Greek Stuffed Onions (Print Page)

Tender onions stuffed with beef, rice, and herbs in tomato sauce

# What You 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 bath in the tomato sauce
  • One dish delivers protein vegetables and starch without any sides needed
  • The cinnamon in the filling creates this beautiful warm depth that everyone notices but cant quite place
02 -
  • Boiling the onions first is non negotiable. Raw onions will never become tender enough in the oven alone.
  • The rice should be uncooked. It will absorb moisture and cook perfectly alongside the meat and onions.
  • Resist the urge to skip the resting period at the end. Those ten minutes make a huge difference in how well the filling holds together.
03 -
  • Dont throw away those onion centers. They add incredible depth if you sauté them and add them to the sauce.
  • If your sauce seems too thick after baking add a splash of water before the final 10 minutes of cooking.
  • The onions are done when a knife slides through them like butter and the sauce has reduced to coat the back of a spoon.

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