These Greek-Style Smashed Kebab Pitas are tasty, savory, and fresh with a thin layer of seasoned Impossible meat pressed onto soft pitas. They're packed with herby aromatic "beef," crunchy chopped salad, and a creamy, garlicky, tangy yogurt dressing.
I love this one because the filling cooks directly on the pita, so you get crisp edges, warm bread, and a juicy kebab-style layer in every bite. The fresh cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and parsley add crunch and brightness, while the yogurt dressing ties everything together.
You can use my Easy Homemade Pita Bread for this recipe, or feel free to use store-bought pitas if that's what you have. It's totally up to you, but I love these with my homemade pitas (recipe here) because they stay soft and chewy even after the filling gets cooked down.
THE INSPIRATION
I love smash burgers and particularly love the imppossible smash burgers from 7th Street Burger in NYC. At the same time I had really good pita at a local Mediterranean spot in Manila where they make beef arayes and stuff them into pitas, so these are a fusion of the two.
I also love a wrap that has different textures and flavors in each bite, and these smashed kebab pitas are exactly that. The "beef" mixture gets pressed thinly onto the pita before cooking, so it browns directly on the bread and creates a nice savory layer.
After making homemade pitas, I knew I had to use them for a filling wrap-style recipe. The warm pita, herby kebab mixture, fresh salad, and creamy dressing make this one so good and super satisfying.Â
INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THESE GREEK STYLE SMASHED PITAS
PITAS
- 6-8 pitas , try my Easy Homemade Pita Bread (recipe here)
"BEEF" MIXTURE
- 340 g Impossible meat ground room temperate (be sure it’s not frozen)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- Pinch cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Ground pepper to taste
SALAD
- 1 cucumber seeded and small diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and small diced
- 1 red onion small diced
- Chopped parsley to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil or to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
YOGURT DRESSING
- 1/2 cup vegan yogurt or vegan Greek-style yogurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika plus more for topping
TO SERVE
- Extra chopped parsley
- Lemon wedges
- Extra yogurt dressing
PREPARE THE SALAD
- In a bowl, mix the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and chopped parsley. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss well, then adjust to taste.
MAKE THE YOGURT DRESSING
- In a small bowl, mix the vegan yogurt, olive oil, grated garlic, lemon juice, salt, and smoked paprika. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, salt, or smoked paprika if needed.
MAKE THE KEBAB-STYLE "BEEF" MIXTURE
- In a large bowl, mix the Impossible meat, garlic, red onion, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, parsley, salt, and ground pepper until evenly combined.
SMASH ONTO THE PITAS
- Divide the mixture into 6-8 portions. Spread and press one portion onto one side of each pita in a thin, even layer.
- If using thicker pita bread, slice the pitas in half horizontally first so you have thinner pieces. Use 6 thinner pieces total, and spread the mixture onto the open/cut side so it sticks better.
COOK THE PITAS
- Heat a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, then place one pita meat-side down in the pan.
- Press firmly with a spatula and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Flip and cook the bread side for 1-2 minutes, or until lightly golden and warmed through.
ASSEMBLE AND SERVE
- Top each smashed kebab pita with chopped salad, yogurt dressing, extra parsley, and lemon. Add hot sauce or chili oil if desired. Serve while hot. Enjoy!
MORE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
Greek-Style Smashed Kebab Pitas (Vegan)
Ingredients
PITAS
- 6-8 pitas , try my Easy Homemade Pita Bread (recipe here)
"BEEF" MIXTURE
- 340 g Impossible meat ground , room temperate (1 pack)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- Pinch cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Ground pepper to taste
SALAD
- 1 cucumber seeded and small diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and small diced
- 1 red onion small diced
- Chopped parsley to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil or to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
YOGURT DRESSING
- 1/2 cup vegan yogurt or vegan Greek-style yogurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika plus more for topping
TO SERVE
- Extra chopped parsley
- Lemon wedges
- Extra yogurt dressing
Instructions
PREPARE THE SALAD
- In a bowl, mix the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and chopped parsley. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss well, then adjust to taste.
MAKE THE YOGURT DRESSING
- In a small bowl, mix the vegan yogurt, olive oil, grated garlic, lemon juice, salt, and smoked paprika. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, salt, or smoked paprika if needed.
MAKE THE KEBAB-STYLE "BEEF" MIXTURE
- In a large bowl, mix the Impossible meat, garlic, red onion, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, parsley, salt, and ground pepper until evenly combined.
SMASH ONTO THE PITAS
- Divide the mixture into 6-8 portions. Spread and press one portion onto one side of each pita in a thin, even layer.
- If using thicker pita bread, slice the pitas in half horizontally first so you have thinner pieces. Use 6 thinner pieces total, and spread the mixture onto the open/cut side so it sticks better.
COOK THE PITAS
- Heat a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, then place one pita meat-side down in the pan.
- Press firmly with a spatula and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Flip and cook the bread side for 1-2 minutes, or until lightly golden and warmed through.
ASSEMBLE AND SERVE
- Top each smashed kebab pita with chopped salad, yogurt dressing, extra parsley, and lemon. Add hot sauce or chili oil if desired. Serve while hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use my homemade Easy Homemade Pita Bread (recipe here) or store-bought pitas.
- If your pita bread is thicker, slice the pitas in half horizontally first and use 6 thinner pieces total. Using the open/cut side helps the Impossible meat mixture stick better to the pita.
- Use plain unsweetened vegan yogurt for the dressing. Vegan Greek-style yogurt will make a thicker, creamier sauce.
- If your yogurt is very thick, loosen the dressing with 1-2 tsp water. If it is too tangy, add a small drizzle of olive oil.
- The salad is best served fresh, but you can prep the chopped vegetables a few hours ahead and refrigerate then season with lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper right before serving.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
You can pin this image:
More Recipes You'll Love
