This stuffed cabbage rolls recipe is cabbage leaves filled with beef and rice, coated in a homemade tomato sauce and baked to perfection. A comfort food classic that’s hearty, delicious and simple to make.
I’ve been eating stuffed cabbage since I was a child, and I’ve been working on this recipe for a long time to create the ultimate rendition of cabbage rolls. Serve your stuffed cabbage rolls with a side of Instant Pot mashed potatoes and parmesan roasted broccoli, and watch the rave reviews pour in!
I grew up eating cabbage rolls, and I’ve had enough in my time to know the difference between a good cabbage roll and a less than stellar cabbage roll. My version of cabbage rolls features a flavorful beef and rice filling, and the rolls are cooked in a simple homemade tomato sauce for fabulous results.
How do you make stuffed cabbage rolls?
The first step is to make your filling. The filling is a combination of ground beef, cooked rice, onions, garlic, egg and seasonings. Everything gets mixed together to form the base of your dish.
The meat mixture gets wrapped up inside cooked cabbage leaves, then the cabbage rolls are layered in a baking dish on top of homemade tomato sauce and baked. This dish takes over an hour to bake because to want to make sure your meat is cooked through, so plan accordingly!
How do you get cabbage leaves off the head?
If you try to remove raw cabbage leaves from the cabbage head, you’ll want to slice off the root end and very carefully peel the leaves off to avoid tearing. Sometimes tearing is inevitable no matter how careful you are, so I’ve found the best method is to cook the head of cabbage first. Cut off the root end, then submerge your cabbage head in a pot of boiling water until the leaves are tender and can easily be peeled away.
Tips for Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- You’ll need to cut thick part of the cabbage leaves away before you start rolling them up. I’ve found it’s easiest to take a paring knife and cut a V-shape out of the bottom of each leaf to remove the tough rib.
- Place the cabbage rolls seam side down in the baking dish.
- The homemade tomato sauce does contain brown sugar and vinegar, as cabbage rolls are traditionally baked in sweet and sour style sauce. If you don’t want to use brown sugar, you can omit it, but the flavor won’t be as authentic.
- Cabbage rolls can be assembled and stored covered in the fridge for up to 8 hours before you plan to bake them.
How long do you bake stuffed cabbage rolls?
You’ll want to plan on baking your cabbage for a minimum of one hour. The cabbage should be tender and the meat cooked all the way through. I typically start checking at the hour mark, but have found that sometimes it can take as long as 1 hour 30 minutes for cabbage rolls to be ready.
Cabbage Roll Soup
Love cabbage rolls but don’t want to go through all the effort of peeling and folding and baking? Try my easy and wildly popular cabbage roll soup instead!
These stuffed cabbage rolls may be a little more work than your typical dinner, but they’re totally worth it the extra effort!
More great dinner options
- Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
- Pizza Stuffed Shells
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Beef Noodle Casserole
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Video
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes do not drain
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
For the cabbage rolls
- 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves chopped, divided use
- 1 egg
- 1 head cabbage
- cooking spray
Instructions
- For the tomato sauce: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt and pepper to the pot.
- Stir in the brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce is simmering, assemble the cabbage rolls. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Immerse the cabbage head in the boiling water. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until cabbage leaves are pliable. Peel 12 large leaves off the cabbage.
- Place the ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of parsley and egg in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce to the bowl. Stir to combine.
- Lay each cabbage leaf on a flat surface. Use a small knife to cut a V-shaped notch to remove the thick part of the cabbage rib.
- Shape 1/3 of a cup of the meat mixture into a log shape and place in the center of a cabbage leaf. Roll the cabbage leaf around the meat mixture. Repeat with remaining meat and cabbage leaves.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Coat a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray. Place 1/2 of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the dish. Top with remaining sauce.
- Cover with foil. Bake for 60-90 minutes or until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked through.
- Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, then serve.
Can I use a substitute for red wine vinegar? Apple cider vinegar?
That should be fine!
I have been making stuffed cabbage rolls since I was a child. This recipe is slightly different than the one I’m used to but I think it’ll work. Main difference is, after taking the cabbage rolls out of the pan, I have always added just a little corn starch to the sauce left in the pan and thickened it for a wonderful gravy to put on top of the rolls. Anyway, now I am on the keto diet so I’m going to try these with cauliflower rice instead of regular and stevia (or coconut sugar) instead of regular. I’ll also use something other than corn starch to thicken my gravy. Wish me luck!!
Have you ever tried this with fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones? What might be the ratio? Do your canned tomatoes have any other ingredients (spices, foremost) which might change the flavor from fresh tomatoes?
Canned tomatoes are really the best choice for this dish, they’re cooked down and not watery the way fresh tomatoes would be.
Just finished making and placed them in oven. I used ground turkey sausage, celery, a carrot, and red bell pepper. Also used apple cider vinegar and brown jasmine rice. It came out to 14 rolls. I’m sure I’ll need to wait the full 90 minutes. I can’t wait to eat this!
Can you make this in the slow cooker?
Yes cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours!
I have to make stuffed cabbage for 60 persons. I’d like to use this recipe. Would I just use your multiplier and add cooking time? I am using one of those big electric roasters to cook them. I like the ingredients in this recipe and I am half Polish. My grandmother made stuffed cabbage many times.
Yes that’s correct, I hope you enjoy!
Do you put uncooked rice or cooked
Cooked rice!
This is one awesome recipe. Thank you spool much. I double the recipe and it is absolutely wonderfull. 5 stars !!!!
Can you freeze cabbage rolls if so for how long
You can but they might be a bit softer when thawed. You can freeze them for up to 2 months.
My family loves these cabbage rolls! Sometimes I use the ground turkey instead of beef and no one can tell the difference!
I love this recipe..my son loves it even more. Making this for the 4th time since May 2019.I do use brown rice and put bell pepper in it also. Take left over cabbage chopped it up and put on top of cabbage rolls. This is just a wonderful recipe.
So happy to hear you’re enjoying it, I appreciate you reporting back!
Carole
Thanks for the advice! I have 5 lb of ground beef and was thinking about tripling this recipe and your advice about doubling your recipe and adding 2 hours to the cabbage rolls was great!!
I actually hate to cook now because my British hubby is so fussy about what he eats. This recipe was super fun to make and tasted awesome, even with a few substitutions. I only had apple cider vinegar, no crushed tomatoes but diced so I smashed them more. I also didn’t have parsley, which would have brightened up the dish better. A bit of parmesan cheese mixed in with the meat mixture would also have been tasty, but I have dairy allergies so resisted that, as well as substituting olive oil for the butter.
I’d make these again in a heartbeat!
Love it I used 1pound of veal,1pound of ground sirloin, and 1/2 of ground pork. Also I added celery and green pepper to the mix . My husband is German and he loves my stuffed cabbage
Loved it, I think I followed the recipe correctly but ended up with 10 rolls instead of the 12 (specified #of leaves). Used low sodium tomatoes and sauce and backed off salt,and brown sugar, still delicious.
I tried it and love it!!!!!! Wonderful recipe.
I wrecked half a pan of these by myself. The only changes I made was I subbed the red wine vinegar with balsamic and a splash of sherry and added a can of tomato soup to it because I like a lot of sauce.It was amazing.
OMG! It smells great. Can’t wait to dig in… thanks for the recipe!
It is baking now. Cant wait to try. The sauce is amazing
I love cabbage rolls, I am 72 years old and never attempted to make them myself. I saw this recipe online 3 days ago and have not been able to get it off my mind. I am excited to try it.: )
I made them and love love love it!!!!!!!!!!! Best cabbage rolls ever. : )
This is an excellent stuffed cabbage recipe. I doubled the recipe and it was great! I always use ground pork as 1/3 of the meat mixture and add sauerkraut and shredded cabbage to the bottom of the pan along with the tomato sauce and in between layers if you are making more. If you are making more you may want to increase the time up to two hours until the cabbage is tender.