Arayes are Middle Eastern grilled pita bread sandwiches, stuffed with kofta mixture. This stuffed pita bread recipe can be grilled, baked, or air fried. Serve them with Marinated Sumac Onions and a Tabouli Salad!
Arayes are prepared by various cultures throughout the Middle East. This includes Syria, Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt. The Egyptian version is called Hawawshi.
These meat-stuffed pita pockets can be served for lunch, dinner, or as part of a mezze platter with Lebanese hummus, garlic tahini sauce, and sambousek.
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🧐 Why This Recipe works
- Arayes are relatively easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes. The recipe is made with simple ingredients and can even be prepared ahead of time.
- The versatile recipe allows you to cook the pita sandwiches in the oven, on the grill, cast-iron skillet, or an air fryer.
- The filling is made with kafta meat so you know it's loaded with flavor!
- You can add sliced tomatoes, onion, and lettuce to make this sandwich even more filling!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pita Bread: I like to use homemade pita pockets but store-bought work just fine!
- Meat: Traditionally, Arayes are stuffed with ground lamb, which is how I prefer them. However, you can also substitute beef, ground chicken, or turkey.
- Spices: I like to add sumac, baharat, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. However, you may also add a few cloves of fresh garlic, ¼ teaspoon cumin, and a touch of cinnamon.
- Herbs: Although my recipe doesn't call for any herbs you can add a few tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley or mint to the kabob meat mixture.
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔪 Helpful Tools
🥙 How to Make Arayes
Step 1: Add onion to a small food processor and process until fine. Squeeze the liquid from the onion, then add onion to a medium-sized bowl along with the ground lamb or beef.
Step 2: Add the spices to the meat mixture and mix to combine. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to allow the flavors to come together for few hours.
Step 3: Divide the meat into eight equal portions. Slice each pita bread in half and carefully stuff with the meat mixture forming a layer of meat into each pita pocket.
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Pro Tip: If you prefer more meat, you can double the kofta recipe.
Preheat oven to 400 degree F
Step 4: Brush both sides of the stuffed pitas with olive oil. If you'd like to get grill marks on your arayes, add a few at a time to a hot grill pan. Press down with a spatula and cook for one minute on each side over medium-high heat.
Step 5: Arrange arayes on a baking sheet. For easier cleanup, line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Bake for 6 minutes on each side or until the meat is cooked and the pita bread is crispy.
Pro Tip: The best way to heat Arayes leftovers is in a toaster oven or an air fryer.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
"Arayes," is an Arabic word which means "brides." It's also the name of this irresistible, Lebanese lamb-stuffed pita bread.
Arayes are pretty delicious on their own and make a perfect appetizer. If you plan on serving Arayes as a meal, Fattoush or Tabouli would be the perfect side dishes. You can also drizzle the pita sandwiches with tahini sauce.
Use fresh pita bread that's soft and pliable. Slice the pita in half and gently pry open. Spread a thin layer of the kabob meat filling inside the pita pockets.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Slice each arayes in two to serve as appetizers.
- Make sure to drain the excess liquid before mixing the onion with the ground meat. If the mixture is too wet, you'll end up with a soggy pita sandwich.
- Use good quality pita bread that is not too thin or flimsy, otherwise, they may not hold up when you stuff them with the meat.
- Optionally, mix pinenuts into the filling before stuffing the arayes.
🥐 Related Recipes
If you enjoy this stuffed pita bread recipe, you may like these other recipes too!
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📖 Recipe
Arayes (Meat-Filled Pita Pockets)
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 grill pan
- 1 baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef or lamb
- 1 small onion
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sumac powder
- 1 teaspoon baharat spice
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 pita pockets (sliced in half)
Instructions
- Add onion to a small food processor and process until fine. Squeeze the liquid from the onion, then add onion to a medium-sized bowl along with the ground lamb or beef.
- Add the spices to the meat mixture and mix to combine. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to allow the flavors to come together for few hours.
- Divide the meat into eight equal portions. Slice each pita bread in half and carefully stuff with the meat mixture forming a layer of meat into each pita pocket.
Preheat oven to 400° F
- (optional step) Brush both sides of the stuffed pitas with olive oil. If you'd like to get grill marks on your arayes, add a few at a time to a hot grill pan. Press down with a spatula and cook for one minute on each side over medium-high heat.
- Arrange arayes on a baking sheet. For easier cleanup, line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Bake for 6 minutes on each side or until the meat is cooked and the pita bread is crispy.
Notes
- Slice each pita bread sandwich in two to serve as appetizers.
- Make sure to drain the excess liquid before mixing the onion with the ground meat. If the mixture is too wet, you'll end up with a soggy pita sandwich.
- Use good quality pita bread that is not too thin or flimsy, otherwise, they may not hold up when you stuff them with the meat.
- Optionally, Mix pinenuts into the filling before stuffing the Arayes.
- The best way to heat Arayes leftovers is in a toaster oven or an air fryer.
- If you prefer to have more meat in your pita bread, you can double the kofta recipe.
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