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Close-up of traditional Greek dolmades on a plate with lemon wedges and a fork.

Traditional Greek Dolmades

  • Author: Caitlyn
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 70 1x

Description

This recipe for Traditional Greek Dolmades makes the perfect appetizer for a meal straight from the Mediterranean. Tender grape leaves stuffed with flavorful ground beef, fluffy rice, and fresh herbs, covered in a lemon sauce meant for your meze plate.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the dolmades:

  • 70 grape leaves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 cup rice, rinsed and uncooked
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/3 cup mint, chopped
  • 1/3 cup dill, chopped
  • 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced

For the lemon sauce (optional, but recommended):

  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup dolmades water

Instructions

  1. If using fresh grape leaves, blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds and set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook until translucent. Then add in garlic, and stir until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
  3. Add your ground beef to the same pan as the onions and garlic and brown it, breaking it up as much as you can to make it manageable for rolling in the grape leaves.
  4. Once the ground beef is cooked, add in the herbs, lemon juice, and rice, and simmer until the rice is mostly cooked (about 10-15 minutes).
  5. Lay out one grape leaf at a time, vein-side up, on a flat surface. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the meat/rice mixture into the center of the leaf. First, fold the stem to the center of the leaf, followed by the sides of the leaf, then roll to the tip of the leaf. Repeat with the remaining leaves.
  6. Layer the dolmades, seam-side down, in a large pot and cover them with water. Place a heavy dinner plate over them upside down to prevent them from floating or opening while cooking.
  7. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until cooked through. 
  8. While the dolmades are cooking, make the optional lemon sauce by whisking together the cornstarch, lemon juice, and some of the water from the dolmades in a bowl.
  9. Once the dolmades are done cooking, pull them out of the water and place them on a platter, then drizzle the lemon sauce over them. Enjoy!

Notes

  • These can be enjoyed warm with several other Greek favorites (i.e., tzatziki sauce, pita bread, souvlaki, lemon rice, etc).
  • Try them cold! It might sound odd, but Greek dolmades can be enjoyed right out of the fridge.
  • Store these in the fridge for a few days, or freeze them!
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Category: Greece
  • Cuisine: Greek

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Find it online: https://thetravelersingredients.com/traditional-greek-dolmades/