Shawarma-Spiced Beef & Golden Raisin Pitas
with Pickled Onion & Lemony White Sauce
- Eggs
- Milk
- Sesame
- Wheat
Pita pockets: making portable food possible since...the beginning of recorded culinary history?! Our chefs ditched the ole cave fire for a stove and swapped the spit-roasted game for savory shawarma-spiced beef sautéed with plump golden raisins. It’s all tucked into a fluffy, warm pita pocket layered with quick-pickled red onion and a tangy lemon cream sauce. With a side of crunchy blue corn chips for swiping up any tasty loose ends, you’re good to go (or stay)—no hunting and gathering required!
Ingredients
1 unit
Red Onion
1 unit
Lemon
10 ounce
Ground Beef
1 unit
Ketchup
1 ounce
Golden Raisins
1 tablespoon
Shawarma Spice Blend
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains: Eggs)
1.5 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
2 unit
Whole Wheat Pitas
(Contains: Sesame, Wheat)
1 teaspoon
Hot Sauce
1.5 ounce
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
(Contains: Sesame)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry produce. • Halve, peel, and thinly slice half the onion (whole onion for 4 servings). Quarter lemon. • In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine sliced onion, juice from half the lemon, and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave until softened, 30-40 seconds. Uncover and stir, then set aside to pickle.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add beef*, ketchup, raisins, Shawarma Spice Blend, a big pinch of salt, and pepper. • Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, wrap pitas in damp paper towels; microwave until warm and pliable, 30-40 seconds. Halve pitas; gently pull apart to create pockets. TIP: Halve pitas one at a time to make opening easier and prevent sticking. • In a second small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and juice from one lemon wedge (two wedges for 4 servings). Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Fill pita halves with beef. Top with white sauce, pickled onion (draining first), and as much hot sauce as you like. • Divide pitas between plates. Serve with tortilla chips and any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Ground Beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Feb 2026- Flavor: Many loved the unique blend of savory shawarma spices with sweet golden raisins, creating a delicious and complex flavor profile 🍲.
- Ease of prep: Customers praised how quick and easy this meal was to prepare, with many noting it took only 15-20 minutes.
- Suggestions: Consider adding more vegetables like tomatoes or lettuce; some suggested feta cheese or hummus as tasty additions.
- Portions: Several felt the meal was a bit small, especially with only one bag of chips to share between two people.
- Pita quality: Some found the pitas too thin or dry, making them difficult to stuff without falling apart.
Reviews from our home cooks
Very quick, filling (though I made about a 1/3 cup of rice/serving to go with it). The flavors are SO good! All 3 (shawarma seasoned beef, pickled onions, and the sauce mix) were clear and present. VERY good taste
So quick and easy. Loved the raisins in the beef. Ready in under 20 minutes-you cant beat that for the big flavor this packs.
This is one of my all-time favorites! The raisins are such a wonderful counterpoint to the shwarma seasoning! The beef is spicy and delicious! And the pitas are perfect. PLEASE keep offering this one-- I'll get it (probably two of it) every single time.
Very simple to put together, very flavorful and the onions and cukes added a nice refreshing crunch. Added feta, because cheese! It was great! The pita alone is worth it!
Never made Shawarma of any kind, and this was a huge hit. Loved learning how to make quick pickled onions, my onion hating husband even enjoyed eating them I made them according to the recipe. I would definitely get this meal again.
This is a good one! The pitas are perfect to hold the beef filling and the golden raisins add a nice sweetness and texture. Very tasty.
Delicious Would Absolutely Buy Again. Quite Surprised That The Pickled Onion Was The Sweet Taste In The Meal. Given The Added Golden Raisins, I Would've Assumed It Would've Been Them.
Loved the flavors of everything. Was not sure how the golden raisins was going to come to play in the recipe, but it was a nice subtle sweet touch to the meal.
We enjoyed this a lot. One comment I have for hellofresh team is that shawerma in the Middle East does not have a yellow spice (no turmeric or curry or cumin). Also, you could consider parsley, tahini and tomatoes as sides or fillings. But apart from the yellow spice, I think it was perfect.
I've had other shawarma-spiced meals with Hello Fresh and this one, while pretty good, didn't seem to quite measure up. Plus it was kinda messy--the grease from the meat soaked through and made holes in the pita and they disintegrated. Okay, but probably won't order again.
