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Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves

Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves (warak enab) are a Mediterranean favorite! They taste the very best homemade. My recipe includes rice, meat, and lots of lemon to make the most tender, flavorful grape leave rolls.


There is no more beloved, well known Middle Eastern dish than grape leaves! This Lebanese recipe makes a large pot of lovingly rolled grape leaves, a tradition we turn to for every major family feast.

My husband Dan loves to tease me that his Shaheen clan reigns with the Lebanese grape leaves experts. I can’t deny that the grape leaves he and his family make are luscious. But my Aunt Hilda was a grape leaves expert, and I learned plenty from her growing up! She arrived for every feast with a huge pot of stuffed grape leaves. I cherish making them with her at her kitchen table, talking about all of the family and whatever party was about to take place. It’s a lot of fun making them with people you love, a project that delights in a gathering.

Read my story about tasting grape leaves from our family village in Lebanon here!


Lebanese stuffed grape leaves on a white platter served by Maureen Abood's hands

Lebanese stuffed grape leaves are made with meat and rice stuffing as in my method here, as well as vegetarian. Try my vegetarian grape leaves recipe here. Both are packed with savory flavor, not to be missed.

Find success with this special, traditional Lebanese recipe for grape leaves following my tried and true instructions here.

See how it’s done! Watch my video on How to Make Lebanese Grape Leaves:



Why you’ll love my recipe for grape leaves.

There are lots of recipes out there for stuffed grape leaves. Here’s what I love about my recipe:

The flavor.

These rolls are the most savory, lemony I have ever tasted. I gather tips from my pro family cooks and through rigorous testing arrive at a recipe that tastes better than any other! My recipe calls for chicken broth and a whole lot of lemon juice. I also include butter (yes!) in the filling. Dan’s family does this and so did my Aunt Hilda, grape leave roller extraordinaire. This adds so much goodness. Because we don’t eat grape leaves that often, we aren’t concerned about the butter in the mix. Not to worry, though: the butter can be omitted if you like!

The texture.

Grape leaves must have just the right texture—meltingly soft, but not soooo soft that they fall apart when you pick one up to eat. Jarred leaves, which most of us use and which I describe as you scroll down here, can be veiny and a little tough. The lemon juice helps tenderize, as well as the cooking time.

Ingredients You Need to make Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves.

  • Grape leaves. They are available jarred and fresh. Jarred grape leaves can be found in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean grocery stores. Depending on where you live, some of the big grocery stores like Kroger or Publix also carry jarred grape leaves.

    My mother-in-law used one jarred brand and one only: Orlando. The leaves are consistently good. I notice that Orlando brand is also often called Yergot.

    To pick fresh leaves, you must find edible grape leaves which come from wild vines. Follow my guide and my video on how to identify, pick, and store fresh leaves here.
  • Rice. Recipes for grape leaves call for different types of rice: long grain white rice, medium grain white rice, and short grain white rice. I prefer medium grain rice for this but any of these varieties will work!
  • Spices. Simple here: salt, pepper, and cinnamon. The cinnamon can be substituted with Lebanese 7 Spice, an aromatic and traditional Arabic seasoning. Check out my custom 7 spice blend here.
  • Ground beef or lamb. Use lean ground beef or lamb for stuffed grape leaves (80% lean). I like to use grass fed ground beef for my grape leaves. Grass fed beef is “cleaner” in that it is lower in saturated fat.
  • Lemon juice. Lots of it! This is where a juicer comes in very handy. Juice your lemons so you have a good two cups of juice for this.
  • Chicken broth. We are huge fans of the added flavor that chicken broth adds. Water is also typical and works just fine instead, if you prefer.
  • Bone-in chicken or pork chops. These are used to line the base of the pan and cooked along with the rolls. Use chicken thighs or wings. More fabulous flavor!
  • Butter or olive oil. This makes for fabulous savory flavor, added to the filling.

Aunt Hilda's hands roll grape leaves with meat filling on the table
Aunt Hilda was an expert! How about those gold bracelets too…

How do you make Lebanese Grape Leave Rolls?

Here are the steps to make excellent homemade grape leaves:

Step 1: Make the Filling

Rinse the rice. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon, and melted butter to the rice. Mix the rice with the ground beef or lamb thoroughly (hands help here!).

Step 2: Prepare the leaves

For jarred leaves: the leaves are packed tightly in the jar in a few bundles. Pour the liquid from the jar and discard it. Carefully remove the bundles of leaves. Place the leaves in a big bowl of cool or tepid water and agitate them to rinse and soak them. Repeat this twice, pouring off the water entirely after the second rinse.

For fresh picked or frozen fresh leaves: Place the leaves, fresh or frozen, in a large bowl or pot of boiling water. Blanche, gently cooking the leaves for 5 minutes to soften them. Fresh leaves roll more easily and stay closed if they are softer from cooking.

Cut the stems. Either stack the leaves in bunches all in the same direction or lay them out individually on the countertop or work surface. Use scissors to trim off the short stems all the way to the edge of each leaf.

The stem of a grape leaf trimmed with scissors on a cutting board
Grape leaves immersed in boiling water with a spoon

Step 3: Prepare the cooking pot

Use a 4-6 quart heavy pot. Line the bottom of the pot with pieces of chicken (legs, thighs, anything bone-in) or bone-in pork chops. Lay any torn grape leaves or just a few of the largest leaves over the top of the chicken layer.

Step 4. Roll the grape leaves

See the photos below picturing the following steps for how to roll grape leaves:

Lay multiple leaves out on the work surface with the vein side facing up so the veins end up inside the roll. The stem end should face you.

Use about 1 teaspoon of the filling per leaf, give or take depending on the size of the leaf. This may seem like very little filling, but this is all you need for a cigar-sized roll. Shape the filling across the stem end of the leaf in a log, leaving enough leaf on either side of the meat for folding.

Don’t roll the leaves too tightly—allow room for the rice filling to expand, which it will during cooking.

Fold each side of the leaf over the meat like an envelope. Roll securely, away from you. Tuck any leaf points into the fold as you go.

End with the tip of the leaf facing down.

A grape leaf set vein side up on a cutting board
Grape leaf with meat and rice mixture across the leaf
A grape leaf rolled with two hands
Two hands fold a grape leaf for grape leaf rolls
A grape leaf roll stuffed and rolled up on a cutting board

Step 5. Fill the pot with rolls, broth, and lemon juice. Cook!

Arrange stuffed leaves in rows in the prepared pan, alternating the direction of each layer of rows. Place a plate face down over the top layer to prevent the rolls from floating.

Fill pot with a mixture of chicken broth and lemon juice up to the plate. Cover and bring slowly to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 60-90 minutes, until rice and leaves are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed (there will be some liquid remaining after cooking).

Grape leaves stuffed and rolled, layered in a pot

Step 6. Cool!

It is not easy to wait until these juicy, mouthwatering bundles of love are cooled off to eat! But:

Lebanese grape leave rolls are meltingly soft while still hot! So that they don’t fall apart as you remove them from the pot, allow the rolls to cool with the lid off the pot for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Step 7. Plate and serve

Serve grape leaves one of three ways:

  1. Serve directly from the pot, using tongs to pull each roll from the pot.
  2. Flip the entire pot of rolls into a wide bowl by placing the bowl over top of the pot, then flip over quickly (and carefully!). Make sure to pour off the excess cooking liquid before flipping the pot. Remove the meat layer and serve that on the side or discard (it’s not pretty!).
  3. Place the rolls on a serving platter, using tongs to transfer the rolls from the pot to the serving platter.Save

Stuffed grape leaves on a pink and white plate with labneh and lemon slices

Expert Tips for Making the Best Lebanese Grape Leave Rolls.

  1. Try to roll the leaves all about the same size. This means using the same amount of filling in each, and not too much! Also, if a leaf is very large, try cutting it in half and working with it that way. If a leaf is very small, use that one and the very large or torn leaves to line the bottom of the pan.
  2. Be sure to place the plate over the rolls and broth. This step is key to keeping the rolls securely in place so they don’t float and unravel as they cook. Use an old plate if you like; I use a salad plate from every day dishes and the plate cleans up back to normal afterwards, no problem.
  3. Beware of adding lemon wedges to the pot. I always used to add slices of lemon throughout the pot of rolls, but I discovered that the lemon rind can add a bitter taste to the finished rolls. Now I use lemon juice only, not the lemons, to season the rolls.
  4. Cool the pot of rolls before transferring them to a serving dish. They are very soft when hot right after cooking. Once they cool off a bit, they hold their shape and can be served easily without breaking apart.

Are stuffed grape leaves really Greek or Lebanese?

Many cultures of the Mediterranean make grape leaves! Greeks, Turks, Persians, and many more.

Greeks call them dolmades and typically serve the rolls with avgolemono sauce, a lemony egg sauce that is very delicious!

Lebanese call grape leaves warak enab, which is Arabic for, you guessed it!, grape leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Are grape leaves good for you?

They sure are: Green leaves and lean meat are a winning combination that is also gluten-free. Grape leaves can also be made vegan.

What do grape leaves taste like?

Ohhh the heaven! Lemon is a primary flavor that shines brightly in grape leaves. Cinnamon and the ground beef or lamb is traditional and does not taste like cinnamon per se; this is a flavor that simply enhances the taste of the meat.

Are grape leaves Greek or Lebanese?

Both, my friends, both! And many other cultures enjoy their own versions of grape leaves. See my note above here about this.

Where can I buy jarred grape leaves?

Jarred leaves can be found in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean grocery stores. Depending on where you live, some of the big grocery stores like Kroger or Publix also carry them too.

How do I identify and pick fresh grape leaves?

To pick fresh, you must find edible grape leaves which come from wild vines. These vines do not bear big clusters of grapes like wine and eating grape vines do. Follow my guide and my video on how to identify, pick, and store fresh grape leaves here.

Can I make them vegetarian or vegan?

Love them vegetarian-style (they’re also vegan)! Try my recipe here.

Can I freeze cooked grape leaves?

I’m happy to report that yes, frozen cooked grape leaves can be reheated to their original delicious state! I used to do this for my nephew, freezing grape leaves in packs of 6 that I could refrigerate and thaw overnight and then put in his lunch. By lunch time they were just right at room temperature! This is how to thaw frozen grape leaves, in the refrigerator overnight, then warm to room temperature or reheat in the microwave or oven, spritzed with water or lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil to refresh the leaves.

Are stuffed grape leaves gluten-free?

I’m glad you asked because, yes, grape leave rolls are gluten-free!

Make Ahead: how to store grape leaves

Lebanese grape leaves take some time to prepare (and it’s so much fun!). Thankfully most if not all of the process are easy to make ahead. My mother-in-law always made her grape leaves about 4 days in advance of any feast. Follow the recipe all the way to placing the plate on top of the leaves. Refrigerate, covered. When ready to cook, add the broth and lemon juice and proceed.

To cook grape leaves in advance, simply cool the pot of rolls, then cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove over low heat. Or, plate the grape leaves and reheat in the microwave or oven. Coat the rolls with some lemon juice and olive oil to revive the leaves before (and after) reheating.

To store leftover grape leaves, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat as noted above.

What do you serve with Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves?

Lebanese grape leaves are traditionally served as part of mezze, small plates of appetizers. We eat them as one of many dishes for a main course as part of a meal.

Grape leaves are delicious with labneh, Lebanese thickened yogurt, either a dollop over the top or thinned out a bit with water or lemon juice, as a dipping sauce.

Serve stuffed grape leaves with flatbread and olives too.

It seems that whenever we have grape leaves, we also make:

Lebanese kibbeh

Tabbouleh Salad

Lebanese Salata

Smooth, Creamy Homemade Hummus

Baba Gannouj, smokey eggplant dip

More Lebanese Recipes to Try:

Lebanese Cabbage Rolls

Chicken Shish Tawook, grilled chicken skewers

Grilled Kofta Skewers

Chicken Shawarma

Mujadara, lentil and rice pilaf

Lebanese stuffed grape leaves on a white platter served by Maureen Abood's hands

Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe (Warak Enab)

Maureen Abood
Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves (warak enab) are a Mediterranean favorite. They taste the very best homemade! My recipe includes rice, meat, and lots of lemon to make the most tender, flavorful grape leaves.
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 80 grape leave rolls

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup medium grain rice
  • 4 oz. (1/2 cup or 1 stick) salted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed for the cooking liquid
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pound ground lamb or beef (80% lean)
  • 80 grape leaves, medium size, from a jar or fresh
  • 6 chicken wings or thighs or 3-4 bone-in pork chops
  • 3 cups chicken broth or water
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 6 lemons

Instructions
 

  • Make the Filling: Rinse the rice. Add the salt, pepper, cinnamon, and melted butter to the rice. Mix the rice with the ground beef or lamb thoroughly, using your hands to combine.
  • Prepare the leaves. For jarred leaves: the leaves are packed tightly in the jar in a few bundles. Pour the liquid from the jar and discard it. Carefully remove the bundles of leaves. Place the leaves in a big bowl of cool or tepid water and agitate them to rinse and soak them. Repeat this twice, pouring off the water entirely after the second rinse.
    For fresh picked or frozen fresh leaves: Place the leaves in a large bowl or pot of boiling water. Blanche, gently cooking the leaves for 5 minutes to soften them. Fresh leaves roll more easily and stay closed better if they are softer from cooking.
  • Trim the stems. Either stack the leaves in bunches all in the same direction or lay them out individually on the countertop or work surface. Use scissors to trim off the short stems all the way to (but not beyond) the edge of each leaf.
  • Prepare a 4 or 6 quart heavy pot. Line the bottom of the pot with the chicken or pork. Lay any torn grape leaves or just a few of the largest leaves over the top of the meat.
  • Roll the grape leaves. Lay multiple leaves out on the work surface with the vein side facing up so the veins end up inside the roll. The stem end should face you.
     Use about 1 teaspoon of the filling per leaf, give or take depending on the size of the leaf. This may seem like very little filling, but this is all you need for a cigar-sized roll. Shape the filling across the stem end of the leaf in a log, leaving enough leaf on either side of the meat for folding.
    Don’t roll the leaves too tightly—allow room for the rice filling to expand, which it will during cooking.
    Fold each side of the leaf over the meat like an envelope. Roll securely, away from you. Tuck any leaf points into the fold as you go.
     End with the tip of the leaf facing down.
  • Fill the pot with rolls by arranging them seam-side down in rows in the prepared pan. Alternate the direction of the rows with each layer of stuffed leaves.
    Place a plate face down over the top layer to prevent the rolls from floating.
    Fill the pot with a mixture of the chicken broth and lemon juice up to the plate. If using water instead of broth, or if using unsalted broth, add a tablespoon of kosher salt (half that if using table salt) to the liquid before adding to the pot.
  • Cook the grape leave rolls. Cover the pot and bring slowly to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 60-90 minutes, until the rice and leaves are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed (there will be some liquid remaining after cooking).
  • Cool. Allow the rolls to cool with the lid off the pot for about 30 minutes before serving.
  • Serve the grape leaves one of these ways:
    1. Serve directly from the pot, using tongs to pull each roll from the pot.
    2. Place the rolls on a serving platter, using tongs to transfer the rolls from the pot to the serving platter.
    3. This is more of an experienced-makers method: Flip the entire pot of rolls into a wide bowl by placing the bowl over top of the pot, then flip over quickly (and carefully!). Make sure to pour off the excess cooking liquid before flipping the pot. Remove the meat layer and serve that on the side or discard.

Notes

  1. Try to roll the leaves all about the same size. This means using the same amount of filling in each, and not too much! Also, if a leaf is very large, try cutting it in half and working with it that way. If a leaf is very small, use that one and the very large or torn leaves to line the bottom of the pan.
  2. Be sure to place the plate over the rolls and broth. This step is key to keeping the rolls securely in place so they don’t float and unravel as they cook. Use an old plate if you like; I use a salad plate from every day dishes and the plate cleans up back to normal afterwards, no problem.
  3. Beware of adding lemon wedges to the pot. I always used to add slices of lemon throughout the pot of rolls, but I discovered that the lemon rind can add a bitter taste to the finished rolls. Now I use lemon juice only, not the lemons, to season the rolls.
  4. Cool the pot of rolls before transferring them to a serving dish. They are very soft when hot right after cooking. Once they cool off a bit, they hold their shape and can be served easily without breaking apart.
  5. Would you like to pick fresh grape leaves? Yes! Follow my guide here and check out my video here to identify and store fresh grape leaves.
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76 Comments

  1. Janet Moore on May 24, 2012 at 10:40 AM

    What a beautiful story. It also brought tears to my eyes. My mom took her mom to Lebanon many years ago. The pictures and stories were abundant. I have always wanted to go…maybe one year I will make the trip. It is on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing.

  2. Sofia Perez on May 24, 2012 at 10:57 AM

    Just for the family stories alone, this blog entry is wonderful, but then you give us a recipe for the stuffed grape leaves, and you just about send me over the moon. I live in a very Greek neighborhood in NYC (locally, it used to be called “Little Athens”), so I’ve always had dolmades, and it’s one of my favorite dishes, from any type of cuisine, period. So now I am obligated to make your recipe!!! I cannot wait…

  3. Jerry Wakeen on May 24, 2012 at 11:02 AM

    Delightful story, thanks for sharing.
    I will send this one off to my family tree list also, I am sure it will tug at their hearts as it did mine.
    I too always wanted to visit Lebanon but my wife worries about safety.
    But I am sure the present residents know where to and where not to go.
    You made it back with your jar of grape leaves, so you were well taken care of.

    A while back someone sent me an aerial shot of Blat, where our relatives came from, a small village nestled in the hills. Quite different than what you might imagine. I think that was the foreign equivalent of Google.

    Our local expert in Wisconsin (Lebanese restaurant owner) likes his rolls very small with modest amounts of stuffing, pork and chicken boiled to get the stock, lemon on top at the end, all very good, yours looked wonderful also.

    I like cabbage rolls too, made an inch thick and about 6 inches long, with a tomato juice cooking stock, we always got them before they were done, mom would complain but we maintained they were done (even though the rice was still crunchy).

    Thanks Maureen much for your trip and stories.
    Jerry

    • Reinventing Nadine on May 27, 2012 at 12:49 AM

      In Lebanon grape leaves are never ever stuffed with pork..it is either a vegetarian or meet mixture.

  4. Gregory Jarous on May 24, 2012 at 11:38 AM

    This story was beautiful. Both sets of my Grandparents came from Deir Meirmas. Almost made me cry which i do easily. Thank-you

  5. Gregory Jarous on May 24, 2012 at 11:39 AM

    Actualy i ment i don’cry easily. Oh well

  6. Jody Namey Atty on May 24, 2012 at 12:40 PM

    Total agreement with all previous comments!! Beautiful, just beautiful…in so many ways!!!
    Love, Jody

  7. Scot on May 24, 2012 at 12:57 PM

    Maureen — Is that John’s beautiful hand? The boys just love the grapeleaves!! 🙂

  8. Joe Joseph on May 24, 2012 at 1:43 PM

    Maureen,
    Another beautiful story. Thank you.

    Grape leaves are one of our family favorites. I learned to make them by helping my Dad and Mom roll them when I was a kid, and my children gathered around the kitchen counter and similarly learned from me. When my grandchiidren are old enough they will no doubt carry on. Try cooking them in chicken broth instead of water, especially if not using bones. This makes for a richer flavor. (My Dad taught me this.)

    • Leslie Massad on January 23, 2013 at 2:11 PM

      Hi …wonderful story…thank u so much for sharing …exactly how I make mine with the chicken broth …go good!!!!
      ………..Leslie

  9. Greg Carpenter on May 24, 2012 at 1:45 PM

    Thanks for sharing your stories… your blog always provides a nice break in my busy day. Very evocative writing.

    And another winning recipe. I will make these for my kids… canned stuffed grape leaves and dolmas have been a guilty pleasure of ours for years. It’s time to upgrade to homemade.

  10. virginia lasher on May 24, 2012 at 8:29 PM

    Maureen you write so beautifully. I love reading your stories. God love you, you are so special. You make my day. much love, virginia

  11. Diane Spaniolo Gallagher on May 24, 2012 at 11:33 PM

    Maureen, you brought tears to my eyes. God bless you.

  12. Lana on May 26, 2012 at 6:41 PM

    Maureen, your stories could be mine, and your formidable Aunts look just like my Aunts in Serbia, surrounded by hand-tatted doilies and beautiful pastries they share with their neighbors. Our paths are so similar and my visits overseas are always filled with anguish and tears, as much as joy and laughter. But I would not change that for anything:)
    Influenced by the Orient, we also make these little rolls, but as we are land-locked, the preferred green is mostly sorrel. Throughout spring and summer months, this was a favorite meal of mine, and my girls continue the tradition, craving the rolls each year.
    Thank you for your beautiful voice that brings me into your life as if I were a member of your family.
    I don’t know if this is a big deal or not, but i nominated you for Food Stories Award. I hope the links work if you want to go and check out the site. https://foodstoriesblog.com/food-stories-award/ And here is my post about the awards: https://bibberche.com/2012/05/food-stories-award/
    Have a great holiday weekend! Sending a big wave to Michigan, which was my first harbor when I landed on the U.S. soil. Ten years have left quite an impact and I still consider myself a Michigander in a way:)

  13. Reinventing Nadine on May 27, 2012 at 12:46 AM

    Stuffed grape leaves would be my dish of choice if I ever to be on a death row. How wonderful your story to show up around May 25th liberation day. My favorite thing to eat with grape leaves stuffed with meat is my homemade yogurt which also made it healthy aperture.

  14. Asma Khoury Safadi on May 30, 2012 at 1:34 PM

    Beautiful words. I hope you will be able to visit Deirmimas soon.

  15. Roger Toomey on June 30, 2012 at 7:23 PM

    Did you know this page is listed on the Deir Mimas facebook page?

    • Maureen Abood on July 1, 2012 at 6:00 AM

      Yes, so nice, thanks Roger!

  16. Fragolina on November 8, 2012 at 2:50 PM

    hey Maureen. I like your post, and it’s a bit sad that you couldnt be able to go see our village DeirMimas. you know, we go there every 2 week-ends, and it is safe. I know that abroad the news projects a different image of the situation in Lebanon but it’s not as it seems.Hope next time you visit Lebanon, you don’t miss Deirmimas. And if I’ll be here we’ll go together.
    I saw your picture in a magazine, Taste & Flavors, distributed in Beirut cooking Festival which I visited today. It’s a nice article about your blog and your Lebanese Cuisine.
    my mother and i were guessing about your parents and grandparents. My mom is a Hourani, and my dad is a Toubia. take care. we’ll stay in touch.

  17. jeannette on March 15, 2013 at 10:27 AM

    Hi,

    First, I really enjoy your site! I grow grapes in my backyard and wonder if anywhere on your site you mention how to jar leaves and if so do you specify as to which kind of leaves are best for jarring?
    Regards,

    Jeannette Khoury
    Montreal, Canada

    • Maureen Abood on March 15, 2013 at 11:18 AM

      Thank you Jeanette! I haven’t jarred my own leaves (we always freeze them) but that’s a great idea…. The only leaves we use for this dish are wild grape leaves, not cultivated leaves from grapes (the wild ones don’t bear fruit).

      • marion estephan on October 4, 2013 at 5:04 PM

        Maureen, I had never never heard of wild grape leaves before my daughter married into a Syrian family.I grew up in a Lebanese community in Pa. and always had leaves from fruit bearing vines.When I make for my family I stuff about 800 to 900 each time.Then i try to freeze enough to make it a couple of times during the winter.I would never be able to have room to jar them.Just wanted to let you know I love your posts.

        • Maureen Abood on October 6, 2013 at 2:02 PM

          Wow, thank you Marion–I’m very interested to know this about your fruit-bearing vines and leaves!

  18. marion estephan on October 4, 2013 at 10:50 AM

    Dear Maureen,
    I just found your website and I am in love with it.I am an American born Lebanese married to a Lebanese
    born American.I love reading about your family.I was so glad to see that you make your stuffed grape leaves in lemon just as I do.I can’t find many people that do it that way.I have a large grape vine and am constantly stuffing leaves for my large family.I try to stuff as as many as my freezer will hold and then just freeze the leaves and then by adding a little extra olive oil they cook up delicious in the winter.My in-laws were from Kferksghab in North Lebanon and the love of food and family also binds us together.

    • Maureen Abood on October 6, 2013 at 2:03 PM

      Thanks so much Marion–your grape leaves sound wonderful!

  19. Rania Squillo on October 5, 2013 at 11:06 PM

    Hi Ms. Abood,

    I’ve made this dish three times & each time my family says “it’s exactly like grandma’s.” You don’t know happy I am when I hear that because my mom passed away in 2000 & unfortunately I was not at all interested in learning to cook back then. I stumbled on this recipe one night when my sister wasn’t around & I wanted to attempt to make this. I kept thinking to myself no way! Like I’m really gonna find a recipe when I googled Lebanese stuffed grape leaves. Since then, I just wanna jump in my car & drive all the way to Michigan every time I read a new story or look at the postcards from Up North!! I love the stories & the pics. Keep them coming!!! Oh & the recipes are so easy to follow & delicious.

    Regards,
    Rania

    • Maureen Abood on October 6, 2013 at 1:48 PM

      Thank you so very much for your wonderful words, Rania! Your mama would be proud of you.

  20. Tom Gebora on November 26, 2013 at 9:39 AM

    Hi Maureen,
    You need to be playing baseball; you just hit another homerun. Thank you for the great piece and recipies. Any information on the baby coosa? I’m still looking.

    Regards,
    Tom G.

    • Maureen Abood on November 26, 2013 at 2:53 PM

      Thank you Tom! That baby coosa question remains!

      • george g on May 17, 2014 at 5:48 PM

        What about the baby cousa? I have a grandma I can ask 🙂 might be a late reply but maybe you are still wondering 🙂 have a good one

        • Maureen Abood on May 19, 2014 at 9:44 AM

          George! Were you looking for a recipe for pickled baby coosa, or where to buy some already made?

  21. Nora Trabilsy on February 18, 2014 at 8:36 AM

    Loved your story. Have a similar one when my husband and I visited Sydney Australia to meet the children of my mother’s half brother. He was left in Lebanon as a child when his father died and mother had no where else to go as he was considered property of the husband’s family. She came to the U.S. and had two little girls, dying when they were very young. She never saw her son again, he never saw his mother and my mother and her sister never met their brother. When our families found each other my mother and their father had passed. When I stepped off of the plane, 100 years of longing were fulfilled. I met loving cousins and saw in them the faces of my past. I can only assume that my mother and her brother had a hand in this once they were together in heaven. We remain close and they have also travelled to Michigan for my daughter’s wedding. Our next journey is to go to Lebanon to see my family’s home. Thank you for sharing your memories.

    • Maureen Abood on February 20, 2014 at 10:29 PM

      That’s just amazing and so touching, Nora. We are kindred spirits then. Thank you for writing and please stay in touch.

  22. samy Husseini on April 4, 2014 at 2:55 PM

    Hi Maureen,
    I don’t know where to start, talking about your touchy story or your wonderful grape leaves recipe,
    however, i think you are one of the most Lebanese great story teller and cook.
    I truely enjoyed your stories and your ways of preparing Lebanese food. you are one of the kind women who has a great soul and great love of our culture and heritage.
    I told you in the pass that i do cook for my family and enjoy the creation of food from scratch. I think when we take the time to create a meal for our beloved ones, it gives us the peace of mind that our children are well fed there fore they will be strong.
    last time i visited Lebanon was 20 years ago, I went to Baalbeck my home town and to byblos my fother’s home town and spent couple weeks in Beirut at my sister’s house. I enjoyed two dishes in Lebanon, one was simple Falafel and the second one was Samaki harra (spicy fish).
    I was wondering if you have a recipe for Spicy fish the Lebanese way, i would appreciated.
    I wish you the best and wish one day to meet you as I said in my last email to you.
    Samy

    • Maureen Abood on April 5, 2014 at 8:35 AM

      Samy, that is beautiful and I thank you for your wonderful words. I have a pan-seared snapper that is similar to the spicy fish in Lebanon–see it here:

  23. Linda on April 5, 2014 at 2:32 PM

    I recently purchased stuffed grape leaves (meatless) they were great. I make my own, however these (purchased) I was told has fresh tomatoes, any one know how to make these? thank you

    • Maureen Abood on April 5, 2014 at 3:32 PM

      Thanks Linda–the meatless are delicious and can be made a variety of ways. Here’s my recipe, which includes fresh tomatoes:

  24. Sean Rami Abass on April 14, 2014 at 5:25 PM

    Hi Maureen, I just read the Saveur Best Food Blog Awards. Congratulations. I’ve been planning on making Stuffed Grape leaves as I was driving yesterday, and after reading your blog decided that I must this week!
    I don’t have fresh leaves or even my favorite brand(Orlando).Ihave been taught by my Tita and Dad how to roll them. Grandma likes them too small compared to my father’s instructions. A little more filling. I have not tried a lamb or goat bone yet. I noticed no tomatoes(sliced on top instead of lemons). peeled garlic cloves to pack around the rolls, or cumin. 1/2 cup of lemon juice in the water makes it perfect for me. My wife, Fabiola and I love to eat the grape leaves that are from the bottom of the pot. I also like the tomatoes. I miss those times sitting down with dad(Rami),Grandma(Nadia) and my brother and sister(Brook and Nadia). Thanks again for Your sharing, Sean

    • Maureen Abood on April 15, 2014 at 7:21 AM

      Wonderful Sean–I love hearing about your family and their way in the kitchen! Thank you, and enjoy the grape leaves!

  25. valerie Solomon on May 11, 2014 at 4:54 PM

    Thank you for this…I made these for the first time in many years…I was just a wee one….

    • Maureen Abood on May 13, 2014 at 8:53 PM

      How special Valerie!

  26. Aminah ( ghazaleh) on August 5, 2014 at 12:01 AM

    My Beautiful family from Latakia use lamb mince, long grain rice, allspice and salt&pepper, garlic optionally a little finely chopped parsley and mint and you can add onion very very finely diced for extra flavour.. We saute ingredients with mince in samneh (ghee) or butter until the meat is browned then we let it cool( this is our filling) once cooled we stuff and roll the vine leaves which would be fresh blanched in salt water or prepared brined out of jar … We then put sear a few lamb shanks or neck or any lamb bone cuts.. Put a few to line bottom of a large pot.. Then place and stack stuffed leaves around the pot like a circle starting from outside toward in.. Placing a few whole garlic bulbs in the skin throughout ( this adds flavor and tastes fabulous when ready to serve) melting in ur mouth) then once u reach close to the top ( leaving room for a few more lamb bones) we place a few more lamb bone cuts on top… And cover with desired amount of lemon juice and water to cover then place a plate to keep in place and lid of pan.. Get temperature to the boil then put on low temp for 2-3 hrs.. Until rice in rolls is cooked .. Then serve squeezing a bit more lemon juice…Laban ( yoghurt) fresh Arabic bread and a salad ( tabbouleh) is great! 😉 you can alternatively stuff with a bourghol and herb mix or the above mix minus the meat.. Enjoy. Help the Syrian people during their sad and disastrous
    crisis.. And find a well known sponsor/ organisation to support and donate to for our people;) remember Allah kareem .. 😉

  27. Liz on August 14, 2014 at 6:38 PM

    Hi, is the 1 cup of long grain rice supposed to be cooked when you roll it in the leaves?

    • Maureen Abood on August 16, 2014 at 9:42 PM

      Hi Liz–that’s uncooked rice. Enjoy your grape leaves!

      • Jessica Camels on June 22, 2022 at 11:22 AM

        Nice story. I loved reading this story, brings me right back to when I was a youngster ad on rainy days in the kitchen making this dish as well as other platters. So invigorating and makes me hungry for these.

        • Maureen Abood on June 25, 2022 at 10:27 AM

          That’s beautiful, thank you!

  28. Labib Haddad on August 30, 2014 at 7:44 PM

    Maureen,
    Thank you so much for sharing, I stumbled on your blog from a google search, and I bookmarked it and refer to it. I left Lebanon 25 years ago, but Lebanon didn’t leave me. I am always looking at recipes of dishes I use to enjoy back home to share with my family. Your blog is what I was looking for. I love the stories and recipes and the connection. Since I have relatives from Deir Mimas, this story caught my eye. I am walking to the kitchen to start cooking, grape leaves, Mujaddara (lentil and rice dish), as well as vegetarian green beans stew (lobbied bi zeit). Again, thank you for sharing.
    -Labib

    • Maureen Abood on September 1, 2014 at 11:55 AM

      Beautiful Labib, thank you so much!

  29. Adam Clarke on June 18, 2015 at 3:06 PM

    Maureen,
    Thank you for sharing this story. Just stumbled upon it through google and am now obsessed with your blog. My family has had a Christmas time tradition of making grape leaves and Shish Barak since I was born (27 years ago). We actually your very small cuts of lamb (little fingernail size) instead of ground lamb. Although it requires much more effort, the tenderness of the lamb makes it worth it!

    Thanks again
    -Adam

    • Maureen Abood on June 25, 2015 at 9:11 AM

      Wonderful Adam, thank you for sharing!

  30. Charles Yousif on August 21, 2016 at 3:57 AM

    Dear Maureen
    I would like to share with you a much simpler method for preserving the leaves. I cut them fresh, stuff them in an empty 2-litre water plastic bottle, partially suck the air out and at the same time slightly crush the bottle to aid in emptying the air and quickly close it.
    The leaves keep their taste for years!! When needed, I cut open the plastic bottle with scissors or knif, wask the leaves and use them as normal.

  31. Erika on November 4, 2016 at 11:34 AM

    I love your writing and your recipes!

    Just to be clear, in your stuffing recipes (book and blog), the ground meat and the rice are *not* cooked prior to stuffing, but cookin the course of he simmering?

    Thanks for sharing!

    • Maureen Abood on November 7, 2016 at 12:22 PM

      Thanks Erika! Yes, the stuffing is raw, cooked as it’s simmered!

  32. Rachel Ramey on November 24, 2016 at 9:32 AM

    Thank you. Thanksgiving was always a mix of traditional Lebanese and American dishes with my dad’s side of the family. It doesn’t feel like the holidays without wariq 3ainab! Now that I live out of U.S. and far away from most of my family, keeping this tradition going means even more. I adore the stories and recipes here; thank you again for sharing.

    • Maureen Abood on November 27, 2016 at 9:51 PM

      Thanks so much Rachel!

  33. D. POKONOSKY on July 17, 2017 at 6:58 PM

    JUST CAME BACK FROM A TRIP TO LEBANON WHICH WAS AWESOME, SAFE AND ON MY BUCKET LIST FOR YEARS…………….SAFE AND MORE THAN I HOPED FOR . WENT WITH A TOUR FROM THE LEBANESE/SYRIAN FEDERATION,,,,,,,,,, DOROTHY

    • Maureen Abood on July 18, 2017 at 7:14 AM

      Wonderful Dorothy!

  34. Paula on August 14, 2017 at 7:44 PM

    So happy for you D. Pokonosky. As a personal note my grandmother was from Aleppo my grandfather from Damascus, Syria.. I inherited their stuffed grape leaves recipe, and because of my grapevine, I make so many during the summer and freeze the leaves for the winter here in the Northeast. So grateful and proud of my heritage.

    • Maureen Abood on August 17, 2017 at 5:16 PM

      Amen Paula, thanks for sharing! And lucky you, with that recipe and vine!

  35. Laura on May 11, 2019 at 7:49 PM

    Hi Maureen
    I am Lebanese and Lebanese food is my all time favorite foods! I never learned how to cook from my Tita, but I have decided now that I have grown children, I want to learn. I want to share my heritage with any grandchildren I may have and also inspire my daughters to learn.
    I noticed in the video you use chicken stock and the recipe has water. How much chicken stock is used? How much lemon juice?

    Thank you

    • Maureen Abood on May 14, 2019 at 2:07 PM

      Hi Laura–thanks so much for this question. I now use a good cup or more of lemon juice to cook the grapeleaves, and the rest is chicken stock. I’ll mix the lemon juice with stock in a 4-cup measure and then add additional stock if needed to fill the pot. Keep cooking and learning and sharing–it’s such a blessing!!

  36. Janice Kahalley on June 24, 2019 at 10:11 AM

    Maureen,
    Our family recipe calls for allspice, not cinnamon. I don’t see this in any other recipes I’ve looked at? They also used canned tomatoes (hand crushed) and a bit of tomato sauce in the filling. I don’t see this either usually. I’m always worried to change it up…

    Feedback?

    • Andrea Palmer on July 12, 2022 at 12:02 AM

      Hi Janice! My family recipe also calls for crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce in the filling. I can’t imagine yebret (that’s what my family calls them) without tomatoes! I didn’t realize that tomatoes weren’t a standard ingredient until I looked at this recipe and a recipe in another cookbook.

  37. Jeannine Kadane Lee on January 6, 2020 at 1:30 PM

    I love seeing how the fillings of the grape leaves reflect family food tradition’s and (assuming) regional foods. I’ve been rolling and making them since I was a young girl. Learned from my parents. Our ingredients are: meat, rice, crushed garlic, cinnamon and mint, crushed tomatoes for added moisture to the mix. We also included a lamb shank or chop at the bottom of the pan and lined with lemons. So good. Just made some for New Year’s Eve to share w/ friends. Also made for my daughter in S. Carolina for Thanksgiving and found the best grape leaves – Raureni. Unfortunately, they’re not available in DFW (just San Antonio and Austin). Worth checking out.

    It’s always a joy to cook your recipes. Continued success to you in 2020.

    Jeannine

    • Maureen Abood on January 7, 2020 at 12:46 PM

      Jeannine, your ingredients with the garlic and mint and tomatoes sounds divine. I’m going to try it. I love that you are making the grapeleaves for your family and dear friends! Lucky people. Great to know about Raureni, which I’ll be looking for…. Thanks so much and blessed new year to you and yours!

  38. Kebra Rios on July 1, 2020 at 7:25 PM

    Maureen,
    Look at how many hearts you touch both through your words and amazing recipes/products!!!
    I put sliced potatoes on the bottom of my pan to keep the grape leaves from sticking. The potatoes are sooooo yummy to eat. (Worth fighting over to eat!)
    I have the perfect stone wall in my backyard to grow a grape vine. You inspire me to figure out how to make that happen.
    I’ve never been to Lebanon, and probably will never have the opportunity. I deeply treasure what you share…thank you.
    Kebra

    • Maureen Abood on July 2, 2020 at 7:58 AM

      Oh Kebra, how kind and special. Thank you so much. We are kindred spirits.

  39. Carol Abodeely on August 5, 2020 at 5:26 PM

    Yes, tears of many varieties especially after the devastating news of yesterday. I’m so glad you were able to make this trip. We had to cancel ours in May due to the pandemic.
    xo
    Carol

  40. Cindy Dixon on July 21, 2021 at 6:08 PM

    My favorite memories is of walking into my situ’s house and seeing both a large pot of warak enab and mujadara, and fresh Manakish.! Thank you for evoking it again for me!

    • Maureen Abood on July 23, 2021 at 11:15 AM

      Beautiful!

  41. Norma Tomey on April 7, 2022 at 11:21 AM

    I do not eat meat but I love stuffed grape leaves. Instead I use garbanzo beans, lots of parsley, onions, salt pepper, rice not cooked, olive oil, freshly squezed lemon. Steam the dish in water , oo and lemon juice to cover the bottom of the pot. I put extra grape leaves on the bottom of the pot as well. High heat till the water starts to boil, reduce heat. With laban, what else do you need. I llove your recipes and stories reminds me when I spent summers with my situ. Thanks you.

    • Maureen Abood on April 8, 2022 at 4:58 PM

      That’s a beautiful recipe Norma! Similar to one I make, very delicious and I don’t miss the meat! Thank you for your kind words, our memories are as special as our food and the two are interconnected in a deep way.

  42. Andrea Palmer on July 12, 2022 at 12:09 AM

    Maureen, this beautiful post made me cry. Looking at the pictures of your relatives puts me in mind of my Sittee. She had that Lebanese look: the heavy brows, the curl-wavy hair, the big eyes, the distinct tilt of the nose and cheeks. And above all, the radiant happiness, generosity, and puckish sense of humor that shone in every interaction. Your post made me remember her and the summer afternoons my cousins and I would spend picking grape leaves for her — she paid us 1 cent per leaf!

    • Maureen Abood on July 19, 2022 at 2:46 PM

      Andrea…thanks so very much, what a beautiful note and a beautiful Sittee. Blessings indeed.

  43. Katanahamon on April 19, 2023 at 4:48 PM

    All grape leaves are edible! So are the young shoots and tendrils..in fact, many of the “bunch table grapes” have superior sizes and shapes to many jarred varieties, so, if you have grapes growing, go for it! I’ve also found every stuffed vine leaf version to be pleasing, but, the 50 50 beef lamb, with added tomato sauce either inside or to the simmer broth plus lots and lots of spices, fresh and dried mint, browned onions and garlic to be the best! I found a baked Persian version that had added sugar and lime juice that was super tasty too..

    • Maureen Abood on April 24, 2023 at 1:01 PM

      Hi there–thank you for your grape leaves knowledge! And your recipe suggestions too, delicious!

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Maureen Abood in the kitchen

I'm so glad you're here! You'll find among these pages the fresh and classic Lebanese recipes we can't get enough of! My mission is to share my tried + true recipes -- and to help our Lebanese food-loving community keep these culinary traditions alive and on the table. What recipes are you looking for? Let me know!

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