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5 from 12 votes

Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pitas (Arayes)

Lebanese meat stuffed pitas (Arayes) are a snack, appetizer, or main course. Pieces of pocket pita stuffed with homemade kafta mixture and grilled or pan-fried until crispy. Serve with homemade garlic or tahini sauce!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Beef
Servings: 4
Calories: 460kcal
Author: Marzia

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef 95-99% lean
  • ½ medium onion cut into a few pieces
  • ½ cup parsley packed
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon Baharat seasoning or 7-spice
  • ½ teaspoon hot paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses optional
  • 4-5 flat Lebanese bread Palestinian, or Greek Pita pockets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more
  • Garlic sauce or tahini sauce in notes

Instructions

  • COMBINE: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the onions, garlic, and parsley until it's minced. Add this to a bowl along with the ground beef, 1¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, tomato paste, all of the seasonings, and the molasses. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix thoroughly. You can also just add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until they’re combined.
  • FILL: Cut the pitas into 4 equal pieces. Place roughly 2 tablespoons of the mixture inside each pita and gently press the mixture down with a spoon. Repeat with the remaining mixture and pitas.
  • PAN FRY, BAKE, AIR FRY: Heat a large cast-iron grill pan (or other grill pan) over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the arayes with olive oil. When the grill is warm, place four arayes on the grill and cook for roughly 3-5 minutes per side or until golden and the beef is cooked to your liking. You can also bake these on a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet in at 425ºF oven for 10-14 minutes (flipping halfway) and cooking them to your liking. The time it takes will depend on the thickness of the pita you’re using, Lebanese pitas require less time; thicker Greek pitas require longer. Air fry at 375ºF for 7-12 minutes (flipping halfway.) Serve with toum (garlic sauce) or tahini sauce.

Notes

  • No baharat seasoning? use a ¼ teaspoon of each of these: ground coriander, ground black pepper, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg instead.
  • Tahini sauce: Mix together 3 cloves garlic pressed, ⅓ cup mayo, ¼ cup tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a big pinch of kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon warm water in a bowl until smooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 21g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g
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