Arayes (Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pitas)

I am back with my third and final Mediterranean ground beef recipe for Arrays. So far I have shared Mediterranean Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers and Mediterranean Ground Beef Zucchini Skillet and today I am sharing Arayes (Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pitas). All three of these recipes are great for weeknight meals that are protein packed and easy to make. They all make enough to have leftovers throughout the week and you can easily meal-prep these recipes too. 

Today’s recipe for Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pitas are also known as Arayes in lebanese cuisine. Arayes are a popular middle eastern street food. They are pita stuffed with a Mediterranean spiced ground beef mixture that is mixed with diced onions, spices and fresh herbs.

They are cooked in a skillet or grilled and served with hummus or a yogurt tahini sauce. If you like ground beef recipes you also might like these Mediterranean Beef and Cabbage Stir-fry, Beef Kafta Meatballs, Beef Kafta Kabob Recipe, Mediterranean Ground Beef Zucchini Skillet or this Ground Beef Layered Hummus.

For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below.

• Ground Beef: I like to use 80/20 ground beef in this recipe because the fat adds flavor and creates a juicy stuffing for the stuffed meat pita. For a more lean arayes you can use a extra lean ground beef of 90/10. Make sure to drain the fat from the ground beef before making the mixture.
• Spices: This recipes uses aromatic spices like cinnamon, allspice, cayenne red pepper, paprika and cloves. I love the warm, rich spices mixed together with the beef. If those spices aren’t your favorite try Italian seasoning, Greek seasoning or oregano. 
• Pine Nuts: The pine nuts are optional but I like to add them for added flavor and texture. 
• Pita: I like to try and buy thicker pita for this recipe because it holds up better with the beef in it and holds up better on a skillet when you heat it. If you can only find thing pita that is fine too, just be more careful when handling it. 

How to Make This Arayes Recipe

Step 1. Cook the Beef: In a large skillet heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, salt, pepper, garlic and spices and cook until the beef is browned. Optional: you can add in the pine nuts at this step if you want. Drain the spiced meat mixture and add to a large bowl. Mix in the parsley, pine nuts {optional} and tomato paste with the ground beef and mix well.

Step 2. Stuff the Pita: Lay the pita bread pockets out on a cutting board and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the seasoned meat into each pita. Rub olive oil on each side of the pita. Heat in the skillet at medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy and warmed through. 

Step 3. Heat the Stuffed Pita: Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Brush each side of the meat-stuffed pita with olive oil. Put the stuffed pita pocket in the skillet or sandwich press and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side until you get a crispy pita bread that is golden brown and the beef is heated.

Step 4. Serve Warm: Serve the meat-stuffed pitas with Lebanese salad or fattoush salad and parsley for garnish and hummus or homemade tahini sauce on the side. Store the delicious arayes in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Recipe Tips

• Types of Pita: I have seen these made with raw beef that you add into the pita and cook on the skillet instead of precooking the beef. If you want to do this I suggest using a thinner pita so the beef cooks quickly. Otherwise if you precook the beef like I did you can use thicker pita pockets since it is already cooked. 
• Beef Mixture: The meat filling is rich with warm spices but you can add whatever spices you like. Some other ingredients you can add to the ground meat mixture is chopped fresh mint, feta cheese, finely minced bell pepper or zucchini. I have also seen people add pomegranate molasses which adds a nice sweet flavor to the beef. 
• Protein: These also work great with ground lamb or ground turkey if you can’t get beef. Many countries make lamb arayes or lamb-stuffed pita.
• Air Frying: Other than a skillet you can cook these in an air fryer or oven. To air fry heat the air fryer to 350 degrees F and cook for about 10-12 minutes.
• Baking: You can also bake these. I would use pita halves and add the raw beef mixture. Spread olive oil on each side of the pita. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes per side or until the beef is cooked through.