Baked Hawawshi (Egyptian Spiced Beef Pita)

Baked with whole wheat pita and lean ground beef, this Egyptian classic delivers high protein and dietary fiber while keeping added fats to a minimum.

Ingredients

Calories next to each ingredient are for that ingredient across the whole recipe (4 servings), not per serving.

• 550 g lean ground beef (93% lean) · 836 kcal in the whole recipe
• 4 whole wheat pitas (about 256 g total) · 671 kcal in the whole recipe
• 180 g onion, finely grated and squeezed · 72 kcal in the whole recipe
• 100 g green pepper, finely diced · 20 kcal in the whole recipe
• 230 g tomato (80 g finely diced for meat mixture, 150 g sliced for salad) · 41 kcal in the whole recipe
• 8 g garlic (2 cloves, minced) · 12 kcal in the whole recipe
• 30 g parsley, finely chopped · 11 kcal in the whole recipe
• 13 g olive oil (1 tbsp, for brushing) · 115 kcal in the whole recipe
• 150 g cucumber, sliced · 24 kcal in the whole recipe
• 100 g romaine lettuce, chopped · 17 kcal in the whole recipe
• 15 g lemon juice (1 tbsp) · 3 kcal in the whole recipe

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

   

2. In a mixing bowl, combine lean ground beef, grated onion, green pepper, 80 g diced tomato, garlic, parsley, allspice, cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper; knead well.

   

3. Cut a slit along one edge of each whole wheat pita, stuff generously with the beef filling, press flat, and lightly brush the outside with olive oil.

   

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the pitas are crispy and the meat is thoroughly cooked.

   

5. Toss chopped romaine lettuce, sliced cucumber, and remaining 150 g tomato with lemon juice to make a side salad and serve hot with hawawshi.

   

A Besly kitchen recipe — portions, macros and step photos by Besly.