Authentic Stuffed Grape Leaves
A Greek classic featuring vine leaves filled with fragrant rice, herbs, and lemon, slow-cooked to perfection. This Mediterranean-inspired quick recipe, ready in about 90 minutes, pairs grape leaves, long grain rice, ground lamb for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 220 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 10 grape leaves
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 cup ground lamb
- 1/4 cup fresh dill
- 1 medium lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Soak 10 grape leaves in warm water for 15 minutes until pliable. Drain and set aside.
- Step 2: In a bowl, mix 1 cup long grain rice, 1 cup ground lamb, 1/4 cup chopped dill, 1 lemon zest, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Step 3: Stuff each leaf with the rice mixture, roll tightly, and secure with a toothpick. Place in a pot with 1 cup water and 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Step 4: Cover and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Serve warm with a dollop of yogurt.
