Can I change the toppings of the Middle Eastern nachos?

Absolutely. Swap the ground beef for lamb, chicken, pork, turkey, or a plant-based ground meat alternative. Add crispy chickpeas for extra protein and crunch, or layer in hot honey harissa glazed halloumi . Swap green tahini sauce for tahini garlic yogurt sauce , creamy tzatziki , or dollops of creamy hummus . Swap the feta for Boursin, goat's cheese, or sharp cheddar. You could even serve the beef, sauce, and toppings over rice or couscous instead of the pita chips if you prefer.

Do I have to use pita chips for these nachos?

You could use regular tortilla chips, or just fresh, toasted pita pockets or flatbreads. In that case, chop them into small triangles and lay them out on the plate, like the chips in the photos above. Allow one large pita pocket per person.

How can I keep the pita chips from getting soggy?

The key is to assemble the nachos just before serving. Once the warm beef and sauces hit the pita chips, they'll naturally start softening a little. You can also arrange the pita chips around the edges of your serving platter, keeping space in the middle. Then, spoon your beef and toppings into that space, so they're not overlapping too much with the chips.

Middle Eastern Style Nachos with Sticky Beef

Description

Sticky spiced beef, crispy pita chips, loads of fresh herbs, creamy green tahini drizzle, crunchy pickled cucumber…these Middle Eastern-inspired nachos are one of my favorite ways to turn a pack of ground beef into something very special. Inspired by fatteh, they’re fresh, crunchy, satisfying, and surprisingly simple to pull together.

Don’t be put off by the seemingly long ingredient list here – a lot of it is spices and I’ve listed alternatives in the notes if there are things you can’t find.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the pita chips (or use store-bought pita chips) -

4 pita pockets or flatbreads (I like using these two-ingredient dough flatbreads)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons za'atar
1 tablespoon sumac

For the green tahini sauce -

1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water

For the sticky beef -

1 lb (500g) lean ground beef
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon sumac
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

For the quick pickled cucumber -

1 cucumber
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

To serve -

2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon nutty dukkah (optional)
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

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Instructions

Prep the pita chips. Cut your pita pockets or flatbreads into small triangles. If you’re using pita, I like to open them up first (so you’re left with two thinner pieces) before slicing them into chips. Otherwise, they can be quite thick. Add them to a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of za’atar, and 1 teaspoon of sumac. Toss well so they’re evenly coated. PRO TIP: I sometimes find this easier to do in two batches – it can make it easier to make sure the chips are seasoned evenly.
Cook the pita chips. Transfer the pita chips to your air fryer basket (you may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your air fryer). A little overlap is ok – but you don’t want them all stacked on top of each other, or they won’t cook evenly. Air fry at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes, giving the basket a shake halfway through, until golden and crispy. You might need to cook your chips longer if your flatbreads are thicker, or if you don’t split your pita.
Make the green tahini sauce. Add ½ cup of tahini, ½ cup of chopped parsley leaves, 3 garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ⅓ cup of water into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blitz until a thick, green sauce forms with the consistency of heavy cream. Set aside. Add more water to loosen the sauce up further if you like. PRO TIP: It will thicken as it sits – stir in a splash more water to loosen it up again.
Make the quick-pickled cucumber. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways, then use a small teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. Cucumber is very watery, and most of that water is in the seeds, so by de-seeding it, you’re lessening the likelihood of a watery pickled cucumber. Chop the cucumber into small cubes. Add the cucumber to a small bowl, then add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix, then set aside.
Make the sticky beef. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over low heat, then add the crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked paprika, chili flakes, sumac, and salt. Cook the spices, stirring, for 1 minute just until they start to smell lovely and fragrant. Add the ground beef – you want it to brown and go a little crispy, so try to break it up with your wooden spoon or spatula, stir it through the garlic and spices, and then leave it alone for about five minutes without touching it. This creates lovely crispy bits on the beef. After this time, stir, then add 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses. Stir again, and cook for another five minutes until deeply sticky and glossy.
Assemble the nachos. I like serving this as one big sharing plate where people can help themselves – but you can make individual portions if you prefer. Pile the pita chips in a circle on a large plate, then load on the sticky beef. Follow with a good drizzle of the green tahini sauce, then scatter over the pickled cucumber, mint, parsley, feta, pomegranate seeds, and finish with the dukkah. Serve with the remaining green tahini sauce on the side.

Notes

PITA CHIPS OVEN INSTRUCTIONS: Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C fan bake). Arrange the seasoned pita chips on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, in as much of a single layer as possible (a little overlap is ok). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until gorgeously golden and crispy. Check them halfway through the cooking time, as they can quickly burn, and the time will depend on how thick your pita chips are.

HOW TO MAKE GREEN TAHINI SAUCE WITHOUT A BLENDER: Chop your flat-leaf parsley as finely as possible, then add it to a small mixing bowl. Crush your garlic cloves, then add them, along with the tahini, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Use a fork to mix it – the tahini will stiffen and seize up, but that’s what you want. Slowly drizzle in the water, mixing until a smooth, creamy sauce forms. It should be similar to the consistency of heavy cream. If you’d like it runnier, add a little more water, and add a little more tahini to thicken it. The sauce will also thicken as it sits, so don’t worry if you think you’ve added too much water at this point.

NO POMEGRANATE MOLASSES? While it won’t taste quite the same, you can use 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze, 1 teaspoon of honey, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice instead.

INGREDIENT NOTES: You could use flat-leaf parsley, basil, or cilantro in place of mint. If you can’t find pomegranate seeds, you can skip them. You could use lamb in place of beef, or use chicken or turkey mince, or a plant-based alternative. The pita chips are lovely, but you could also use toasted pita bread – allow 1 pita per person and chop the toasted bread up into triangles. If you can’t find sumac, you can skip it (it adds a zingy, citrussy note to the beef, but it’s not essential). Swap the green tahini sauce for a simple garlic tahini yogurt sauce, creamy tzatziki, or dollops of creamy hummus.

Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 20
Category: meat
Method: stove top
Cuisine: mediterranean

Nutrition

Serving Size: 200g
Calories: 690
Sugar: 9g
Sodium: 1683mg
Fat: 37g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Unsaturated Fat: 28g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 53g
Fiber: 6g
Protein: 37g
Cholesterol: 84mg