Arayes (Hawawshi)
A spicy ground beef mixture stuffed in crispy pita bread. This is perfect for parties as well as weekday dinners.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Egyptian, Lebanese, Mediterranean, Middle East
Diet: Halal
Servings: 14 pita halves
Calories: 210.9kcal
- 1 large onion finely diced.
- 2 garlic cloves minced.
- 1 bell pepper chopped.
- ½ cup parsley roughly chopped. Note1
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- 1 teaspoon coriander.
- ¾ teaspoon allspice.
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- ½ teaspoon paprika.
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom.
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin.
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional for heat.
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- 2 pounds ground beef Note2
- ¼ cup olive oil.
- 6-7 pita bread loaves.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Place a rack on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or you can use a grilling pan if you have it.
In a deep bowl combine the first onion, garlic, bell pepper and parsley if using.
Add all the spices and mix well to distribute the spice. Check seasonings and adjust accordingly.
Add the ground beef and mix well.
Warm your pitas in the microwave each for 8 seconds so they will be easier to open.
Cut each pita in half and open to make pockets.
Stuff each pocket from ¼ to ⅓ cup according to your liking. Brush with oil on both sides.
Arrange Arayes on a your baking sheet and bake in the middle of your oven for almost 13-15 minutes turning them once in between so the bread crisps up on both sides.
Serve garnished with more parsley.
Note1: using parsley is optional, but it gives a nice flavor to your ground beef.
Note2: you can use any ground meat you like and you can make it vegetarian using ground mushrooms as well.
Serve with:
Serve these delicious pockets with green salad or Tabouli. It also goes great with tzatziki, hummus, garlic or tahini dip.
Please Note: Nutrition facts calculated without the pita bread as it varies greatly from brand to brand. Sodium is based on using 2 teaspoons pink salt, please adjust to the salt you are using.
Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Calories: 210.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.3g | Protein: 18.3g | Fat: 13.9g | Saturated Fat: 4.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.2g | Cholesterol: 59.4mg | Sodium: 99.2mg | Potassium: 309.5mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 0.8g