Arayes is a Levantine grilled pita bread stuffed with spiced ground meat, fresh parsley, and onions—a street-food classic that's crispy outside and juicy inside. This recipe includes both pan-frying and oven-baking methods with a tahini dipping sauce.
Check what you already have. We'll leave it off your shopping list.
CookOS may earn a commission from Instacart orders.
Prices vary by store
*Service fees apply. Instacart® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.
Process: In a small food processor, pulse the chopped onion and parsley until fine.
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.
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.
Scoop: Using an ice cream scoop, scoop about 2 portions of the ground beef mixture into each pita pocket.
Spread: Using a butter knife, spread the meat filling evenly and all the way around.
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.
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.
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.
Store cooked arayes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes until warmed through and pita re-crisps slightly.
Yes, the recipe explicitly allows ground lamb or chicken as substitutes for the extra lean ground beef without adjusting quantities or seasonings.
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.
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.
Use thin pita breads (3-4mm) as specified in the recipe; thicker breads are harder to stuff evenly and won't cook through properly.
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.
