These venison arayes are Middle Eastern-style grilled pita breads that are first stuffed with ground beef or lamb, onions, and spices.
Looking for more comfort food for the 2025 deer season? Check out my complete ground venison recipes guide to find more tasty dinner ideas. Or check out all of my venison recipes for some lighter options.
Here I use venison with 10% pork fat added which is blended with onions, garlic, parsley and baharat spice (a blend of paprika, black pepper, cumin, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, coriander). And if you’re new to processing, check out my guide to grinding venison at home.
In my opinion, venison is the perfect protein for Arayes because it is naturally lean. Fatty meat saturates the pita, making it too soggy and falling apart while cooking.
Cooks Notes:
- If you don’t have access to a grill, you can cook them on your stovetop or bake them in your oven. You can start by browning them in a skillet and then transfer them to a 350-degree F oven for about 10 minutes.
- You can get creative with your spices. Use your favorite spice blends or simply season with salt and pepper. I really like baharat spice.
More Ground venison Recipes
- Venison Meatloaf with Bacon
- Venison Meatballs with Sweet Chile Sauce
- Venison Bolognese
- Classic Venison Tacos
- Korean Ground Venison and Rice Bowls
Lastly, if you make these ground venison arayes, be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! Also, tag me on Instagram with some of your creations. I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you’ve made.
Ground Venison Arayes
Ingredients
- 14 1/2 ounces venison
- 1 1/2 ounces pork fat (or beef fat)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 of an onion, minced
- 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste (or your favorite spice blend)
- Pita bread (as needed)
- Olive oil (for brushing the pitas)
Instructions
- Preheat your grill over medium to medium-high heat.
- Grind the venison and pork using your grinder’s small die.
- Add the garlic, onion, parsley and seasonings to the meat. Mix well until incorporated. Now is a good time to cook off a small bite in a pan and check the seasoning for taste.
- Cut the pitas in half and stuff them with enough meat mixture so that when you flatten the pitas, they are around 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick.
- Gently press them with your hands to flatten them uniformly.
- Lightly brush the pitas on each side with olive oil.
- Place them on your grill and cook for about 5 minutes, ensuring that they don’t burn.
- Flip the pitas over and move them to a cooler spot on your grill. Close the lid and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.
NOTES
- Use a little added fat. Ground venison with about 10 percent pork or beef fat works well here because it stays juicy without soaking the pita.
- Cook a test bite first. Fry a small piece of the filling before stuffing the pitas so you can adjust the salt, pepper, or spice blend before cooking the whole batch.
- Do not overstuff the pita. Add only enough meat so the filled pita presses down to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. That helps it cook through before the bread burns.
- Press them flat evenly. Gently flatten the stuffed pitas with your hands so they grill evenly from edge to edge.
- Brush the outside with oil. A light coat of olive oil helps the pita crisp and brown better on the grill.
- Start on medium-high heat. Grill the arayes about 5 minutes on the first side, watching closely so they do not burn.
- Finish over cooler heat. After flipping, move them to a cooler part of the grill, close the lid, and cook another 5 to 7 minutes so the filling finishes without scorching the bread.
- Use the oven if needed. Brown them in a skillet first, then finish in a 350 F oven for about 10 minutes if you are not grilling outside.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
