When it comes to Middle Eastern street food, there is truly nothing more delicious than Arayes. Think: warm pita bread stuffed with tender beef, rich onions, and fresh herbs blend together beautifully to bring these Meat Stuffed Pitas (aka Arayes) to life. You only need 10 simply ingredients to make these Arayes, and the best part is: you can easily meal-prep them in advance, too!
Arayes, also known as meat stuffed pitas, are a delicious Middle Eastern dish that has been enjoyed for generations. These tasty treats are made by stuffing a pita bread with a flavorful meat mixture, which is then grilled to perfection.
The origins of arayes can be traced back to ancient Middle Eastern cultures, where they were often served as a portable meal for nomadic tribes. The combination of meat and bread made for a convenient and satisfying meal that could be easily transported and eaten on the go. Today, arayes continue to be a popular dish throughout the Middle East and have even made their way into the hearts and stomachs of people around the world. In fact, they can now be found in many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurants, as well as in homes where they have been passed down through the generations.
When I was growing up, my Armenian father would often make my sister and I arayes as a healthy after-school snack, and it was always my favorite treat! The pita bread gets nice and crispy, and the meat inside is perfectly-spiced, yielding a delicious and beautiful result that I KNOW you will absolutely love.
10 Easy Ingredients to Make These Crispy Arayes
- Pita Bread: Pita bread is key to making this recipe. It’s perfectly light and fluffy, and is a staple in Middle Eastern / Armenian cuisine. Yum! If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, you can simply use a gluten-free pita bread.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is full of healthy fats and adds a delicious flavor to this recipe!
- Ground Beef: For this recipe, weāre using ground beef, and I like to make sure mine is at least 93% ground beef. You can also use 85%, but your kebabs will be fattier. Thatās okay!
- White Onion: White onion and ground beef is a match made in heaven. I absolutely love this combination and cannot get enough of it!
- Garlic Clove: I like using fresh garlic whenever possible. You can use garlic powder, but it will change the flavor slightly.
- Red Pepper Paste: Red pepper paste adds the perfect, spicy kick to this recipe!
- Fresh Parsley: Parsley is KEY to any good Middle Eastern recipe, and fresh parsley is truly where it is at! If you don’t have fresh parsley, dried parsley is also okay.
- Seasonings: We’ll be seasoning these arayes with a combination of coriander, cumin, sea salt, and black pepper. Yum!
How to Make These Simple, Easy, Flavorful Arayes
Making these arayes is SO easy- once you see how it’s done, you’ll want to make them all the time! Simply start by adding your filling ingredients to a large bowl- the ground beef, diced white onion, garlic clove, red pepper paste, and fresh parsley. Use your hands to mix until fully combined, then set aside.
Next, preheat your oven to 450 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Then, take your pita bread and cut it in half, adding 1/4 of the meat mixture onto one of the halves. Cover with the other half, then repeat with your remaining pitas. This recipe yields enough for 4 full pitas!
Finally, brush both sides of your pitas with olive oil and place them on your parchment-lined baking sheet. Place your baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes before flipping the arayes and baking for another 10 minutes (for a total of 20 minutes).
Once done, serve and enjoy! Let any leftovers fully cool, then wrap them in foil and store them in the fridge for up to one week.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! Iām also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at whatās new.
** Photography by Bea Moreno
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- Ā½ White Onion, diced
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Paste
- Ā¼ Cup Fresh Parsley, chopped; or substitute 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- Ā½ Teaspoon Coriander
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
For the Pitas
- 4 Pita Breads, cut in half
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, for brushing
Instructions
- Start by adding your filling ingredients to a large bowl- the ground beef, diced white onion, garlic clove, red pepper paste, and fresh parsley.
- Use your hands to mix until fully combined, then set aside.
- Next, preheat your oven to 450 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Then, take your pita bread and cut it in half, adding 1/4 of the meat mixture onto one of the halves.
- Cover with the other half, then repeat with your remaining pitas. This recipe yields enough for 4 full pitas!
- Finally, brush both sides of your pitas with olive oil and place them on your parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Place your baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes before flipping the arayes and baking for another 10 minutes (for a total of 20 minutes).
- Once done, serve and enjoy! Let any leftovers fully cool, then wrap them in foil and store them in the fridge for up to one week.
Rate & review
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What others are saying
It was so delicious! I am middle eastern and I used to eat them when I was young. I made it and came out so good. Easy and quick to make.
From one Middle Eastern gal to another, I am so thrilled that you loved this recipe. Thank you so much for making it, Eva!