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–+ servings
A serving platter of meat filled pitas with tahini dipping sauce.
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5 from 43 votes

Arayes Recipe

Arayes are a fun crispy pita pocket filled with flavorful seasoned meat. This popular Middle Eastern street food makes a great appetizer, lunch, or main course. Great for grilling season, but can also be made indoors any time of the year!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Total Time17 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Main dish
Cuisine: Israeli, Middle Eastern
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 621kcal
Author: Dana Shrager

Equipment

Ingredients

Arayes Ingredients

  • 1 pound 85%-90% lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon baharat seasoning*
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • ½ cup fresh parsley- leaves and fine stems finely chopped
  • 1 medium-sized onion
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 pitas about 4 to 6 inches diameter

Tahini Garlic Sauce Ingredients (optional)

  • ½ cup tahini paste
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 lemon juiced and zested ⅓ to ¼ cup
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup water may not use all of it
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

MIX

  • In a large bowl, add ground beef, baharat, salt and parsley.
  • Grate the onions, and squeeze out the excess juice. Add to the mixing bowl.
  • Using your hands (use disposable gloves if desired), combine the ingredients until evenly blended. At this point, you can cover the mixture and refrigerate for several hours until you are ready to cook.

STUFF

  • Cut each pita in half, and gently open the pockets.
  • Scoop up about a ¼-cup of ground meat mixture, and stuff it into a half pita. Gently press down the pita to spread the meat evenly. Continue doing this with the rest of the pita halves.

STOVETOP COOKING

  • To cook on the stove, heat your pan over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is hot, place two pita halves in the hot pan. Cook until bread is browned and crispy, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side until crispy and the meat is cooked through. *See notes for other cooking methods.

SERVE

  • Serve warm with tahini dipping sauce. For an entree, serve 2 pita halves per person. For an appetizer, cut each pita half in half again making quarters. Serve a platter of arranged pita quarters with a bowl of dipping sauce.

Tahini dipping sauce

  • In a small bowl combine the tahini, garlic, and lemon juice.
  • Add salt and pepper to desired taste.
  • Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until smooth. You want enough water to make the sauce pourable but not too watery where it doesn’t coat whatever you are dipping.
  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Store leftover sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
  • The longer it sits, the thicker it gets, so you may need to whisk in additional water to thin out.

Notes

  • Substitute baharat with similar spice mix blends such as ras el hanout or Middle Eastern 7 Spices.
  • How to store: Arayes are best enjoyed fresh and hot, but you can store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • How to freeze: I do not recommend freezing these once they have been made.
  • How to reheat: Reheat arayes in an oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes.
  • Make ahead: Make the meat mixture earlier on the day of serving and refrigerate. Stuff pitas with meat mixture up to 30 minutes before cooking.
  • OTHER COOKING METHODS
  • GRILLED ARAYES: To grill, clean grill and turn it to high heat. Brush each side of the pita halves with olive oil, and place arayes on the grill. Grill them over direct heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes, and then flip and cook the other side. Move the arayes to indirect heat, and continue cooking until meat is done, about 5 more minutes.
  • AIR FRYER ARAYES: To air fry, brush each side of the pita halves with olive oil, and bake at 375ºF (190°C) for 10 minutes, flipping the arayes halfway through.
  • OVEN METHOD: To bake in the oven, brush each side of the pita halves with olive oil, and place onto a baking sheet in a single layer. If you have a baking rack, place the pitas on top for better air flow. Bake at 400ºF (205°C) for 20 minutes in a preheated oven, flipping the arayes halfway through.

Nutrition

Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1265mg | Potassium: 700mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 659IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 5mg