Name: Sogan dolma
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 16 stuffed onion rolls / 8 servings
Cuisine: Serbian
Ingredients: 1000 g large yellow onions, about 8 large onions, peeled; 400 g ground beef, 90% lean / 10% fat, kept refrigerated; 100 g white rice, rinsed and uncooked; 30 ml sunflower oil; 8 g fine salt; 2 g ground black pepper; 4 g sweet paprika; 15 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 700 ml water, hot; 120 g passata or smooth tomato purée

Yield 16 stuffed onion rolls / 8 servings

Preparation time 50 minutes

Cooking time 70 minutes

Passive time 15 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Sogan dolma — tender onion shells filled with 90% lean beef and rice

Sogan dolma turns the layers of a large onion into tender wrappers for a ground-beef-and-rice filling. The construction looks intricate, but most of the difficulty lies in one early step: softening the whole onions enough that their layers separate cleanly without cooking them until they tear. A short simmer followed by cold-water cooling gives the best handling window.

The filling uses raw rinsed rice rather than pre-cooked grain, so it needs room to swell. Ground beef that is 90% lean / 10% fat, chopped onion core, oil and seasonings are mixed lightly, then spooned into curved onion layers. Each parcel should be secure but not packed hard; compressed filling makes the cooked centre dense and leaves less space for the rice to absorb liquid.

The stuffed onions are arranged snugly in a heavy pot and surrounded with tomato-tinted cooking liquid that reaches roughly two thirds of their height. Too little liquid can leave the rice firm before the onions are tender, while enough liquid to float the parcels can make them shift and open. A covered low simmer keeps the heat steady and the shape intact.

Texture and safety are separate checks. The onion should become spoon-tender and the rice fully soft, but the meat filling also needs a thermometer reading. Representative centres must reach at least 71.1 °C. That measurement is especially useful in a tightly packed pot where visual colour tells little about the deepest part of the filling.

A ten-minute rest helps the sauce settle around the onions before serving. For leftovers, cool promptly and refrigerate at 4 °C or below within 2 hours. Reheat only the amount needed and bring the centre to 74 °C throughout before serving again.

Practical

ControlSoften onions only until flexible, then cool before separating layers.
ControlDo not pack the filling tightly because the raw rice expands.
ControlCheck representative centres for at least 71.1 °C.

Ingredients

Onion shells and filling

1000 g large yellow onions, about 8 large onions, peeled
400 g ground beef, 90% lean / 10% fat, kept refrigerated
100 g white rice, rinsed and uncooked
30 ml sunflower oil
8 g fine salt
2 g ground black pepper
4 g sweet paprika
15 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cooking liquid

700 ml water, hot
120 g passata or smooth tomato purée

Directions

Prepare onion shells

Soften the whole onionsLower the peeled whole onions into water at 100 °C and simmer just long enough to loosen the layers. The onions are ready when the outer layers bend without cracking but the bulbs are not collapsing.
Stop the onion cookingCool the onions in cold water before handling. The onions should be cool enough to handle and the layers should separate with gentle pressure.
Separate the onion layersSeparate intact onion layers and chop enough of the small inner cores to add to the filling. Aim for 16 intact curved onion layers large enough to wrap a spoonful of filling.

Fill and simmer

Mix the beef-and-rice fillingMix the ground beef, raw rinsed rice, chopped onion core, oil, salt, pepper, paprika and parsley. The filling should be evenly combined but still loose, not compressed into a sticky paste.
Shape the stuffed onionsFill the onion layers loosely and roll or fold them into compact parcels. Each parcel should hold together while leaving a little expansion room for the rice.
Arrange with tomato liquidArrange the stuffed onions tightly in a heavy pot and pour in the hot water mixed with tomato purée. The cooking liquid should reach roughly two thirds of the height of the stuffed onions without making them float.
Simmer to tenderness and temperatureCover and simmer gently until the onions are very tender and the rice is cooked; check representative centres with a food thermometer. The onion layers should be spoon-tender and the rice grains fully soft. The ground-beef filling must reach at least 71.1 °C in the centre.
Rest before servingRest the covered pot off the heat before serving. The sauce should settle around the stuffed onions and the parcels should lift without falling apart.

Practical

Serving, storage and planning

Serve two stuffed onion parcels per person with some of their tomato cooking liquid. If assembled ahead, keep the raw filled onions at 4 °C or below. Cool cooked leftovers within 2 hours, refrigerate at 4 °C or below for 3–4 days or freeze, and reheat to 74 °C throughout.

Nutrition

Serving size2 stuffed onion rolls
Calories225 kcal
Carbohydrates24 g
Protein13 g
Fat9 g
Fibre3 g
Sodium440 mg

These figures are approximate and can vary with ingredient brands, trimming, liquid retention and exact portioning.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens. No major allergen is present in the listed ingredients; verify packaged tomato products and spices if managing allergies.

Food safety. Keep raw ground beef cold and avoid cross-contact with ready-to-eat foods. Ground-beef filling must reach at least 71.1 °C measured with a food thermometer. Refrigerate cooked sogan dolma at 4 °C or below within 2 hours. Reheat leftovers to 74 °C throughout.

Result: Soft onion parcels with rice-tender beef filling and a light tomato cooking sauce.

Key: Leave expansion room for the rice and verify 71.1 °C at the centre of the filling.