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!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 1 pound lean ground pork or ground turkey
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- 2 small yellow onions 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
- 1 (14.5 ounce each) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ cups tomato sauce divided
- 1 (10.75 ounce each) can condensed tomato soup
Instructions
- Boil cabbage leaves for about 2 minutes or until soft. (See note below for removing leaves). Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by 5 minutes so the rice is slightly underdone. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Does this freeze well? Should I freeze it after baking it or before?
They do! You can freeze them before or after baking with great results.
This recipe sounds wonderful. Quick question, when the recipe states put 1/3 1/4 C. filling, are you saying to use 1/3 C. Meat mixture and then 1/4 C. Sauce on top of meat mixture before rolling and baking? I can’t wait to try it! Thanks.
Sorry for the confusion Krisinda. You will add between ⅓ and ¼ cup of filling depending on the size of your cabbage leaves.
You mean between 1/4 to 1/3 c of filling the smaller amount goes first in the equation.
Going to try this
I really want to make this but I dont eat ground turkey or pork can I sub them both for more ground beef?
You sure can Cheyenne! Enjoy the cabbage rolls!
Always wanted to make cabbage rolls. First time and your recipe was a huge hit. Used ground Turkey instead and added paprika to seasoning. Thank you.
You’re welcome Del! Sounds great!
They’re in the oven as I type! The filling was super tasty couldn’t help myself from having a taste here and there throughout the process.
So I’m re-reading the steps and notes as these morsels are in the oven… I FORGOT THE EGG!
I’m sure they’ll still taste wonderful, but I’m worried they’ll be a little messy with nothing to bind them.
Hi!
Do you have to mix water with the tomato soup? Or just use it straight from the can?
Thank u
We do not add water to the soup, use it directly from the can Christine. Enjoy!
This recipe is spot on! Just like the family recipe I knew as a kid! I did boil the cabbage for longer and I added Worcestershire sauce, beef flavoring, and a little sugar to the sauce.
Definitely need to boil the cabbage for longer, and there is way too much rice. I was looking for a lower carb meal and this definitely had way too much rice. Also, this makes SO much filling. Should use two heads of cabbage and idk what cabbage this recipe used, but I could not use more than a quarter cup of filling per leaf. You can’t roll them properly if you use more. I also like more sauce on my cabbage rolls so I had to make more on the side. Overall I did not love this recipe. I needed to use way more seasonings than recommended and the proportions and timing for everything was very inaccurate.
omg such negativity, maybe learn to cook properly, you’re alone with this rating so it must be the cook
Yes too much rice will wash out the flavor. In the recipe pics that is too much rice.
It’s a matter of opinion. For us, this is how my grandmother and my mom always made them and we feel it’s the right amount of rice. You can certainly use less rice if you’d like.
Making these right now, so no Rating yet.
But if you read the recipe and it calls for so much rice, and that’s going to be too carb-laden for you, DON’T MAKE THE DISH.
Not really rocket science.
Make something else, then no one here has to waste time reading your negative paragraph.
First time making it. I had a Costco sized half jar of Rao’s and didn’t know what to do. The recipe turned out great!!
My BF said he’s never used pork and the recipe won him over. I think I’ll use more sauce and maybe less rice (3/4 cup) next time.
I’ve just put my cabbage rolls in the oven, but I’m wondering why these need to cook for so long. Everything seems to have been fully cooked already. They tasted pretty yummy while I was stuffing them!
The cabbage takes some time to cook, and the flavors meld together! Enjoy Elizabeth!
Easier to freeze head of cabbage then when you thaw it out leaves are soft and tender.
Thank you for sharing Donna!
Hi Donna
I do same as you did, freezing my cabbage. It’s been a while since I made cabbage rolls. So need to ask a question, do you still bake them for time indicate…75 – 90 minutes?
Thanks
I made these two days ago and they are wonderful….don’t know why it’s been so long since I’ve made them. I was given a huge organic cabbage which made it so easy to stuff them. I brought an 8×8 pan of them to some friends and we will finish the rest of ours tonight.
Thanks for this recipe!
Your site is my go-to whenever I’m looking for a recipe, because everything I’ve gotten here has been consistently DELICIOUS!
I do have a question, though.
How do you refrain from telling some of these rude, downright nasty commenters, “****!”?
Thank you Carolyn! You’re so kind ;) People like you make things worthwhile.
Made these last night with a bit of a twist- instead of diced tomatoes I used puree tomatoes and the pasta sauce was store-bought garlic,onion&sausage. Added celery salt and seasoning salt to the beef and rice mixture as well as changed the dill weed to 2 tablespoons. Topped it off with fried mushrooms and shredded cheese…Turned out amazing and so flavourful
Sounds delicious!
Cooking the cabbage rolls recipe tonight for dinner. We are snowed in , in Oklahoma. It sounds like great, comfort food. May even make some mash potatoes with it.. Just like my mother used to cook them. I didn’t like them as a child, my taste buds had not fully developed. But, now in my early 40’s. I am excited to make them for my husband and family. Life can be awe so good.
Enjoy the cabbage rolls Lisa, thank you for sharing!
I have never left a food review. I made a few seasoning adjustments and used ground chuck 85/15, did not precook meat. It’s delicious. Love the tomato soup addition. Not sure why people say it’s bland. Add salt when cooking rice. Before adding rice to mixture cook a small amount of meat and adjust seasonings to taste. I added a teaspoon of paprika, teaspoon of garlic and onion powder and additional salt and pepper as cabbage really requires salt. If tomatoes are really acidic add a bit of sugar. After saucing rolls put extra cabbage leaves on top and any remaining sauce. It’s by no means bland, everyone’s taste preferences are different. Make it taste your way. Love the recipe. Thank you so much
You’re very welcome Glenda! Thank you so much for writing a review. I’m so happy to hear that you love these cabbage rolls as much as I do!
Can’t wait til tomorrow to try the
Polish Verizon of the cabbage rolls. I’m Hungarian and the recipe is similar..adding garlic! Thank you!!
You’re very welcome Gerrie!
My daughter and I made these yesterday morning for the Super Bowl. It was fun and easy. We had only a couple of modifications. We used mild Italian sausage instead of ground pork. We had a half-pound of tired crimini mushrooms so we chopped those up and gave them a home. And we always have a large container of leftover short-grain rice and barley mix (50-50) in the fridge, so we used two cups of that instead of making more rice. (We all love barley.)
Kids wolfed down everything and licked their plates. We’re definitely making these again. (And there’s just enough leftover stuffing for a couple of stuffed peppers for lunch.) Thanks!
These were easy to make and were fantastic. I had a lot of the stuffing leftover and I made some stuffed peppers that were excellent too.
Do I add the whole can of diced tomatoes into the beef mix?
Yes, they are added in step 4 after cooking the meat. Enjoy Lisa!