This recipe follows the meat-filled Bitlis version recorded by Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism: onion layers are wrapped around a raw beef-and-rice filling seasoned with tomato and pepper pastes, herbs and sumac water, then simmered gently. The ministry's broader guide to dolma and sarma also notes that Turkish onion dolma may be served hot with meat or prepared as a cold olive-oil dish. This is the hot Bitlis-style version, with the optional melted-butter finish kept separate.
Soğan Dolması — Recipe Card
Bitlis-Style Stuffed Onions with Beef, Rice and Sumac
Makes 6 servings · Makes about 18 stuffed onion rolls.US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Soğan Dolması
Infuse the sumac
Put the sumac in a heatproof bowl, pour over the boiling water and stir. Cover and leave for 60 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter so the liquid is free of grit. Reserve 120 ml / 1/2 cup for the filling and keep the rest for the cooking liquid.
Soften and separate the onions
Peel the onions and cut a deep slit lengthwise into each one, stopping at the center rather than cutting it in half. Lower them into simmering water and cook for 10–12 minutes, until the layers loosen and bend without cracking. Drain, cool until safe to handle and separate the layers carefully. Finely chop the small inner cores; use about one onion's worth in the filling and keep the rest for the base of the pan.
Mix the filling
In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, rice, diced tomato, green pepper, parsley, garlic, chopped inner onion, both pastes, olive oil, mint, basil, pul biber, black pepper, half the salt and the reserved 120 ml / 1/2 cup sumac infusion. Mix just until evenly combined; do not compact the mixture.
Fill the onion layers
Lay one onion layer curved-side down. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling near one end, fold the sides inward if the layer is wide and roll it around the filling. Leave a little space for the rice to swell. Repeat to make about 18 rolls.
Pack the pan
Scatter the remaining chopped onion cores over the base of a wide, heavy saucepan. Arrange the rolls snugly in one layer, seam-side down; use a second layer only if necessary. Pour in the remaining strained sumac infusion, the hot water and the remaining salt. The liquid should come roughly halfway up the rolls.
Simmer gently
Bring the liquid just to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce to low and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, until the onion is tender and the rice is cooked. Check a large roll in the center with an instant-read thermometer: the filling must reach 71°C / 160°F. If needed, cook for 5–10 minutes longer; add a small splash of hot water only if the pan is nearly dry.
Rest and serve
Remove from the heat and rest, covered, for 10 minutes so the rolls settle and absorb the broth. Spoon over the melted butter, if using, and serve hot with a little of the tangy pan liquid.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-stuffed-onions-sogan-dolmasi. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
Make it work in your kitchen
Ingredient Substitutions
These swaps change flavor or texture as described. Keep the original ingredients for the closest version of the dish.
Pul biber
Use the same amount of mild paprika for color and a gentler flavor. For heat, add a small pinch of chili flakes, then taste; chili flakes can be much hotter.
Turkish red pepper paste
Use the same quantity of tomato paste, then add mild paprika to taste. This gives a more tomato-forward flavor and will not reproduce the full pepper flavor.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Heat level
Medium. For a mild version, omit the pul biber and replace the red pepper paste with the same amount of tomato paste. For a hotter version, add up to 1 extra teaspoon pul biber.
Sumac water
Use plain culinary sumac rather than a salted spice blend. The long infusion provides Bitlis-style tartness without leaving gritty spice in the broth; lemon juice is brighter but not an exact replacement.
Dietary check
The recipe contains no intentional wheat ingredient, but pepper paste and packaged spices can vary. Check their labels if avoiding gluten; this recipe is not labelled gluten-free because product status and cross-contact are not established.
Do not overfill
Rice expands as it cooks. A loosely packed heaped tablespoon is enough for most onion layers; tightly filled rolls can split or leave the rice firm.
Food safety
The filling begins with raw ground meat. Use a thermometer on a roll from the center of the pan and continue cooking until the filling reaches 71°C / 160°F.
How to store and reheat Soğan Dolması
Refrigerate within 2 hours in a shallow, covered container at 4°C / 40°F or colder. Eat within 3–4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat with a spoonful of water, covered, until the center reaches 74°C / 165°F. Reheat only the portion you plan to serve.
Soğan Dolması: questions and answers
Can I use lamb instead of beef?
Yes. The Bitlis-style filling works with medium-fat ground beef, lamb or a mixture. Whichever you choose, cook the center to 71°C / 160°F.
Which onions work best?
Large yellow onions are easiest to separate and become pleasantly sweet. White onions also work. Choose firm onions with broad layers and soften them only until flexible.
Can I make Soğan Dolması ahead?
Yes. Cook it fully, cool and refrigerate promptly, then reheat within 3–4 days to 74°C / 165°F. If you assemble the rolls with raw meat, keep them refrigerated and cook them the same day.
Why is the rice still firm?
The rolls may have been packed too tightly, the simmer may have been too short or the pan may have dried out. Keep a gentle simmer, leave room for expansion and add a small splash of hot water if needed.
