Tantuni wraps are a classic Turkish street food packed with flavorful lamb or beef wrapped in warm lavash with ripe tomatoes and tangy sumac onions. Serve the wrap as a quick snack, appetizer, or dinner. Are you craving more Mediterranean wraps? Try falafel gyro!
What is Tantuni?
The city of Mersin is well known for savory tantuni consisting of thinly sliced lamb, beef, or chicken that boils and stir-fries to perfection. Serve the juicy lamb with fresh tomatoes and sumac onions on thin lavash, or use the mixture to fill a sub roll and make a tantuni sandwich.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lamb: Slice the lamb into thin strips or small cubes for even cooking.
- Avocado Oil: Authentic recipes call for cottonseed oil, but it is hard to find and expensive. I use avocado oil for its high smoking point.
- Spices: Generously season the lamb with salt and paprika.
- Lavash: Look for thin lavash or use a pita, tortilla, or sub roll. Try low-carb lavash or spinach protein wraps for a low-carb option.
- Tomatoes: Slice beef steak or Roma tomatoes for freshness and color.
- Sumac Onions: Take a few minutes to prepare sumac onions with red onions, parsley leaves, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and ground sumac. Sumac is a popular Middle Eastern seasoning found online and at health stores. However, I recommend visiting a local Middle Eastern grocery store to explore.
Additions and Substitutions
- Swap the protein. Lamb is the most traditional option, but popular restaurants serve tantuni with chopped ribeye and chicken thighs.
- Experiment with mix-ins. Some variations of tantuni include fresh garlic and chopped bell peppers.
How to Make Tantuni Wraps
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lamb, cover, and bring it to a boil. Stir every 3 minutes to ensure even cooking.
Step 2: When the lamb changes color and starts releasing water, continue cooking over medium heat for 20-30 minutes until the water reabsorbs. Set it aside.
Step 3: Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and prepare the sumac onions by tossing onions, parsley, lemon juice, kosher salt, and olive oil in a bowl. Massage to combine for 2-3 minutes. Cover and set aside.
Step 5: Preheat a wok and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Let the pan heat until it is smoking. Add a third of the lamb to the center of the pan and fry it.
Once the meat absorbs the oil, add some water. Season with 1½ teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of paprika and stir to combine. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Step 6: Warm the lavash in a pan before rolling the wraps.
How to Roll the Turkish Lamb Wrap
1. Fill the wrap with some of the lamb mixture and top it with fresh tomatoes and sumac onions.
2. Take one end of the lavash and use it to cover the lamb and toppings. Tuck it underneath and continue to roll.
3. Cut the lavash in half or form it into a u-shape to serve.
Expert Tips
- Trim the fat and remove the silver skin from the lamb for tender, even cooking.
- You don’t need to add water to the Dutch oven as the lamb cooks. Like kedjenou, the lamb releases natural juices that tenderize the meat and infuse it with rich flavor.
- After boiling, the lamb fries in a pan called a tantuni tavasi. Since I don’t have access to one (and probably you don’t either), use a hot wok, karahi, or heavy-bottomed pan.
- I keep a glass of water next to the wok to use as the lamb fries. Add it, as necessary, once the lamb begins to absorb the oil.
If you enjoy tantuni, try one of these lamb recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Tantuni is often served with a side of pickled peppers, cucumbers, or turnips, but here are few more tasty side dishes:
- Salad: Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad, Piyaz, Malfouf Salad, çoban salatasi, Chickpea Tahini Salad
- Grains: Rice Pilaf, Bulgar
- Potatoes: Sweet Potato French Fries, Roasted Potatoes, French Fries
- Sauces and Spreads: Cacik, Butter Bean Hummus, Haydari, Skhug, Shatta Sauce, Tahini Yogurt Sauce
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftover lamb and toppings in separate airtight containers for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Let the dish to cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. The lamb will freeze for 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the frozen lamb in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: Wrap the leftovers in foil and warm them in the oven, or you can reheat individual servings on a plate in the microwave.
- Repurpose: Use the lamb to make stew, top a salad, fill a sandwich, or make a breakfast hash with the leftover meat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is tantuni served?
Lavash is the most common way to serve the wrap. However, some restaurants serve it in sub-style bread as a sandwich. You can easily use the lamb mixture to fill pitas and tortillas if that is what you have.
How is tantuni cooked?
Tantuni traditionally cooks in a vessel called a tantuni tavasi. It has a hollow center for the meat to fry, and the outer ridge stores the boiled lamb waiting to cook. Since I don’t have access to a pan like this, I use a wok and cook the lamb in batches to get the same direct heat.
More International Dinner Ideas:
Tantuni
- Small Bowl
- 2 pounds lamb, trimmed and cut into thin slices
- 6 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons water, divided
- 3½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 6 teaspoon paprika, divided
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
- lemon juice, 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground sumac
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large lavash
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish
- Warm the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lamb, cover, and bring it to a boil. Stir every 3 minutes to ensure even cooking.
- When the lamb changes color and starts releasing water, continue cooking over medium heat for 20-30 minutes until the water reabsorbs. Set it aside.
- Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and prepare the sumac onions by tossing onions, parsley, lemon juice, kosher salt, and olive oil in a bowl. Massage to combine for 2-3 minutes. Cover and set aside.
- Preheat a wok and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Let the pan heat until it is smoking. Add a third of the lamb to the center of the pan and fry it. Once the meat absorbs the oil, add some water. Season with 1½ teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of paprika and stir to combine. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Warm the lavash in a pan before rolling the wraps.
- Fill the wrap with some of the lamb mixture and top it with fresh tomatoes and sumac onions. Take one end of the lavash and use it to cover the lamb and toppings. Tuck it underneath and continue to roll.
- Cut the lavash in half or form it into a U-shape to serve.
- Trim the fat and remove the silver skin from the lamb for tender, even cooking.
- You don’t need to add water to the Dutch oven as the lamb cooks. Like kedjenou, the lamb releases natural juices that tenderize the meat and infuse it with rich flavor.
- After boiling, the lamb fries in a pan called a tantuni tavasi. Since I don’t have access to one (and probably you don’t either), use a hot wok, karahi, or heavy-bottomed pan.
- I keep a glass of water next to the wok to use as the lamb fries. Add it, as necessary, once the lamb begins to absorb the oil.
Annie
Wednesday 28th of December 2022
These lamb wraps were an absolute hit at our dinner table. The flavor of the onions is so unique and complements the dish very well! I wish we had leftovers but our little boy ate most of the lamb meat. I definitely recommend these wraps from Tressa.
Tressa Jamil
Thursday 29th of December 2022
Isn't the best when your littles enjoy the meal?