Air fryer arayes with lamb mince and tahini yoghurt

Air fryer arayes: wholemeal pitta bread filled with lamb mince, parsley, cumin and cinnamon, cooked until crisp and served with tahini yoghurt. A family-friendly dinner from the Levant.

At a glance

• Serves 4
• Prep time: 20 min
• Cooking time: 15 min
• Total time: 35 min
• Calories: 607 kcal per serving
• Protein: 28 g
• Fat: 34 g
• Carbs: 42 g

Ingredients

• 400g lamb mince
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 4 wholemeal pitta breads (made without seed oils)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250g yoghurt
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 unwaxed lemon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 200g tomatoes
• 150g cucumber

Method

You’ll need: air fryer · chopping board · knife

1. Finely chop the onion, garlic and parsley. Knead them with the lamb mince, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
2. Cut the pitta breads open along the edge to make pockets. Spread the mince thinly inside and press the breads flat.
3. Brush the outside of the breads with olive oil and put them in the air fryer basket. Cook at 190 °C for 12 min, turning after 6 min.
4. Stir the yoghurt, tahini, 1 tbsp lemon juice and salt until smooth.
5. Dice the tomatoes and cucumber.
6. Cut the arayes into triangles and serve with the tahini yoghurt, tomatoes and cucumber.

Good to know

Arayes come from Lebanon: flatbread is filled with spiced mince and grilled until the bread is crisp and the meat stays juicy. On TikTok they're among the viral recipes of 2026, often made in the air fryer. The filling cooks inside the bread, no frying pan needed.

Swaps

Lamb mince → beef mince (milder), or half lamb, half beef. Yoghurt → skyr (also provides protein). Tahini → 1 tbsp olive oil with garlic (sesame-free). Wholemeal pitta breads → spelt pitta breads.

Cooking tips

Spread the filling thinly right to the edge, so it cooks through in time. Press the breads flat after filling, or the mince will bulge in the middle.

Storage

Filled and uncooked, the arayes keep for 1 day in the fridge; once cooked, they crisp up again in the air fryer at 180 °C in 4 min.

Allergens

Contains gluten, milk and sesame; no egg or nuts. Cook the mince right through for children and in pregnancy.