Why does my meat not stick to the tortilla?

Make sure your pan is nice and hot before you add your taco, and you really need to press the tortilla into the pan while it's cooking. This way, the meat cooks quickly and kind of 'seals' itself to the tortilla while it cooks. But if your meat doesn't stick, please don't worry! It's still going to taste the same.

My pan is quite greasy - is this normal?

Just make sure you're using lean beef or lamb - otherwise you can end up with a greasy puddle. If there is a lot of grease though, just drain some away as you flip the tortilla to crisp up.

Could I use different ground meat?

Yes! Beef or lamb is most associated with lahmacun, but you could use ground turkey or chicken, or a plant-based alternative.

Could I use a different sauce?

You can use whatever you'd like. Whipped feta , spicy harissa whipped feta , sundried tomato feta dip , smoky baba ghanoush or even tzatziki would be lovely, as would a tomato-based salsa.

Lahmacun Smash Tacos with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce

Description

Everything you love about lahmacun, in a jazzy new form. I’m talking beautifully spiced beef (or lamb) pressed into a mini tortilla, pan-fried for a couple of minutes, topped with a smoky red pepper sauce and herby salad. Easy, speedy, and a super fun twist on the smash taco trend.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the tacos –

1lb/500g ground lean lamb or beef
1 roasted red pepper (from a jar), chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon harissa paste
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
12 mini tortillas
Za’atar or dukkah, to serve
Lemon juice, to serve

For the fiery red pepper sauce –

3 roasted red peppers (from a jar)
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon harissa paste
1 teaspoon salt
10oz/300g cottage cheese (or Greek yogurt or cream cheese)

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Instructions

Make your red pepper sauce. Add all your sauce ingredients to the bowl of a food processor, or a blender. Blitz into a super smooth, creamy sauce. This should only take a minute or two. Set aside for now.
Mix the lahmacun topping. Add the ground lamb or beef, chopped red pepper, garlic cloves, harissa paste, chopped parsley, cinnamon, allspice, ground cumin, tomato paste and salt to a mixing bowl. Use a spoon or spatula to mix the ingredients well, ensuring all the ingredients are well-dispersed through the meat.
Top the tacos. Scoop up a heaped spoonful of the lahmacun mixture, and spread it into a thin layer on your mini tortilla, going right up to the edges (the meat will shrink a bit when it cooks). Repeat with the rest of the mixture and the tortillas.
Cook the tacos. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Place a tortilla, meat side down, onto your pan, and press down firmly with a fish slice (or similar). You want to really ‘smash’ the taco into the pan so that the meat cooks quickly and it ‘seals’ itself to the tortilla. Depending on the size of your pan, you can cook a few tacos at the same time. Cook for four minutes, then flip them and cook for a further minute on the other side.
Garnish and serve. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of the red pepper sauce on top of the meat on each taco, then divide the chopped herbs between them. Scatter over your za’atar, then finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Enjoy with more of the smoky sauce on the side.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: Use lean lamb or beef if you can, otherwise your pan may end up quite greasy. If this happens, just drain some of the grease as you flip the tacos over. Harissa paste is a spicy, North African chili paste that contains a lot of the ingredients usually present in lahmacun, so I use it as a bit of a shortcut to flavor here. Harissa differs by brand in terms of spice, so I recommend tasting yours first and if it’s super spicy, reduce the quantity you add. If you can’t find it, use more tomato paste and add 1 teaspoon of chili flakes or red pepper flakes.

MAKE AHEAD: The smoky red pepper sauce will keep well for 5 days in the fridge. You can mix the lahmacun topping a couple of days ahead of time, then just top the tortillas and cook when you’re ready. Or, top the tortillas and store them in the fridge overnight (make sure you separate each tortilla with a piece of parchment paper so that they don’t stick or go soggy).

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Category: fakeaways
Method: stove top
Cuisine: mediterranean

Nutrition

Serving Size: 3 tacos
Calories: 402
Sugar: 7.8g
Sodium: 1457mg
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 3.2g
Unsaturated Fat: 4.3g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 38.7g
Fiber: 2.1g
Protein: 41.4g
Cholesterol: 84mg