Can I use ground chicken or lamb instead of beef?

Yes, the recipe explicitly allows ground lamb or chicken as substitutes for the extra lean ground beef without adjusting quantities or seasonings.

What is baharat and can I make it at home?

Baharat is a 7-spice Middle Eastern blend typically containing cumin, coriander, clove, cinnamon, and black pepper. You can purchase pre-mixed or blend whole spices yourself for fresher flavor.

Can I prepare the meat filling ahead of time?

Yes, the seasoned meat mixture can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator; stuff and cook the pitas fresh when ready to serve.

How thick should the pita bread be for stuffing?

Use thin pita breads (3-4mm) as specified in the recipe; thicker breads are harder to stuff evenly and won't cook through properly.

What temperature should I cook arayes to ensure the meat is done?

For grilling or pan-frying, cook until the pita is golden and crispy on both sides; the ground meat will be cooked through within 3-4 minutes per side. For oven-baking, cook at 400°F until golden, approximately 10-12 minutes.

Arayes: Authentic Middle Eastern Meat Stuffed Pitas

Name: Arayes: Authentic Middle Eastern Meat Stuffed Pitas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Levantine
Ingredients: 1 Medium white onion (- Roughly chopped); ¼ cup Fresh parsley; 1 ½ lbs Extra lean ground beef (- You can use ground lamb or chicken too); 1 tbsp Baharat (7-Spice); 1 tsp Garlic powder (- Use more if you like garlic); 1 tsp Sumac; Salt and Black pepper; 3-4 Thin pita breads; Olive oil for brushing; 2 tbsp Tahini; 2 tbsp Lemon juice; Cold water to thin the sauce (- as much as you need to reach desired consistency); Salt and pepper to taste

CookOSBeta

Arayes: Authentic Middle Eastern Meat Stuffed Pitas | CookOS

Ingredients

1 Medium white onion (- Roughly chopped)
¼ cup Fresh parsley
1 ½ lbs Extra lean ground beef (- You can use ground lamb or chicken too)
1 tbsp Baharat (7-Spice)
1 tsp Garlic powder (- Use more if you like garlic)
1 tsp Sumac
Salt and Black pepper
3-4 Thin pita breads
Olive oil for brushing
2 tbsp Tahini
2 tbsp Lemon juice
Cold water to thin the sauce (- as much as you need to reach desired consistency)
Salt and pepper to taste

13 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Process: In a small food processor, pulse the chopped onion and parsley until fine.
2
Mix: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, onion and parsley mixture, sumac, 7-spice, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Mix really well. I encourage you fry up a small tablespoon of the mixture and taste for seasoning. Adjust if necessary.
3
Prepare Pita: Cut your pita breads in half and very carefully open them up. You can use your fingers to open them up or a butter knife. Make sure the pocket remains intact.
4
Scoop: Using an ice cream scoop, scoop about 2 portions of the ground beef mixture into each pita pocket.
5
Spread: Using a butter knife, spread the meat filling evenly and all the way around.
6
Grill: Lightly oil the stuffed pita halves and grill them on both sides in a grill pan or cast iron skillet set on medium-high heat until the meat is cooked through and you have nice grill marks on the bread, about 4-5 minutes on each side.
7
Bake: Preheat your oven to 375F/190C. Lightly oil the stuffed pita halves and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
8
In a small bowl, combine the tahini and lemon juice and whisk. This will form a paste. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired dipping sauce consistency. Don't make it too runny. Season with salt and pepper.