Shawarma-Spiced Pita Smashburgers

Adeena Sussman Adeena Sussman
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Will you still be my friend if I confess that I’m not always a huge fan of the
conventional burger? I prefer meat with some edge, and a patty can sometimes lack that good sear. Enter this smashburger, made with ground poultry seasoned with a pared-down, yet still punchy, shawarma spice. A hot skillet first caramelizes the meat and then toasts the pita side to a deep crunch, guaranteeing two separate but equally satisfying textural elements.

30m 4
Easy Meat

Contains: Sesame

Directions

  1. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl (you should have about 1/2 cup). Stir in the cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon, then mix in the turkey, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper with your hands or a silicone spatula until incorporated.

  2. Arrange the pita rounds, insides up, on a clean work surface and spread one-quarter of the meat mixture out to the edge of each pita (the meat shrinks, so this is important). Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Heat a large (12-inch) dry nonstick or cast iron skillet over high heat. Add two tablespoons of the olive oil and arrange two of the pitas, meat side down, in the skillet and cook, pressing occasionally with a spatula, until the underside is deeply caramelized, four to five minutes. Flip and cook until the pitas are golden and crisp, one to two minutes. Wipe out

    the pan, add the remaining two tablespoons olive oil, and repeat with the remaining two pitas. Transfer to a cutting board, cut in halves or quarters, and drizzle with tahini, Garnish with cilantro and serve with Israeli salad, if desired.

About

Notes:
Cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon can be replaced with two teaspoons total
store-bought shawarma spice blend.

Description:
Recipe excerpted from Zariz by Adeena Sussman (Avery 2026). Photo by Dan Perez.

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Adeena Sussman burger ground meat ground turkey pita shawarma Zariz
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