Easy to make ahead of time, this cabbage rolls recipe is a comfort food favorite in our family. The meat and rice filling cook to perfection inside of the tender cabbage leaves, and the tomato sauce adds a delicious hint of sweetness.
Cabbage Rolls Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Rolls
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup white rice, cooked and cooled according to package directions
- ¼ sauce (reserved from the sauce mixture above)
- 1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
Substitutions and Additions
MEAT: Instead of using 1 pound of ground beef, you can also use a pound of ground chicken, ground pork or turkey. Beef is the traditional type of ground meat used in cabbage rolls, but the alternatives are also tasty.
VEGETARIAN: It’s easy to make this traditional recipe vegetarian by swapping out the ground beef for an extra cup of rice (use 2 cups of rice total).
TOMATO SAUCE: You can also use homemade tomato sauce in this recipe if you prefer.
How to Make This Cabbage Rolls Recipe
For The Sauce
STEP ONE: Mix together in a medium bowl the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, light brown sugar, tomato paste, white vinegar, garlic powder, salt and black pepper until fully combined.
STEP TWO: Reserve ¼ cup of the sauce to add to the filling mixture then spread ½ cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
For The Rolls
STEP ONE: Remove the aluminum foil from the baking dish. If needed, spoon some of the sauce from the dish back over the tops of the cabbage rolls to ensure they stay moist while allowing them to rest for 10-15 minutes before plating and serving.
STEP TWO: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
STEP THREE: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut off the bottom stem of the head of cabbage then submerge the cabbage into the boiling water for 5 minutes to soften the leaves.
STEP FOUR: Remove the head of cabbage from the boiling water and place into a colander to drain and cool enough to handle. Turn off the heat to the pot however, do not drain the hot water as you may need to allow the cabbage to sit in the hot water again if the leaves closer to the core are not quite soft, and pliable, enough to remove from the head without tearing.
STEP FIVE: Remove the outer 12 leaves from the head of cabbage, being careful not to tear the leaves, then place onto a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess water while preparing the filling.
STEP SIX: To a large preheated skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, onion, parsley, oregano, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink and the onion is tender. Turn off the heat to the skillet and drain off any excess fat from the mixture.
STEP SEVEN: Add the white rice, ¼ cup reserved sauce, lightly beaten egg, and dill. Stir to evenly combine all the ingredients and set aside to cool slightly.
STEP EIGHT: Using a sharp paring knife, cut a V-shape at the base of each cabbage leaf to remove the tough stalk. This will make it easier to roll up the filled cabbage leaves.
STEP NINE: Lay out a single cabbage leaf, place ¼ cup of the filling mixture into the top third of the leaf, then fold over the top of the leaf, followed by the sides, then tightly roll the rest of the cabbage leaf as you would a burrito or egg roll. Be sure to tuck in the edges of the leaves as tight as possible to ensure the cabbage roll does not open when baked. Place the cabbage roll into the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all 12 leaves have been filled and rolled.
STEP TEN: Spoon the remaining sauce mixture evenly over the cabbage rolls in the baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
How to Serve
Stuffed cabbage rolls are packed with plenty of savory flavors and are a complete meal all by themselves. If you’d like to add a side dish, try a Caesar salad or garlic bread for a heartier meal.
MORE CABBAGE RECIPES
For more old-fashioned dinner ideas, try our Hamburger Casserole. For another take on the classic cabbage rolls, try our Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls.
Storage
MAKE-AHEAD: This classic dish can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 8 hours. Be sure to cover the rolls with airtight plastic wrap or foil.
IN THE FRIDGE: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 325°F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or just until warmed through.
IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze these easy cabbage rolls for up to a month. To prepare the rolls for freezing, allow them to cool completely and refrigerate them overnight first. Place cabbage rolls in freezer bags or an airtight container, along with sauce in each plastic bag.
Delicious and comforting, these cabbage rolls are a vintage recipe that never goes out of style. Stuffed with all kinds of goodness including tender beef, tangy tomato sauce and rice, this recipe will be a welcome meal year-round.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because these cabbage rolls take time to assemble and cook (about 90 minutes total), planning ahead is helpful. Our evenings are usually pretty busy, so when I cook these I prepare them in the morning and throw them in the oven when it’s dinner time.
You can either follow our boiling method above or you can freeze the whole cabbage head and then thaw it before using. The leaves will peel off easily with this method.
You need to use cooked rice for this cabbage roll recipe. Cook it ahead of time and add it to the filling mixture as directed in the recipe.
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Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
Sauce
- 15 ounces can crushed tomatoes
- 16 ounces tomato sauce (two 8-ounce cans)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Rolls
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup white rice, cooked and cooled according to package directions
- ¼ sauce, reserved from the sauce mixture above
- 1 large egg, room temperature and lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
Sauce
- Mix together in a medium bowl the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, light brown sugar, tomato paste, white vinegar, garlic powder, salt and black pepper until fully combined.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the sauce to add to the filling mixture then spread ½ cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut off the bottom stem of the head of cabbage then submerge the cabbage into the boiling water for 5 minutes to soften the leaves.
- Remove the head of cabbage from the boiling water and place into a colander to drain and cool enough to handle. Turn off the heat to the pot however, do not drain the hot water as you may need to allow the cabbage to sit in the hot water again if the leaves closer to the core are not quite soft, and pliable, enough to remove from the head without tearing.
- Remove the outer 12 leaves from the head of cabbage, being careful not to tear the leaves, then place onto a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess water while preparing the filling.
- To a large preheated skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, onion, parsley, oregano, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink and the onion is tender. Turn off the heat to the skillet and drain off any excess fat from the mixture.
- Add the white rice, ¼ cup reserved sauce, lightly beaten egg, and dill. Stir to evenly combine all the ingredients and set aside to cool slightly.
- Using a sharp paring knife, cut a V-shape at the base of each cabbage leaf to remove the tough stalk. This will make it easier to roll up the filled cabbage leaves.
- Lay out a single cabbage leaf, place ¼ cup of the filling mixture into the top third of the leaf, then fold over the top of the leaf, followed by the sides, then tightly roll the rest of the cabbage leaf as you would a burrito or egg roll. Be sure to tuck in the edges of the leaves as tight as possible to ensure the cabbage roll does not open when baked. Place the cabbage roll into the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all 12 leaves have been filled and rolled.
- Spoon the remaining sauce mixture evenly over the cabbage rolls in the baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil from the baking dish. If needed, spoon some of the sauce from the dish back over the tops of the cabbage rolls to ensure they stay moist while allowing them to rest for 10-15 minutes before plating and serving.
Video
Notes
- For the white rice in this recipe, you can make it up to 48 hours in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready to use in the recipe. Leftover white rice from Chinese take-out works great as a shortcut as well as minute rice cooked according to package directions.
- You can use approximately 3 ¾ cups jarred marinara sauce for a quick substitute to mixing together your own sauce. Be sure to stir in the light brown sugar and white vinegar to the jarred sauce if using this shortcut for the recipe.
- If you find that as you get closer to the core of the head of cabbage and the leaves are not as tender and pliable to easily peel away, add the head back to the pot of hot water and allow it to soak for an additional 2-3 minutes to soften the leaves enough to finish removing them from the head to use in the recipe.
Nutrition
Comments
Brenda says
First time making cabbage rolls!!
My picky eaters grandkids loved them. Was planning on freezing some none left
I recommend this recipe!!
Geanetta Mote says
Made this , my kids and I loved it , the sauce was so good , and the filling was awesome. Recipe was easy to follow, will be making these in the future