Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
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Stuffed cabbage rolls filled with ground beef, pork, and rice, baked in cabbage leaves with a homemade tomato sauce.
These flavorful bundles can be enjoyed on their own or served over rice, cooked cabbage, or with an extra helping of sauce for a hearty and satisfying meal.
Whether you prefer them as a standalone dish or paired with your favorite sides, they’re sure to be a hit at the dinner table!
Ingredients for stuffed cabbage rolls
- Green Cabbage – Stick to green cabbage for this recipe; red cabbage won’t work as well. A medium to large head is ideal.
- Olive Oil – Used for sautéing the onions and garlic to bring out their flavors.
- Onion – Adds a rich flavor to the dish, but you can omit it if preferred.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is best, but refrigerated peeled garlic works too. We don’t recommend jarred garlic.
- Ground Beef & Ground Pork – A mix of beef and pork gives the best flavor, but you can use all beef or even ground sausage for added depth.
- Rice – Par-cooked or leftover refrigerated rice both work well.
- Parsley – Adds a touch of color and freshness to the dish.
- Salt & Pepper – Season to taste; we prefer using Kosher salt.
- Egg – Helps bind the filling together.
- Crushed Tomatoes & Tomato Sauce – Used to create a rich homemade sauce. Do not used diced tomatoes in juice unless you like a thinner sauce, you can also use just tomato sauce if preferred.
- Brown Sugar – Adjust to your sweetness preference, or omit it if desired.
- Red Wine Vinegar – Adds a slight tang to balance the flavors but can be left out if preferred.
How to make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, then stir in garlic and cook for another minute.
Pour in crushed tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let the sauce simmer on low for 15-20 minutes while preparing the cabbage rolls.
Core the cabbage and place it in a large pot with a steamer basket at the bottom. Add 1-2 inches of water and steam until the leaves are soft enough to remove easily. Allow the cabbage to cool until safe to handle.
Lay each cabbage leaf flat on a cutting board and use a paring knife to cut a small V shape to remove the thick rib, making the leaves easier to roll. If it’s pliable, you can leave it attached.
Preheat the oven. Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked onion, garlic, rice, ground meat, salt, pepper, parsley, and egg. Add a ladle of the prepared tomato sauce and mix until combined.
Lay a cabbage leaf flat on a cutting board, place a heaping scoop of the meat mixture onto the leaf, and roll it up tightly, tucking in the sides. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
Pour half of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
Arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down on top of the sauce, then pour the remaining sauce over them.
Cover and bake for 75-90 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meat reaches at least 160°F.
Recipe Tips and Alterations:
- Have leftover cabbage pieces? Add them to the sauce for extra texture and to minimize waste.
- You can over stuff if you’d like more filling, just be sure to cook until the filling reaches 160°F. Overstuffed is in the pictures. Regular stuffed is in the video.
- Adjust the meat mixture to your preference—use all beef, all pork, ground chicken, turkey, or even plant-based alternatives like Impossible meat.
- For extra sweetness, consider adding raisins to the filling.
- Cutting a V at the base of each cabbage leaf helps remove the tough rib, making it easier to roll.
- Short on time? Try my lazy cabbage roll casserole for a quicker alternative (see video)
Storage and reheating tips:
- Refrigerate – Store leftover stuffed cabbage rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days.
- Freeze – For cooked cabbage rolls, place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3-4 months for the best quality. To freeze uncooked rolls, store them in a container without sauce or in a foil pan with sauce. When cooking from frozen, add 20-25 minutes to the usual cooking time.
- Reheat – Reheat stuffed cabbage rolls in the oven or microwave. The oven provides more consistent results. To reheat, place them in a baking dish with leftover sauce and a few tablespoons of broth or water. Cover and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until heated through.
Can You Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can prepare stuffed cabbage rolls in advance. Assemble them earlier in the day, cover, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours before baking. When ready to cook, transfer them to a baking dish and follow the baking instructions. Avoid placing a cold baking dish directly into a hot oven to prevent it from shattering.
How to Keep Cabbage Rolls from Falling Apart
Avoid wrapping the cabbage rolls too tightly to prevent them from bursting during cooking. Always place them seam-side down in the baking dish to help keep them secure while baking.
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion chopped finely
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar optional for added sweetness, to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or 1 lemon juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
Cabbage Rolls
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 cup minute rice or par-cook rice 3-4 minutes less than directions, you could also use cold leftover rice
- 1/4 cup parsley freshly chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg
Instructions
Tomato Sauce
- In a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent, around 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix to combine and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.28 oz can crushed tomatoes, 15 oz can tomato sauce, 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, salt and pepper
Cabbage Rolls
- Start by coring the cabbage head. Place it in a large pot with a steamer basket at the bottom, adding 1-2 inches of water. Steam the cabbage until the outer leaves soften and can be easily removed. Be careful to avoid burns while handling. Gently peel off the softened leaves as they loosen from the head.1 head green cabbage
- If you prefer to boil the cabbage, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Submerge the cabbage and cook for 4-5 minutes until the leaves soften, then carefully remove them. Avoid overcooking, as they will continue cooking in the oven.
- Place the cabbage leaf onto a cutting board and use a pairing knife and cut a V to remove the rib and make the leaves more pliable. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.1 cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked onion, garlic, cooked rice, ground beef, pork, salt, pepper, parsley, and egg. Add a ladleful of the prepared tomato sauce and mix until well combined.1 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1 cup minute rice, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 egg
- On a clean cutting board, lay the cabbage leaves flat. Place a heaping cookie scoop of the meat mixture onto each leaf. Roll it up tightly, tucking in the sides as you go. Repeat with the remaining cabbage leaves and filling.
- Pour half of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down over the sauce. Pour the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the top of the cabbage rolls.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 75-90 minutes. For food safety, ensure the filling reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
Video
