Matzah Arayes -- the Passover Snack You'll Crave

Arayes are a Levantine street food where pita pockets get stuffed with spiced ground meat and fried or grilled until crisp. Sivan's version swaps the pita for sheets of matzah, making it fully Passover-friendly. The result is a platter of golden, crunchy triangles loaded with seasoned beef, drizzled with tahini (she calls it "krina"), and finished with fresh parsley. The whole thing comes together fast and works as a snack, appetizer, or main.

Ingredients

Meat filling

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 bunch parsley, hand-chopped
• 1 serrano chili (optional, for heat)
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Assembly and frying

• Matzah squares (standard sheets)
• Oil for pan-frying

Topping

• Tahini sauce (krina)
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Method

1. Soften the matzah. Run each matzah sheet under a faucet until it is thoroughly wet. Wrap the wet sheets in a clean kitchen towel and set them aside while you prepare the filling. The goal is pliable matzah that can fold without cracking.

2. Make the filling. Combine the ground beef, chopped onion, garlic, red pepper, parsley, and serrano chili in a large bowl. Add the oil, salt, black pepper, paprika, and cinnamon. Mix everything together well. Sivan uses a manual chopper for the onion, garlic, and red pepper, then hand-chops the parsley separately.

3. Cut and fill. Unwrap the matzah. It should be soft and flexible. Slice each sheet down the center, then across, giving you four equal squares. Spoon the meat filling onto one half of each square and spread it evenly toward three of the corners, leaving one edge as a flap. Fold the flap over to close, leaving the meat exposed along the open edge.

4. Fry. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the stuffed matzah pieces face down (meat side down) first. Cook for a few minutes on each side, then flip. Use tongs to sear the exposed edges so the meat cooks through and the matzah gets evenly crisp on all sides.

5. Rest and plate. Transfer the finished arayes to a wire rack so they stay crispy rather than steaming on a flat surface. Once all batches are done, arrange them on a platter. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce and scatter fresh chopped parsley over the top.

Key Takeaways

• Wet the matzah fully. This is the step that makes the recipe work. Dry matzah will shatter when you try to fold it. Soaking and wrapping in a towel gives it the flexibility of soft pita.
• Meat side down first. Starting face down lets the filling sear and set before you flip. That keeps the filling from falling out during cooking.
• Wire rack after frying. Placing fried food on a wire rack instead of a plate or paper towel prevents the bottom from getting soggy.
• The recipe is a template. Arayes are traditionally made with pita. This matzah version opens up the concept for Passover, but the filling itself (spiced beef with onion, garlic, and pepper) is a classic base you can adjust with lamb, different spice blends, or extra herbs.