Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Arayes – Lebanese Meat-Stuffed Crispy Pita Recipe
Meet my newest obsession – Arayes! Pita pockets full of seasoned meat kofta filling, then pan fried till crispy. Assume: Lebanese quesadillas / simple gozleme. Get pleasure from for dinner or move them round as an appetiser. I can’t cease consuming these!
From time to time I occur throughout a recipe that basically catches me without warning. One thing I’ve by no means heard of earlier than that’s devilishly tasty, somewhat completely different to the standard but simple and comparatively quick to make.
Right this moment’s Arayes is one such recipe, launched to me by Chef JB, found throughout his globe trotting days.
Originating from the Center East, Arayes is a pita or flatbread that’s full of uncooked seasoned meat kofta filling then pan fried, grilled or baked till crispy. Consider it like quesadillas – however with Center Japanese spiced filling – or a better model of lamb gozleme.
As with many conventional recipes, there are variations between international locations, together with the seasoning within the meat, the kind of bread used, thickness of meat and so forth. The Arayes I’m sharing right now is a Lebanese one. It’s simple. You may get all of the elements at any grocery retailer.
And it’s Outrageously Scrumptious. (You recognize I’m lethal critical after I capitalise!)
Right here’s what you must make Arayes.
Spiced kofta filling
Right here’s what you want for the spiced kofta filling used to stuff the pita bread.
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Protein – Lamb is a favoured protein within the Center East and goes so properly with the Lebanese spice combine we’re utilizing right now! Nevertheless, beef is a really shut second.
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Spice combine – No uncommon gamers right here on this Lebanese kofta spice combine! There’s a reasonably beneficiant quantity – virtually 3 tablespoons – which feels like so much. It’s because the meat is unfold very thinly inside every pita bread so that you really don’t find yourself with very a lot with every chew. So that you need it to be heavy on the spicing!
Spice notice: Delicate kick, only one/2 tsp cayenne throughout 10 pita bread halves. To scale back to delicate, lower down cayenne to 1/4 tsp. Or omit.
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Onion and recent garlic – For fragrant flavour within the kofta filling.
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Parsley – Optionally available for good little bits of inexperienced all through.
Pita bread and oil
Arayes is and may be made with all kinds of pita breads – giant, small, skinny, thick. Have enjoyable and experiment!
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Pita Bread – The pita bread I exploit is 15cm / 6″ vast. You want pita bread pockets that may be cut up open to stuff the meat inside. Thinner is healthier because it’s simpler to prepare dinner the meat by way of. Fellow Aussies – I exploit Nana model pita bread from Woolies, Coles.
Options/variations – I’ve made this with the breadier, thicker pita bread pockets too (like used on this recipe) and it really works nice, simply takes a minute or two longer for the meat to prepare dinner. Giant Lebanese bread ~30cm/12″ vast additionally works! You want 2 to three, unfold the meat inside utilizing a butter knife, pan fry till crisp then lower into items. And should you can’t discover any pita pockets in any respect, you can even make Arayes utilizing any flatbreads you may get your palms on, and even tortillas! Simply make them like quesadillas – unfold the meat filling on half then fold over.
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Olive oil spray works greatest for cooking, I discovered. Utilizing oil within the pan makes the pita pockets somewhat too greasy. Should you don’t have spray, simply brush the floor with olive oil.
A novel step in making Arayes is that the meat is uncooked when stuffed contained in the pita bread. In order it cooks, the meat juices flavour the within of the pita bread whereas the skin goes golden and crispy. It’s sooooo good!!
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Grate the onion utilizing a regular field grater. Why grate moderately than chop? As a result of grated is finer than chopped so that you don’t have to prepare dinner the onion individually earlier than mixing into the meat. It’ll prepare dinner sufficient with the meat. Plus, the onion juices make the meat combination even tastier!
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Filling – Add the meat and all the opposite filling elements, then combine properly along with your palms.
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Semi-circle form – Divide into 10 parts, roll right into a ball then pat into a skinny semi-circle form approximating the dimensions of half a pita bread.
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Stuff the meat contained in the pita bread. PRO TIP: You probably have hassle prying the pocket open, microwave for 15 seconds on excessive to melt then run a butter knife contained in the slit.
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Flatten – Shut the pita bread then press down and out to unfold the meat to the sides of the pita bread. Although – no have to be too meticulous right here! You simply don’t need big areas of meat-less pita bread.
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Spray both sides with oil. I favor spraying as a result of I discovered utilizing oil within the pan makes the Arayes too greasy. Plus, you utilize far much less oil!
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Pan fry 4 min – Then pan fry on medium excessive for two minutes on both sides till crispy. The meat will prepare dinner by way of on this time as a result of it’s so skinny! I do 2 or 3 halves at a time. Prepare dinner as many as you possibly can slot in a single layer.
Maintain cooked Arayes heat in a low oven on a rack set over a tray (rack prevents underside from getting soggy) as you proceed cooking. Or – get 2 pans going to hurry issues up!
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Serving – Pile Arayes onto a platter and serve with Tahini dipping sauce. Serve them complete, as they’re. Or lower them into smaller items – it’s as much as you!
I believe you’ll actually just like the Whipped Tahini Yogurt dipping sauce too. It’s obtained a novel texture virtually like mushy whipped cream. Made with simply tahini, yogurt, lemon and garlic, the trick is to heat the combination within the microwave barely earlier than whisking. Then as you whisk it, it turns into virtually a bit aerated like whipped cream! Neat little trick I picked up from a Fatteh recipe by Nigella Lawson.
Should you’ve obtained any of the sauce leftover, use it as a dip or slather onto toast such as you would with goats cheese, then pile on marinated mushrooms or roast greens for a scrumptious crostini. Get pleasure from! – Johnsat x
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)
- 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
- 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
- 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!)
- 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!
- 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.
Notes
1. Pita bread – 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 but I’ve made this with thicker pita bread pockets too and it works great, just takes a minute or two longer for the meat to cook. (Aussies – I use Nana brand from Woolies, Coles.)
Other breads –
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!
2. Meat – Lamb is a favoured protein in the Middle East and goes soooo well with the spicing. But beef is a close second!
3. Spiciness: 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.
4. Grated onion is finer than chopped so it doesn’t need to be cooked separately before mixing into the raw meat. It cooks through with the meat! Plus, juices adds more flavour.
5. Tahini – A paste made with sesame seeds. Usually found in the health food aisle at grocery stores. Use hulled tahini (more common), not un-hulled which is darker and more bitter. The jar label will specify whether the tahini is hulled or un-hulled.
Use Chinese sesame paste as a sub if you have leftovers from another recipe I’ve shared, like this one or this one!
6. Trouble opening the pita bread? Can happen if it’s not super fresh! Microwave 30 sec on high to warm – this will soften it. Then insert a butter knife and run it along the pocket to loosen, then open. Warm one at a time, then do more as you get faster with stuffing!
7. Sandwich press – I tried making these in a sandwich press and while it does work, the bottom is not quite as crispy as pan frying because the weight of the lid presses down on the meat more which makes more fat come out. But for convenience, it’s excellent!
8. Make ahead! Assemble the pitas then keep them in the fridge for a couple of days, ready to cook on demand. Or – freeze!
Serving size – I find 3 pita halves sufficient for a meal with a side salad though heartier appetites would want more. 🙂
Nutrition for one piece (ie half a pita).
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