Arayes
Updated Aug 21, 2025
My arayes is an authentic Lebanese recipe made with spiced meat stuffed in pita or flatbread and then baked, fried or grilled until crispy
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Jump to Section
Meat-Stuffed Pitas
Arayes is a popular street food from Lebanon that I grew up with and it’s basically kafta meat stuffed inside pita bread and then pan-fried, grilled or oven baked. It’s a great way to use up leftover kafta meat or hashweh meat and works well as an appetizer or main meal.
I recently updated the recipe to use thicker pita instead of the traditional Lebanese thin pita and I also added tomatoes to the recipe which makes it so juicy without making the bread soggy. It’s my kid’s happy meal and I’m always happy to make them!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Arayes Ingredients
- Ground Beef: I prefer to use lean ground beef that is 85% fat free but you can go lower to 80% so keep it juicy especially if you’re baking. You can also use ground lamb.
- Seasonings: Fresh parsley, 7 spice, sumac, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
- Onion: Finely mince the onion so that it combines easily with the ground beef.
- Tomato: It’s a little tedious, but removing the tomato core and only using the outsides helps prevent the arayes from being soggy. Save them to use in a soup.
- Pita: Use double ply pita bread for these arayes and the thicker, the better for keeping the bread crisp.
- Oil: For cooking. I always like to use olive oil, but avocado oil will work too.
How to Make Arayes
Arayes
Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the ground beef, tomatoes, onions, parsley, 7 Spice, sumac, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Cut each pita into half. Pull apart the two sides of the pita. Spoon about 3-4 tablespoons of the beef mixture inside each pita half and close.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat a grill pan or regular pan on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Place four of the stuffed pitas on the grill pan and cook until the pita is golden in color and beef is cooked to your liking, about 10 minutes total, flipping halfway through. Repeat with the remaining olive oil and the remaining stuffed pitas.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the stuffed pitas on a baking dish and brush with the olive oil. Bake until the pita is golden and crispy and the beef is cooked to your liking, about 10 minutes.
- Serve hot immediately with plain yogurt for dipping, if desired.
Notes
1 pound ground beef 80-85% lean
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 small yellow onion minced
2 teaspoons 7 spice
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon coriander
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper to taste
2 double-ply pita breads
2 tablespoons olive oil for stovetop cooking
Olive oil spray for oven baking Instructions
Place the ground beef, parsley, onions, 7 Spice, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix until well combined.
Cut each pita into fourth. Pull part the two sides of pita. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the beef mixture
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add more veggies inside. While it’s traditional to enjoy eat arayes alone, you can stuff veggies inside for a full meal. It’s best to use cooked veggies like peppers, zucchini or mushrooms and add them after cooking.
- Add cheese. Try adding feta, halloumi, or mozzarella are common choices that can be added to the meat mixture or placed on top of the arayes before grilling or baking your ground beef stuff pitas.
- Different sauces and dips. In addition to the classic tahini sauce, you can also try serving arayes with hummus, tzatziki, or a spicy harissa sauce for a bit of heat.
Recipe Tips
- Use ground beef with some fat in it. Aim for 85% or 80% fat-free ground beef which has some fat in it to keep the meat stuffed pitas juicy without drying out.
- Don’t over-cook the arayes. You want to make sure that the pita is crisp and golden on the outside and that’s your cue that they are done cooking. Over-cooking the beef can make it really dry. Feel free to lift up the pita to check on the beef.
- Adjust the time if you use thin pita. My mom uses traditional thin pita bread to make arayes and ends up using less beef mixture on the inside. Those cook faster and get more crispy but they don’t reheat well the next day.
- Don’t over-stuff the pita bread. When stuffing the pita bread, make sure not to overdo it. The filling should be evenly distributed throughout the pita bread, but not so much or you risk tearing the pita.
Serving Ideas
These can be served as an appetizer or a main course usually with a dip or a salad on the side. Here are my favorite ways to serve arayes:
- Dip: Traditionally we dip arayes in just plain whole milk yogurt with nothing in it. But they also taste so good with Tahini Sauce and my Greek Yogurt Sauce which has garlic, lemon and dill mixed in.
- Salad: like tabbouleh or shirazi.
FAQs
Arayes are best enjoyed fresh and hot, but if you have any leftovers allow them to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
To reheat the arayes, preheat your oven to 350°F and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until they are heated through and the pita bread is crispy.
If you want to keep your arayes for longer, you can freeze them. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap or foil and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. They will keep well for up to 2-3 months. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Comments
I tried your arayes recipe, and the family loved it. It is wonderful. The spices are so well-balanced. Whenever I make it, I make extras and freeze them raw. They make a quick meal for busy evenings. Thank you for another great recipe and the great tips!
Hi Sadia, I’m so glad to hear that you’re enjoying this recipe and making extras to freeze – such a time saver!! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂
See All Comments