Hawawshi (Egyptian Spiced Meat-Stuffed Pita)
A classic Egyptian street-food favorite: spiced ground beef stuffed into baladi-style pita and baked until the bread is crisp and the meat is juicy. High in protein and portable—great for training meal prep.
45 min
start to finish
15 min
hands on
Some skill
difficulty
4
servings
Ingredients
For the filling
For cooking
To assemble
To serve (optional)
Contains gluten. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.
Roughly, per serving
500 kcal36g protein36g carbs22g fat
An estimate, not a lab analysis.
Method
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and arrange a rack in the center.
Heat a 10" skillet over medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
Add the finely chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to brown.
Browning the onion gives the filling a sweeter, deeper flavor.
Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Remove the skillet from the heat and let the onion mixture cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.
Add the ground beef, chopped tomato, chopped parsley and all the spices (cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper) to the bowl and mix gently until just combined.
Don't overwork the meat—mix until everything is evenly distributed but still a loose texture.
Cut each pita open to form a pocket (or slice horizontally for a single-pocket style); open gently so the bread doesn't tear.
If using very thin pita, you can leave a small edge intact so it holds the filling better.
Divide the meat mixture into four portions and use your hands or a spoon to press each portion into the pocket, spreading the meat thinly and evenly against the inner walls of the pita.
Pressing the meat flat helps it cook through and produces a crisp exterior.
Brush both sides of each filled pita lightly with a little olive oil and place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.
Bake the filled pitas in the preheated oven until the bread is golden and crisp and the meat is cooked through (internal temperature of about 160°F / 71°C), 18–22 minutes.
If the tops brown too quickly, lower the oven to 400°F (205°C) and continue until done.
Remove from the oven and let the hawawshi rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
Cut each sandwich in half, sprinkle with a little extra parsley if you like, and serve with lemon wedges.
Worth knowing
- For an even leaner, higher-protein version, use 93% lean beef; for a richer flavor, replace up to 25% of the beef with ground lamb.
- If you don't have an oven, cook filled pitas in a heavy skillet over medium heat, pressing with a spatula and turning until both sides are browned and the meat is cooked through (10–12 minutes per side).
- Make a batch and freeze before baking: wrap filled pitas tightly and freeze up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding 5–8 minutes to the baking time.
- Check doneness with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the filling for safety and consistency.
Make it yours
Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.
HalalHigh proteinMeal prep
More Egyptian cooking
An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Egyptian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be halal as listed.