Chicken & Feta Arayes

Ingredients

• 3 Small pita breads (5–6 inches in diameter; halved)
• 1 lb Ground chicken
• 0.5 cup Crumbled feta cheese
• 1 Red onion (Small to medium; grated)
• 4 cloves Garlic (Pressed or finely grated)
• 1.5 tsp Salt
• 0.5 tsp Ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp Olive oil (For cooking or brushing the arayes)
• 1 Lemon zest (Zest of 1 lemon)
• 4 tbsp Fresh mint (Minced)
• 2 tbsp Fresh basil (Minced)
• 1 Jalapeño (Seeds removed and minced)
• Tzatziki sauce (To serve; the source refers to an accompanying Greek tzatziki recipe)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the filling. Combine the ground chicken, crumbled feta, grated red onion, pressed garlic, salt, ground pepper, minced fresh mint, minced fresh basil, and minced seeded jalapeño in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a spatula until the ingredients are evenly distributed; do not overwork the mixture.

2. 2

   Divide the chicken mixture into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a thin semicircle slightly smaller than half of a pita so it will fit neatly inside the pita pocket.

3. 3

   Carefully open each pita half without tearing it. Place one flattened portion of filling inside each pita half, then close the pita and gently press it flat so the meat reaches close to the edges without spilling out.

4. 4

   Heat a skillet, grill pan, or grill over medium heat. Lightly brush the filled pitas with the olive oil, if needed.

5. 5

   Cook the stuffed pitas in batches over medium heat, turning occasionally, until the bread is crisp and golden on both sides and the chicken filling is fully cooked in the center, about 10–15 minutes total. Ground chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

6. 6

   Serve the hot arayes with tzatziki, yogurt sauce, or tahini sauce for dipping.

Notes

The supplied post includes only the first two written steps and says that the remaining instructions are in the comments; those comments were not provided. The cooking method and timing are therefore completed using standard arayes technique rather than directly extracted. Serve immediately for the crispest pita.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• appetizer
• Middle Eastern
• Lebanese
• Syrian
• quick dinner
• grilled
• pan-fried