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Home » Recipes » Mediterranean Recipes

Mom's Grape Leaves Recipe

Published: Jun 23, 2018 · Modified: Oct 30, 2022 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 28 Comments

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A step by step guide on making my mom's Turkish stuffed grape leaves recipe. Simply filled with rice, ground beef and layered with fresh lemon.

A step by step guide on making my mom's Turkish stuffed grape leaves recipe . Simply filled with rice, ground beef and layered with fresh lemon.

I grew up eating stuffed grape leaves. They are an acquired taste being that the grape leaves sit in brine and stuffed in jars. The brine soaks into the leaves and at the first turn of the jar you can smell the aroma of brine. I don't know how else to explain brine. It's vinegary with a slight tang, if that makes any sense. For a great appetizer that is going to impress your guests, try my Steak crostini.

A step by step guide on making my mom's Turkish stuffed grape leaves recipe . Simply filled with rice, ground beef and layered with fresh lemon.

A Little Back Story

I remember mom making stuffed grape leaves when I was little and all through my upbringing. And this time, I was making them all by myself. We roll and roll the leaves and have an assembly line going, so this is a great project with a group of people!

These stuffed grape leaves are different than the "other" ones you may find at Greek restaurants called dolma. However, no one makes them like my mom does and I have seen other places stuff their grape leaves with pine nuts and dill and I've even heard of including raisins, which sounds like an interesting twist. But I have to say, and call me bias, but Mom's stuffed grape leaves are still my favorite.

When using fresh grape leaves, pick ones that are the size of your palm. Wash grape leaves well, then boil and shock in cold water and then roll with your favorite filling.

Can You Use Fresh Grape Leaves

Yes you can! A bit more work, but not too much. Snip fresh grape leaves off the vine and try and find medium sized ones, about the size of your palm.

Wash well and then boil grape leaves in salted water for 2 minutes. Once done, "shock the grape leaves" by plaving the leaves in a bowl filled with ice water. You will notice the greens turn a bit darker, like the ones you jarred.

From there, roll with your favorite mixture and continue how you would cook the rest of the recipe.

To make grape leaf rolls, use store bought grape leaves that come packed in a jar.

These Stuffed Grape Leaves Have Minimal Ingredients

My mom's stuffed grape leaves recipe aka "yaprak" in Turkish is super simple and incredibly flavorful.

Ground beef and rice are the only 2 ingredients stuffed in those big briny leaves. The leaves are soaked and rinsed to help minimize that initial tangy flavor, yet it still offers its distinct briny note.

Slices of lemon and pats of butter are placed in the slow simmering pot with water and the residual liquid from the leaves creates a small pool of sauce, enough to soften the stuffed grape leaves perfectly as they gently cook.

What to Serve with Stuffed Grape Leaves

  • We love serving grape leaf rolls along side Turkish spinach and feta borek as part of a Mediterranean mezze spread or appetizer platter.
  • For a lighter side, my kale tabbouleh with pomegranate and quinoa would be the perfect accompaniment with the bit of sweet and tartness from the pomegranate seeds.
  • My homemade falafel recipe is served alongside tahini yogurt, which would be fabulous for the stuffed grape leaves to dip into as well!

How to Make Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe

1) Remove packed grape leaves from the jar and gently pour into a colander. Unfold leaves, being careful not to tear and run cold water over them for a few minutes. Make sure all the leaves have been rinsed well.

Grape leaves that come in a jar need to be rinsed well. Seperate each grape leaf under cool running water and drain well.

2) In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef and rice. Season with salt and pepper.

*You can test out a small meatball size in a frying pan to test the seasoning.

3) On a large work surface, set up an assembly line: Have a place to roll the leaf, the bowl with beef mixture and a large pot to place rolled leaves in.

Before ,aking stuffed grape leaves, have an assemply line in place to make rolling faster and more efficient, with 1 bowl of the meat mixture and the pot to lay the stuffed grape leaves in.

4) On a flat, clean surface spread the leaf flat. There are 2 sides of the leaf. A "shiny" side and a "dull" side. Have the dull side facing you and the shine side down. Remove the stem with a small knife.

Place the rinsed grape leaf, shiny side up and remove the hard stem.

5) Place a small teaspoon size of meat mixture onto the bottom of the leaf.

For the grape leaf rolls, place a small amount of the meat mixture onto the grape leaf.


6) Roll up half way and then tuck the sides in. Continue to roll until sealed.

Roll the grape leaf by tucking in the sides of the leaf and continue rolling to make grape leaf rolls.
A step by step guide on making my mom's Turkish stuffed grape leaves recipe. Simply filled with rice, ground beef and layered with fresh lemon.

7) Place stuffed grape leaves, seam side down, on the bottom of the pot.

*Place lemon slices in between layers of stuffed grape leaves.

Lay grape leaf rolls along the bottom of a pot layered with lemon slices.
Lay grape leaf rolls along the bottom of a pot layered with lemon slices.


8) When all the leaves are stuffed, pour 1-2 cups of water in slowly and 2-3 Tb of butter. Any torn leaves can be placed on top to help steam.

Top stuffed grape leaves with leftover grape leaves to help steam.

9) Place a lid on the pot, leaving a small opening and cook the grape leaf rolls on low-medium heat for about 1-1 ½ hours, until the leaves are tender and meat is cooked.

A step by step guide on making my mom's Turkish stuffed grape leaves recipe . Simply filled with rice, ground beef and layered with fresh lemon.

There are so many versions of stuffed grape leaves recipe and I would love to hear yours! Do you stuff it with meat or keep it vegetarian? Do you eat your stuffed grape leaves cold or hot?

Step by step recipe on how to make Turkish stuffed grape leaves. Filled with meat and rice and simmered with layers of fresh lemon.

Mom’s Grape Leaves Recipe

Samantha Ferraro

LittleFerraroKitchen.com

A step by step guide on making my mom's Turkish stuffed grape leaves recipe. Simply filled with rice, ground beef and layered with fresh lemon.
4.92 from 25 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 8 servings
Calories 325 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 jar grape leaves
  • 1 ½ lb ground beef
  • ¾ cup uncooked white rice
  • 2 lemons sliced
  • 1-2 cups water
  • 3 Tb butter separated
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Remove packed grape leaves from the jar and gently pour into a colander. Unfold leaves, being careful not to tear and run cold water over them for a few minutes. Make sure all the leaves have been rinsed well.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef and rice. Season with salt and pepper.
  • *You can test out a small meatball size in a frying pan to test the seasoning.
  • On a large work surface, set up an assembly line: Have a place to roll the leaf, the bowl with beef mixture and a large pot to place rolled leaves in.
  • On a flat, clean surface spread the leaf flat. There are 2 sides of the leaf. A "shiny" side and a "dull" side. Have the dull side facing you and the shine side down. Remove the stem with a small knife.
  • Place a small teaspoon size of meat mixture onto the bottom of the leaf.
  • Roll up half way and then tuck the sides in. Continue to roll until sealed.
  • Place stuffed leaves, seam side down, on the bottom of the pot.
  • *Place lemon slices in between layers of stuffed leaves.
  • When all the leaves are stuffed, pour 1-2 cup of water in slowly and 2-3 Tb of butter. Any torn leaves cam be placed on top to help steam.
  • Place a lid on the pot, leaving a small opening and cook on low-medium for about 1-½ hours, until the leaves are tender and meat is cooked.

Notes

Don't overfill the grape leaves so avoid mixture spilling out. 
Save any broken leaves to line the pot on the top and bottom. 
Stuffed grape leaves are even better served the next day. I like to heat them on low until warmed through. 

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 16gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 98mgPotassium: 286mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 235IUVitamin C: 14.3mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1.9mg
Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!

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Comments

  1. Adrian Compton says

    August 01, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    5 stars
    coming from a Mediterranean family we were raised eating grape leave rolls and cabbage rolls. As well as Kibbe and tabbouleh. We have a Grape leave vine that was supposedly from the old country my Grandfather came from. But the plant is far away now and I have just bought some leaves in a jar. Thanks so much for your recipe. I will try it tomorrow, but I will add onion as my Grandmother and Mother use in the rice/meat mix. And we add a pork steak in them bottom to keep from burning leaves and extra flavor.

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      August 04, 2020 at 10:42 am

      Hi Adrian!! Please let me know how they come out!! I honestly have never added pork to these because we didn't eat a lot of porl when I was growing up, but I do enjoy it and I think the fat and flavor would be fantastic! Thank you so much for your comment!

      Reply
  2. Jesse-Gabriel says

    July 09, 2020 at 1:40 pm

    5 stars
    Ich liebe gefüllte Weinblätter, sehr lecker auch mit Tomaten Sauce oder Zitronen Sauce, yummi!
    Hier sind zwei Beispiele für Zitronen Sauce.
    https://cookidoo.de/recipes/recipe/de-DE/r43968

    https://cookidoo.de/recipes/recipe/de-DE/r101528

    Viele Grüße sendet dir,
    Jesse-Gabriel aus Berlin

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      July 17, 2020 at 9:53 am

      Hello!! Thank you so much for the links and tips!

      Reply
  3. Michael says

    April 22, 2020 at 6:56 am

    5 stars
    Hello

    I tried another recipe yesterday for the first time and the cooking time was an hour and a half , I followed the recipe to a T and the rice came out overcooked and mushy . But this other recipe also called for 5 plus cups of water which may have been too much. I have been looking today for other recipes to give it another shot and found yours , I will let you know how they come out !

    I saw an earlier post that mentioned a grape leaf roller , I had ordered one about two months ago and it has been hung up due to the coronavirus . Hear is the link to the roller

    https://contestimg.wish.com/api/webimage/5b4f05e395263f0fb8f5738c-large.jpg?cache_buster=5ba53de208f870ae93040429d7253b2e

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      April 24, 2020 at 8:35 am

      Hi Michael! Yes please let me know how it comes out. I do think 5 cups of liquid is a bit much but you definitely want enough so the leaves don't burn. I've heard of the grape leaf roller but I find it so therapeutic to roll them by hand.

      Reply
  4. adams@nationalrestaurantny says

    July 11, 2019 at 12:27 am

    5 stars
    Looks great. The recipe looks pretty simple and easy to prepare. I will try to do it now. Thanks for sharing the recipe

    Reply
  5. eatfrysmith says

    June 17, 2019 at 7:27 am

    5 stars
    Wow!! such a lovely dish. It looks yum

    Reply
  6. Kenda Mellett says

    May 22, 2019 at 8:28 pm

    5 stars
    You grape leaf recipe is very similar to mine..Except I use olive oil and lemon juice when cooking..we eat them warm with a sprinkle of olive oil and Tabasco

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      May 24, 2019 at 10:08 am

      Ooohhhh tobasco is a fabulous addition! I love heat!

      Reply
  7. Kerry says

    March 09, 2019 at 7:51 am

    5 stars
    So you don’t need to cook the rice prior to mixing?

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      March 09, 2019 at 9:58 am

      Hi Kerry! That is correct...uncooked rice mixed with uncooked meat. It will all cook as it steams low and slow!

      Reply
  8. Lilly Wade says

    July 20, 2018 at 1:18 pm

    5 stars
    Mom’s Grape Leaves Recipe is amazing! love this recipe. thank you so much for sharing it. Please keep share more recipe.

    Reply
  9. Jack Smith says

    June 26, 2018 at 7:46 pm

    5 stars
    Yummm. Looks amazing

    Reply
  10. Carolyn Hoelzle says

    June 14, 2016 at 2:38 pm

    5 stars
    Made my first batch today...loved your mom's simple recipe. Next time I will use minute rice instead of basamati. I also used my handy dandy grape leaf roller for the first time. It was so easy. Thanks a million.

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      June 14, 2016 at 3:14 pm

      Hi Carolyn! So happy you made them! It is certainly a labor of love...now, more about this grape leaf roller?? Never knew that existed!

      Reply
  11. Karen Snyder says

    September 02, 2013 at 7:22 am

    5 stars
    I grew up eating these as well. My family is from Lebanon. We pick wild grape leaves. Also add diced tomatoes. Love them.

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      September 02, 2013 at 7:40 am

      Hi Karen! I never thought of trying them with diced tomatoes? That sounds wonderful! Thank you!

      Reply
  12. Eileen Cuisine says

    May 17, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    We have this recipe in Romania as well, it's called "sarmale" and we often make it with cabbage leaves or grape leaves. They are just yummy! So glad to see your recipe 😉

    Reply
  13. Aggie says

    December 22, 2012 at 5:22 am

    5 stars
    These are beautiful! I always order stuffed grape leaves out. I've picked up a jar of leaves to make at home but have never known what to do with them!

    Reply
  14. Eda says

    December 21, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    5 stars
    This dish is called "Yaprak dolma". It's Turkish and very popular in Turkey 🙂 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolma

    Reply
  15. Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says

    December 19, 2012 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    These are almost identical to our recipe!!!! Tis the season for Middle Eastern food. xo

    Reply
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