These stuffed grape leaves (dolmas/sarma) are a classic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dish filled with ground meat, uncooked rice, and fresh herbs, then gently cooked until tender. Includes a vegetarian option and pairs perfectly with sour cream, a Greek salad, or a squeeze of lemon juice for authentic flavor.
(This article also includes a recipe for making vegetarian stuffed grape leaves.)
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What Are Stuffed Grape Leaves?
Stuffed grape leaves, also known as dolmas, dolmades, or sarma, are a beloved dish in many cultures, particularly in Mediterranean countries and the Middle East. These delicate rolls are filled with a savory mixture of ground meat, uncooked rice, and fresh herbs, wrapped in grape leaves, and cooked until tender.
This article will guide you through making the best stuffed grape leaves at home, whether you prefer them with meat or a vegetarian stuffed grape leaves variation.
Stuffed grape leaves have deep culinary roots in countries like Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Armenia, Iran, and Israel. Each region has its own spin on this dish, influenced by local traditions and ingredients.
The filling often includes ground beef, lamb, or pork, combined with long grain rice or short grain rice, fresh dill, green onions, and lots of herbs. Some versions include pine nuts, fresh mint, or even tomato sauce for added depth of flavor.
While in Mediterranean countries, stuffed grape leaves are commonly served as a delicious appetizer, in Romania, they are a main dish, often paired with sour cream.
However, if you never had them before, you are here for a treat. Stuffed grape leaves are part of a big family of stuffed vegetables, and you will see on my blog some other recipes, like Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, or Stuffed Peppers.
The recipe is great for Easter, and it also feeds a crowd. We make them once in a while and eat them for a few days in a row, as we love leftovers.
Ingredients Needed
- Grape leaves: Fresh grape leaves provide the best flavor, but a jar of grape leaves preserved in brine solution from grocery stores works just as well.
- Ground meat: A mix of ground beef and pork creates a rich filling, but you can also use ground turkey or even lamb.
- Rice: Traditional recipes call for long grain rice, but short grain rice works well, especially if you like a stickier filling.
- Fresh herbs: Dill, thyme, and parsley add freshness and depth.
- Onions: Yellow onions or green onions enhance the flavor.
- Lemon juice and zest: A squeeze of lemon juice in the cooking liquid adds brightness.
- Tomato paste: Used in some variations for a richer sauce.
- Chicken broth or enough water to cook the rolls to perfection.
How to Make Stuffed Grape Leaves
1. Prepare the Grape Leaves
- If using a jar of grape leaves, remove them from the jar and rinse under cold water to remove excess salt from the brine solution.
- Trim off the stems and pat dry with a small plate or paper towel.
2. Make the Filling
- In a bowl, mix the ground meat, uncooked rice, fresh herbs, diced yellow onions, black pepper, and seasonings.
- For a vegetarian grape leaves version, replace the meat with finely chopped mushrooms sautéed with tomato paste.
3. Roll the Grape Leaves
- Lay a grape leaf on a cutting board, shiny side down.
- Place a heaping teaspoon of filling near the middle of the leaf.
- Fold over the sides of the leaf, then roll tightly like a cigar.
- Arrange the stuffed leaves in a single layer at the bottom of the pot.
4. Cook the Stuffed Grape Leaves
- Cover the rolls with remaining liquids (water or chicken broth).
- Place an inverted plate over the rolls to prevent them from unrolling.
- Simmer on medium heat for about 1.5 hours, or bake in a Dutch oven at 350F.
- The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the rolls and type of rice used.
Expert Tips
- The same filling can be used to stuff peppers, cabbage leaves, and zucchini or make meatballs for a meatball soup.
- Always place extra grape leaves at the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking.
- If reheating from frozen, cook on low heat to avoid overcooking the rice.
- Serve at room temperature for the best flavor.
NOTE: The full instructions for making these stuffed grape leaves vegetarian or vegan are on the recipe card at the bottom of this article.
How to Serve Stuffed Grape Leaves
- Enjoy warm with sour cream or yogurt and a glass of your favorite white wine.
- Pair with polenta, mashed potatoes, or lamb chops for a hearty meal.
How to Store and Freeze
To reheat, simmer in hot water over medium-high heat, or bake at 350F until warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze uncooked or cooked stuffed grape leaves for up to 6 months.
More Recipes To Love
- Easy Potato And Meat Stew
- Roasted Potatoes With Green Garlic and Dill
- Peas And Chicken Stew
- Sweet Cheese Slab Pie
- Romanian Easter Meatloaf
📖 Recipe
Best Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe (Dolmas/Sarma)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces jar of grape leaves
- 16 ounces ground pork or beef or a combination of both
- ¼ cup rice
- 1 diced onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 lemon we will use the juice
- 2 cups water or chicken/beef stock or enough to cover the stuffed grape leaves in the pot
- For serving: Sour cream or yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
Prepare the grape leaves:
- Take the leaves out of the jar and rinse them.
- Remove the stems so you can have a smooth leaf surface to work with.
- Note: For a pound of meat, I used only half of the leaves in the jar, but if you cook for a crowd and want to use them all, double the amount of meat, rice, and everything else.If you have leftover leaves, put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them for later use.
Make the stuffing:
- Put all the ingredients, meat, onions, rice, and spices, in a bowl. Mix everything well to combine.
Roll the stuffed grape leaves:
- Grab a leaf and spread it flat on your work surface.
- Place a teaspoon of meat mixture on the leaf but on the other side of the stem.
- Fold the end of the leaf over the meat once, then fold over the left and right sides of the leaf.
- Continue to fold the leaf like you would roll a cigar by pushing the edges inside, so the meat doesn't come out. Keep wrapping the stuffed grape leaves until you finish the meat mixture.
- Before you start placing the rolls into your cooking pot, spread 3-4 leaves on its bottom. This will prevent the rolls from sticking to the bottom.
- Fill up the pot with the rolls. Add the juice of one lemon into your pot and the water/stock, just to cover the stuffed grape leaves.
- Use aluminum foil to cover the pot if you don't have a lid.
- Place the pot inside the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 350F or until the rolls are tender and the rice is cooked inside.
- Note: Serve with a nice glass of light white wine, a good slice of bread, and some sour cream.
Notes
¼ cup rice
One onion
Two tablespoons of tomato paste
Two tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons tomato paste How to make vegetarian/vegan stuffed grape leaves: Use a food processor to grind the mushrooms. Mix the mushrooms with dried thyme. Chop the onion. Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the chopped onion until translucent. Mix the rice with cooked onion and mushrooms. Taste for salt and pepper. Follow the same steps as above for the recipe that uses meat. Instead of making a sauce with lemon juice and mint, use tomato paste and water to boil the stuffed grape leaves. Serve with sour cream on top.
Joro says
These are bulgarian Sarmi no one in Romania makes Vine leaves Sarmi!
The Bossy Kitchen says
How do you know, Joro? I am Romanian, and this recipe is part of Romanian cuisine. My grandmother used to make it all the time. Also, variations of this recipe can be found in Turkish cuisine, Greek cuisine, all Middle Eastern cuisine, Balkans, and many other places. Nobody owns it, but each country might make it differently. This is my Romanian version. Maybe Bulgarians make it the same or different. However, a simple search on Google and Wikipedia about stuffed vine leaves would give you more information. Thank you for your visit!
Andrew says
I love the simplicity of this dolmades recipe, which is less well known than the tomato sauce varieties. Thanks for posting it!
The Bossy Kitchen says
Thank you, Andrew!
Carol says
I am not really caring about what cuisine these are and those people who get offended about which region recipes come from are rather foolish. So many cultures share variations of recipes and we all like to think beloved food is our own! That is the sure sign of delicious food.
I have never tried stuffed grape leaves so I will be hunting down a jar of them when I go out shopping. I think the recipe has given me a clear idea as to how to cook them and the fact that they are good left overs(my favourite thing in the world!:)) is amazing.
I love the articles that insprire and that is just what this recipe has done for me! Thanks for that.
Gabriela says
Thank you so much, Carol for your comment! I love this recipe and they make, indeed, very good leftovers. I hope you find a jar, European ethnic stores, Greek stores or even Amazon have them. Please let me know if you made them or if you have any questions. Thanks again!