Cabbage Rolls Recipe

This stuffed cabbage rolls recipe is one I enjoyed from my grandma’s kitchen for years and years.

Tender cabbage leaves are filled with a beef and rice mixture and baked in with a simple tomato sauce.

This cabbage rolls’ recipe comes from my grandma and my mom. My grandma immigrated from Poland so we have enjoyed many cabbage dishes or even just simple fried cabbage. Between pierogi and rouladen, Grandma’s kitchen always smelled incredible and there was always something amazing to eat!

There are many many different ways to make cabbage rolls based on family tradition and location. Polish cabbage rolls usually contain meat and rice while the Ukrainian version my friend Penny makes generally contain only rice.

While some add raw meat and rice and cook them with the cabbage, our family has always pre-cooked the rice and meat.

We use a head of regular green cabbage and boil it in a large pot of water to make it tender. Many people freeze the whole head of cabbage and thaw it to eliminate the boiling step but I find the cabbage isn’t as tender this way.

My grandmother always used pork in her cabbage rolls so I use a mixture of beef and pork. You can use just one or the other (or any ground meat). Cooked long-grain white rice is added to the meat along with an egg to help it hold together.

Most Polish cabbage roll recipes are covered in tomato sauce or tomato juice. We love the addition of a can of tomato soup to tomato sauce. It may not be typical but it softens & sweetens the sauce slightly and tastes delicious!

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Easy Cabbage Rolls

Homemade Cabbage Rolls are so flavorful & filling. With meat, rice, sauce, and cabbage, they’re just like Grandma used to make!

Prep: 45min

Total: 120min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 488 kcal, Carbohydrate 40 g, Protein 25 g, Fat 24 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Cholesterol 108 mg, Sodium 431 mg, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 9 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 head green cabbage
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1 pound ground pork ((or ground turkey))
• ½ pound ground beef
• 2 small onions (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ½ teaspoon dill weed
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• 1 can diced tomatoes ((14 ounces) with juices)
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ cups + ⅓ cup tomato sauce (divided)
• 1 can tomato soup (10.5 ounces)

Instruction:

1. Boil cabbage leaves for about 2 minutes or until soft. (See note below for removing leaves). Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by 5 minutes so the rice is slightly underdone. Set aside.
4. Cook pork (or turkey), beef, onions, garlic, & seasonings in a pan until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Add in rice, diced tomatoes, & ⅓ cup of tomato sauce. Stir in egg.
5. Mix remaining tomato sauce and tomato soup in a bowl. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture in a 9×13 pan.
6. Remove or thin any thick stem on cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage leaf flat and add ¼ to ⅓ cup filling to the center of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the cabbage up. Place seam side down in the pan. (See note for small leaves). Repeat with remaining cabbage.
7. Pour sauce over the cabbage and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 75-90 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Classic Cabbage Rolls

Family-friendly Cabbage Rolls stuffed with ground pork, ground beef, and rice smothered in a sweet and tangy tomato sauce.

Prep: 35min

Total: 2h5min

Yield: 12

Serving Size: 2 cabbage

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 2 cabbage, calories 309 calories, Sugar 13.6 g, Sodium 412.1 mg, Fat 12.5 g, Saturated Fat 3.4 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 29.9 g, Fiber 7 g, Protein 21.6 g, Cholesterol 90.7 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14.5 ounce) petite diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large head green cabbage
• 1/2 pound ground pork sausage
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup Minute Rice (or long-grain parboiled rice)
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Instruction:

1. Bring a large stock pot of water to boil. Add the whole head of cabbage and boil for 5 minutes. Remove to a colander to drain and cool. Once cooled cut 1/2 inch off the stem end of the cabbage. Carefully remove 12 leaves and cut the tough rib out of the stem end in the shape of a V.
2. In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes; stirring several times. Reduce heat to low and add garlic. Cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Spoon a thin layer of the tomato sauce into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. In a large bowl mix the ground pork sausage, ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, rice, parsley, and paprika. Place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture in the center of the cabbage roll. Bring in the sides and roll tight. Place on the tomato sauce in the casserole dish. Repeat until all the cabbage rolls are made and in the casserole dish. Top with remaining tomato sauce.
4. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 80-90 minutes

Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls

It was an abundance of dill in my garden that led me to try this. My family liked the taste so much that, from then on, I made my old-fashioned cabbage rolls recipe with dill. This is how to make easy cabbage rolls. – Florence Krantz, Bismarck, North Dakota

Prep: 25min

Total: 01h55min

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: calories 260 calories, Fat 10g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 50mg cholesterol, Sodium 694mg sodium, Carbohydrate 23g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 18g protein.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head cabbage (3 pounds)
• 1/2 pound uncooked ground beef
• 1/2 pound uncooked ground pork
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce, divided
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon snipped fresh dill or dill weed
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Instruction:

Cook cabbage in boiling water just until outer leaves pull away easily from head. Set aside 12 large leaves for rolls. In a small bowl, combine the beef, pork, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, onion, rice, parsley, salt, dill and cayenne; mix well., Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each leaf, making a V-shaped cut. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture on a cabbage leaf; overlap cut ends of leaf. Fold in sides. Beginning from the cut end, roll up. Repeat., Slice the remaining cabbage; place in a Dutch oven. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down over sliced cabbage. Combine the tomatoes, sugar and remaining tomato sauce; pour over the rolls. Cover and bake at 350° until cabbage rolls are tender, 1-1/2 hours.

Cabbage Rolls / Polish Gołąbki – Easy to Follow, Step by Step Recipe

FAQ

How to make lazy man cabbage rolls?

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Chop cabbage into large pieces.
3. Put one layer into greased baking dish.
4. You can use just hamburger if you prefer. Brown meat and onion.
5. Add salt and pepper if desired.
6. Mix rice into meat.
7. Put meat mixture on top of cabbage layer.
8. Mix the soup and water together and then pour on the top.

What meat is inside cabbage rolls?

Why is the meat in my cabbage rolls hard?

Why do you freeze cabbage before making cabbage rolls?