grape leaves

Stuffed grape leaves known as “Warak Enab” in Arabic, is a Lebanese dish of spiced rice and beef rolled in grape leaves and simmered in a Lemony broth.

Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves

¾ jar Grape Leaves ((About 60-80 leaves))

Long Grain Rice

lb Ground Beef

1½ tsp. 7 Spices

Black Pepper

Cinnamon

Salt

Lamb Chops (or Ribs)

Lemons (juiced)

tb. Vegetable Oil

Water ((enough

Begin by rinsing the rice 3 times with cold water. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ground beef, washed rice, 7 spices, cinnamon, black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine.&nbsp;

Unpack the jar of grape leaves and place in a colander. Rinse the brine using cold water and set aside to drain any water.&nbsp;

Place a grape leaf vein-side up on a large plate or cutting board. Using a small paring knife, cut the small stem off. Drop about 1 tablespoon of the beef and rice filling and spread into a thin line leaving enough room on both sides of the leaf for rolling.

Fold each side of the leaf over the filling beginning with the bottom side and roll tightly to prevent the leaf from opening up while cooking. Repeat until you have no more leaves left. *If the grape leaf is very large, cut in half, then stuff and roll.&nbsp;

Using a paper towel, pat the lamb chops dry. Season with a half teaspoon of salt. In a deep pot, heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Sear the lamb chops on high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.&nbsp;

Arrange the stuffed leaves side by side and on top of each other over the seared lamb chops. Place a plate about 1-2 inches smaller in diameter than the pot, over the stuffed leaves. Fill the pot with enough water to cover all the leaves and up to the plate. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and season with remaining half teaspoon of salt. Cook on medium to high heat until boiling. Reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 45min to 1 hour. To check if grape leaves are done, take a grape leaf out and try it!

Once the grape leaves are done cooking, Flip the pot over onto a serving platter. There should very little lemon water left. Serve warm.

This healthy take on the classic meatloaf is essentially a giant Greek meatball-meets-dolma, with no individual rolling or wrapping! And no dry meatloaf here: the grape leaves encase the flavorful meat mixture, keeping it nice and juicy and imparting a welcome tang. It&#039;s show-stopping enough for a dinner party, but quick and easy enough for a weeknight. Serve with a big Greek salad and rice or pita bread.

Greek Meatloaf Wrapped in Grape Leaves

Extra virgin olive oil

jarred grape leaves, (drained and rinsed)

white bread, (toasted (gluten-free is okay))

carrot, (peeled and very finely chopped or grated)

celery stick, (very finely chopped)

red onion, (very finely chopped or grated)

red bell pepper, (very finely chopped)

garlic cloves, (minced)

Kosher salt

Black pepper

beef

tomato paste

mint leaves

oregano

lemon

Tzatziki sauce, (for serving)

Halved grape tomatoes and parsley, (for garnish)

Get ready. Bring a medium pot filled with water to a boil. Position a rack in the middle of your oven and heat to 350°F. Lightly coat a sheet pan or baking dish with olive oil.

Boil the grape leaves. Add the grape leaves (a large handful’s worth) and let them cook until softened but still in one piece, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and set aside for now.

Soak the bread. Place the toasted bread in a small bowl and cover it with water (or milk if you’d like).  Allow it to soak until very tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze any excess liquid out of the bread so it crumbles (if you’re using a rustic loaf, discard the crusts) and add to a large mixing bowl.

Sauté the veggies. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add the carrots, celery, onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the veggies have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour off any excess liquid, then add to the bowl with the bread.

Prepare the meatloaf mixture. To the bowl with the bread and veggies, add the ground beef, egg, tomato paste, mint, oregano, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix until everything is well combined.

Form the meatloaf. Turn the meat out onto parchment paper or aluminum foil and shape into a meatloaf. It should be about the size of a loaf pan (even though we won’t use one), which is 8.5 by 4.5-inches.

Make a bed for the meatloaf. Pat the grape leaves dry, then layer about 6 to 8 large grape leaves on the prepared dish with the stem facing up. Lift the sides and corners of the foil or parchment to transfer the meat mixture to the middle of the leaves. Gently turn the meat out onto the leaves, discarding the paper or foil.

Wrap the meatloaf. Wrap the grape leaves around the meat mixture from both sides to cover the bottom half of the loaf. Place more grape leaves over the exposed meat (as many as needed) to cover the top side, slightly overlapping the leaves and pressing them so they adhere to the meatloaf.

Bake. Drizzle a little olive oil all over the grape leaf-wrapped meatloaf. Cover the pan with foil (make sure to tent the foil so it is not touching the meatloaf). Bake in the heated oven for 30 minutes, then uncover and return to the oven for another 20 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked through and the grape leaves are tender.

Rest. Squeeze half of the lemon all over the grape leaf-wrapped meatloaf, then set aside to rest for 10 minutes or so. Slice the remaining lemon half into wedges for serving.

Finish and serve. Cut the meatloaf into slabs using a serrated knife. Garnish with parsley and halved cherry tomatoes. Serve with lemon wedges and tzatziki sauce on the side, letting people drizzle and dress as they like.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/Q9C1q6rS.mp4

Greek Meatloaf with Grape Leaves

Warak Enab are stuffed grape leaves that only require a few simple ingredients. They are stuffed with a rice and beef filling and cooked in a lemony chicken broth, resulting in the most tender and flavourful rolls. Warning: they&#39;re quite addictive!

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Warak Enab)

rice

salt

seven spice (substitute allspice)

black pepper

cinnamon

olive oil

lamb chops (optional)

potato

lemon juice

chicken broth

In a medium sized bowl combine the rice, ground beef, salt, pepper, seven spice and cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.

Remove the grape leaves from the jar and rinse them off with cold water, several times. This ensures that all the salt from the brine is removed. Squeeze them dry and place them in a large tray or bowl.

Taking one grape leaf at a time, place the grape leaf with the smooth side down.

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the filling mixture and place near the bottom edge of the grape leaf, in the centre, in a log shape.

Roll up the bottom of the leaf up and over the stuffing

Next, tuck in both sides.

Continue rolling upwards until you reach the end.

Place on a large tray and repeat with the rest of the grape leaves and the filling.

To Make the Filling and Stuff The Grape Leaves

Combine the lemon juice, olive oil and chicken stock.

To Make the Broth

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add the tablespoon of olive oil and sear each side of the lamb chops for a few minutes. Remove and set aside.

You can use either an instant pot or a regular large stove-top pot. At the bottom of the pot, lay down the potato slices followed by the lamb chops.

Carefully layer the rolled grape leaves on top, ensuring that you pack them in tightly to help them stay intact.

Place any extra unfilled grape leaves over top and cover with a metal rack that fits in the pot, if using an instant pot. If using the stove top method, place a glass plate turned upside down over the grape leaves. Pour over the broth all over the grape leaves.

To cook using the stove top: place the pot over high heat for 10 minutes, until the pot has heated through. Lower the heat to medium high, cover the pot and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. Check the grape leaves for tenderness. If they&#39;re not yet fork tender, continue cooking for another 30 minutes, adding a few cups of water if needed, to avoid the liquid completely drying up.

To cook using the instant pot: Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. Release the pressure and carefully remove the metal rack. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. If there&#39;s a lot of juices, tip the pot over a medium bowl to drain most of them.

To Serve: Place a large serving tray over the top of the pot. Using oven mitts, place one hand over the base of the pot, and one hand under the tray. Carefully and swiftly flip over onto the tray. Ask someone to stand near you to help you hold the pot as you flip. Remove the pot to reveal the warak enab in the tray with the potato slices and lamb chops on top.

Serve hot, with any leftover juices served in a bowl alongside the grape leaves. You can also serve them with a bowl of yogurt.

To Arrange The Pot

I made these Stuffed Grape Leaves (Warak Enab) with lamb chops, today they were delicious, my husband was very impressed and he loved them. We've made them before with other recipes but they weren't this good 🥰

One of the best recipes I have ever tried and fool proof. I have so many friends who loved it when I made it they even requested I made more for them. This recipe is top tier! I guarantee if you love Warak enab then you have to try this recipe. It was absolutely delicious! 

Thank you for the recipe, very delicious 

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/G8cIPyxC.mp4

Warak Enab are stuffed grape leaves that only require a few simple ingredients. They are stuffed with a rice and beef filling and cooked in a lemony chicken broth, resulting in the most tender and flavourful rolls.

Warak Enab

Very popular in several Mediterranean countries and a family favorite, these Lebanese meat stuffed grape leaves are filled with beef, rice, and lemon juice.

Lebanese Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves

grape leaves (2 pound jar)

sirloin (or lamb)

long grain enriched white rice (par-boiled

pepper

lemons (juiced)

celery

cabbage

Line a large pot with celery ribs and loose cabbage leaves.

Remove the hard stems from grape leaves and place on a plate.

In a large bowl, combine ground meat, rice, the juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper.

One grape leaf at a time, place the leaf flat on a plate and add 1 tablespoon of meat and rice mixture near stem.

Form meat into long cigar shape then roll the grape leave starting at the stem all the way to the top. No need to fold in sides but you can if you wish.

Line rolls in pot, alternating direction with each layer until the pot is filled ¾ of the way or you’ve used all your leaves.

Cover grapes leaves with a small plate turned upside down to keep them from moving and to weigh it down.

Add the juice of the second lemon and then cover with water until grape leaves are covered. 

Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil on high. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes before serving with plain yogurt or cucumber laban if you wish. 

This was a wonderful, delicious dish. The flavors are warm &amp; left us craving more. I’ve made this dish with beef &amp; again with lamb. My fave is the lamb protien!  Thank you, Chef!

Just the way my Sito used to make them.
Do you have a recipe for Kaark (easter bread)

I have been making stuffed grape leaves for years. I used to make it kind of like this recipe. Years ago, I replaced the ground beef with ground pork and instead of water I use chicken broth. I get rave reviews from family members that prefer my way.

Finally!  This is the way my mother...100% Lebanese made Grape Leaves
Waraq Enab!
Best recipe on the internet.
Don't use the cooked meat recipes !!!!!

Excellent recipe!

Hi Liz...I just read your recipe for making stuffed grape leaves.  I'm also Lebanese and we always blanch the fresh grape leaves for a minute before stuffing them.  And when I use the canned leaves, I drain all that brine they are packed in and rinse it off and also blanch the leaves in order to get that brine taste off the leaves.   I never thought about adding celery stalks but it looks like a tasty idea that I will do the next time I make my grape leaves.  I use more lemon juice.  For one pound of meat I was taught to use two lemons with the filling and also one or two lemons with the water to cover the leaves  in the pot.  My family likes the lemon taste.

Hi! I am wanting to make stuffed grape leaves myself but they don't sell the grape leaves in stores around here. I know where there are wild grape vines growing but I'm not sure if they will be good quality this te of year. Is there ant good rule of thumb to determine if they're usable?

Liz I love following you and your recipes have been a hit in my large Jordanian family. I have to fully support the Allspice comment. We also line the bottom of the  Dutch oven with the flat Grape leaves and lamb shoulder. I like to add sliced tomato as well. Midway through cooking a 3/4 cup of lemon juice. Finally I rinse the leaves prior to cooking they can be very salty. Give it a go you will love it!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/p3DmkPAC.mp4

How To Make Lebanese Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves

How To Make Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves

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Greek Meatloaf Wrapped in Grape Lea...

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Warak Enab)

Lebanese Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves

Top 4 grape leaves recipes from across the web

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Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves

Greek Meatloaf Wrapped in Grape Lea...

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Warak Enab)

Lebanese Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves

The most viewed grape leaves recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine