Dolmades are stuffed vine leaves filled with herby rice — a Greek and Levantine meze. The air fryer warms them through and gives the outsides a lovely light crisp, a fresh twist on the usual soft version. Here's how.
Key takeaways
Q: How do you cook dolmades in an air fryer?
A: Brush stuffed vine leaves with oil and air fry at 170°C (340°F) for 8–10 minutes, to warm through and lightly crisp.
Q: Can you use shop-bought?
A: Yes — it's a great way to refresh tinned or deli dolmades.
The method
For homemade, roll a filling of rice, herbs, onion and lemon in softened vine leaves into neat parcels, seam-side down. Brush with olive oil and air fry until warmed through with lightly crisped edges. Shop-bought dolmades work beautifully too — a few minutes in the air fryer gives them a fresher, crisper edge than serving cold. Finish with lemon.
The recipe
Air Fryer Dolmades
Ingredients
- Vine leaves (jarred)
- Cooked rice, herbs, onion
- Lemon, olive oil
- Pine nuts (optional)
Method
- Roll rice filling in vine leaves (or use ready-made).
- Brush with olive oil.
- Air fry at 170°C for 8–10 minutes.
- Finish with lemon.
Tips
- Seam-side down so they don't unravel.
- Brush with oil for crisp edges.
- Great with shop-bought to refresh them.
Frequently asked questions
How do you cook dolmades in an air fryer?
Brush stuffed vine leaves with olive oil and air fry at 170°C for 8–10 minutes to warm them through and lightly crisp the edges.
Can you air fry shop-bought dolmades?
Yes — a few minutes in the air fryer gives jarred or deli dolmades a fresher, lightly crisped edge that's nicer than serving them cold.
What's in dolmades?
Vine leaves wrapped around a filling of rice, herbs, onion and lemon, sometimes with pine nuts; meat versions add minced lamb or beef.