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 dish can be made ahead of time and reheats and freezes well.
Types of Cabbage Rolls
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.
Ingredients in Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage
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.
Meat Mixture
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.
Sauce
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!
How to Make Cabbage Rolls
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage until tender.
- Cook rice slightly undercooked per the recipe below. Brown the ground beef and pork while the rice is cooking. Combine remaining filling ingredients
- Add the filling to cabbage leaves and roll. Place seam side down in a casserole dish.
- Top with the sauce and bake.
Tips for Great Cabbage Rolls
- For the most tender cabbage leaves, boil them in salted water.
- Cut 1/2 inch off the head of cabbage, the leaves will fall off as they cook.
- Once boiled, use a small knife to cut the thick stem of the leaf (image above).
- Overlap smaller leaves and fill, even if they’re not pretty, they’ll cook perfectly.
- You may have leftover filling depending on the size of your cabbage. Extra filling can be added to tomato soup, or stuffed in zucchini or bell peppers.
- Cabbage rolls can be frozen before or after baking.
More From Grandma’s Kitchen
- Homemade Pierogi
- Cabbage and Noodles
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- American Goulash Recipe
- Beef Rouladen
- Homemade Borscht
Did you make these cabbage rolls? Leave a comment and rating below!
Easy Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 1 pound ground pork or ground turkey
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- 2 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or, 1 tablespoons dried parsley
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 14 oz canned diced tomatoes with juices, 1 can
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ cups tomato sauce divided
- 10.5 ounces condensed tomato soup 1 can
Instructions
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Boil cabbage leaves for about 2 minutes or until soft. (See note below for removing leaves). Set aside to cool.
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by 5 minutes so the rice is slightly underdone. Set aside.
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Cook pork (or turkey), beef, onions, garlic, & seasonings in a pan until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Add in rice, diced tomatoes, and ⅓ cup of tomato sauce. Stir in egg.
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Mix the remaining tomato sauce and tomato soup in a bowl. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture in a 9x13 pan.
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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.
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Pour sauce over the cabbage and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 75-90 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Once boiled, use a small knife to cut the thick stem off the leaf (image above).
- Overlap smaller leaves and fill, even if they're not pretty, they'll cook perfectly.
- You may have leftover filling depending on the size of your cabbage. Extra filling can be added to tomato soup, or stuffed in zucchini or bell peppers.
- Cabbage rolls can be frozen before or after baking.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Casserole, Dinner
Cuisine Polish
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recipe rating…..LONG. Don’t make this unless you have a long time to devote to cooking, preparing, baking, etc…it had a pretty good and we werent displeased but took a long time. on the other hand though, it makes a LOT. I clicked on the x2 and I made two big pans and had a gallon freezer bag left for stuffed peppers later on. I’ll have enough cabbage rolls prepared for 2 nights and to freeze. That’s quick dinner later on for a time crunch dinner. thank you! Don’t forget lots of salt & pepper
I am glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie!
I would like to try some of your Recipes. The Cabbage Roll in general .
You don’t have the oven temp listed
Instruction #2 says to preheat the oven to 350F. Enjoy Debbra!
like Tony the Tiger says GRREEAATTTT
Delicious Was sceptical cause I’ve tried lots of different kinds and so far this is the best recipe.
I am Making these tomorrow as they look great. Never made them before. The direction at the top says cut 1/2 inch of head of cabbage and the bottom directions says to cut 1/4 inch off the bottom of cabbage. Is it both? Can’t wait to try these.
You can cut between ¼ – ½ inch off the bottom of the head of cabbage.
I hate ANY vegetables but my God, this was sooo freaking good
yes I love your cabbage roll recipe I’m only 47 and I don’t understand why most people I meet now can’t cook my age or older where they not thought how to
I’ve made cabbage rolls with and without cooking the meat first. In my opinion, cooking the cabbage rolls with the raw meat adds much more flavor overall.
great recipes
Cabbage rolls
These can also be made Whole 30, Keto, Paleo friendly with cauliflower rice and are just as delicious as the original recipe!
never made cabbage roll before. my friend requested them for our weekly card night. loved the suggestion to use the leftover filling for stuffed peppers. I don’t like peppers but I hate waste more so I made them for the same friend. she was so excited! how long can the rolls be frozen?
They should last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I’m trying this cabbage roll recipe for the first time. Sounds delicious.
should you freeze before baking or can I make them and freeze the leftover? and does anyone know how long they will last in the freezer?
This recipe freezes well before and after baking! They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Looking forward to eating it. I froze the rolls to enjoy tonight but did I miss
a defrost time or instructions to cook from frozen?
Hi Ashley, I would recommend thawing overnight and baking if possible. If you do cook right from frozen, I would suggest cooking at 350°F for about 90 minutes or so covered with foil.
it was a hit in my house they love it
Very good. We didn’t take the time to roll them, we layered it like a casserole. It was awesome. my wife and I are going to make the same filling for bell peppers next week.
you just okaced a layer of cooked (csodteed) cabbage leaves then a layer of filling, then a 2nd layer of cabbage leaves, covered it all with the tomato soup mix and baked? For how long? TIA