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Arayes are Lebanese meat stuffed pitas that are so easy to make. This classic Middle Eastern street food is ready in 20 minutes, ideal for a weeknight dinner. Follow along to learn how to make delicious beef arayes at home with just a few ingredients!
If you love Middle Eastern food, you are going to love this classic Lebanese street food. We’re talking about spiced beef mixture stuffed into a pita pocket and grilled to perfection. Just like doner and beef shawarma, this street food is packed with all kinds of amazing flavors and I bet you’re going to love it!
Table of Contents
What are Arayes?
Arayes are meat stuffed pitas that are usually grilled or baked. The beef mixture is similar to kofta, flavored with spices and herbs, stuffed into a pita and then baked or grilled. The Egyptian version of this recipe is called Hawawshi and it uses different spices.
Here are a few reasons why we love these Lebanese stuffed pitas so much:
- They’re very easy to make and call for just a few ingredients.
- They can be prepared very quickly – perfect for when we’re short on time.
- Just like Turkish gozleme, these are easy to hold in your hands – and you can even make them ahead of time to enjoy on the go.
- Each bite is packed with tons of flavor thanks to spices and herbs used to flavor the meat.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground beef: It’s best to use lean ground beef in this recipe so it doesn’t render fat and get greasy while cooking. I recommend using 90% lean ground beef.
- Spices: I use a combination of Lebanese seven spice, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Onion and garlic: Grated onion works best for this recipe. Make sure to squeeze out all the extra liquid before adding the onion to the ground beef.
- Pita: You need to spread the meat mixture between two layers of pita so make sure it’s a double ply. I prefer thin over thick pitas.
How to make arayes
- Place the ground meat with the grated onion, minced garlic, spices and chopped parsley in a bowl.
- Using your hands, combine the ingredients very well, you can also use a food processor if preferred.
- Slice the pita pockets into quarters and spread some of the meat filling into the pitas in a thin layer.
- Heat the grill pan over medium heat. Brush the pan with olive oil. Place the stuffed pita on the pan and grill for about 5 minutes on each side until the beef is cooked and the bread is crispy.
- Serve with tahini sauce or yogurt.
Tips to make the best arayes
- Don’t overcook: Cook the arayes just enough for the beef to be fully cooked. Overcooked arayes will have a dry and tough filling.
- Use lean ground beef: Lean beef works best for this recipe because it won’t make the dish greasy.
- Use the right pita: If you have access to thin double ply pita, use it because it helps the beef cook faster and gets nice and crispy. Thin pitas are usually larger therefore it’s best to cut them into quarters for easy handling and better cooking.
Serving suggestions
I love serving arayes with a Middle Eastern tahini sauce, toum or a bowl of yogurt. They also pair well with fresh salads such as fattoush, tabbouleh or shirazi.
Storage
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat arayes in the oven at 300 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also reheat it in the air fryer to keep it crispy.
To freeze arayes, wrap each piece individually in a plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the oven at 290 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes or in the air fryer using the reheat function.
Frequently asked questions
It’s best to serve arayes hot and right out of the pan. However, you can make the beef mixture up to a day in advance and make the arayes when you’re ready to serve.
Yes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and brush the stuffed pitas with olive oil on both sides. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Traditional arayes is made with ground beef, ground lamb or a mixture of both. You can use ground chicken, turkey or even plant based meat, however they won’t be the same as the classic version.
More Lebanese recipes
Mediterranean recipes
Batata Harra (Lebanese Spicy Potatoes)
Dips and Spreads
Toum Recipe – Lebanese Garlic Sauce
Mediterranean recipes
Mujadara Recipe – Lebanese Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions
Mediterranean recipes
Easy Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli
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Arayes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, 90% lean
- 1 onion, grated and squeezed to remove excess liquid
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp seven spice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 4 pita bread, double ply and preferably thin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix the ground beef, onion, garlic, parsley, seven spice, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt and pepper using your hands. Make sure all is combined well. The mixture might be sticky.
- Cut the pitas into quarters and spread the beef mixture between the two thin layers of each piece. You'll need 2 to 3 tablespoons of beef mixture for each piece.
To cook on the stovetop:
- Place a grill pan over medium heat and make sure it's hot. Brush the pan with the olive oil and place the stuffed pitas on the pan. Cook for 5 minutes on each side until the beef is fully cooked and the pita is crispy.
To bake in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and brush the stuffed pitas with olive oil on both sides. Place them on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Serve with tahini sauce or yogurt.
Video
Notes
- You can serve this dish with tabbouleh, fattoush or shirazi salad.
- I recommend serving these right away when they’re hot, but if you’d like to prep ahead, make the beef mixture up to one day in advance and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to cook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I had to come and tell you how much we love this recipe- I have made it family and for friends and everyone loved it!
These stuffed pitas are always a huge hit in our family! Thank you for clear and simple instructions!
These pitas look wonderful. Excited to try seven spice as it is new to me. Thank you for introducing me to it.
I haven’t had arayes before, but this looks like a super easy recipe with flavors I know I’ll love. Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to try this!
Love this Arayes recipe, looks delicious and easy to make. Will make this soon. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I love Lebanese food, so I knew I had to try these. SO good. My husband asked for them the next night too.
We’re in love with these. We make them every few weeks and they’re always a hit. So much fresh flavor happening here, and they’re so filling!
YUM! these are so good, especially when you grate and squeeze out the liquid from the onion, it makes such a difference in the filling.
I love how versatile this recipe is! So delicious!