Meet my latest obsession – Arayes! Pita pockets stuffed with seasoned meat kofta filling, then pan fried until crispy. Think: Lebanese quesadillas / easy gozleme. Enjoy for dinner or pass them around as an appetiser. I can’t stop eating these!
Arayes – Lebanese street food!
Every now and then I happen across a recipe that really catches me by surprise. Something I’ve never heard of before that’s devilishly tasty, a little different to the usual yet easy and relatively fast to make.
Today’s Arayes is one such recipe, introduced to me by Chef JB, discovered during his globe trotting days.
Originating from the Middle East, Arayes is a pita or flatbread that’s stuffed with raw seasoned meat kofta filling then pan fried, grilled or baked until crispy. Think of it like quesadillas – but with Middle Eastern spiced filling – or an easier version of lamb gozleme.
As with many traditional recipes, there are variations between countries, including the seasoning in the meat, the type of bread used, thickness of meat etc. The Arayes I’m sharing today is a Lebanese one. It’s easy. You can get all the ingredients at any grocery store.
And it’s Outrageously Delicious. (You know I’m deadly serious when I capitalise!)
Ingredients in Arayes
Here’s what you need to make Arayes.
Spiced kofta filling
Here’s what you need for the spiced kofta filling used to stuff the pita bread.
Protein – Lamb is a favoured protein in the Middle East and goes so well with the Lebanese spice mix we’re using today! However, beef is a very close second.
Spice mix – No unusual players here in this Lebanese kofta spice mix! There’s a fairly generous amount – almost 3 tablespoons – which sounds like a lot. This is because the meat is spread very thinly inside each pita bread so you actually don’t end up with very much with each bite. So you want it to be heavy on the spicing!
Spice note: Mild kick, only 1/2 tsp cayenne across 10 pita bread halves. To reduce to subtle, cut down cayenne to 1/4 tsp. Or omit.
Onion and fresh garlic – For aromatic flavour in the kofta filling.
Parsley – Optional for nice little bits of green throughout.
Pita bread and oil
Arayes is and can be made with all sorts of pita breads – large, small, thin, thick. Have fun and experiment!
Pita Bread – The pita bread I use is 15cm / 6″ wide. You need pita bread pockets that can be split open to stuff the meat inside. Thinner is better as it’s easier to cook the meat through. Fellow Aussies – I use Nana brand pita bread from Woolies, Coles.
Alternatives/variations – I’ve made this with the breadier, thicker pita bread pockets too (like used in this recipe) and it works great, just takes a minute or two longer for the meat to cook. Large Lebanese bread ~30cm/12″ wide also works! You need 2 to 3, spread the meat inside using a butter knife, pan fry until crisp then cut into pieces. And if you can’t find any pita pockets at all, you could even make Arayes using any flatbreads you can get your hands on, or even tortillas! Just make them like quesadillas – spread the meat filling on half then fold over.
Olive oil spray works best for cooking, I found. Using oil in the pan makes the pita pockets a little too greasy. If you don’t have spray, just brush the surface with olive oil.
How to make Arayes
A unique step in making Arayes is that the meat is raw when stuffed inside the pita bread. So as it cooks, the meat juices flavour the inside of the pita bread while the outside goes golden and crispy. It’s sooooo good!!
Grate the onion using a standard box grater. Why grate rather than chop? Because grated is finer than chopped so you don’t need to cook the onion separately before mixing into the meat. It will cook enough with the meat. Plus, the onion juices make the meat mixture even tastier!
Filling – Add the meat and all the other filling ingredients, then mix well with your hands.
Semi-circle shape – Divide into 10 portions, roll into a ball then pat into a thin semi-circle shape approximating the size of half a pita bread.
Stuff the meat inside the pita bread. PRO TIP: If you have trouble prying the pocket open, microwave for 15 seconds on high to soften then run a butter knife inside the slit.
Flatten – Close the pita bread then press down and out to spread the meat to the edges of the pita bread. Though – no need to be too meticulous here! You just don’t want giant areas of meat-less pita bread.
Spray each side with oil. I prefer spraying because I found using oil in the pan makes the Arayes too greasy. Plus, you use far less oil!
Pan fry 4 min – Then pan fry on medium high for 2 minutes on each side until crispy. The meat will cook through in this time because it’s so thin! I do 2 or 3 halves at a time. Cook as many as you can fit in a single layer.
Keep cooked Arayes warm in a low oven on a rack set over a tray (rack prevents underside from getting soggy) as you continue cooking. Or – get 2 pans going to speed things up!
Serving – Pile Arayes onto a platter and serve with Tahini dipping sauce. Serve them whole, as they are. Or cut them into smaller pieces – it’s up to you!
Whipped Tahini Yogurt Dipping Sauce
I think you’ll really like the Whipped Tahini Yogurt dipping sauce too. It’s got a unique texture almost like soft whipped cream. Made with just tahini, yogurt, lemon and garlic, the trick is to warm the mixture in the microwave slightly before whisking. Then as you whisk it, it becomes almost a bit aerated like whipped cream! Neat little trick I picked up from a Fatteh recipe by Nigella Lawson.
If you’ve got any of the sauce leftover, use it as a dip or slather onto toast like you would with goats cheese, then pile on marinated mushrooms or roast vegetables for a delicious crostini. Enjoy! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Crispy Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pita – Arayes
Ingredients
- 5 pita bread , the thin pocket type, ~15cm/6" diameter (250g/8oz pack), cut in half (Note 1)
- Olive oil spray (or brush with olive oil)
Spiced meat filling:
- 1/2 brown onion
- 500g/ 1 lb lamb or beef mince (ground meat) (Note 2)
- 2 garlic cloves , finely grated
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley , optional
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (sub plain paprika)
- 3/4 tsp ground allspice (sub mixed spice)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (reduce/omit for less spicy – Note 4)
- 1 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
Whipped tahini yogurt sauce:
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp tahini (or Chinese sesame paste – Note 5)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove , finely grated
- 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
Instructions
Spiced meat filling:
- Grate the onion in a bowl using a standard box grater. We want the juices and all! (Note 4)
- Meat filling – Add remaining meat filling ingredients. Mix well with your hands.
- Divide stuffing in 10 (about 55 to 60g per portion, 1/4 cup). Flatten into a semi-circle shape slightly smaller than the pita bread half.
- Stuff – Gently open a pita then place the meat inside. Close, then press to spread to the edge and make it fairly evenly flat. (Is your pita tearing? See Note 5 for tip!)
Cooking Arayes:
- Preheat oven to 50C/120F. Place a rack on a tray. (To keep cooked Arayes warm.)
- Cook – Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Spray both sides of the pita with olive oil then place 2 or 3 pieces in the pan (whatever you can fit). Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, pressing down lightly with a spatula, until golden and crispy. The meat is spread so thin it cooks really quickly! {Sandwich press – Note 7}
- Keep warm – Transfer cooked Arayes onto the rack and put in the oven to keep warm. Cook remaining pita.
- Serve – Cut in half if desired (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't!). Pile Arayes onto a serving platter. Serve with Whipped Tahini sauce. Enjoy!
Whipped tahini sauce:
- Place ingredients in a heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Microwave for 15 seconds on high. Whisk again – it should resemble soft whipped cream. Use slightly warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes:
- Large Lebanese bread ~30cm/12″ wide also works! You need 2 to 3, spread the meat inside using a butter knife, pan fry until crisp then cut into pieces.
- Tortillas or other flatbreads – Smear meat on half, fold over like a quesadilla and cook!
Nutrition Information:
Similar crispy breads with tasty things inside
Life of Dozer
This dog really will eat anything. (Well, except kale! 😂)
OMG – can’t stop eating these. This is the best flavoured spice mix I have ever made. Delicious !!!
Amazing! We made this twice, second time i also used the beef recipe as a kebab, delicious! Our new regular recipe!
OMG! Such a delicious, easy and addictive meal, I added extra chilli powder because I love spice and ate it with home made taziki and chilli oil. Thanks Nagi!
Oh my goodness. So good. They disappeared off the table so quickly. My husband has requested them again (already). Added some capsicum as well and will probably add some feta next time. But so very very good.
I have always had wonderful results with recipes from this website and the cookbook. However, I was a little disappointed in these Arayes, so maybe I did something wrong. They tasted delicious, but the pita did not fry up crispy crunchy, like I expected. I did use whole wheat pita & wonder if this was a factor. The sauce is yummy and I’ll definitely make them again.
Made this up for a lovely weekly dinner with friends. 90/10 ground beef.
I am wondering if I put them on a sheet pan at 450 degrees in a convection oven if I can cook more at a time and actually sit down as they scarf them down faster then I fry them.
Can I use my Georgia Forman grill or the griddle on my stove to cook as well. Will be using ground turkey. Always cook throughly.
I made this and used a grill press similar to the George foreman worked out great wasn’t quite a crispy as those show in the video but several factors could be the reason for this.
These were so delicious, the whipped tahini sauce really makes it and they were fairly quick once I got the hang of stuffing it.
Served it with the pearl cous cous salad for an easy Sunday night meal
I copy a favorite Lebanese restaurant and add pine nuts to the meat, that takes it to the next level. Lightly toast the nuts in the pan with butter on medium heat before mixing with the ground meat.
These were a hit in my fussy eater family. The preschooler loved it especially dipped in the yoghurt sauce.
I was deeply suspicious of this recipe as couldn’t see how the meat would cook through but knew I could trust you (wouldn’t have made it if it was made by annoying else!) and it was delicious! So fast and easy and will be made a LOT. So good for the times I’m fed of of feeding people but have to for fear of being accused of neglect 😂
I’ve been making a version of these for a few years from a recipe out of Bon Appetit magazine. I stuff a whole pita and cook it on the grill. I’ve started adding small chunks of feta to the mixture. It’s delicious
Hi Nagi & Dozi boi of course lol
Can you please tell je are the pitas the small or large ones please? I tried to judge by your hand but well, you know lol.
Everyone’s hands are different.
Can’t wait to make another mouth watering recipe of yours.
Hi, big or small; either is good
I liked them! For some reason the pita bread did not turn out as crispy as I expected, and a bit greasier than expected as well. I think it might be my oil spray bottle, it’s a very generous stream.
Just awesome! Really lovely Middle Eastern flavours.
Thanks Nagi
Whoossshhhh!!
Yip,out of the park yet again, I had 200g of mince pork left over and adjusted the spices accordingly, Cooked em up and served them with a garlic,mayo and yogurt dip.
Absolutely delicious,thank you yet again Nagi.
Peace, love and happiness.
Phil x
Delicioso!! Loved these
even though we didn’t make the dressing! Will be a staple in the future!
Hi @Nagi sometimes you say coriander (assume fresh leaf?), coriander/cilantro (assume fresh stem/root?), or ground coriander (assume seed?). Is there any difference between them in your recipes? This one has ground, but looking back on the biryani, wonder if that one is too? but says ‘coriander’.
Love your recipes, such a huge fan!
Both your site & book are great for singles, plus making upwards when needed!!! Lots of ‘keep for a few days’ and ‘freezables’, as well as the basic value for money, added options and flavour!
Thanks so much for… just so much!
I know, being in the USA, I have to definitely be on my toes when I read “coriander” and “all spice” in the recipes. I have worked out that when it is the leaf coriander, the recipe usually states “coriander/cilantro” like further down in the ingredients for the biryani. The “all spice”, I have yet to decipher. Some recipes it’s clear that it’s a spice mix, others, not so much. Sometimes with more research I can figure out if it’s allspice the pimento berry or a spice mix. Language between countries can be a funny thing, and it sure keeps things interesting. Good luck on your endeavor.
Forgot to mention, the allspice meaning is clear in this recipe. Thanks Nagi!
Making this for supper tonight.
Thanks Wendy! Can we go global for a singular understanding for ‘all spice’ and the various forms of coriander/cilantro *shocked emoji*
All spice in Australia is a jar I buy at the store… would love to understand quarts or whatever other imperial measurements from your space! I could get back to my g-parents recipes!
These were amazing!! I left out the coriander as we don’t like it and they were so nice, quick and easy dinner. I served with Nagi’s coleslaw and corn cobs. Thanks Nagi for making it easy to try and enjoy new things!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Karen! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know – N x
I loved this recipe! I saw it because of your email newsletter and thought woah… that looks yummy. I made it the next day and I’m in love! Quite quick to make, delicious, and yet simple. I made it with tortillas this time, but next time I’m using pitas for sure! Love, a longtime visitor to the site, but a first time commenter <3