Crispy pita bread stuffed with spiced beef mince, cooked until golden, and served with a load of air-fried crisp potatoes. What gets better than that?

WHY THIS RECIPE IS GREAT

Spicy beef arayes are a proper flavour-packed meal. You get crispy bread on the outside, juicy seasoned beef inside, and that perfect mix of heat and freshness.

It’s a recipe that feels special but is actually simple. The prep is straightforward, and once the mince mixture is made, you just stuff the bread and toast it up.

This recipe also hits the macros. You’re getting a balance of protein, fats, and carbs all in one. It’s filling, satisfying, and fits into a high-protein diet with ease.

INGREDIENTS IN SPICY BEEF ARAYES

BEEF MINCE

This is the main filling. I’ve used lean beef mince and seasoned it heavily with cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic powder, and chilli flakes.

PITA BREAD

The pocket that holds everything together. Once toasted, it gives that crunchy bite you want.

ONION AND GARLIC

Finely chopped onion and crushed garlic bring depth and sweetness to the beef mix.

PARSLEY

Fresh parsley cuts through the richness and adds freshness.

POTATOES

These are served on the side as crispy baked wedges. They balance out the meal with extra carbs.

OLIVE OIL

Used for brushing the bread and crisping up the potatoes.

INGREDIENT LIST AND MACRONUTRIENT BREAKDOWN

The breakdown below is for one serving.

• 250g lean beef mince (5% fat)
• 2 white pita breads (120g total)
• 80g white onion
• 2 cloves garlic (6g)
• 10g fresh parsley
• 1 tsp cumin (2g)
• 1 tsp coriander (2g)
• 1 tsp paprika (2g)
• ½ tsp garlic powder (1g)
• ½ tsp chilli flakes (1g)
• 200g white potato
• 1 tbsp olive oil (15g)

HOW TO MAKE SPICY BEEF ARAYES

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut the potatoes into wedges, toss them with half of the olive oil, salt, and paprika, and place them on a baking tray. Bake for around 30 minutes until golden and crisp.
2. Meanwhile, finely dice the onion, crush the garlic, and chop the parsley. Add them to a large bowl with the beef mince, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, paprika, and chilli flakes. Mix well with your hands until fully combined. Season with salt.
3. Cut the pita breads in half to form pockets. Stuff each one with the beef mixture, pressing it flat inside so it cooks evenly. Brush both sides with the remaining olive oil.
4. Place the stuffed pita halves on a baking tray or pan. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until the bread is crisp and the beef is fully cooked. You can also cook them on a hot pan if you prefer extra crispiness.
5. Serve hot with the baked potato wedges.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST RESULTS

Do not overstuff the pita breads. Keep the beef layer thin inside so it cooks through without drying out the bread.

Season the beef mix generously. The spices are what make arayes taste authentic, so don’t hold back.

If you like extra heat, add more chilli flakes, or even chopped fresh chilli into the beef mixture.

Brush the pita with olive oil to get that golden crisp crust. Skipping this step will make them dry instead of crunchy.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH SPICY BEEF ARAYES

You can keep it simple with potato wedges, or serve it the traditional way with extras like:

• Tahini sauce
• Lebanese rice
• Chopped salad
• Pickles
• Yoghurt garlic sauce

As with all of our recipes, please use this as inspiration and customise to your taste and fitness goals. The calories and macronutrient content of this recipe can be easily adapted by manipulating the amount of certain ingredients used.