Turkish Biber Dolma (Stuffed Peppers) with Rice and Herbs

About This Recipe

Biber dolması is one of the cornerstones of Turkish home cooking, part of the broader dolma family of stuffed vegetables that also includes stuffed grape leaves, tomatoes and eggplants. The filling here is a savory rice mixture built with tomato, onion, warm spices like allspice and mint, and plenty of fresh herbs — no meat, which makes this a classic olive-oil dolma (zeytinyağlı), traditionally served at room temperature rather than hot.\n\nThe technique that gets biber dolması right is the low, slow simmer in a covered pot rather than the oven — the peppers steam in their own liquid along with a splash of water and olive oil, which keeps them tender without collapsing, and the rice inside fully cooks through absorbing that same liquid. A plate placed on top of the peppers as they simmer keeps them from floating and tipping over, an old but genuinely useful trick.\n\nServe at room temperature, drizzled with a bit more olive oil, alongside yogurt if you like — these are just as good, if not better, made a day ahead.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 8bell peppers(tops sliced off and reserved, seeded)
• 0.5 cupolive oil(divided)
• 2onions(finely diced)
• 1 cupshort-grain rice(rinsed)
• 2tomatoes(grated or finely diced)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspground allspice
• 1 tspdried mint
• 0.5 cupfresh dill(chopped)
• 0.5 cupfresh parsley(chopped)
• 1 tbspsugar
• 1.5 cupshot water
• 1lemon(juiced)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the filling

   Heat half the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook 6-7 minutes until soft, then stir in tomato paste, allspice and mint and cook 1 minute.

2. 2

   Add rice and tomato

   Add rinsed rice, tomatoes, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and cook 2 minutes — the rice will not be fully cooked yet, it will finish inside the peppers.

3. 3

   Stuff the peppers

   Fill each pepper about three-quarters full with the rice mixture, leaving room for the rice to expand. Replace the tops.

4. 4

   Arrange and season

   Stand the peppers upright, snugly packed, in a heavy pot. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle with sugar and a pinch of salt, and pour hot water around the peppers.

5. 5

   Simmer

   Place a heatproof plate directly on top of the peppers to weigh them down, cover the pot, and simmer over low heat 40-45 minutes until the peppers are tender and the rice is fully cooked.

   Check the water level halfway through and add a splash more if the pot looks dry — you don't want the rice to scorch on the bottom.

6. 6

   Cool and serve

   Let the peppers cool in the pot for at least 20 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations

• •

  Add pine nuts and currants to the filling for a richer, more festive version common in Aegean households.

• •

  Make a meat version by adding ground beef or lamb to the filling and serving hot with yogurt instead of at room temperature.

• •

  Use small eggplants or tomatoes alongside the peppers, following the same stuffing and simmering method, for a mixed dolma platter.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days — these keep and even improve over a couple of days. Serve cold or at room temperature; reheating is optional and traditionally not done.

Frequently Asked Questions