Turkish Gozleme with Lamb (2024)

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These Turkish Gozleme with Lamb are savoury homemade flatbreads made completely from scratch filled with ground lamb, spices, herbs and feta cheese. You won’t be able to eat just one! They’re incredibly delicious and full of great flavors!

What Are Gozleme?

Alright folks, it’s time to make some Turkish food. These Turkish gozleme are to die for and in case you’re wondering what they are, well I can help. Gozleme is a traditional savoury Turkish flatbread or pastry filled with meat, spinach, feta and lots of herbs.

When I used to work in Michigan there was a Turkish bakery we used to go to often and this is one of my favorite things we used to get. This gozleme and lahmacun, which are also some thin Turkish meat pies. The possibilities are endless. There are many variations of gozleme but this is my version, and by no means am I saying this is authentic.

The best part is that this recipe comes complete with an easy homemade pastry from scratch which only requires 3 ingredients. But of course the filling is the star of the show. We’ve got ground lamb that’s seasoned with lots of spices such as cumin, coriander and smoked paprika and cooked together with spinach making for an irresistible savoury filling.

I actually enjoy making my own dough and as I said it’s really easy to make, and you don’t need to let this dough rise or anything. I kneaded this by hand, but feel free to use your mixer and it’s going to be a lot easier. This dough will be enough to make 4 gozleme, but each one is quite big, and it makes for a very hearty lunch. If you wanted to make more, you could easily just double the recipe.

Ingredients

Dough

• Flour –All purpose is all we need today! If you want gluten free be sure to add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum per cup of gluten free flour.
• Salt –So important for any and all baking to ensure we get flavor!
• Yogurt –I used Greek yogurt today for a good hit of tang and acidity, it will also act as the binder to our dough.
• Water –Key for getting the right consistency.

Filling

• Olive oil –We want a nice neutral tasting oil to saute our onion and garlic in.
• Veggies –White or yellow onion, spinach, tomato.
• Garlic –Use as much or little as you like.
• Meat –We’re using ground lamb today. Ground pork, beef or chicken can also be used.
• Spices –Ground coriander, cumin, smoked paprika.
• Herbs –Fresh mint, fresh parsley, and chopped green onion.
• Cheese –Feta cheese – believe me this ingredient will set this fillingoff.
• Seasoning –Salt and pepper.
• Tomato paste –This will deliver tons of concentrated tomato flavor to our dish, adding some sweetness, acidity, and lots of dimension.
• Toppings – Lemon wedges for squeezing over top and olives for munching on alongside.

How To Make Gozleme

Dough

1. Form the dough:Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and stir in the yogurt and water. Continue mixing with a spoon until everything is well combined. If the dough is too dry adjust by adding a bit more water, start with a tablespoon at a time.
2. Knead the dough:Flour your work surface and knead the dough for about 3 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and set aside.

Filling

1. Saute the sauteables:In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat then add the chopped onion and garlic. Saute onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
2. Cook the lamb:Add the ground lamb to the skillet and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until browned.
3. Assemble the filling:Stir in the tomato paste, coriander, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the spinach, stir everything together and cook for another 2 minutes. Let the meat mixture cool slightly.

Assembly

1. Divide the dough:In the meantime divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each piece into a rectangle that’s about 12×10 inches.
2. Fill the dough:Spoon about 3 tbsp of the lamb mixture in the middle of the rectangle and spread it out a bit. Add some fresh mint, green onions, fresh parsley, 1/4 of the crumbled feta, and some chopped tomato. Fold over the edges of the dough to seal. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
3. Cook the gozleme:Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Depending on the size of your skillet, add 1 or 2 of the gozleme and cook on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Spray more cooking spray as needed.
4. Finish the dish:Cut each gozleme in half diagonally and serve with lemon wedges and olives.

Fresh Or Frozen Spinach

You can use either but there is certainly a method to this madness, so read below for info on best spinach handling practices.

FROZEN

Now my recipe calls for frozen spinach that has been completely thawed. Thawed frozen spinach can bring a lot of liquid to this dish so be sure that it’s been completely drained before incorporating.

FRESH

If you’re using fresh spinach be sure to cut off the stems before incorporating. Wilt the spinach in a pan with some oil and drain after removing. Roughly chop the spinach and you’re good to go. You’ll want to use about 3/4 pound of fresh spinach for this recipe.

Can I Bake These?

You sure can! These bake up nice and quick in a smokin’ hot oven. Just preheat your oven to 450 F degrees and bake for 7 – 10 minutes.

What Else Can I Use In Gozleme?

Want to make this recipe your own? Feel free to play around a bit with the ingredients and either substitute these in for what you don’t like or throw them in to bulk it up a bit!

Meat

• Ground beef
• Ground pork
• Sausage removed from the casing

Filling

• Chili peppers for heat
• Bell pepper
• Eggplant
• Zucchini

Cheese

• Mozzarella
• Ricotta

Don’t Want To Make Your Own Dough?

Another alternative to making these if you do not want to make your own dough, is to use tortillas and make them just like you would make quesadillas, this will save you time although I must admit it will sacrifice just abitof flavor. Another option is to use pizza dough.

Make ahead?

You sure can! If you’re only looking to make them a few days ahead, feel free to store in an airtight container in the fridge. These will keep for up to 2days. Separate the gozleme with sheets of parchment paper to prevent them from getting soggy.

Freezing

You can make these ahead of time and freeze them in airtight containers or in freezer bags. Using this method will allow the gozleme to stay fresh for up to 3 months. Reheat them by baking them in the oven at 375 F degrees for 10-17 minutes, or until heated all the way through.

More Lamb Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
• Braised Lamb Shanks
• Slow Roast Leg Of Lamb
• Lamb Meatballs
• Lamb And Chickpea Tagine
• Greek Lamb Burgers
• Lamb Korma
• Lamb Souvlaki
• Easy Kofta (Beef Or Lamb)