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A plate of cooked Greek Dolmades drizzled with olive oil and topped with minced garlic, served with lemon wedges. Glossy grape leaves and golden oil reflect soft natural lighting.

Dolmades Perfected

Authentic Greek dolmades perfected over 340 Sunday cooking sessions with Yiayia Sofia. These tender grape leaves are stuffed with herby rice and a lemony kick — the same award-winning recipe that’s been passed down for four generations.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Rest Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Calories: 240
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

This version is vegetarian. Include optional meat below.
  • 1 cup Short-grain rice - Rinsed and par-cooked
  • 40 pieces Grape leaves - Fresh or jarred rinsed well if jarred
  • 2 tablespoon Olive oil - Good-quality extra virgin
  • 1 large Yellow onion - Finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoon Fresh dill - Finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon Fresh mint - Finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoon Fresh parsley - Finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon Pine nuts - Optional but traditional
  • 2 tablespoon Lemon juice - Fresh-squeezed
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon zest - Freshly grated
  • 1 teaspoon Sea salt - Or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon Allspice - Optional
  • ⅛ teaspoon Cinnamon - Just a pinch
  • 2 cloves Garlic - Minced
  • 1 tablespoon Tomato paste - Adds richness
Optional Meat Version
  • ½ lb Ground lamb - Or ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil - Additional for meat
  • 1–2 tbsp Extra herbs - More dill/parsley for flavor

Equipment

  • 1 Heavy pot w/ lid (4-quart minimum, with a lid that fits well)
  • 1 Mixing bowl (Large enough to mix the rice filling)
  • 1 Sharp knife (For chopping herbs and onions)
  • 1 Kitchen scissors (To trim grape leaf stems)
  • 1 Small plate (To weigh down dolmades during cooking)

Method
 

  1. Prep the grape leaves by blanching fresh ones or rinsing jarred leaves thoroughly. Set aside a few for lining the pot.
    Top-down view of classic vegan dolma ingredients including grape leaves, white rice, pine nuts, walnuts, lemon, fresh dill, mint, and olive oil arranged on a wooden surface.
  2. Make the filling by mixing par-cooked rice, chopped herbs, onions, garlic, pine nuts, tomato paste, spices, and lemon zest. Add cooked meat if using.
    Overhead shot of a Mediterranean prep scene with bowls of blanched grape leaves, par-cooked rice, and a mixed herb filling on a rustic wooden table. A pot with soaking grape leaves is in the center.
  3. Roll the dolmades: Place leaf vein-side up, add 1 tablespoon filling, fold edges, and roll snugly but not too tight.
    Close-up of hands gently rolling a grape leaf around a rice filling on a wooden surface. The leaf is positioned vein-side up, showing detailed texture and precision in technique.
  4. Layer and cook: Line pot with torn leaves, arrange dolmades seam-side down, weigh down with a plate, add lemon-olive oil liquid, and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
    Overhead view of tightly packed grape leaf rolls in a clay pot, with lemon-olive oil mixture being poured over them before cooking. A rustic wooden lid and lemon wedges sit beside the pot.
  5. Rest and serve: Let dolmades sit 10–15 minutes before serving to absorb flavor and firm up.
    A plate of cooked Greek Dolmades drizzled with olive oil and topped with minced garlic, served with lemon wedges. Glossy grape leaves and golden oil reflect soft natural lighting.

Nutrition

Serving: 150gCalories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8.6gSodium: 310mgPotassium: 180mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 420IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 1.4mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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