Ground beef and cabbage simmer together in this easy, comforting one-pot meal that’s full of cozy, savory flavor. It’s a simple, budget-friendly dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Savory browned beef simmered in a rich tomato broth with tender cabbage, a tangy splash of Worcestershire, and a light dill finish.
- Why Make It: One pot, minimal chopping, and cabbage roll flavor without the rolling. The cabbage cooks down tender for a hearty, hands-off dinner.
- Recommended Tools: Make this in a 4-quart Dutch oven or a deep sauté pan with a lid, using a sturdy spoon to break up the beef and give everything a good stir as it simmers.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes, top it with a little parmesan, and enjoy the leftovers for lunch the next day.
What You’ll Need
- Beef: Choose lean ground beef to keep it less greasy. Remember to drain the oil after browning so the sauce stays rich, not oily.
- Cabbage: Choose a firm, heavy head of cabbage. I prefer green cabbage but bagged, chopped cabbage or coleslaw mix is a great shortcut.
- Tomato Sauce Base: For a smoother sauce, replace the diced tomatoes with crushed. For a spicier version, use a can of Rotel instead of regular diced tomatoes. The beef broth can be substituted with chicken broth.
- Variations: For a little kick, add red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne with the dill. Sliced bell peppers or shredded carrots can also be added to the cabbage. Or make it cheesy with a sprinkle of Parmesan at the end.
How To Make Ground Beef and Cabbage
- Cook and drain ground beef (full recipe below).
- Stir in the remaining ingredients, scraping the brown bits up.
- Simmer covered until the cabbage is tender.
Serve over rice or with egg noodles.
How To Store and Reheat
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. The cabbage will be a little softer but still tasty.
Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight if frozen. Warm on the stovetop over medium-low with a splash of broth or water, or microwave covered, stirring once or twice until heated through.
Easy Ground Beef Dinners
Did you enjoy this Ground Beef and Cabbage Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¾ cup beef broth
- 8 cups chopped green cabbage
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- ¾ cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- cooked rice for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 4qt Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes without stirring to form a nice crust on one side. Break it up with a spoon, continue cooking until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes more. Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the cabbage, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dill, salt, and pepper.
- Stir, cover, and simmer for 18 to 25 minutes or until the cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally. Simmer uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes to thicken if desired. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over rice or pasta if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Main Course
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This was so good and easy to prepare. I did add a little cider vinegar and a small amount of brown sugar to the tomato mixture. Those were two ingredients that were in my usual cabbage roll recipe. Serve it over rice. I will definitely be making this again!
Perfect and simple!!! Will make this again and again—delicious 😁Thank you for a tasty and easy dinner 😄
Two questions:
-Could this be made into a “freezer prep meal” by freezing all ingredients raw then cooking in crock pot?
-Could I use purple instead of green cabbage?
Thanks !
Purple cabbage can definitely be used in place of green cabbage. For freezing the meal I would recommend browning the meat mixture, and combining with the sauce to freeze. Then on cook day, you can defrost it and follow the recipe instructions as listed. This recipe really isn’t ideal for a “dump-and-go” freezer meal for the crockpot.
Oddly satisfying and delicious. I added a small slurry of cornstarch at the end to make a bit less saucy. But really good and will put on repeat.
I really liked this recipe and will definitely make again. It went great with wild rice and I mixed in some hot sauce for a little kick.
Thanks for trying our recipe, Lindsey!
I added some Italian seasoning dry parsley flakes and small diced yellow potatoes YUMM and it was Maddie approved (my EXTREMELY PICKEY 9 year old) so that’s definitely saying something
This recipe is very tasty. I didn’t have any dill so that was left out. I used a marinara sauce because that was what I had and diced tomatoes with garlic. It was very yummy. Boyfriend liked it too. I will make it again.
Kriste, thank you so much for trying the recipe! I’m glad it still turned out delicious even without the dill. Happy to hear your boyfriend enjoyed it too. Hope you have fun making it again!
Great! I served without rice, and it was still awesome. Even picky eater liked it and had seconds!
Hi Judy, we are glad to hear that it was a hit with the whole family (even the picky eaters!).
We loved this meal! I added a shredded carrot and some ACV, served with basmati rice with raisins and cinnamon. So good and we felt very healthy! Thank you for recipe.
That sounds delicious, Angela! Thank you for sharing.
Any idea what the serving size is? Absolutely loved this! Having left overs tonight!
One serving would be ⅙th of the recipe which will be about 1 cup. I am glad you enjoyed it Jessica!
We absolutely loved this quick dinner, easy to make and very tasty. 3 👍👍👍. This will go on repeat, for our family’s favorites. Thanks for sharing !
Yum delicious
Patricia, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe.
Holy cow, this was fantastic!! thanks Holly!
So glad you enjoyed it, Leanne!
I made this Ground Beef & Cabbage for dinner last night and it was a hit! I used coleslaw mix instead of chopping cabbage and I used a can of Rotel with mild green chilies in place of the diced tomatoes. I served it with mashed potatoes instead of rice or pasta, then I also made Sesame Ginger Snap Peas on the side. Excellent meal! I will definitely do this again! Thanks for the recipes.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Very good recipe. I love cabbage dishes. Not a fan of Worcester sauce. I substituted apple cider vinegar. Excellent smell and taste.
Richard, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Apple cider vinegar sounds like a great swap for Worcestershire sauce. Thanks for sharing your twist on it!
Tasty and easy meal. I’ll definitely make it again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Corol!
I’m wondering if you can substitute ground chicken for the ground beef? Or does it make a big difference in taste?
Hi Jessica, it will make a difference in the flavor but will still be delicious!
Quick and easy but a wonderful hearty meal, served with rice. What was left over of the ground beef and cabbage made another meal with a side salad. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
So happy you enjoyed it, Judy! Thanks for trying our recipe.
Ground beef and cabbage was excellent ,I made 1dozed cabbage rolls with the larger leaves of the cabbage with the same recipe they were tasty as well, They freeze well,thanks I love trying new recipes
So glad you loved it Kathy, it’s certainly an easy favorite!
I’ve been making something similar for many years, I’ve always called it ‘Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls’ LOL. The first time I made it, I was actually making cabbage rolls at the time and had some ground beef left over along with the core of a head of cabbage which was too small to use to make rolls with. So I just chopped it up and tossed it all together, and it came out great! It’s actually a great way to eliminate waste when you are making cabbage rolls, because if you boil or steam your cabbage to peel the leaves for rolling, you will end up with a partially cooked core of cabbage that has little use. Can’t use it to make coleslaw because it is no longer raw and crunchy. This is the perfect solution!
I love recipes that use up all of the little bits of veggies!
I have been looking for a simple tasty cabbage recipe and this popped up today. I made it as stated. I usually add different things but stuck with the stated recipe. I served it with a simple salad and over mashed potatoes. It was really good and filling. I will freeze a couple of portions and eat the remaining this week. Highly recommend as is.
So glad you enjoyed it!