Arayes (Lebanese Stuffed Pitas) (2024)

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!

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

1. Place the ground beef with the grated onion, minced garlic, spices and chopped parsley in a bowl.
2. Using your hands, combine the ingredients very well.
3. Slice the pitas into quarters and spread some of the mixture into the pitas in a thin layer.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Frequently asked questions

More Lebanese recipes

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