Greek Stuffed Onions with Tomato Sauce (Printable Version)
Tender onions stuffed with beef and rice, baked in Mediterranean tomato sauce with herbs.
# What You'll Need:
→ Onions
01 - 8 large yellow onions
→ Filling
02 - 10.5 oz ground beef
03 - 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
04 - 1 medium tomato, grated
05 - 1 small carrot, finely grated
06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
08 - 1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried mint)
09 - 1 tsp dried oregano
10 - 1 garlic clove, minced
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Sauce
13 - 1 2/3 cups tomato passata or strained tomatoes
14 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp water
15 - 2 tbsp olive oil
16 - 1/2 tsp sugar
17 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
02 - Trim the root and stem ends of the onions. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add whole onions, and simmer for 12–15 minutes until just tender. Drain and let cool slightly.
03 - Carefully peel off the outer layers of each onion, aiming for 2–3 large layers per onion to use for stuffing. Reserve the inner cores for another use or finely chop and add to the filling.
04 - In a bowl, combine ground beef, rice, grated tomato, grated carrot, olive oil, parsley, mint, oregano, garlic, cinnamon, and reserved chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.
05 - Lay out onion layers, place a generous spoonful of filling in the center of each, and roll or fold to enclose the filling securely.
06 - Arrange stuffed onions seam-side down in a baking dish.
07 - In a jug, mix tomato passata, water, olive oil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour the sauce over the stuffed onions.
08 - Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake for another 20–25 minutes, until golden and the sauce has thickened.
10 - Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The onions become impossibly sweet and tender after their long gentle bake while holding their shape
- This is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had time to become friends
- The combination of cinnamon and tomato creates that distinctly Greek flavor profile that feels like a warm hug
02 -
- Do not skip boiling the onions first or they will remain tough and chewy instead of meltingly tender
- The rice must be uncooked when you mix it into the filling as it will cook completely inside the onions
- Tearing a few onion layers is inevitable and those stuffed pieces can be tucked into the gaps of your baking dish
03 -
- Reserve some of the onion boiling water and add a splash to your sauce if it seems too thick
- A pinch of allspice in the filling adds another layer of warm spice that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon