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Greek dolmades are tender vine leaves wrapped around rice, onion and fresh herbs. Dill and mint flavour the filling, while lemon gives the rolls a bright finish. Serve them warm from the pan or chilled with lemon wedges and a spoonful of thick Greek yoghurt.
This recipe makes about 24 small rolls, enough for four as part of a meze spread. The filling comes together quickly; rolling takes a little longer. Leave a bit of room inside each parcel for the rice to swell, and the rolls will hold together without becoming tight or dense.
Want to dive deeper into Greek Cuisine? Don’t miss our post on 39 Traditional Greek Foods to Try
What Are Dolmades?
Dolmades are stuffed leaves, and the ones in this recipe use grape leaves, also called vine leaves. Each leaf is folded around a small spoonful of filling and rolled into a parcel. This version uses rice and herbs. Other Greek versions include minced meat, so it’s worth asking about the filling if you’re ordering them as a vegetarian dish.
The leaves soften as the parcels simmer, but they should still hold their shape when lifted out. A layer of spare leaves protects the rolls from the base of the pan, while an upside down plate keeps them from shifting as the liquid bubbles.
Ingredients and Taste
Jarred vine leaves are convenient because they’re already pliable. Their brine can be quite salty, though, and its strength varies from jar to jar. Rinse the leaves well and taste a little piece before deciding how much salt to add to the filling. Save torn leaves for lining the pan.
Short grain white rice makes a filling that holds together without needing to be pressed into the leaf. Finely chopped onion softens among the grains, dill gives the filling its distinctive fragrance, and mint leaves a cooler note after the lemon. Parsley rounds out the herbs without competing with them.
Extra virgin olive oil gives the rice a soft texture and carries the flavour of the herbs. Optional pine nuts add a little bite, but the rolls are just as good without them. Serve with lemon wedges so everyone can add more sharpness at the table.
A Taste of History
Stuffed vine leaves belong to a wider tradition of wrapping and stuffing vegetables and leaves across the eastern Mediterranean and neighbouring regions. Greek cooks make them with different fillings, and even within Greece the word dolmades can refer to more than one kind of stuffed leaf. The rice and herb version here is often called dolmadakia yalantzi.
Small rice filled dolmades suit a Greek meze table because they can be picked up individually and served alongside other dishes.
How to Make Greek Dolmades
Start with pliable leaves and a small spoonful of filling. Roll each parcel snugly enough to hold its shape, then simmer the rolls gently until the leaves and rice are tender. See the recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient quantities and printable cooking instructions.
Ingredients
For the dolmades
- Vine leaves in brine
- Short grain white rice
- Onion, very finely chopped
- Fresh dill, finely chopped
- Fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- Fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- Pine nuts, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fine sea salt, if needed
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice
For cooking and serving
- Low salt vegetable stock
- Hot water, for topping up if needed
- Lemon wedges
- Plain Greek yoghurt or tzatziki, optional
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Rinse and Sort the Leaves
Gently separate the leaves and rinse them under cool water. If they still taste strongly of brine, soak them briefly in fresh water, then drain again. Trim away any protruding stems and set torn or very small leaves aside for the base of the pan.
Step 2: Mix the Rice Filling
Rinse and drain the rice. Mix it with the finely chopped onion, dill, parsley, mint, pepper, some of the olive oil and some of the lemon juice. Stir in the pine nuts if using. The rice goes into the leaves uncooked and finishes in the pan.
Step 3: Fold and Roll
Lay a leaf shiny side down, with the veins facing you and the stem end nearest you. Place a little filling just above the stem end. Fold the bottom over the filling, bring both sides towards the centre and roll away from you. Leave a little give for the rice to expand.
Step 4: Pack the Pan
Line a snug pan with the spare leaves. Arrange the rolls seam side down, close enough to support each other. Add the remaining oil and lemon juice, then pour in enough stock to come just level with the rolls. Set a heatproof plate upside down on top and cover with the pan lid.
Step 5: Simmer and Check a Roll
Bring the stock to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat. Near the end of cooking, lift the lid away from you and carefully check a roll. The leaf should be tender, and the rice in the middle should have no hard centre. If the rice still needs time and the pan is running dry, add a little hot water and continue simmering.
Step 6: Rest and Serve
Let the rolls settle briefly off the heat, then lift them out with a spoon. Serve warm with lemon wedges, or cool and refrigerate them promptly if you plan to serve them cold.
Variations and Substitutions
Fresh vine leaves: Use young, tender leaves from grapevines suitable for food use. Wash them, remove the stems and blanch them in boiling water until pliable before draining. Older leaves can stay tough even when the rice is ready.
Without pine nuts: Leave them out without changing the other ingredients. For a vegan plate, serve the rolls with lemon and olive oil instead of yoghurt or tzatziki.
Cooking Tips for Greek Dolmades
Adjust the filling to the leaf. A smaller leaf needs less filling. If you can barely fold the sides over the rice, take some out before rolling. For a small tear, overlap the torn section with a piece of spare leaf.
Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil can knock the rolls loose or split the leaves. If the rice is still firm, give it more time at a gentle simmer and add a small splash of hot water only if the pan is drying out.
Check the rice as well as the leaf. Both need to be tender. If you’re unsure, open one of the larger rolls and taste the rice at the centre before taking the pan off the heat.
How to Store and Reheat Dolmades
Storing
For cold dolmades or leftovers, lift the rolls out of the hot pan and spread them in a shallow container so they cool quickly. Refrigerate within one hour and eat within 24 hours. Serve chilled rather than leaving the whole batch out to come to room temperature.
Freezing and Defrosting
Cool the rolls quickly, then freeze in small portions. Defrost fully in the fridge and use within 24 hours of thawing. The leaves may be a little softer after freezing.
Reheating
Reheat only once. Arrange the rolls in a small covered pan with a splash of water and heat gently until steaming hot throughout, including the rice at the centre.
Greek Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Ingredients
Leaves and filling
- 30 to 35 jarred vine leaves in brine allowing for about 24 rolls plus spare leaves for lining and patching
- 100 g uncooked short grain white rice rinsed and well drained
- 1 medium onion about 120 g peeled, very finely chopped
- 10 g fresh dill finely chopped
- 10 g fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 5 g fresh mint leaves finely chopped
- 25 g pine nuts optional
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Up to ¼ tsp fine sea salt only if the rinsed leaves and stock are mild
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil divided
- 40 ml fresh lemon juice divided
Cooking and serving
- About 350 ml hot low salt vegetable stock; use enough to come just level with the packed rolls
- Hot water as needed for topping up
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- Plain Greek yoghurt or tzatziki optional, to serve
Instructions
- Separate and rinse the vine leaves under cool running water. If a rinsed leaf still tastes very salty, soak the leaves in fresh cold water for 10 minutes, then rinse and drain. Trim protruding stems without cutting into the leaves. Reserve torn and very small leaves for lining the pan or patching gaps.
- Combine the drained raw rice, onion, dill, parsley, mint, pepper, optional pine nuts, 30 ml olive oil and 20 ml lemon juice. Add up to ¼ teaspoon salt only if the rinsed leaves and stock are mild.
- Lay one leaf shiny side down with the stem end towards you. Place about 2 level teaspoons of filling just above the stem end, using less for smaller leaves. Fold the base over the filling, fold in the sides and roll towards the tip. Keep the parcel snug but leave room for the rice to swell. Stir the filling occasionally as you work so the rice and herbs stay evenly distributed.
- Line the base with the spare leaves. Arrange the rolls seam side down in snug layers, keeping each layer level. Pour over the remaining 30 ml oil and 20 ml lemon juice. Add just enough stock to reach the top of the rolls. Place a heatproof plate upside down over them and cover with the lid.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low. Simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, checking a roll at 40 minutes. Both the leaf and the rice at the centre should be tender. If the rice is still firm and the liquid is nearly gone, add hot water around the edge in 30 to 50 ml increments. Cover and continue simmering, checking again after 5 to 10 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and rest for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the plate with heatproof utensils and lift out the rolls with a spoon. Serve warm with lemon wedges and optional yoghurt or tzatziki, or cool quickly and refrigerate to serve cold.
