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! 😂)
Delicious! I doubled the recipe and made the filling thicker. The were soggy on the bottom by the time I’d finished cooking, so I’d suggest making the filling very thin (like the recipe says) or have everyone ready at the table ready to eat as they come out of the pan.
This is crying out to have some grated cheese on the top of the meat mix – there is very little in life that isn’t improved by the addition of melted cheese!
OMG! Your recipes are driving me insane. Will I ever live long enough to enjoy them all? (I’m in my late seventies.) I have your “Dinner”: book and have already pre-ordered the next one (Bring it on in October), but, because you are emailing me mor recipes each day – well how can I resist? I now search the supermarket shelves for ingredients I’ve never used before. You are totally changing my life – in a Good Way! My only wish is that you would come to Canberra and cook up a dinner party for me. Or at the very least, do a demonstration here in Canberra. I thoroughly recommend La Torta who are set up with kitchens/cooking education facilities here in our wonderful National Capital. I am only a recent convert to the Magic that is Nagi, but have become a True Beliver!!!
My family love it.
Can I use 7 spice?
great recipe
Hi Nagi,
Any ideas on how this would go as a prep ahead snack for the freezer? Would you freeze after stuffing or would you cook them then freeze?
Thanks <3
Made this on Friday and it was a total hit with adults and kids!! I ended up airfrying them instead of pan frying. 380 for 7-8 mins (I stuffed a little more meat in each than recipe said). Also grated a tomato into the meat (along with onion)
These are delicious! I’m vegetarian so I subbed cooked green lentils for the meat. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
What a great idea! Thanks for that one 😋
Nagi, I’m on a health kick. Do you think I could sneak some extra veggies into the meat mix and it would still work? Like grated pumpkin and zucchini?
The veggies might make them soggy. If using zucchini, I’d be squeezing the moisture out before adding.
Made this last night with ground turkey because that’s what I had, and it turned out great! I was worried about it being too dry due to the turkey, or it not cooking enough, but they were awesome. Pitas were easier to stuff than I thought they would be too!
Another delicious recipe! I made this with lamb mince, and used Lebanese bread. The meat filling is so flavorful, and the bread is crispy and love how easy it is to eat with your hands. And for the dip, I made Nagi’s Hummus recipe which went really well with the arayes. Thanks for the recipes!
I’ve made these so many times with beef mince, and…..unbelievably awesome. I usually chuck an egg into the meat mix, and I use mexican flatbread tortillas, and I throw yoghurt and sesame oil and chopped mince into the dip, but honestly there’s no way to go wrong with this recipe. Everyone loves them,
chopped mint, not mince! for the sauce. Stupid autocorrect….
chopped mint, not mince, in the dip! sorry!
This delicious snack, wrapped with crispy pita bread, delights the palates with the delicious meat filling inside. Both practical and delicious, this recipe offers a cultural journey with the resulting flavor. Trying Arayes is a great opportunity to discover the rich flavors of Lebanese cuisine!
We’ve made these a few times and ranged from nice to sensational. I think it’s when we doubled the recipe to cater for friends that the cooking was rushed or they sat around a bit too long. So will keep this one for smaller batches.
The spiced lamb is perfect for koftas if you can’t be stuffed to…stuff!
I mix all the ingredients thoroughly in the bowl before adding the lamb, as it’s tricky to distribute thoroughly otherwise.
Love love the whipped tahini.
Going on the regular rotation. Really delicious. I think this would also make great burgers with pickled onions and arugula…mmm…
Tortillas work perfectly, and if you can’t be arsed to grate the oni, roughly chop it and throw it in the food processor with the beef and spices to make a spreadable paste,
The whipped tahini sauce was an incredible pairing. Thank you for the idea to use tortillas! They came out amazing. I made a few changes to the meat mix based on what I had available: no allspice, added 1tsp crushed dried pomegranate seeds, added 10 cloves garlic total.
This was really good! I forgot the ingredients for the Tahini cause so I just put in some kewpie mayo and it was still bomb.
I made these today and the filling is delicious! I was using flour tortilla because it’s what I had on hand.
I’m wondering if these would work in the oven. I would love to make a large batch.