Middle Eastern Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Sfiha
Open-faced Levantine meat pies of pizza dough topped with spiced ground beef or lamb, tomato, onion, pomegranate molasses, and pine nuts, baked until crisp.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Good to know
- Crispy
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Place a baking stone or heavy baking sheet inside to heat up.
- 2
Squeeze the finely grated onion in a paper towel to remove excess liquid.
- 3
In a large bowl, use your hands to mix the raw ground meat, squeezed onion, finely chopped tomato, pomegranate molasses, pine nuts, allspice, and salt until uniformly combined.
- 4
Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thin 4-inch circle.
- 5
Place a heaping tablespoon of the raw meat mixture onto the center of each dough circle. Use your fingers to press and spread the meat evenly across the dough, leaving a tiny border.
- 6
Transfer the pies to the hot baking stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the meat is fully cooked and sizzling, and the dough edges are golden brown. Serve hot with yogurt.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
73/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving1065
Calories
57 g
Protein
131 g
Carbs
34 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Sfiha, also called lahm bi ajeen, are open-faced meat pies from the Levant, particularly Lebanon and Syria, topped with spiced ground lamb or beef brightened with tomato and pomegranate molasses. The Baalbek style is small and open; other versions are folded into triangles. They are a bakery staple and a party food, baked in batches and eaten by the handful.
Listahan note
This version keeps the topping tangy with tomato and a hit of pomegranate molasses so the meat tastes bright rather than heavy. They are sized small so they bake fast and disappear faster.
Technique cues
- Drain the raw meat topping so the pies do not steam and turn the dough soggy.
- Spread the topping thin and right to the edge so it cooks through as the dough bakes.
- Bake hot so the meat cooks and the base crisps in the same short window.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Mix and drain the meat topping while the dough proofs and the oven preheats.
- Make-ahead
- Make the dough and meat topping a day ahead; assemble and bake fresh.
- Leftover move
- Reheat in a hot oven to re-crisp, or chop into a warm flatbread salad.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Bake on parchment so the sheet pan wipes clean and the bases lift off easily.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Ground lamb or beef
the topping
Purpose: Spiced ground meat is the heart of the pie.
Handling: Mix raw with grated onion, tomato, and spices; drain off excess liquid.
Adaptation: A lamb-beef blend is traditional; ground chicken works lighter.
Tomato
tang and moisture
Purpose: Brightens the meat and keeps it from drying in the hot oven.
Handling: Use finely diced or grated tomato, drained of excess juice.
Adaptation: A spoon of tomato paste plus a little water.
Pomegranate molasses
sweet-tart accent
Purpose: Its concentrated tang is what makes sfiha taste distinctly Levantine.
Handling: Stir a small amount into the meat to taste.
Adaptation: A squeeze of lemon plus a touch of honey approximates it.
Onion
aromatic and moisture
Purpose: Grated onion keeps the meat juicy and adds sweetness.
Handling: Grate fine and squeeze out liquid before mixing in.
Adaptation: Finely minced shallot.
Flour dough
the base
Purpose: A soft yeasted round holds the topping and crisps underneath.
Handling: Roll thin and shape into small rounds; rest before topping.
Adaptation: Store-bought pizza dough for a shortcut base.
Technique notes
- Squeeze a little lemon or extra pomegranate molasses over the hot pies just out of the oven.
- Keep the meat layer thin; a thick topping leaves the center raw while the edges burn.
- Pinch a slight rim on each round so the juicy topping does not run off the edge.
Ingredient swaps
- Lighter direction
- Use lean ground chicken or turkey with extra tomato for moisture.
- Folded direction
- Pinch the dough into triangles around the filling for closed hand pies.
- Weeknight shortcut
- Use store-bought pizza dough rolled thin and topped.
Serve alongside
- Fattoush salad
- Garlic yogurt sauce
- Pickled turnips and olives
- Tabbouleh
- Mint lemonade
- Ayran
- Hot black tea
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Store baked sfiha in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a hot oven to re-crisp the base, never the microwave. Assembled, unbaked pies freeze well; bake from frozen, adding a few minutes.
Equipment
- Rolling pin
- Sheet pans
- Box grater
- Parchment paper
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