Arayes (Middle Eastern Meat-Stuffed Pita)
Serves 6
10 mins prep
25 mins cook
35 mins total
Arayes are a typical street food in the Middle East that are stuffed with minced meat. They are kid-friendly and delicious.
For the beef filling
For serving
Variation: Chicken Arayes
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Make the meat filling: combine the beef, grated onion, grated garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon zest, fresh mint, fresh basil and diced jalapeno in a bowl and mix well with your hands or a spatula to combine.
Divide the meat filling into 6 portions. Shape each portion into a semi-circle that's just a bit smaller than half of a pita.
Carefully open each pita half and put a flattened portion of meat into each. Close the pita and gently press to make the pita flat, the meat filling should be a half-inch thick.
*Note: depending on the size of pita you use, you may have more or less portions. Simply use up the beef filling between as many pita halves as needed.
Cook the pitas: Place a pan on medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When the pan is hot add 2 pita halves and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and crispy, pressing down slightly on each side as the pita halves cook. Repeat until all pita halves have been cooked, adding more olive oil to the pan as needed.
Serve pita halves with lemon wedges for squeezing lemon juice over top, a pinch of fresh minced parsley and tzatziki sauce for dipping.
Variation: Chicken Arayes
Make the meat filling: combine the feta, ground chicken, grated onion, grated garlic, salt, pepper, fresh mint, fresh basil and minced jalapeno in a bowl and mix well with your hands or a spatula to combine.
Divide the meat filling into 6 portions. Shape each portion into a semi-circle that's just a bit smaller than half of a pita. Carefully open each pita half and put a flattened portion of meat into each. Close the pita and gently press to make the pita flat.
*Note: depending on the size of pita you use, you may have more or less portions. Simply use up the beef filling between as many pita halves as needed.
Cook the pitas: Place a pan on medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When the pan is hot add 2 pita halves and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and crispy, pressing down slightly on each side as the pita halves cook, cooking until the chicken is done at 165F. Repeat until all pita halves have been cooked, adding more olive oil to the pan as needed.
Serve pita halves with lemon wedges for squeezing lemon juice over top, a pinch of fresh minced parsley and tzatziki sauce for dipping.
