Middle Eastern · main

Deconstructed Beef and Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves Skillet

Name: Deconstructed Beef and Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves Skillet
Prep time: 42 min
Total time: 42 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: olive oil — 41 g; pine nuts — 79 g; yellow onion — 110 g; garlic — 12 g; beef — 454 g; long-grain white rice — 177 g; allspice — 5 g; cinnamon — 3 g; tomatoes — 411 g; low-salt chicken broth — 177 g; salt — 10 g; black pepper — 3 g; baby spinach — 142 g; dill — 15 g; mint — 15 g; lemon — 65 g

Deconstructed Beef and Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves Skillet reads umami 5.9, richness 5.4 and citrus 5.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Middle Eastern main, about 42 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.3 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.1 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.8 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.9 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.8 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.9 · Richness 5.4 · Citrus 5.4 · Sourness 4.9 · Nutty 4.6 · Fruity 4.4 · Allium 4.0 · Herbaceous 3.8 · Salinity 3.8 · Sweetness 2.5 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Floral 1.7 · Earthy 1.7 · Bitterness 1.4 · Heat 0.7

What's in it (16)

olive oil — 41 g
pine nuts — 79 g
yellow onion — 110 g
garlic — 12 g
beef — 454 g
long-grain white rice — 177 g
allspice — 5 g
cinnamon — 3 g
tomatoes — 411 g
low-salt chicken broth — 177 g
salt — 10 g
black pepper — 3 g
baby spinach — 142 g
dill — 15 g
mint — 15 g
lemon — 65 g

Time & effort: about 42 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 115.8 kcal, 7.8 g protein, 4.5 g fat, 12 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring constantly, until golden brown and fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 5-6 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink and beginning to brown, 6-7 minutes.
Stir in the rice, allspice, and cinnamon; cook, stirring, until the rice looks lightly toasted and the spices smell bloomed, about 2 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes with their juice, the broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 18-20 minutes.
Uncover, fold in the spinach a handful at a time, and cook, stirring, until fully wilted, about 2 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the dill, mint, and lemon zest and juice.
Scatter the toasted pine nuts over the top and serve hot, with the lemon wedges alongside.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Burrata — Italian
Brown Butter Walnut Pesto Pasta — Italian
Crispy Harissa Chicken Thighs with Couscous — Middle Eastern
Harissa Chicken and Chickpea Sheet Pan — Middle Eastern
Spiced Lamb Flatbread Pizzas with Yogurt and Pine Nuts — Middle Eastern

Keep reading: what umami, richness, citrus mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.