Turkish-Style Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolması)

green peppers stuffed with rice topped with tomato skin

Elizabeth Taviloglu

  • Total: 60 mins
  • Prep: 30 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yield: 12 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
284 Calories
14g Fat
36g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 284
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 19%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 591mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 4g
Calcium 28mg 2%

Turkish cuisine is well known for its stuffed and wrapped vegetable dishes called dolma and sarma. Tiny green peppers stuffed with rice, pine nuts, and currants–better known as biber dolması (bee-BEYR' dole-MAH'-suh)–are one of the most popular. They are easier to make than other stuffed and wrapped dishes because the peppers don't need much preparation. Just remove the stems with your thumb and they're ready for stuffing.

If you like the bitter taste of green peppers, you'll definitely enjoy this dish. To keep things nice and sweet, you can increase the amount of sugar to your taste to offset the bitterness. Make sure you choose small-sized peppers with thin skins. You can also experiment with different species and colors of peppers.

You'll need a large, shallow pot with lid.


  • 12 small green peppers (with thin skins, suitable for stuffing)
  • 1 large onion (finely diced)
  • 1/2 cup/100 milliliters olive oil
  • 2/3 cup/100 grams dried currants (or dark raisins)
  • 2/3 cup/60 grams pine nuts
  • 1 large bunch dill weed (fresh, sprigs only, thick stems removed)
  • 2 cups/400 grams white rice (short-grain)
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups/450 milliliters water
  • 1 medium tomato (grated)
  • 1 small tomato (cut into flat squares, for garnish)

Steps to Make It

  1. Wash your peppers and remove the stems by pressing your thumb gently down on the base of the stem. This will cause the stem and base to cave inside the pepper, leaving a perfect hole on top for stuffing.

  2. Clean out any seeds and white membranes from the insides of the peppers and set them aside.

  3. Put a shallow pan on a medium flame and fry the onions in the olive oil until they are soft and reduced.

  4. Add the pine nuts and brown them along with the onion.

  5. Add all the other dry ingredients and mix well.

  6. Stir in the water and grated tomato and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the water is almost absorbed.

  7. Once your filling cools down enough to handle, arrange the empty peppers side-by-side in the bottom of a saucepan. Make sure there is no empty space left between the peppers; if there is, arrange the peppers in a smaller pan so they support each other and stand upright.

  8. With a dessert spoon, fill each pepper with the rice mixture until it reaches the top. Don't pack the filling down or overfill your peppers. The rice will need enough room to expand while it cooks.

  9. Once you've filled the peppers, cover the opening of each with a square of tomato, skin side up. Add enough water to the pan to reach halfway up the peppers. Drizzle about two tablespoons of olive oil over the peppers and add some extra salt to the water.

  10. Bring the pan to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Let the peppers simmer gently with the cover on until most of the water is absorbed.

  11. Remove the pan from the heat and let it continue to steam until it cools to room temperature. If too much condensation forms on the lid, cover the pan with paper towels and close the lid over them, letting the peppers continue to steam.

  12. When the peppers are cool, they will become firmer and easy to remove from the pan. Remove each one gently with your fingers being careful not to damage it.

  13. Place the pepper dolma on a decorative serving dish creating a random pile, drizzle them with some more olive oil, and garnish the plate with some chopped, fresh dill weed, if desired.