Lahm Bi Ajeen, or “meat on dough,” is a beloved Iraqi flatbread topped with a savory mix of ground beef or lamb, vegetables, and warm Middle Eastern spices. Baked until golden, this thin meat pie is soft, flavorful, and perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner. This recipe features an easy homemade dough and a well-balanced filling you’ll want to make again and again.

Lahm Bi Ajeen piled on a dark coloured tray with parchment, garnished with lemon wedges, parsley and onion slices on a light coloured background with a bowl of sliced onions and parsley in a bowl in the corner, lemon wedges in a bowl in the bottom corner and 2 cups of tea in the corner

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

Save Post

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Hungry Paprikas.

Iraqi Style Lahm Bi Ajeen

This recipe is addictive once you try it. My mom makes the best authentic lahm bi ajeen, and this is her recipe. In Iraq, we make lahm bi ajeen very often and serve it either as an appetizer for a big dinner, or as breakfast with a cup of tea.

This recipe is one that I make whenever I have some ground beef hanging out in the fridge. I’m either using it to make this recipe or throwing it into Kofta and making Arayes, which are both great options for weeknight meals.

QUICK TIP: If I had a bit of time to make my dough from scratch, I always would. But a quick hack I now use is to make the meat mixture and spread it onto tortillas for a much quicker version that also hits the spot.

If you make extra dough, you can use different toppings to make Manakish (like cheese and zaatar), Turkish pide, or Spinach Fatayer. I usually plan accordingly and make lahm bi ajeen along with a few others and stock up my freezer.

How to Make My Mom’s Lahm Bi Ajeen

Grab your ingredients!

Ingredient shot for Lahm Bi Ajeen with Parsley, onions and pomegranate molasses on a wooden cutting board, a white plate with ground beef, a white plate with cinnamon, pepper, curry powder, salt and allspice and a small white bowl of tomato paste

How to Make the Dough

I use a stand mixer to make the dough, which makes it a breeze. But you can also knead the dough by hand. I prefer a moist dough as it will yield a soft texture. A tip I learned from my mom is to add nigella seeds for a great flavour.

a mixture of yeast and water in a white bowl, with a spoon inside
Mix the yeast with lukewarm water and set aside.
all-purpose flour, water, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl, ready to be mixed with a spoon
Add the flour, sugar, nigella seeds and salt and combine. Then add the oil and combine.
risen dough in a light coloured pot on a light pink tiled background
Knead the dough by hand or in the mixer, then allow it to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.

The key with making the dough is to gradually add the water and test it using your fingers. If it’s too moist, you can add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time, and if it’s too dry, simply add a bit more water until you reach the right texture.

The dough is ready when it feels moist but not too sticky, and starts to come away from the bowl.

How to Make the Meat Mixture

For the mixture, you can use ground beef or lamb, and I would avoid extra lean meat since you want some fat in there.

Onions and parsley in a food processor on a light pink tiled backdrop
Place quartered onions and the parsley in a food processor
onions and parsley in a food processor that have been processed into small pieces on a light pink tiled background
Process until they are finely chopped
ground beef, processed onions and parsley, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, and spices in a glass bowl on a light pink tiled background
Add all other ingredients together in a bowl
meat mixture in a glass bowl on a alight pink tiled background
Mix well using your hands or a spoon until all the ingredients are incorporated.

The meat mixture can be used as soon as it is ready and doesn’t need to rest. However, you can also make the mixture the day before and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Assembling and Baking the Lahm Bi Ajeen

Roll out the dough. Here you have a few options. You can make small circles which are best if you’re serving it as an appetizer. Or you can make medium sized circular pieces, served as a meal, which is often the way I make it. There’s no rule around the size, so use the size that works for you.

Finally, you can also speed up the process a lot more by simply rolling out the dough to fit your pan and then cut the pieces into squares once they’re baked. This is a “quicker” way and cuts down the prep time greatly.

ball of dough on a floured light pink tiled background
Make medium sized balls of dough and place on a floured surface
rolled out dough on a light pink tiled background with a wooden rolling pin in the corner and meat mixture in a glass bowl in the other top corner
Roll out the dough to a very thin layer using a floured rolling pin, as thin as you can.
rolled out dough on a parchment on a wooden board on a light pink tiled background with a glass bowl with meat mixture in the corner
Place the rolled out dough on your pan or on a parchment lined pizza peel (if using a pizza stone)
meat mixture spread on rolled out dough on parchment on a wooden board with a glass bowl with the meat mixture in a corner with a spoon
Add the meat mixture on top and spread it out into an even medium layer, leaving half an inch from the edges.

TIP: When spreading the meat mixture on the dough, use your fingertips to poke the meat and make little indents all over. This helps ensure the meat sticks to the dough and doesn’t peel off when baking. Also, avoid using a meat layer that is too thick.

To bake, make sure your oven is pre-heated to 450F. Using a high oven temperature will ensure a crispy bottom. You can bake on a regular floured sheet pan, or on a pizza stone. Using a pizza stone yields the best results.

baked Lahm Bi Ajeen on a parchment on a wooden board on a light pink tiled background
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 450F on bottom rack for approximately 7-10 minutes. Transfer to top rack and broil for 3-4 minutes.
Lahm Bi Ajeen in a pile on a dark coloured plate with a green and white tea towel on a light coloured background
Once baked, immediately place the lahm bi ajeen in a pan and cover with a towel or plastic bag to avoid them drying out
Lahm Bi Ajeen or Sfiha on wax paper with lemon wedges

What to do with leftover dough and filling

If you happen to have any leftover dough, you can store it in the fridge for 3-4 days to use in other recipes such as pizza, cheese or za’atar manakish, fatayer, or even honeycomb bread.

You can also freeze the dough in an airtight freezer bag for 4-5 months. When ready to use, thaw it in the fridge overnight.

My favourite thing to do with leftover filling is to cook it in a skillet, and then crack 3-4 eggs on top, sort of like a shakshuka. You can also use the filling to spread on ready-made tortillas, pita bread, or naan.

How to Freeze It

Lahm bi Ajeen is very freezer friendly. You can make a big batch and freeze to eat throughout the month, or in preparation for a big dinner party. Follow these important storage instructions for the best results:

  • Place the lahm bi ajeen pieces in a freezer bag, ensure that you add a layer of parchment paper between each piece to avoid them sticking to each other.
  • Tightly seal the bag and freeze them. They can stay in the freezer for 5-6 months.
Lahm Bi Ajeen in a ziplock bag on a light coloured background

The best way to re-heat frozen lahm bi ajeen is to remove it from the freezer and place it on a baking tray. Make sure you don’t overlap them so they don’t stick to each other. Place them in the oven and heat them slowly at 350F for 10-15 minutes and they’ll be good as new.

Lahm Bi Ajeen piled on a dark coloured tray with parchment, garnished with lemon wedges, parsley and onion slices

If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

Lahm Bi Ajeen piled on a dark coloured tray with parchment, garnished with lemon wedges, parsley and onion slices on a light coloured background with a bowl of sliced onions and parsley in a bowl in the corner, lemon wedges in a bowl in the bottom corner and 2 cups of tea in the corner
4.96 from 48 ratings

Lahm Bi Ajeen / Sfiha (Middle Eastern Flatbread)

Yield: 35 small pieces or 10 medium pieces
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
Lahm Bi Ajeen or Sfiha is an Authentic Middle Eastern Flatbread made with perfectly spiced beef and a delicious soft dough. It's a must try.
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients
 

For the Dough

  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoons instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons nigella seeds, optional
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
  • 1/2 cup yoghurt, optional
  • 2.5 cups water, approximately – depends on your flour

For the Filling

  • 1.5 lbs lean ground beef, or a 50/50 mixture of beef and lamb
  • 3 onions, finely diced
  • 2 cups parsley, finely diced
  • 200 ml tomato paste
  • 200 ml tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, optional
  • 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon allspice
  • 1/4 tablespoon cinnamon powder

Instructions
 

For the Dough

  • a mixture of yeast and water in a white bowl, with a spoon inside
    Place the instant yeast in a bowl with 1 cup of warm water (from the 2.5 cups total) and allow to dissolve for a few minutes (make sure the water is not really hot).
  • all-purpose flour, water, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl, ready to be mixed with a spoon
    Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, start by placing the flour, sugar, nigella seeds and salt into the mixing bowl and mix on low for a few seconds to combine. You can also do this with your hand or a spoon.
  • Add the oil to the dry ingredients and combine on medium speed, until the oil is fully incorporated, which should take a few seconds.
  • Then add the water and yeast mixture and continue to mix on medium speed.
  • Slowly and gradually add the yogurt plus the 1.5 remaining cups of water and continue to knead for at least 5 to 7 minutes.
  • medium sized dough ball in a light coloured pot on a light pink tiled background
    The dough is ready when it feels moist but not too sticky and starts to come away from the bowl. If it feels dry add a bit more water and if it’s too moist add a bit of flour. A moist dough will yield a soft texture which is what you’re looking for.
  • Using oil, bring the dough together into a ball, cover with cling film and a tea towel and allow it to rise for at least an hour.
  • risen dough in a light coloured pot on a light pink tiled background
    Pro tip: To cut down the time for the dough to rise, fill a mug with water and heat it in the microwave until it starts to steam. Turn off the microwave, keep the mug inside and place your dough inside and close the door. This will create a moist environment and allow the dough to rise faster!

For the Filling

  • onions and parsley in a food processor that have been processed into small pieces on a light pink tiled background
    Preheat your oven to 450F and start by finely dicing the onion and parsley. You can also do this in a food processor, but make sure you squeeze out any excess liquid.
  • ground beef, processed onions and parsley, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, and spices in a glass bowl on a light pink tiled background
    Then combine all the ingredients under “for the filing” together and mix very well by hand. To try it and adjust seasoning you can cook off a small piece and taste.
  • rolled out dough on a light pink tiled background with a wooden rolling pin in the corner and meat mixture in a glass bowl in the other top corner
    Once mixture is well combined and the dough has risen, start by rolling out the dough either into medium sized circular shapes (as pictured) or for a faster option, roll to the size of a large rectangular sheet pan.
  • Make sure you roll dough using a lightly floured surface and rolling pin to a really thin layer.
  • rolled out dough on a parchment on a wooden board on a light pink tiled background with a glass bowl with meat mixture in the corner
    Lightly flour the sheet pans and lay the dough on the pan carefully. You can also use a pizza stone and a pizza peel lined with parchment paper.
  • meat mixture spread on rolled out dough on parchment on a wooden board with a glass bowl with the meat mixture in a corner with a spoon
    Spoon the meat mixture on the dough and spread into a thin layer using your hands, ensuring you go all the way up to the edges, and ensuring the filing layer is not too thick.
  • baked Lahm Bi Ajeen on a parchment on a wooden board on a light pink tiled background
    Place it in the oven at 450F on bake for approx. 7-10 mins on the bottom rack. Watch closely and check for when the bottom is cooked through, then transfer to top rack to broil for 5-7 minutes until the meat is fully cooked.
  • Enjoy with a squeeze of lemon and a cup of tea!

Notes

  • You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook or your hands to make the dough. The stand mixer speeds up the process.
  • Once the Lahm Bi Ajeen are out of the oven, allow them to cool for a few minutes on a plate/tray, then ensure you cover them with a kitchen towel and a plastic bag so they stay soft (otherwise they will dry out and harden).
  • For storing them in the freezer, place them in a freezer bag, with a layer of parchment paper between them to avoid sticking. Freeze up to 6 months.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 137kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 428mg, Potassium: 204mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 128IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!