Name: Areyes - Meat Stuffed Pita
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 450g (1 lb.) ground beef, , I use an 80%/20% meat to fat ratio.; 1/2 onion, roughly chopped; 1 handful flatleaf parsley; 3 garlic cloves, smashed; 1 tbsp baharat; 1 tsp sweet or spicy paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; ½ tsp allspice; 1 tsp Aleppo chilli powder; 4 pitas, sliced in half; 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil

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These meat stuffed pitas or Lebanese areyes are so good and easy to prepare too.

Areyes are kofta style meat stuffed pitas and one of my favourite snacks. They are easier to prepare than a burger and taste just as good too. I bet you can't eat just one. They are so addictive!

What are areyes?

These meat stuffed pitas are a popular Lebanese dish. You can make them with lamb or beef and the meat is mixed well with onions, parsley, garlic and a variety of warm spices like cinnamon, allspice, and cumin. The meat stuffed pita is then grilled or baked until crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

You can enjoy these meat stuffed pitas as an appetizer, snack or main dish. Top tip... be sure to serve your areyes with tahini sauce! You can serve them with other sauce too if you like. Areyes are savory, juicy, and have a nice contrast between the crispy pita and the tender meat inside.

They are Lebanese in origin but are now popular street food all over the Middle East.

Do you have to use pitas for this recipe?

Pitas are quite easy to find at any grocer but you could substitute other flatbreads as long as you can fill them. That or if you like, you could try making homemade pitas. My recipe is easy and better than most you can purchase.

Can you store leftovers in the fridge?

Yes, you can store leftover arayes in the fridge! Place these meat stuffed pitas in an airtight container, and they’ll stay fresh for up to 2-3 days.

When you're ready to enjoy them again, reheat the arayes in an oven or on a skillet over medium heat to restore the crispy texture. Avoid microwaving if possible, as it can make the bread soft instead of crispy.

Can you freeze these meat stuffed pitas?

Yes, you can freeze Lebanese arayes! Here’s how:

1. Prepare and Assemble: Make the arayes as you normally would, but don’t cook them.
2. Wrap Individually: Wrap each stuffed pita tightly in plastic wrap or aluminium foil to prevent freezer burn.
3. Store in a Freezer Bag: Place the wrapped arayes in a freezer-safe bag or container, removing as much air as possible.

When you’re ready to cook, you can bake them directly from frozen. Preheat the oven to around 190°C (375°F) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they're crispy on the outside and heated through. This way, you’ll keep that fresh-cooked flavor and texture!

You can also defrost them completely and fry as the cooking method in the recipe card below.

Step by step photographs.

The ingredients for the recipe, laid out and ready for cooking. — Get all your ingredients together before you start cooking.

The parsley, garlic and onion coursely chopped in a bowl. — Coursely pulse the onion, parsley and garlic in a food processor. You can also finely chop and grate these ingredients.

Squeezing the excess liquid from the onion, garlic and parsley mixture. — Squeeze out the excess liquid from this mixture. You can discard the liquid.

Adding the herb mixture and spices to the beef. — Add the herb mixture and all the ground spices to the beef.

The meat mixture with the spices, parsley, garlic and onion. — Mix well with your hands until the spices and herbs are completely incorporated. This will take a couple of minutes.

Filling the pitas with the meat mixture. — Divide the meat mixture into six portions and then fill the halved pitas with the meat mixture.

Pressing the meat over the bottom layer of the pita. — It is important to spread the meat over the bottom layer of the pita and also ensure it is completely filled with the meat.

The areyes stacked and ready to fry. — Once all of your areyes are filled with the meat, it's time to fry.

Adding the areyes to a hot pan to cook. — Heat a frying pan or grill pan over a high heat and add the oil. Place a couple of areyes in and cook for about three minutes.

Cooked areyes in a grill pan ready to serve. — Flip the areyes over. If you have a grill pan you will see the grill marks. Moving the areyes at a 90° angle in the pan as they cook will get you the criss-cross pattern above.

Meat stuffed pitas (Areyes) on a serving platter with pickles and tahini sauce. — Stack them up and serve! These areyes are so good. Here served with dill pickles and tahini sauce.

Yield: 4 - 6