Easy to make ahead of time, this cabbage rolls recipe is a comfort food favorite in our family. The meat and rice cooks to perfection inside of the cabbage leaves, and the tomato sauce adds a delicious hint of sweetness.
For more old fashioned dinner ideas, try our Hamburger Casserole, Meatloaf and Poor Man’s Steaks
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More Comfort Food Recipes:
Shepherd’s Pie | Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Cabbage Roll Ingredients
You Will Need:
For the Sauce:
- 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
For the Filling:
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup onion chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dill
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup cooked rice (cook rice in your Instant Pot)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup of the sauce that has been mixed together
- 1 head green cabbage
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS:
MEAT: Instead of using 1 pound of ground beef, you can also use a pound of ground chicken or turkey. Beef is the traditional meat used in cabbage rolls, but the alternatives are also tasty.
VEGETARIAN: It’s easy to make these cabbage rolls vegetarian by swapping out the ground beef for an extra cup of rice (us 2 cups of rice total).
How to Make the Best Cabbage Rolls
STEP ONE: Preparing the Cabbage Leaves
Cut off ¼ inch from the bottom of the cabbage head. Place the whole cabbage head into a big pot of boiling water and boil for two minutes.
Using long tongs gently peel off the outer cabbage leaves from the cabbage head inside the pot. You can also use the tongs to gently roll the cabbage head around in the hot water and gently lift the leaves.
After several layers have been removed you may have to use a knife to disconnect the leaf next to the core. Set aside the removed leaves to cool while you prepare the sauce and filling.
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl mix all of the sauce ingredients together. Remove ¼ cup of sauce to be added to the meat filling. In addition, spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of 9×13 baking dish.
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STEP THREE: In a skillet, over medium heat, brown the ground beef. Then add the onion, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and dill. Cook until no pink remains in the meat and onions are tender. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
STEP FOUR: Remove from heat and add the cooked rice, ¼ cup mixed tomato sauce and egg. Mix well. Set aside.
STEP FIVE: Remove the thick stem of the cabbage leaves. Cutting a V at the bottom of each leaf to notch out the thick part helps it lay flatter.
STEP SIX: Lay the leaf flat and place 1/3 cup of filling toward the middle bottom of the leaf. Fold burrito style by folding in the sides onto the filling and rolling the leaf up.
If your leaves have torn that’s okay, just fold the torn side in first and cover it up with the other side before rolling.
STEP SEVEN: Place the roll seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat the process until all the leaves are filled and dish is filled.
STEP EIGHT: Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls and cover tightly with foil.
STEP NINE: Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let cabbage rolls sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Can You Make Cabbage Rolls Ahead of Time?
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.
MAKING AHEAD: Cabbage rolls 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.
FREEZING: Yes, you can freeze cabbage rolls for up to a month. To prepare the rolls for freezing, allow them to cool completely and refrigerate them overnight first. Add the rolls to airtight freezer bags, along with sauce in each bag.
REHEATING: To reheat the cabbage rolls, place the rolls and sauce into a saucepan. Cover and simmer until heated through, about 30 minutes.
These cabbage rolls are a hearty main dish that pair well with sauteed vegetables or our beer bread. Mashed potatoes are also perfect to soak up any extra sauce!
More DINNER Recipes You’ll Love
BEEF: Chili | Goulash
MEATBALLS: Swedish| Sweet & Sour
EASY: Dirty Rice | Beer Grilled Chicken
Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 ounce, undrained
- One 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
For the Filling:
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup onion chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dill
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup of the sauce that has been mixed together
- 1 head green cabbage
Instructions
- Prepare the cabbage leaves by cutting off ¼ inch from the bottom of the cabbage head. Place the whole cabbage head into a big pot of boiling water and boil for two minutes. Using long tongs gently peel off the outer cabbage leaves from the cabbage head inside the pot. Using the tongs you can roll the cabbage head around in the hot water and gently lift the leaves. After several layers have been removed you may have to use a knife to disconnect the leaf next to the core. Set aside the removed leaves to cool while you prepare the sauce and filling.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl mix all of the sauce ingredients together.
- Spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of 9x13 baking dish.
- Remove ¼ cup of sauce to be added to the meat filling.
- In a skillet brown the ground beef cooking along with the onions, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and dill over medium heat until no pink remains and onions are tender.
- Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
- Remove from heat and add the cooked rice, ¼ cup mixed tomato sauce and egg. Mix well. Set aside.
- Remove the thick stem of the cabbage leaves (cutting a V at the bottom of each leaf to notch out the thick part and this also helps it lay flatter)
- Lay the leaf flat and place 1/3 cup of filling toward the middle bottom of the leaf. Fold burrito style by folding in the sides onto the filling and rolling the leaf up. If your leaves have torn that’s okay, just fold the torn side in first and cover it up with the other side before rolling.
- Place the roll seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat the process until all the leaves are filled and dish is filled.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Let cabbage rolls sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
This is such a hearty, simple meal – the filling has the BEST flavor!
This harkens back to my childhood. The smell, the taste, my grandmother and family feast. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Could you possibly replace the rice with riced cauliflower? I had gastric bypass surgery and am not allowed rice and pasta. Was just wondering how the cauliflower would hold up.
I haven’t tried it with riced cauliflower, so I can’t say for sure. I think it would be worth a try!
i always cook it with riced cauliflower now. it works perfectly and lowers carbs.
Have you ever tried to Boil the cabbage on the stove in Saurkraut? mmmmm Delicious!
I haven’t tried these yet but I will soon! Mom used to freeze her cabbage instead of boiling it. Just leave it outdoors overnight in the winter. The leaves wilt just the same as if you boiled them.
Put the rice cauliflower in the mixture
at the very end as it will disappear when cooked for a long time. It works
quite well
I also make cabbage rolls as my mother did. Very similar to this recipe. My spices may be a bit different according to taste. The biggest difference my mom did was use canned tomato soup as the sauce. Very easy and we love it. I.use a large can of soup (or 2 mall cans) with a little water to thin it down..it also makes a great sauce for meatloaf.
Is it 8 oz. tomato paste or sauce ? The top of the page has paste , but the recipe says sauce ?
It’s sauce, sorry for the confusion!
I make these but no vinegar , dill or oregano. I add bacon to the meat and onions mixture. Put a layer of sauerkraut down with a bit of tomato sauce place the cabbage rolls on top then add kielbasa pieces more sauerkraut and the rest of the tomato juice. They turn out great!!!
How much is considered 1 serving size?
This recipe makes 10-12 rolls so I would say six people could have two each.
This recipe looks awesome but I have always seen and made them from raw hamburger meat. My Grandmother made the same as I, I learned from her. Not sure if the flavor would be different or the texture of the meat the same.