As the lamb cooks inside the pita, the fat will render into the bread, creating a crunchy, compact, vibrantly flavored meat pie that’s unlike any burger you’ve ever had.
Ingredients
8 Servings
2½
1
¾
1
¾
½
2
1½
¼
8
Preparation
Step 1
Using a fork, mix lamb, onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup oil in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
Step 2
Prepare grill for medium heat and oil grate. Working one at a time, open each pita pocket by cutting along seam, halfway around perimeter. Spoon filling into pitas, spreading to edges. Close, pressing on filling to seal.
Step 3
Grill pitas until filling is cooked through and bread is crisp, about 5 minutes per side.
Step 4
DO AHEAD: Filling can be made 8 hours ahead; keep chilled. Pita breads can be stuffed 1 hour ahead; cover and chill.
Nutrition Per Serving
Leave a Review
Reviews (299)
Back to TopI've been making this recipe for about ten years. It is always a winner! So simple and so Delicious, every time!
Anonymous
Portland Or
6/12/2023
This is one of our favorite meals. We fill the pits with the lamb mixture and refrigerate them for an1 hour before grilling. Grilling them gives a great crunch and we like them even a little charred in spots. We make these for our 4th of July cookout as they cook quickly. We serve them with tzatziki sauce and Moroccan rice which is another Bon Appetit recipe. They are even great as a leftover. I have shared this recipe with lots of friends.
Sharon
State College, PA
11/21/2021
First made these in 2014 and just forgot about them and the revisit in 2021 was a huge hit. Made as written with minor change: only 2 pounds ground lamb and used the Stonefire brand naan instead of pita. The naan was fussy to cut into a pocket but carefully stuffing them with the chilled mixture worked just fine. Stayed in tact even with a few rips. Grilled on a plancha way easier than on a grate. Loved the juices soaking in amd crisping the naan. Served with tzatziki, lettuce, feta and tomato. So good.
Kristin R
Chicago
5/23/2021
I agree my brother! This should not be referred to as a burger because it is from the Middle Eastern and it is Arayes/Arayis (I've seen the second spelling at my favorite spot). It's a great recipe but requires a little common sense and experience. You gotta be focused on how strong the heat hits 'em. My coal was assembled in the middle of the grill and my Arayis were placed around the coal/heat. Careful to not pack too much and turn as needed to avoid burning of pita. Wish I had a nice bold red to accompany with but I must abstain for Lent. Oy vey!!
Mister Z
Los Angeles, CA
3/11/2021
It is unlike any burger you've ever had because it is not a burger - this is a recipe for lamb arayes which is a middle eastern dish. Please stop whitewashing recipes by giving them new names without any context or credit to their culture of origin!
Anonymous
7/1/2020
This first time I made these, I did not use as much lamb and they were done quickly without burning. The second time, I packed the lamb in and did burn them a bit - UGH I also used Zaatar spice which gave it an added flavor. YUM - so delicious
Anonymous
Redondo Beach, California
6/7/2020
This is so delicious - and the first time I did it, I watched over it so it did not get burnt, however this last time I did burn some. I also packed the pita thicker the second time so need to keep less lamb mixture so all is good.
Anonymous
Redondo Beach, California
6/7/2020
I'd love to know how everyone cooked this because mine was charred and burnt within 3 minutes on my medium heat grill. Cooking them was a disaster. We had to move them to the oven to cook the lamb through the totally burnt pita for at least 10 minutes, then gingerly replace the super burnt side of the pita with a new one, then return the pita back to the grill for that "grilled" pita bread. Has anyone here actually successfully made these on the grill and got a grilled pita on the outside with cooked lamb on the inside? They tasted great but we wasted a lot of precious pita.
Missdeelicious
Los Angeles
5/14/2020
This recipe is delicious and flexible. I've added different herbs--cilantro, mint, dill, etc--that I've had in my fridge, and also cooked it in the broiler to great results (about 2 minutes a side, keeping an eye on things to make sure they don't get too charred). It's a lamb-forward, subtly spiced, delicious little pocket. Great with feta on the side or a quick yogurt sauce.
Anonymous
New York
4/29/2020
So fantastic! Family members that claim to not like lamb really enjoyed these. If anyone has defrosting tips to keep the pitas from falling apart on the grill, let me know.
Marrrisa
Houston
4/16/2020
OMG! These were amazing.
mikermeals
Chicago
10/22/2019
this is the best thing I've made from Bon Appetit!!!! So easy and delicious.
Anonymous
Atlanta, GA
2/25/2019
Kids went nuts for it and rightfully so! I've trained my carnivores right! Making it tonite!
Anonymous
LA LA Land
7/28/2018
This is one of my favorite BA recipes of all-time. I make it every summer -- the lamb fat seeps into the pita (in a GOOD way) so it gets extra tasty. Also, so easy. Love love love.
careypolis
Brooklyn
10/31/2017