nigella seeds to the dough, but they're also optional. Some of this substitute for zaatar would also be great!
- Garnish: Chopped parsley, mint, or pomegranate seeds.
🫓 How To Make Lahm Ajeen
Step 1: Add flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and nigella seeds to a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then add olive oil and 1 cup warm water. Stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated. If necessary, add 1 tablespoon of warm water at a time until a shaggy dough forms. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then add to an oiled bowl and cover. Proof for 2 hours in a warm place or overnight in the fridge.
Pro Tip: The longer you proof the dough, the better it will taste. It can be kept for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Step 2: Meanwhile, add roughly chopped onion, garlic, jalapeño, and parsley to a food processor. Pulse until minced, but not liquefied.
Step 3: Add ground beef, lamb, and seasoning to the food processor and pulse until mixed. Divide into 8 equal portions (approximately 3.5 ounces each). Using a food scale can be helpful!
Pro Tip: Grinding the ground meat and veggies into a paste helps to keep the meat from separating once cooked.
Step 4: When you're ready to form the lahm ajeen, add a pizza stone to the lowest rack in the oven, then preheat oven to 475°F. Use a bench scraper to divide dough ball in half, then quarters, then 8ths. Roll each portion into a round ball and keep covered with a kitchen towel.
Step 5: Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out dough with a rolling pin on a floured surface into a thin 8" round disc. Add a portion of meat to the dough, then use the back of a spoon to spread the meat out to the edges in a thin layer. The edges can be left as is or crimped.
Baking Instructions
Step 6: Transfer the unbaked lahm ajeen to a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal, then slide it off onto the pizza stone or sheet pan. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the meat is fully cooked.
Step 7: Garnish baked lahm bi ajeen with chopped fresh herbs, sumac powder, toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, or a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. You can make an even heartier meal out of it by adding crumbled feta cheese, juicy ripe diced tomatoes, or sliced Kalamata olives.
If you enjoy unique pizzas, give this spinach and feta pizza recipe a try. It was inspired by the filling in this spinach and cheese fatayer recipe! Or this delicious cheeseless pizza recipe!
🥗 Serving Suggestions
Serve lahm bi ajeen with lemon wedges and Lebanese Fattoush, Middle Eastern Salad, or a plate of Lebanese Hummus. Pickled vegetables are always welcome at a Middle Eastern feast! Choose from Pickled Green Tomatoes, Torshi, Pickled Jerusalem Artichokes, or Pickled Turnips.
Lahm b'ajeen is often served as part of an iftar spread during Ramadan. Because it's easy to portion and share, it makes a delicious addition to any Ramadan table. If you're planning your menu, browse my full collection of Ramadan recipes for more traditional dishes.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Lahm bi Ajeen translates to meat and dough. It's often described as "Middle Eastern pizza"; however, this pizza does not have sauce or cheese. The meat mixture is prepared with beef or lamb, onions, herbs, and spices, then spread into a thin layer over the dough and baked until the dough is golden and crispy.
The best way to keep Lahm Ajeen meat from separating is to blend the meat in a food processor until it has a paste-like consistency. Then spread it into an even layer covering the surface of the dough. Using lean meat is another way to ensure the meat does not separate.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Pomegranate molasses can add a sweet and tangy flavor to the meat mixture. If you want to try it, add a few tablespoons to the meat mixture before spreading it on the dough.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can also store lahm ajeen in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper or wax paper between them, then slip into ziplock freezer bags.
- To reheat cooked and frozen lahm ajeen, defrost in the fridge, then reheat in a toaster oven/regular oven at 350°F for approximately 15 minutes.
- I don't recommend reheating lahm bi ajeen in a microwave or freezing them uncooked.
🥙 More Middle Eastern Recipes
If you enjoy this Middle Eastern meat pizza, be sure to try these related recipes!
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and nigella seeds to a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then add olive oil and 1 cup warm water. Stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated. If necessary, add 1 tablespoon of warm water at a time until a shaggy dough forms. Knead dough for 5 minutes, then add to an oiled bowl and cover. Proof for 2 hours in a warm place or overnight in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, add roughly chopped onion, garlic, jalapeño, and parsley to a food processor. Pulse until minced, but not liquefied.
- Add ground beef, lamb, and seasoning to the food processor and pulse until mixed. Divide into 8 equal portions (approximately 3.5 ounces each). Using a food scale can be helpful!
- When you're ready to form the lahm ajeen, add pizza stone to the lowest rack in the oven, then preheat oven to 475°F. Use a bench scraper to divide dough ball in half, then quarters, then 8ths. Roll each portion into a round ball and keep covered with a kitchen towel.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out dough with a rolling pin on a floured surface into a thin 8" round disc. Add a portion of meat to the dough, then use the back of a spoon to spread the meat out to the edges in a thin layer. The edges can be left as is or crimped.
- Transfer the unbaked lahm ajeen to a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal, then slide it off onto the pizza stone or sheet pan. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the meat is fully cooked.
- Garnish baked lahm bi ajeen with chopped fresh herbs, sumac powder, toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, or a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. You can make an even heartier meal out of it by adding crumbled feta cheese, juicy ripe diced tomatoes, or sliced Kalamata olives.
Nutrition
Notes
- The longer you proof the dough the better it will taste. It can be proofed for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Grinding the ground meat and veggies into a paste helps to keep the meat from separating once cooked.
- Pomegranate molasses can add a sweet and tangy flavor to the meat mixture. If you want to try it, add a few tablespoons to the meat mixture before spreading it on the dough.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can also store lahm ajeen in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper or wax paper between them, then slip into Ziploc freezer bags.
- To reheat cooked and frozen lahm ajeen, defrost in the fridge, then reheat in a toaster oven/regular oven at 350°F for approximately 15 minutes.
- I don't recommend reheating lahm bi ajeen in a microwave or freezing them uncooked.
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Shamiran says
I made these recently; they were delicious. I did tweak the recipe a bit: skipped the cornmeal step and only had ground beef. Thanks Hilda, another keeper!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Shamiran. 😘 So glad they were enjoyed!