Arayes (Crispy Meat Stuffed Pitas)

 These arayes are pitas stuffed with spiced ground meat and feta cheese for a delicious and simple dinner.

This is definitely the type of dinner recipe I would recommend for a quick weeknight throw together option. Its not only fast but its ridiculously delicious and your family will ask for seconds. Just do not leave out the Lazy Tzatziki Dip because it is a must for this dish!

Trust me when I tell you, the heat certainly does get through the pita to the meat to cook it through! Next time I’m thinking about first searing them in a pan on all sides and then popping them in to a pre-heated oven to finish cooking!

Another beautiful aspect of this recipe is that you can use any ground meat in this dish. Ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, ground lamb or ground beef all work perfectly here. This recipe also comes together in less than 20 minutes. Love that!

For this recipe, it is important to note to cook these on MEDIUM heat. Don’t go high heat or you will burn the pitas and the meat will still be uncooked on the inside. You also want to make these half moon meat patties on the thinner side so that they cook quickly. I suggest using a meat thermometer to make sure!

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The spices are really what make this dish something special. They are flavor packed and easy to make – you will come back again and again. If you like this recipe you will love my Amazing Kofta Kebabs or my Easy Kofta Wraps. All these dishes serve perfectly with my Greek Green Lettuce Salad aka Maroulosalata.

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arayes (crispy meat stuffed pitas)

These crispy arayes are stuffed with seasoned ground meat and feta for a delicious and simple dinner option!

equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• double burner griddle
• meat thermometer

ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp each salt, garlic powder, onion powder + paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin + coriander
• 1/4 tsp each cayenne, cinnamon + dried mint
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• black pepper, to taste
• 4 pita breads, about 6 inch diameter
• optional dip: lazy tzatziki
• serve with: lemon wedges

instructions

• To a large bowl, add the ground beef, crumbled feta, garlic, olive oil, all the spices and parsley and mix together with your hands until combined. Form 8 equal half moon shaped thin 'patties'. Cut the pitas in half, fill with the meat patties and spread out evenly.
• Preheat a skillet over medium heat and add in a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the arayes for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the meat is cooked through. Don't forget to sear the open meat side too! Make sure to keep the heat on medium or medium low.

notes

1. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
2. You can use Authentic Greek Tzatziki to serve with this too!
3. You can use any ground meat here like ground chicken, beef, pork, lamb, ground turkey, etc.
4. This dish serves perfectly with my Maroulosalata aka Greek Lettuce Salad

nutrition

Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 520mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.04g | Vitamin A: 222IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 3mg

author: Stella Drivas