These cabbage rolls bake up tender and savory, with a well-seasoned beef-and-rice filling wrapped in soft green cabbage. They’re finished in a tomato sauce that’s gently sweet and lightly tangy, with enough body to cling to the rolls without feeling heavy.
It’s comforting, home-style food that smells good while it bakes and tastes even better once the sauce has had time to settle. The recipe follows a classic oven-baked approach that keeps the rolls neatly wrapped and easy to serve.
At a Glance
- Flavor: savory beef filling, balanced tomato sauce
- Texture: tender cabbage, rolls hold together when served
- Method: oven-baked, covered, then rested
- Make-ahead: rice can be cooked in advance
- Keeps well: leftovers reheat without drying out
Why This Version Works
The sauce is built for balance. Tomato paste adds body, while a small amount of brown sugar and vinegar keeps the flavor from drifting too sweet or too sharp as it bakes.
Baking the rolls covered creates steam that softens the cabbage evenly. Letting them rest before serving gives the filling time to set, so the rolls lift cleanly from the dish when served.
Ingredients That Matter
- Green cabbage – Head size varies, which is normal. What matters is that the leaves soften enough to roll without cracking.
- Cooked, cooled rice and egg – Using rice that has cooled helps control moisture, while the egg helps the filling hold together once baked.
- Brown sugar and vinegar – Used sparingly, these balance the tomato sauce so it tastes rounded after baking, not flat or overly sweet.
- Dill – Optional, but it adds a light, fresh note that works well with the cabbage and tomato sauce.
Preparing the Cabbage Leaves
You’re looking for leaves that bend easily without splitting. After boiling the head of cabbage, the outer leaves usually release first and are the easiest to work with.
Keep the pot of hot water even after turning off the heat. If the inner leaves are still firm, return the cabbage to the water for a few minutes to soften them enough to remove cleanly.
Cut a small V-shaped notch at the base of each leaf to remove the thick rib. This makes the leaves easier to roll and helps them wrap snugly without bulging or tearing.
Filling and Rolling
Once the filling is mixed with the rice, egg, and reserved sauce, it should feel well mixed without being heavy or wet.
Use about ¼ cup of filling per leaf. Lay the leaf flat, place the filling in the top third, fold the top over, tuck in the sides, and roll snugly without forcing it.
Place each roll seam-side down in the baking dish. This helps keep them closed as they bake and makes serving cleaner.
If some of the inner leaves are smaller, use a little less filling or overlap two leaves to finish rolling.
Baking and Resting
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the cabbage is fully tender and the rolls are heated through.
Once baked, let the rolls rest in the dish before serving. This gives the filling time to firm up and the sauce time to settle, which makes the rolls easier to lift and plate.
Storage Instructions
- Serve the cabbage rolls warm, spooning some of the sauce from the dish over the top.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Reheat covered in a 325°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, adding a spoonful of sauce if needed to keep them moist.
- Baked cabbage rolls can also be frozen once cooled. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat covered.
Serving Suggestions
Cabbage rolls pair well with simple sides that do not compete with the sauce. Mashed potatoes or buttered noodles are classic options. Green beans or a simple Caesar salad add balance, and dinner rolls are great for soaking up extra sauce.
If you like the flavors here but want something a little less hands-on, unstuffed cabbage rolls have the same savory, tomato-forward profile in an easier, scoopable form.
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