Stuffed Grape Leaves
This Stuffed Grape Leaves recipe has ground beef, lemon, herbs, and other delicious ingredients for a great addition to any appetizer platter!
Every time I make stuffed grape leaves I hope that I will finally grow tired of them.
Like any “fill as you go” item (e.g. asian dumplings or pesto zucchini bites), you have to roll these dolmades one by one, which makes them a bit tedious and time consuming to make.
But despite being a slightly high maintenance recipe, I can never stop making these lemony stuffed grape leaves because they’re too darned good.
TOO DARNED GOOD!!!
The best solution I have come up with is to invite a few good friends over to chat away, have a drink, and knock out these stuffed grape leaves together. It works pretty well.
If you’ve never had stuffed grape leaves before, the appearance is just a little off-putting, isn’t it?
I will be the first to admit that. The first time I was offered one, I thought “ehhh…what is that?!” but when I closed my eyes and took a bite, I was hooked.
When talking about stuffed grape leaves, it’s totally appropriate to use the word “flavor explosion,” because that’s what these are.
Each bite is lemony, filled with aromatic herbs like dill and fresh parsley, with meat, rice, and nuts too. Oh, and saffron…and onion…
Lots of good things in this hearty filling!
Place little scoops of filling onto each grape leaf, and roll it up just like a burrito by bringing up the bottom, folding in the sides, and rolling.
Voila!
Nestle all of your stuffed grape leaves together tightly in a pot, then pour freshly squeezed lemon juice all over them.
Simmering the stuffed grape leaves in the lemon really balances out the potential heaviness of the meat and rice. The herbs and lemon really make these dolmades great!
You can serve the stuffed grape leaves warm or cold…I personally love them warm! You can throw a few olives on the plate too. Enjoy!
Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb jar of grape leaves rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pine nuts
- 1/2 cup packed chopped dill
- zest of 1 lemon
- about 20 threads of saffron no need to count it exactly
- 1 lb 90/10 ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup rice + 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- salt
Instructions
- Boil the grape leaves for 5 minutes, then drain. This softens the grape leaves and make them easier to roll.
- Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat, add the onions with 1/4 tsp of salt, and cook for 10 minutes to soften. Add the walnuts, dill, lemon zest, saffron, and stir it in. Bump the heat up to medium high, and add the beef with 1/4 tsp salt. Cook the beef for 5-8 minutes until fully browned and cooked through. Add the chopped parsley, rice + water, and another 1/4 tsp of salt. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes until the water has been absorbed. The rice should be al dente but not completely cooked. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Place a spoonful of filling into each grape leaf, and roll it up by bringing up the bottom, folding over the sides, and rolling it like a burrito. Place the stuffed grape leaf in the bottom of a pot. Repeat with the remaining filling and pack the grape leaves snugly together in a single layer. If your stuffed grape leaves must overflow into a second layer, that’s fine, just try to keep them tightly together so they don’t roll open during the final cooking. Pour over the freshly squeezed lemon juice and simmer on low heat, covered, for 30 minutes. You’re done with cooking! Note that if you taste a dolma right now, it will taste extremely lemony. This lemon flavor will dissipate in the next hour or so, so let the dolmas sit in the fridge for a few hours before eating. Enjoy!
Made this with a few girlfriends for some helping hands, and we all loved the results. Thanks!
These are a family favorite. My grandmother did not cook the meat before rolling the dolmades. She cooked the pot of dolmades longer in beef broth and lemon juice. Your recipe is easier and just as delicious. Thanks.
There are several other variations that you could also give a try, let me know which you end up loving most!
You can add pomegranate molasses to the lemon juice you pour over the top before simmering for an additional tangy explosion of flavor!
Another one that is also popular in my home country, Kuwait, is the above mentioned pomegranate molasses addition, with a generous helping of sugar added to the mixture. The result? PURE BLISS.
Give it a shot and let me know what you think.
Enjoy!