Lamb Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmades) with Lemon Sauce

Yes, we are back in Greece again! We love all foods Greek and today we bring you Lamb Stuffed Grape Leaves with Avgolemono Sauce. The delicious tangy avgolemono sauce is the perfect partner for these rich, flavorful dolmas.

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Serve these tender lamb and rice filled Dolmas, swimming in a tangy avgolemono sauce as the main entrée for a Greek-theme dinner.

Why this Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe Works

• Balanced Flavors: This recipe strikes a perfect balance of flavors. The lamb is rich and savory, while the combination of fresh mint, dill, and lemon juice adds a refreshing and zesty twist. The tangy dolmades lemon sauce ties everything together.
• Texture Harmony: The mixture of lamb and rice ensures a texture in every bite. The rice provides a soft and slightly chewy element, while the ground lamb offers a tender and flavorful filling. This textural contrast enhances the overall eating experience.
• Traditional Technique: The recipe pays homage to the traditional Greek dolma-making technique, which involves blanching and carefully rolling the grape leaves. This method ensures that the grape leaves are tender yet sturdy enough to hold the flavorful filling. 
• Layered Cooking: The use of reserved grape leaves to line the cooking pot is a clever technique. It prevents the stuffed grape leaves from burning during the cooking process, ensuring they are cooked to perfection without any unwanted char. 

Avgolemono: The Lemony Dolma Sauce

Avgolemono sauce a rich, creamy sauce made with eggs and freshly squeezed lemon juice.  It has a very pronounced lemon flavor and is perfect with these lamb dolmas.  This sauce is a very simple sauce but can quickly turn into a disaster and curdle if cooked at too hot a temperature.

How Do You Make Avgolemono Sauce?

The dolmades lemon sauce is heavenly and it only takes a few ingredients. Eggs, freshly squeezed lemon juice and the broth from the dish that you are cooking is all there is to it!   The eggs should be at room temperature and the broth warm, not hot.   Blend the warm broth with the lemon-egg mixture and cook over low heat in a saucepan to thicken as it cooks.

Avgolemono sauce must be cooked over low heat while continually whisked. If it becomes too hot it will curdle, then you have lemony scrambled eggs. 

One little trick to a successful avgolemono sauce is first to whisk the lemon juice with a teaspoon of cornstarch.  Then whisk the mixture into the eggs and slowly heat to thicken.    

And what can you use this Greek lemon sauce for? It is fantastic with chicken, pork, cabbage rolls, Avgolemono soup, and of coarse, these lamb stuffed morsels rolled in grape leaves.

How to Stuff Grape Leaves with Lamb

Like any stuffed grape leaves, this is a recipe that takes some time.  But….you will be well rewarded with the delicious results. Plan a Greek themed dinner party with these restaurant worthy lamb filled grape leaves with lemon sauce as the main entree.This recipe will make at least sixty plump dolmas and enough tangy sauce to envelop them.

Prepare the Grape Leaves:

The grape leaves are preserved in a salty brine. Drain the brine off and remove the rolls of grape leaves, then drop them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. This blanching will loosen up the leaves and remove the brine.

Next, pour the pot into a colander to drain the leaves, then plunge them into a basin of ice water. 

The grape leaves will be much easier to separate while in the cool water. Remove the leaves and lay them on paper towels to drain.

Sort the leaves reserving  50-60 of the largest ones for the dolmas. Set aside the torn or smallish leaves to line the cooking pot. 

Prepare the Cooking Pot:

You will need a large, deep pot or skillet with a tight-fitting lid to cook the lamb and rice filled grape leaves.  A Dutch oven or braiser works beautifully. We used our braiser.  Arrange the reserved torn and small grape leaves to create a layer on the bottom of the cooking pot. This will keep the stuffed grape leaves directly off the bottom and prevent scorching.

To Make the Filling for the Lamb Stuffed Dolmades

Sauté the chopped onions in a little olive oil until they are lightly golden, then add the rice and some broth. Cook just until the rice absorbs the broth then remove from the heat and cool.

In a large bowl add the ground lamb, mint, dill, lemon juice and oregano. Add the cooled rice mixture and mix it all together. It’s ok to use your hands, they are great tools!

Rolling the Dolmas:

Spread the grape leaf flat, dull side up with the stem end toward you. Place a portion of the filling on the center of the leaf. Turn up the stem end of the leaf, covering the filling and fold over each end to enclose the filling. Start rolling at the stem end, roll the grape leaf gently but firmly into a compact bundle. The surface of the leaf will cling together to hold the grape leaf in shape.

Place the stuffed grape leaf, seam side down, in the prepared pot. Continue with the rolling process, filling all the leaves or until the filling is gone. Make sure the stuffed grape leaves snug, side-by-side but not squeezed tight as they will expand as they cook. There should be enough stuffed grape leaves for about two layers.

Pour a mixture of chicken broth, lemon juice and olive oil over the dolmas to barely cover them. To keep the dolmas from unrolling as they expand during cooking, place an inverted dinner plate over the top and add the pot lid.

After bringing the pot to a boil reduce the heat to low and then simmer the dolmas for thirty minutes.  Transfer the savory filled grape leaves to a platter, cover them to stay warm while you prepare the avgolemono sauce. 

Good things happen when you pour this lemony egg sauce over the warm dolmades. 

The lamb-stuffed grape leaves with avgolemono sauce were made for each other! Enjoy! Why not stay in Greece with a Greek salad and a crusty bread to go with the Greek lamb stuffed grape leaves. 

More Appetizer Recipes

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• Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters
• Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves
• Smoked Salmon Philadelphia Rolls
• 37 Easy Party Appetizers

We have other dolma recipes you might like.

These Greek stuffed grape leaves are filled with rice, pine nuts, currants and fresh dill.

And these Greek dolmades are stuffed with lamb and cooked on a bed of cannelloni beans.

Check Out More Greek Recipes:

• Greek Salad (Horiatiki)
• Feta Cream Salad Dressing and Dip
• Greek Cheese Triangle Pies (Tiropita)

4.73 from 29 votes

Lamb Stuffed Grape Leaves with Lemon Sauce

By Pat Nyswonger

Lamb stuffed grape leaves with avgolemono sauce. These Greek dolmas are filled with ground lamb,rice, and fresh herbs. They are swimming in a tangy egg-lemon avgolemono sauce.

Servings: 60 to 64 dolmas

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

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For the Stuffed Grape Leaves:

• ▢ 1 (16 ounce) jar preserved grape leaves
• ▢ 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ▢ 2 cups finely chopped onions
• ▢ 1-½ cups medium-grain white rice, uncooked, rinsed and drained
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ ¾ cup water
• ▢ 1 pound ground lamb
• ▢ 1 egg, whisked lightly with a fork
• ▢ ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh mint
• ▢ ½ cup finely chopped fresh dill
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Greek oregano, crumbled
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ½ fresh lemon

For the Dolmades Lemon Sauce:

• ▢ ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cold water
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup warm cooking broth of dolmas or chicken broth

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Instructions 

For the Grape Leaves:

• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Drain the liquid from the jar of preserved grape leaves and remove them from the jar. Unroll the leaves and drop them into the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium and let them cook for 5-8 minutes, then drain them in a colander and plunge them into a pan of cold water to cool them.
• Gently separate the leaves and spread them on paper towels to drain. If the leaves have stems, clip them off with kitchen scissors. You will need about 50 or 60 leaves for the stuffing. 
• Reserve any torn or small unusable leaves for lining the cooking pot.

Prepare the cooking pot:

• Using a Dutch oven, braiser or heavy-bottomed pan, arrange the reserved torn grape leaves plus enough additional leaves to create a layer on the bottom of the pan. This is to keep the stuffed grape leaves from burning during the cooking process. Set the prepared pot aside while you make the filling. (See Notes)

For the filling:

• In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until they are soft and golden. Add the rice, salt and pepper and stir to coat with oil. Pour in the 3/4 cup of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl, add the ground lamb, egg, mint, dill, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the cooled rice mixture and combine well.  

To Fill and Roll the Grape Leaves:

• Spread the grape leaf flat, dull side up and place a portion (See Notes) of the filling on the center of the leaf. Turn up the stem end of the leaf, covering the filling.
• Fold over each end to enclose the filling. Beginning again at the stem end, roll the grape leaf gently but firmly into a compact cylinder. The surface of the leaf will cling together to hold the grape leaf in shape.
• Place the stuffed grape leaf, seam side down, in the prepared pot. Continue with the rolling process until all the leaves are filled or the filling is gone. Keep the stuffed grape leaves snug, side-by-side but not squeezed tight as they will expand as they cook. You can add another layer if needed.

To Cook the Stuffed Grape Leaves:

• Pour some broth or water into the pot. The water should almost cover the stuffed grape leaves, add more liquid if necessary. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the stuffed grape leaves and squeeze the juice from the 1/2 lemon over the stuffed grape leaves. Place an inverted dinner plate over the stuffed grape leaves. The plate will prevent the grape leaf bundles from unrolling as they cook. 
• Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with its lid and immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.  
• Transfer the pot from the heat and remove the lid. Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes. Transfer the dolmas to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm. Drain any remaining liquid from the pot and reserve 1 cup for the Avgolemono sauce.  

For the Avgolemono Sauce:

• Into a food processor or bowl add the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of water, add the cornstarch and pulse or whisk well until dissolved.
• Add the eggs and process or whisk well. Slowly add some of the warm broth and process or whisk quickly, add more broth and whisk again so that the eggs warm up. Then slowly pour and whisk the egg mixture into a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Continue whisking and cook the sauce until it thickens slightly. Keep the heat adjusted to low and do not let the sauce boil.
• Pour the sauce over the dish of lamb stuffed grape leaves and serve. 

Notes

• If there are not enough leaves to create a thick layer you can first add a substitute.  Stove-top heat diffuser, Inverted plate or a folded pad of parchment paper
• The idea is to keep the rolls of stuffed grape leaves directly off the bottom of the pot.  We used a stove-top heat diffuser in our recipe. We placed the diffuser inside the braiser and covered it with a thin layer of leaves. In the past, we have folded several layers of parchment paper as a cushion.
• The leaves will vary in size so the amount of filling will need to be adjusted accordingly. Do not overfill the grape leaves as it will cause them to break as they expand. Refer to the photos in the post to see how much filling was used in the grape leaves. 

Nutrition

Serving: 8dolmas, Calories: 344kcal, Carbohydrates: 24.4g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1.6g, Cholesterol: 133mg, Sodium: 622mg, Fiber: 1.8g, Sugar: 2g

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

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Have you made these lamb stuffed grape leaves with avgolemono sauce? Or maybe you have made a different dolma recipe?  We would love to hear from you. Drop us a comment below.