• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

Small book

My cookbook "Dinner" now available!

  • My RecipeTin
  • My cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Christmas ⭐️
      • Starters
      • Mains
      • Sides: Warm & Hearty
      • Sides: Light & Fresh
      • Desserts
      • Breads
      • Christmas Leftovers
    • Iconic + cult classics
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish recipes
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Salads & veg
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice recipes
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Candy
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
    • Cookbook recipes
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Quick and Easy

Arayes – Lebanese Meat-Stuffed Crispy Pita

By:Nagi
Published:31 Jul '23Updated:3 Aug '23
96 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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!

Stack of Arayes - Lebanese Meat Stuffed Crispy Pita

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!)

Dipping Arayes into Tahini yogurt sauce (Lebanese Meat Stuffed Crispy Pita)
Quick whipped Tahini Yogurt makes the perfect dipping sauce!

Making Arayes - Lebanese Meat Stuffed Crispy Pita
The meat is cooked from raw inside the pita so it melds with the pita bread
Pan fried Arayes - Lebanese Meat Stuffed Crispy Pita

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.

Ingredients in Arayes - Lebanese Meat Stuffed Crispy Pita
  • 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!!

  1. 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!

  2. Filling – Add the meat and all the other filling ingredients, then mix well with your hands.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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!

  1. 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!

  2. 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!

Platter of Arayes - Lebanese Meat Stuffed Crispy Pita

Close up of Arayes - Lebanese Meat Stuffed Crispy Pita

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

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Stack of Arayes - Lebanese Meat Stuffed Crispy Pita

Crispy Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pita – Arayes

Author: Nagi
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 15 minutes mins
Appetiser, Main
lebanese, Middle Eastern
4.98 from 43 votes
Servings10 pita halves
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. Lebanese street food – pita bread stuffed with spiced kofta meat, pan fried until crispy! Think of these as Lebanese quesadillas or easy Gozleme. 🙂 The unique method here is that it's cooked with raw meat inside, so the tasty meat juices soaks into and flavours the pita bread as it cooks. It's outrageously delicious. I bet you become as obsessed with these as I have!

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:

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).

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 226cal (11%)Carbohydrates: 17g (6%)Protein: 12g (24%)Fat: 12g (18%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 39mg (13%)Sodium: 532mg (23%)Potassium: 109mg (3%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 251IU (5%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 66mg (7%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Keywords: arayes, stuffed pita bread
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Similar crispy breads with tasty things inside

Stack of freshly cooked Quesadillas, crispy on the outside and molten cheesy goodness on the inside.
Quesadilla!!!
Stack of Spinach and Feta Gozleme
Gozleme!
Aloo Paratha (Indian Potato Stuffed Flatbreads) filled with mashed potato and spiced beef on a tray, ready to be served.
Aloo Paratha (Indian Potato Stuffed Flatbread)
Mushroom quesadillas from RecipeTin Eats "Dinner" cookbook by Nagi Maehashi
Mushroom Quesadillas
Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Quesadillas - This is how to make multiple Quesadillas at the same time! Crispy on the outside, stuffed with Mexican seasoned chicken and capsicum / bell peppers (and cheese of course!) www.recipetineats.com
Oven Baked Chicken Quesadillas

Life of Dozer

This dog really will eat anything. (Well, except kale! 😂)

Previous Post
My Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Next Post
The mighty Cobb Salad

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Bowl of Qeema - Indian Curried Beef Mince over basmati rice

Qeema – Easy Indian Curried Beef Mince

Southern Thai Turmeric Chicken fresh out of the oven

Thai Turmeric Chicken

Green beans with a mountain of panko photo

Green Beans with a Mountain of Panko

More Quick and Easy

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




96 Comments

  1. Dionne says

    December 11, 2023 at 8:23 am

    5 stars
    This is so tasty. I also use the spices to make skinless sausages which go down a treat.

    Reply
  2. Liz says

    December 10, 2023 at 7:26 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and easy too. Great served with salad and hummus. Definitely not a dieting meal, but an occasional and much loved favourite at our house!

    Reply
  3. Anne K says

    December 8, 2023 at 9:30 pm

    5 stars
    The flavor and the crunch are a 10/10! Mine took way longer to cook, next time I’ll cook the filling beforehand

    Reply
  4. Linda OConnell says

    December 8, 2023 at 2:14 am

    5 stars
    very good, even better the next day for lunch.

    Reply
  5. Nadia O'Halloran says

    December 7, 2023 at 4:49 pm

    5 stars
    Love this! It’s quick, easy and delicious. The whole family raves about it. The whipped tahini sauce is also to die for!

    Reply
  6. Rebecca says

    December 6, 2023 at 10:47 pm

    Sooooo good ! This was fantastic.
    I used venison in mine. The mix of spices are absolutely amazing and delicious. Easy meal. Another winning recipe from Nagi.
    Great idea from Sue of keeping extra meat mixture in the freezer. 👍🏻

    Reply
  7. Eha Carr says

    December 5, 2023 at 5:01 pm

    5 stars
    Oh yum! Since there is always pita in the house and I have always been pretty crazy about steak tartare don’t think frying time of this beauty will be particularly timed . . . even if it is lean lamb – understand why you love it !!!

    Reply
  8. Amy says

    December 5, 2023 at 4:20 pm

    5 stars
    Made these as a quick week night dinner. Delicious! Paired with the whipped tahini sauce, the balance of spices makes this simple dish a perfect week night dinner

    Reply
  9. Sue says

    December 5, 2023 at 10:11 am

    5 stars
    These are so easy to do, and flavoursome and I have extra filling just waiting in the freezer for a lazy nights dinner. Another 5 stars Nagi xx

    Reply
  10. Stephen says

    December 1, 2023 at 6:44 pm

    Warning to cooks:
    Not all pita bread has a pocket! I got caught!

    Reply
  11. Anne says

    November 30, 2023 at 12:26 pm

    5 stars
    Another massive winner. So quick, cheap and delicious. We have this on the night we get back late from kid’s sport and there’s no time to cook. They love it,

    Reply
  12. Renee says

    November 10, 2023 at 8:09 pm

    5 stars
    Another winner! (as if I doubted you).. made as per the recipe using the only pita my local supermarket sold (mission brand).
    Absolutely delicious and easy peasy meal. Served with chopped salad of cucumber and capsicum for a last minute friday night meal after a big work week.

    Reply
  13. Mary says

    October 14, 2023 at 3:06 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this tonight. It was SO yummy! My husband and son, kept going back for more. Thank you Nagi for such delicious recipes that’s accessible for everyone. Ingredients that is easily available and easy to make!

    Reply
  14. Leonard says

    October 4, 2023 at 9:16 am

    5 stars
    Have made this 3 times now as lunches for family and friends. It’s easy, extremely yummy and a big hit. But please try this with any leftovers. We had some of the kofta mix left and the yoghurt sauce. Turned the meat mix into pattie burgers and used the sauce instead of mayo. So burger bun both sides coated in the sauce, the pattie, lettuce and tomato (plus chilli for us of course). Best burger ever! Its now our go to burger. Making this recipe just for burgers as well from now on.

    Reply
  15. Karen Lavina Brown says

    September 18, 2023 at 3:22 pm

    Dear Nagi thankyou for the Arayes recipe it is truly sensational. I varied th recipe a little as I had been to the shop already. The Tahhini yogurt whipped became chobani Greek Yogurt lemon and Kewpie Roasted Dressing Japanese mixed together it was really well received

    Reply
  16. Sally says

    September 15, 2023 at 12:00 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious will definitely make again, I made it exactly as your recipe

    Reply
  17. AE says

    September 4, 2023 at 9:39 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent! Big success with everyone. I live in the land of Lebanese food, so pita bread is hard to find, but you can choose Lebanese bread from five different bakeries even at the smallest fruit shop. I still only cut them in half and it worked beautifully.

    As a side note, whenever there is a dressing / dip that includes lemon juice and raw garlic, I put the garlic in the lemon juice for at least 5 minutes to take the raw bite off the garlic (I learnt it from Serious Eats, and it means I can now eat raw garlic and not think of that for the next several hours).

    Reply
    • AE says

      September 4, 2023 at 10:02 pm

      I also used labneh (a Lebanese thick / spreadable yogurt, so thicker than Greek yogurt, and not too sour) instead of plain yogurt for the dip and it still worked a treat, just a very different texture.

      Have you tried Lebanese pizza? The ones with labneh and/or shankleesh and veg are amazing, and nowhere near as heavy as Italian pizza).

      Reply
  18. Giannina says

    August 31, 2023 at 1:25 am

    How would you go about cooking this when freezing? What’s the best way to thaw and cook?

    Reply
  19. fran says

    August 28, 2023 at 4:24 pm

    5 stars
    I made these using store bought fenugreek Indian flatbread. What a hit! The only advice I got was to add even more spice. YUM!

    Reply
  20. Thomas says

    August 27, 2023 at 9:14 pm

    5 stars
    Made it with the missus and turned out lovely. So good she made it with her family later that week

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On
  • Goodfood
  • Food Network
  • Better Homes Gardens
  • Taste
  • Nine
  • Network 10
  • BuzzFeed
  • Daily Telegraph
  • Women's Day

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe to my newsletter and receive 3 FREE ebooks!

Subscribe
Recipes
  • All Recipes
  • By Category
  • Collections
About
  • About Nagi
  • About Dozer
  • RecipeTin Meals
Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Central
Help
  • Contact
  • Image Use Policy
© RecipeTin Eats 2023
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits
Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
All Rights Reserved

Subscribe to my newsletter

Sign up and receive 3 FREE EBOOKS!