This 20-minute dinner takes ground beef and simple spices and turns them into something unexpectedly delicious. Ground beef gets crispy in the skillet with warming spices, then tucked into pitas and balanced with a lemony cucumber-feta salad. It’s juicy, crunchy, salty, tangy, and exactly what to make when you don’t feel like cooking!

Four pita breads topped with ground meat, cucumber salad, red onion, feta cheese, and fresh herbs are arranged on a white platter with lemon wedges.

5 star review

“This recipe was amazing! We LOVED it and I can see it being a regular part of our meal planning.”

– Lisa
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A Ground Beef Dinner Recipe Done in Under 20-Minutes!

Okay, so this one came from a week when I really didn’t want to cook, buuuuuut also really didn’t want another boring ground beef dinner. So, I threw together this skillet beef with warm spices (a little cumin, cinnamon, and garlic), and piled it into pitas with a crunchy cucumber-feta salad plus a swipe of my tahini-yogurt sauce.

It honestly tastes like something from a café but takes less than 20 minutes and zero brainpower. The meat is savory with just a hint of warmth, the salad’s tangy and cool, and the combo of textures in that pita? So good. It’s the kind of easy ground beef recipe I keep in my back pocket for nights when I want something fast and satisfying.

When I tested this for the third time (because yes, I keep making it on repeat), I used flatbread in place of pita, and a container of store-bought tzatziki, and I’ll tell ya, both worked perfectly. You can make the cucumber salad while the beef cooks, which saves time. And if you’re short on fresh herbs, I’ve done it with just lemon and feta and it was still great.

It’s also a fun little reset if you’re in a rut with the usual ground beef sandwich or looking for a weeknight win similar to my fan-favorite skillet ground beef & potatoes. Truly, it’s such a SIMPLE and satisfying dinner made with ground beef, especially when you want to mix it up beyond tacos and spaghetti sauce. I hope you love it!

Ground beef, feta cheese, red onion, cucumbers, parsley, lemon halves, olive oil, spices, and black pepper on a marble surface.
Ingredients You’ll Need: olive oil, ground beef, salt, cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, cucumber, red onion, feta, parsley, lemon juice, black pepper, hummus, tzatziki, or yogurt tahini sauce, and pita or flatbread.

Welcome to My Kitchen – Let’s Whip Up Easy Pita Sandwiches!

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Ground beef with seasonings cooking in a black cast iron skillet on a stovetop.
Cook the ground beef with salt & spices.
Ground beef browning in a black cast iron skillet on a stove.
Brown the beef until it’s just cooked through.
A bowl containing chopped cucumber, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh herbs, with salt and pepper on top.
Add the salad ingredients to a bowl.
A bowl of cucumber salad with sliced red onions, feta cheese, and parsley.
Mix well to combine.
A flat lay of Mediterranean ingredients including cooked ground meat, hummus, cucumber salad, pita bread, sliced tomatoes, tzatziki, lemon wedges, olive oil, and herbs.
Spread hummus, tzatziki, or yogurt sauce on warm pitas.
A hand picking up one of four pita bread gyros topped with ground meat, cucumber, red onion, and tzatziki.
Fill with spiced beef & cucumber-feta salad.

Tips for Success

  • Taste Test: I recommend tasting the cucumber salad before you assemble, and add an extra splash of lemon juice or pinch of salt, depending on the feta you’re using.
  • Make it Saucy: If I don’t have tzatziki or hummus, I highly recommend my 3-ingredient tahini yogurt sauce. So fast, so easy, sooooo good!
  • Meal Prep: The beef keeps well, so I often double it and use leftovers for lunch wraps, bowls, or even on top of a salad.
Two pita breads topped with ground meat, cucumber, red onion, parsley, and sauce are served on a white plate with a lemon wedge.
Four pita breads topped with ground meat, cucumber salad, red onion, feta cheese, and fresh herbs are arranged on a white platter with lemon wedges.
5 stars (3 ratings)

Ground Beef Pitas w/ Cucumber & Feta (20-Min Dinner!)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
This 20-minute dinner takes ground beef + simple spices and turns them into something unexpectedly delicious! Ground beef gets crispy in the skillet with warming spices, then tucked into pitas and balanced with a lemony cucumber-feta salad.
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Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder

Cucumber Salad

  • 1 cup English or Persian cucumber, diced
  • ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To Serve

Instructions 

  • Prepare the Meat: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, salt, cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned and just cooked through, about 8–10 minutes.
  • Make the Salad: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cucumber, red onion, feta, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Assemble the Pitas: Spread 1 tablespoon of the hummus, tzatziki, or yogurt sauce inside each warm pita. Fill with the spiced beef and top with the cucumber-feta mixture. Add extra veggies or sauce if desired

Notes

  • I like to brown the beef until it gets a little crispy on the edges, which adds such a good texture. Just be careful not to overcook the meat or it will get dry.
  • Nutrition information will depend on the type of pita used and hummus/ tzatziki/yogurt sauce.
  • My 3-ingredient tahini yogurt sauce is SO GOOD with this one!
Course: dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 4), Calories: 429kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 742mg, Potassium: 580mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 257IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 140mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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