Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with tender cabbage leaves wrapped around meat and rice filling, then baked in simple tomato sauce. Recipe from my Ukrainian grandma I have been making for decades!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve already shared my unstuffed cabbage rolls because they’re easy and I make them more often, but it’s time for my grandma’s cabbage rolls recipe!
This authentic Ukrainian recipe is the one I grew up with in Kyiv and make when I have the time. Every region makes theirs a little differently, but I stick to my grandmother’s recipe she made bi-weekly, with just one small change.
We always use raw meat and rice. No pre-cooking, no sauerkraut, no bacon or carrots, just sauteed onion and garlic, with my addition of Italian seasoning for extra flavor.
Simple, healthy ingredients, and oh-so cozy. Perfect for when you need a nostalgic dinner!
Ingredients for Cabbage Rolls
- Ground meat: I use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork because it packs the most flavor, but feel free to use just one.
- White rice: Uncooked, rinsed, and drained. Using raw rice gives the filling the perfect texture and skips the extra step of pre-cooking.
- Green cabbage: Grab a large head so you get big leaves that are easy to work with. If you want to skip boiling, savoy cabbage is a great choice, its leaves are soft enough to roll raw.
- Onion: 2 large yellow onions add flavor and juiciness.
- Garlic: Adds a fragrant, savory kick that lifts the whole filling.
- Chicken broth: As the cabbage rolls cook, the broth keeps them nice and moist and adds a flavor that plain water just can’t.
- Tomato sauce: Adds a touch of sweetness and helps create a rich, flavorful sauce. Some stuffed cabbage rolls recipes use tomato soup, though I haven’t tried it myself.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil for sauteing.
- For serving: A dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill.
How to Make Cabbage Rolls
There’s a little prep, but it’s straightforward, and the oven does all the work after that.
- Prep the cabbage: Boil a large pot of salted water. Submerge the cabbage for 2 minutes, peel off the softened leaves, and repeat until all leaves are removed.
- Saute the aromatics: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Cook onion and garlic until soft, then stir in Italian seasoning for 30 seconds.
- Mix the filling: In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture with ground beef, pork, rice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
- Trim the leaves: Remove the thick stem from each cabbage leaf.
- Roll the cabbage: Spoon 1/4 – 1/3 cup of filling onto each flattened leaf, fold the sides, and roll up. Place seam side down in a Dutch oven.
- Add sauce: Mix tomato sauce, chicken broth, and pepper in a separate bowl, then pour over the rolls. Cover and bake at 425 F for 90 minutes.
- Rest and serve: Let them rest for 15 minutes, then serve with sour cream and dill.
Tips for Best Results
Here are a few tips to make this recipe for cabbage rolls even easier and more delicious.
- Cabbage: Buy a large head of cabbage with big leaves and cook it in salted water, otherwise they won’t roll, and don’t forget to remove the stem. You can also use softer savoy cabbage – no need to boil.
- Different ground meats: You can substitute a mix of ground chicken or turkey with beef or pork for a leaner option. If you use only poultry, the cabbage rolls can turn out dry, so make sure at least half of the mixture is a higher-fat meat.
- Instead of a Dutch oven: A large, deep baking sheet covered tightly with double layers of foil works too. Just note they may need a little extra cooking time.
- Rolling: Overlap smaller leaves as needed to fully encase the filling, and tuck in the sides so the rolls hold together while cooking.
Serving Ideas
Topping homemade cabbage rolls with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill is highly recommended! It mixes up with the sauce and the filling you break, then you dip a slice of rye bread or any other crusty bread in it and it’s heavenly.
We usually do not serve anything else on a side but if you feel like it, serve cabbage rolls with a simple salad like cucumber and tomato salad, pickled vegetables like sauerkraut or steamed green beans or asparagus.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Make sure the rolls are fully cooked and completely cooled, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat: Warm them up in the microwave or pop them in the oven at 375 F for about 10 minutes.
More Cabbage Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot cabbage rolls
- Cabbage roll soup
- Ukrainian borscht
- Instant Pot borscht
- Cabbage roll casserole
Cabbage Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, extra lean
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup uncooked white rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 28 ounces can tomato sauce
- 1 large head green cabbage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- Dill and sour cream, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large stock pot with water and some salt to a boil. Submerge head of cabbage in it and boil for 2 minutes. Using a paring knife, cut off the softened leaves by the core. Return the cabbage to the pot and continue this process until all the leaves have been removed.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour in the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until translucent while stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning and cook for an additional 30 seconds, stirring a few times.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl along with ground beef, ground pork, rice, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper and mix thoroughly with your hands or spatula. Set aside.
- Cut off thick stem on each cabbage leaf by placing it on a cutting board and removing with a paring knife.
- Place a cabbage leaf flat, spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling in the center, fold in the sides, and roll the leaf around the filling. Arrange it seam-side down in a large Dutch oven. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling, overlapping smaller leaves as needed.
- In a large bowl, add tomato sauce, chicken broth and 1 teaspoon pepper, and mix. Pour over the cabbage rolls, close the lid and bake for 90 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, rest for 15 minutes and serve hot with sour cream and dill.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in a refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a microwave or in the oven at 375 F for 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
