Turkish pizza is nothing like Italian pizza. The dough is rolled out thin, the topping goes on raw and everything goes into the oven together. The minced beef cooks on the tray, not in the mixing bowl. That is what makes it different.
We have been making this pizza for years. The trick is the raw minced beef mixture. Garlic, onion, pepper and tomatoes are chopped in the Thermomix® at speed 5, then the minced beef goes in with cumin and chilli flakes. 30 seconds on reverse direction at speed 4 folds everything together gently without crushing the meat. The result is a fine, well-seasoned mixture that spreads evenly.
Turkish Pizza with Minced Beef, Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 12 ✓
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 red pepper
- 100 g tomatoes
- 100 g minced beef
- 10 g olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 pizza dough from the Thermomix®
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
Instructions 0 / 7
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1
Chop garlic and onion.
Peel the garlic, peel the onion and halve it. Add both to the mixing bowl and chop for 3 sec / speed 5.
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2
Chop pepper and tomatoes.
Wash the pepper, remove the seeds and stalk, wash the tomatoes, halve them and remove the stalk. Add both to the mixing bowl and chop for 3 sec / speed 5.
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3
Add minced beef.
Add the minced beef, oil, salt, chilli flakes and cumin and mix for 30 sec / reverse direction / speed 4.
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4
Prepare the oven.
Preheat the oven to 250°C top and bottom heat and line a baking tray with baking paper.
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5
Roll out the pizza dough.
Roll out the pizza dough and place it on the baking tray, spread the topping over it and bake in the preheated oven for approx. 10 to 15 minutes.
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6
Prepare the parsley.
Meanwhile, wash the parsley, shake dry and chop, then cut the lemon into eighths.
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7
Serve.
Serve the pizza scattered with parsley and offer the lemon wedges alongside.
Tip: We now use the Lékué pizza mats exclusively. The platinum silicone base is covered in small air holes that channel hot air directly underneath the pizza base. Nothing sticks and the base turns beautifully crisp.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Raw meat on the dough
The minced beef is not pre-cooked. The raw mixture goes straight onto the rolled-out pizza dough and cooks through at 250°C top and bottom heat in 10 to 15 minutes. The heat seals the meat on the outside while keeping it juicy inside. At the same time, the onions and pepper roast without burning.
If you pre-cooked the minced beef, the pizza would turn dry. The meat would release its fat in the mixing bowl, and the topping would dry out on the dough. Raw minced beef stays juicy because it releases its fat in the oven and mingles with the vegetables.
Reverse direction prevents mush
Reverse direction at speed 4 is not optional, it is essential. On normal direction the blade would chop the minced beef into a paste and the texture would be lost entirely. On reverse direction the blade turns backwards and the wings simply fold the ingredients together without cutting.
The vegetables are already small enough. They do not need further chopping, only even distribution. 30 seconds is enough to combine the minced beef with onion, pepper, tomatoes and spices. Any longer and the mixture becomes too fine; any shorter and lumps remain.
Cumin gives the character
Cumin is the flavour backbone of this pizza. Without it the topping tastes only of minced beef and tomato. With cumin the mixture gains an earthy, slightly bitter note that combines with the heat of the chilli flakes. Half a teaspoon is enough; more would be overpowering.
If you do not have cumin, you can use ground caraway as a substitute. It is effectively the same spice under a different name in some regions. Regular caraway seed does not work as a replacement because the flavour is too different.
250°C is essential
The oven must be preheated to 250°C. At a lower temperature the minced beef cooks too slowly and the dough dries out before the meat is done. At 250°C a light crust forms on the topping while the base turns crisp. Baking time is 10 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the dough.
We have been using the Lékué pizza mats for years. The platinum silicone forms have a base with small air holes that channel hot air directly underneath the pizza base. Nothing sticks and the base turns beautifully crisp. Without a pizza mat the dough can sometimes stick to the baking paper.
Lemon over the pizza
The lemon only comes on at serving time. We cut it into eighths and serve them separately. Everyone can decide how much lemon juice they squeeze over their slice. The acidity cuts through the rich minced beef and brightens all the spices.
Without lemon the pizza tastes flatter. The combination of a hearty topping and fresh acidity is typical of Turkish pizza. If you do not have a fresh lemon, a splash of lemon juice will do, but the aroma is not quite the same.
Chopping the parsley
While the pizza bakes, we wash half a bunch of parsley and chop it roughly. The parsley goes on after baking, not before. In the oven it would burn and the essential oils would evaporate. Chopped fresh, it keeps its aroma and green colour.
Flat-leaf parsley works better than curly. It chops more finely and has a more intense flavour. If you are not a fan of parsley, leave it out. The pizza works without it, but you lose a little freshness.
Also goes well with: yoghurt.
Can’t get enough of pizza? Try our pizza rolls, pizza bake, chilli cheese swirls or our pizza pot. Our readers also love pizza buns.
