Lahm bi Ajeen

Written By Amal Elbaba

Macro-Friendly Lebanese Meat Pastry (Flaky, Crispy & High-Protein)

There’s this idea that if you’re trying to lose fat, build muscle, or even just maintain your weight… you have to give up cultural food.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Growing up on Lebanese food, I’m not about to swap flavour, tradition, and comfort for plain chicken and rice. Instead, I’ve learned how to work with the foods I love, adjusting ingredients, being mindful of portions, and understanding the macros behind what I’m eating.

This recipe is the perfect example of that.

Soft, thin, layered pastry filled with a tangy, herby meat mixture, crispy, satisfying, and macro-friendly without the heaviness or excess oil.

Why This Recipe Works for Your Goals

Whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance, this recipe fits in because:

  • It’s balanced (protein, carbs, fats all accounted for)

  • Uses leaner beef and controlled fats

  • Keeps flavour high with herbs, vinegar, and tahini instead of excess oil

  • Is portion-friendly, so you can easily track and stay consistent

This is how you make your lifestyle sustainable not restrictive.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 kg pizza flour (Type 00)

  • 100 g butter

  • 1 tbsp salt

  • ½ tsp sugar

  • 560 ml lukewarm water

  • ~50 ml cooking oil (for coating)

Meat Filling

  • 800 g beef mince (10% fat)

  • 3 medium onions, finely chopped

  • 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

  • 1 bunch fresh mint, finely chopped

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 50 g Greek yoghurt

  • ¼ cup white vinegar

  • 60 g tahini

  • 100 ml pomegranate juice

To Assemble

  • ~50 ml melted ghee (for layering)

  • Pine nuts or almonds (optional garnish)

Method

1. Make the Dough

Blend flour, butter, salt, and sugar until crumb-like.
Add lukewarm water and knead until smooth.

Weigh dough & then divide evenly into 24 balls, lightly coat with oil, cover, and let rest for a few hours.

2. Prepare the Meat Filling

Sauté onions in olive oil until soft.
Add beef mince and cook until partially done, this keeps it juicy in the oven.

Remove from heat, then add parsley and mint.
Stir in Greek yoghurt, vinegar, tahini, and pomegranate juice.

Blend briefly into a fine, spreadable mixture.

3. Shape the Dough

Stretch each dough ball into a thin circle.
Drizzle lightly with ghee, then fold into a square (layering creates that flakiness).

Place onto a baking tray.

4. Assemble & Bake

Top each square with ~60 g of the meat mixture.
Garnish with pine nuts or almonds if desired.

Bake at 200°C for 20–30 minutes until golden and crisp.

Nutrition (Per Piece - Makes 24)

  • ~310 Calories

  • 13–14 g Protein

  • ~32 g Carbs

  • ~12 g Fat

The Takeaway

You don’t need to give up Lebanese food to reach your goals.

You just need:

  • Awareness

  • Balance

  • Simple adjustments

Food like this can absolutely fit into your calories and macros — and more importantly, it helps you stay consistent because you actually enjoy what you’re eating.

That’s what gets results long-term.

Want More Recipes Like This?

If this helped you see that your cultural food can fit into your goals…

I’d love to create more recipes like this for you 🤍
Ones that are:

  • Easy to track

  • Macro-friendly

  • Still full of flavour and tradition

Let me know — are you looking for more recipes for:

  • Fat loss

  • Muscle gain

  • Maintenance

Keep It Simple with Strength Edit

If you want done-for-you recipes like this, already calorie and macro counted, you can find them inside my app, Strength Edit 🤍

It’s designed to make your journey easier — whether your goal is fat loss, building muscle, or maintaining — without giving up the foods you love.

Amal Elbaba