Dolmas are one of those dishes I always come back to when I want to serve something light, tangy and a little different at the table. The small bundles of vine leaves filled with rice, fresh herbs and lemon have their roots in the eastern Mediterranean kitchen, and most often we encounter them as meze or a cool starter. With the airfryer they take on a whole new dimension — a lightly warm, crispy surface that lifts the otherwise soft bite.
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This isn’t a traditional, slow-cooked pot version, but a quick, crisp-fried variant that’s perfect if you have ready-made dolmas from a jar or homemade rolls left over. The flavour becomes more concentrated and the edges take on an almost roasted character, while the filling stays juicy inside.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love dolmas in the airfryer
In the pot or oven, dolmas can easily turn a little soft and waterlogged because they simmer in liquid. The airfryer, on the other hand, dries the surface just enough so that the vine leaves tighten and provide a small counterpoint to the spiced rice filling. The result resembles most of all what you get at a good Greek taverna, where dolmas are briefly toasted in a hot pan before serving.
The difference between airfryer and pot
Where traditional preparation in a pot takes 45–60 minutes, here you’re done in under a quarter of an hour — provided the filling is already cooked through. So this isn’t about making dolmas from scratch in the airfryer, but giving them a final, crispy lift before serving. It’s precisely this detail that makes the difference between a weeknight dinner and a small meze meal with character.
My kitchen test with dolmas
I have tested dolmas in my Cosori Dual Blaze at 170 °C, and 8 minutes with one turn after about 5 minutes hits the sweet spot. The leaves get lightly dark at the edges, but the filling stays soft, and you can hear that fine crackle when you bite through. I brush them first with good olive oil — it’s crucial so they don’t dry out, while they also take on a golden colour. In my Philips XXL at the same temperature I had to reduce the time to 7 minutes, because the air circulation hits them a little more directly. Compared to an oven at 200 °C for 15 minutes, the airfryer is therefore both faster and more controlled.
Wait to add the lemon until the dolmas have come out of the airfryer. If you put lemon on beforehand, the surface gets too wet and loses its crispness.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is to pour the dolmas straight from the jar into the airfryer without patting them dry. The brine cooks the surface a little mealy, so they never become really crispy — pat them thoroughly with kitchen paper first. Another classic is to place them too close together in the basket; they need space so the hot air can circulate all the way around, otherwise you end up with steam and soft surfaces. Finally, it’s tempting to crank up the temperature to speed things along, but above 180 °C the vine leaves easily burn because they’re already quite dry — stick to 165–170 °C and let time do the work.
How to serve dolmas
Dolmas are versatile and work both as a side, starter and as part of a larger meze table. Serve them warm or at room temperature together with:
- Tzatziki or a creamy Greek yoghurt with garlic
- Lemon wedges and fresh mint leaves
- Feta cheese, kalamata olives and marinated peppers
- Pita bread, hummus and a simple garlic oil
Storage and reheating
Cooked dolmas keep for 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheating works best — of course — in the airfryer at 160 °C for 3–4 minutes. The microwave makes them soft again, so avoid it if you want to preserve the crispness. You can also freeze raw, homemade dolmas for up to 2 months; take them out the evening before, let them thaw slowly in the fridge, and put them straight into the airfryer as above.
Dolmas are one of those dishes that look far more impressive on a serving platter than they are to make. With the airfryer you get a quick, crispy version that works both as a weeknight side and as the centrepiece on a well-laid lunch table.
FAQ
No, the filling must be cooked through first — the airfryer is used only for the final crispy stage. Roll the dolmas with cooked rice and herbs, and give them a short turn at 170 °C afterwards.
Vine leaves in a jar in brine are the easiest and work well. Rinse them thoroughly and pat them dry before use, so the salty taste isn’t dominant and the leaves don’t end up steaming in the airfryer.
Yes, as long as the rice is cooked soft beforehand. The cooking in the airfryer isn’t affected by the type of rice, but remember that brown rice requires longer cooking time in the filling itself before you roll the dolmas.
Recipe
Dolmas in the air fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Pande - For sautéing onions and rice
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Ovnfast form - Must fit in the air fryer basket
- 1 Stanniol - For covering the dish
Shopping list
Ingredients
Filling
- 200 g short-grain rice (Arborio or risotto rice)
- 2 pcs onions (Finely chopped)
- 4 clove garlic (Pressed)
- 50 g fresh dill (Finely chopped)
- 30 g fresh mint leaves (Finely chopped)
- 30 g flat-leaf parsley (Finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 3 tbsp olive oil (For sautéing)
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (Freshly ground)
Wrapping and cooking
- 1 jar vine leaves in brine (Approx. 250 g, from a jar)
- 2 pcs lemons (For juice)
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp olive oil (For the cooking liquid)
How to make it
Preparation
- Rinse the vine leaves thoroughly under cold water to remove the brine. Place them on kitchen paper and pat them dry. Set aside the whole leaves and use any torn leaves as a base layer in an oven-safe dish.
- Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add 2 pcs onions and 4 clove garlic and sauté for 5-6 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent without browning.
- Add 200 g short-grain rice and toast it for 2 minutes, so each grain becomes coated in oil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and mix in 50 g fresh dill, 30 g fresh mint leaves, 30 g flat-leaf parsley, 2 tbsp pine nuts, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over and adjust the seasoning.
Roll the dolmas
- Place one vine leaf at a time on the work surface with the vein side up and the stem end facing you. Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the centre just above the stem.
- Fold the sides over the filling and then roll tightly towards the top of the leaf. Place the finished dolma seam-side down in the oven-safe dish.
- Repeat until all the filling is used. Pack the dolmas tightly together in one layer, so they hold their shape during cooking.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Whisk 400 ml vegetable stock together with the juice of the second lemon and 3 tbsp olive oil. Pour the mixture carefully along the side of the dish, so the liquid reaches about 2/3 of the way up the rolls.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminium foil, so the steam stays in during cooking.
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan. Place the dish in the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the aluminium foil and cook for another 5 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the rice is tender.
Serving
- Let the dolmas rest in the stock for 10 minutes, so the rice absorbs the last of the liquid and the flavours settle.
- Serve them warm or cold with tzatziki, lemon wedges and optionally freshly grated lemon zest sprinkled over.
Our notes for the recipe
Pour the stock carefully along the side of the dish, so the dolmas don’t float up or get damaged. Check that your oven-safe dish fits in the air fryer basket before you start — an oblong dish or a round 18 cm baking dish works well. Variation:
For a meat version, you can mix 150 g minced lamb or beef into the filling along with the rice. Sauté the meat with the onions before adding the rice, and extend the cooking time in the air fryer by 5 minutes. Serving:
Serve the dolmas as an appetizer or as part of a meze board with tzatziki, feta cheese, kalamata olives and a fresh salad with tomato, cucumber and red onion. A glass of white wine or cold water with lemon pairs perfectly. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can cook the dish in two batches — or halve the quantity and use a smaller oven-safe dish.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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