Shawarma-Spiced Meatball Pitas
with Israeli Salad & Tzatziki
- Sesame
- Wheat
- Milk
Pita pockets are sandwich superheroes. They’re light, fluffy, and hold pretty much anything you want in their roomy pockets—so if you’re going to make a pita sandwich, it better be fully loaded. This one does not disappoint: The whole wheat pitas are stuffed with earthy and fragrant shawarma-spiced meatballs, plus creamy tzatziki and a refreshing cucumber and tomato salad. Drizzle over a little hot sauce if you like things spicy, then dig into pita perfection!
Ingredients
1 unit
Red Onion
2 unit
Whole Wheat Pitas
(Contains: Sesame, Wheat)
2 tablespoon
Sour Cream
1 unit
Lemon
2 tablespoon
Yogurt
(Contains: Milk)
1 clove
Garlic
1 teaspoon
Paprika
1 tablespoon
Shawarma Spice Blend
10 ounce
Ground Beef
1 unit
Tomato
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit
Cucumber
1 teaspoon
Hot Sauce
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. • Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion; mince a few slices until you have 2 TBSP (4 TBSP for 4 servings). Peel and mince garlic. • In a large bowl, combine beef*, panko, Shawarma Spice, paprika, minced onion, half the garlic, and ¾ tsp salt (1½ tsp for 4). Form into 10-12 (20-24 for 4) 1½-inch meatballs.
• Place meatballs on a baking sheet. TIP: To help prevent sticking, lightly oil the sheet or spray with cooking spray first. • Bake on top rack until browned and cooked through, 14-16 minutes.
• While meatballs bake, trim and grate cucumber on the largest holes of a box grater until you have 3 TBSP (6 TBSP for 4 servings). Halve remaining cucumber lengthwise; scoop out seeds with a spoon and discard. Thinly slice cucumber crosswise into half-moons. • Dice tomato. Quarter lemon.
• In a medium bowl, combine sliced cucumber, tomato, and as much sliced onion as you like. Stir in a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, combine grated cucumber, yogurt, sour cream, remaining garlic, and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
• Halve pitas crosswise; toast until warmed through and pliable. Fill pita halves with meatballs and a bit of salad. (TIP: Cut the meatballs in half for easier pita stuffing if desired.) Dollop with tzatziki and drizzle with hot sauce to taste. • Divide stuffed pitas between plates. Serve with remaining salad and any remaining lemon wedges on the side. • TIP: Alternatively, serve meatballs, salad, tzatziki, and pita on a platter and let everyone assemble their own pita pockets. Serve with hot sauce and remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Customers loved the delicious taste, praising the shawarma-spiced meatballs and overall flavor profile.
- Ease of prep: Some found this recipe great for group dinners, suggesting it's manageable to scale up.
- Suggestions: Consider making extra tzatziki sauce, as a few found the dish a bit dry.
- Portions: The pita bread was smaller than expected for some; you may want to supplement with larger pitas.
Reviews from our home cooks
Pita bread was a little on the small side compared to what we normally get in our local grocery store, and it wasn't especially fresh. A little on the stale side, even after warming in oven. Flavor was good though.
These are delicious. Making larger portions this would be great for a group dinner
Give a protein choice if you want ground beef, pork, or chicken
