Sometimes you see a recipe floating around and think, I need to make that.
That was me with Arayes.
I kept seeing these gorgeous little crispy pita pockets stuffed with seasoned mince, and eventually I couldn’t get them out of my head. I happened to have pork mince in the freezer, like i always do, so I decided it was time to stop saving the recipe and actually make them.
And let me tell you… I’m so glad I did.
Arayes are essentially pita bread stuffed with seasoned raw mince and then cooked until the outside is beautifully crisp and golden while the meat inside stays juicy and packed with flavour.
I used pork mince rather than the more traditional beef or lamb, and it worked incredibly well. The pork pairs beautifully with the warm spices, garlic and onion.
And then there was the whipped feta.
I already had a delicious whipped feta from Costco in the fridge, so instead of making a separate yoghurt sauce, I used that as our creamy dipping sauce. The combination was honestly perfect — crispy, spiced pork, warm toasted pita and cool, creamy, salty feta.
This is one of those meals that looks a little fancy but is actually incredibly simple to make.
🥙 Crispy Pork Arayes
Ingredients
For the pork filling:
- 500g pork mince
- ½ onion, very finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Plenty of freshly cracked black pepper
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh parsley or coriander, finely chopped
To assemble:
- 4 pita pockets
- Olive oil
- Whipped feta, to serve
- Lemon, to serve
Method
MethodStart by making the filling.
Add the pork mince, grated onion, garlic, spices, salt, pepper and fresh herbs to a bowl.
Get your hands in there and mix everything really well. You want all those beautiful spices distributed evenly through the pork.
Cut each pita pocket in half.
Now comes the important part: don’t overfill them.
Take some of the raw pork mixture and spread it into the inside of each pita, right into the corners. You want a relatively thin, even layer of meat rather than a big chunky filling. This helps the pork cook through while allowing the pita to become beautifully crisp.
Lightly brush the outside of each pita with olive oil.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.
Place the stuffed pita into the pan and cook for around 3–4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until both sides are golden and crispy and the pork is completely cooked through.
If the pita is browning too quickly, simply turn the heat down a little and let the pork finish cooking more gently.
Once they’re cooked, cut them into smaller pieces and serve immediately with a generous dollop of whipped feta.
Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
🧀 The verdict
These were SO GOOD.
The outside of the pita becomes crispy and golden, while the seasoned pork inside stays juicy and flavourful.
And the whipped feta was the perfect addition. The salty creaminess against the warm spiced pork was just chef’s kiss.
They’re also surprisingly filling, so you don’t need a huge amount of sides. A simple tomato and cucumber salad, some lemon and the whipped feta are more than enough.
Most importantly, this is definitely going on the “make again” list.
And next time I see one of those recipes floating around that looks ridiculously delicious?
I’m not waiting nearly as long to make it. 😂
Would I make these again? Absolutely.
Would I change anything? Nope.
Would I recommend having plenty of whipped feta for dipping? 100%.