This delicious traditional Polish stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe combines ground sausage, ground beef, and long grain rice wrapped in tender cabbage leaves with a sweet and tangy tomato sauce.
They are one of our favorite full-flavor comfort food recipes, perfect for the cold fall and winter months. I like to serve them with pumpernickel bread with soft butter and a light dessert like lemon chiffon pie or apple cobbler.
This cabbage roll recipe calls for ground beef and sausage, but you can use all of one. You can even use ground pork or a mixture of these ground meats. It boils down to what you and your family like best. Please read all my helpful hints and tips for this soul-warming recipe. Cabbage Rolls should be fun and easy, so you make them often for your family.
If your family is anything like mine, they love an excellent cabbage dinner. My family loves cabbage and can never seem to get enough of it. Have you tried any of my other cabbage recipes? Southern fried cabbage, haluski, cabbage stir fry, and these delectable cabbage rolls are just a few of our favorites.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Olive oil: extra virgin is best
- Vegetables: onion, garlic, canned diced tomatoes, a large head of cabbage, so you have large leaves to work with, and extra leaves just in case.
- Vinegar: I use apple cider vinegar, but you can use balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar.
- Brown sugar: for just a touch of sweetness
- Seasonings: salt, black pepper, dried parsley, and paprika
- Ground meat: choose whatever mixture of ground beef, pork, or sausage your family likes best. My husband loves sausage, so I often make it with 100% ground sausage.
- Egg: large one, please
- Rice: I use Minute Rice. If you cannot access Minute Rice, parboil 1 cup of rice.
How to make Cabbage Rolls
This is the nutshell version. See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Start by submerging the whole head of cabbage in a big pot of boiling water for about five minutes. This helps the leaves become more pliable for stuffing and rolling. It also helps keep the leaves from tearing when removed from the head. Let the cabbage drain, then carefully peel 12 leaves from the head.
Next, heat a little olive oil in a large skillet or pan. Add the onion and cook for several minutes. Reduce the heat, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer while you prepare the stuffed cabbage.
In a large bowl, mix the ground sausage, ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, egg, parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread a thin layer of the simmering tomato sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.
Working with the cabbage rolls on a flat surface, add about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture to the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold in the sides and roll up the cabbage. Place cabbage rolls seam-side down in a single layer in the casserole dish. Repeat until all the cabbage rolls are stuffed.
Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 80-90 minutes.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Don’t skip the step to boil the cabbage. It makes all the difference when it comes to rolling these guys. Rolling a cabbage leaf that is not boiled is almost impossible since it is stiff as a board.
- The ground meat does not need to be precooked.
- After boiling the cabbage, use a sharp knife to slice the root end off about 1/2 – 3/4 inch up. This will make it easier to remove the leaves.
- Are you always in a hurry and need to cut a few corners? Use your favorite jarred marinara sauce and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 1/2 -2 tablespoons brown sugar.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil so they steam in the oven, softening the cabbage leaves.
How to soften and remove the leaves from a head of cabbage
First, bring a large pot of water to a boil. I use an 8-quart stockpot. Then, submerge the head of cabbage in the pot for about five minutes. I usually roll it over about halfway through the cooking time. Then, remove it and drain it in a colander.
Once drained and cooled, cut about 1/2-3/4 inch above the stem end and discard. These simple steps will make it much easier to remove the leaves and make them more pliable for rolling.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat at reduced power in the microwave.
To freeze, first cool to room temperature. Cover the baking dish with 2 layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge. Remove the casserole from the fridge 40 minutes before reheating. Remove the plastic wrap and cover only with aluminum foil. Reheat at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until hot.
Try these Cabbage Recipes
Classic Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 1 can 14.5 ounce petite diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Cabbage Rolls
- 1 large head green cabbage
- 1/2 pound ground pork sausage
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup Minute Rice or long-grain parboiled white rice
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Bring a large stock pot of water to boil. Add the whole head of cabbage and boil for 5 minutes. Remove to a colander to drain and cool. Once cooled, cut 1/2 inch off the stem end of the cabbage. Carefully remove 12 leaves and cut the tough rib out of the stem end in the shape of a V.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring several times. Reduce heat to low and add garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Spoon a thin layer of the tomato sauce into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. In a large bowl, mix the ground pork sausage, ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, rice, parsley, and paprika. Place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture in the center of the cabbage roll. Bring in the sides and roll tight. Place the rolls on the tomato sauce in a single layer in the casserole dish. Repeat until all the cabbage rolls are made and in the casserole dish. Top with remaining tomato sauce.
- Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 80-90 minutes
Video
Notes
- Don’t skip the step to boil the cabbage. It makes all the difference when it comes to rolling these guys. It is almost impossible to roll a cabbage leaf that has not been boiled since it is stiff as a board.
- The ground meat does not need to be precooked.
- After boiling the cabbage, use a sharp knife to slice the root end off about 1/2 – 3/4 inch up. This will make it easier to remove the leaves.
- Are you always in a hurry and need to cut a few corners? Use your favorite jarred marinara sauce and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 1/2 -2 tablespoons brown sugar.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil so they steam in the oven, softening the cabbage leaves.
Nutrition
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Trish
Excellent recipe. Delicious!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Trish!
Marisa
Excellent recipe! It was my first time making cabbage rolls. Used balsamic vinegar and only ground beef. Next time I want to try with sausage!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Marisa! I am so glad that you liked them!
Martee
If I have parboiled rice in the pantry, does it need to be cooked first or can I add it dry?
Thanks in advance.
Beth Pierce
Sorry about the delay. I did not know I was this backed up on comments. No you do have cook it. Just add it dry.
Jack
Can you make this a day ahead ?
Can you make this in a slow cooker?
Beth Pierce
Yes and yes. Cook on low in the slow cooker for 8 hours or high for 4 hours after you have completed the other steps and rolled them.
Diane
I haven’t made cabbage rolls for 20 years. I made them tonight for dinner and they were delicious. My husband loved them. They will be made often now, and they were so easy to make! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Diane! I am so glad that you liked them!
Taylor
These are the BEST cabbage rolls I’ve ever tried. I’ve made this recipe several times and it always turns out perfectly!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Taylor! We love them too!
Jacqueline
These were fantastic. I use a meat substitute and these were still great. Thanks!
Beth Pierce
Awesome! So glad that you liked it!
Holley
This was my first time making my own cabbage rolls and they turned out great! Easy to follow recipe and super delish!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Holley! So glad that you liked the homemade cabbage rolls!
MacKenzie
We had this for dinner last night and it was AMAZING!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, MacKenzie! So glad that you liked the cabbage rolls!
Carrie Robinson
I haven’t had cabbage rolls in forever! Looks like I need to change that asap- yum! 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Carrie! Enjoy!
Casey
I’m trying to add more veggies to my diet and this looks like a great way to do it! Lots of veggies, but lots of meat too! Yum!
Chenee
This was my first time making cabbage rolls but they really came out good! Not as attractive as yours but definitely super tasty!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Chenee! So glad that you liked the cabbage rolls and that they turned out great.
Kim
These were so good and the cabbage came out so tender. The kids ate without complaining about the “green stuff” and that is amazing!
Beth Pierce
That really is amazing.
Ali
These cabbage rolls were great. They reminded me of my polish Grandmother’s cabbage rolls. Or as my grandmother called them “Golumpki”. Thanks for the recipe.
Michael B
This is a very straightforward recipe. I used hot Italian sausage mixed with ground beef and it was a little too spicy for my wife, however, I enjoyed it very much. The sauce! Its all about the sauce and my mind is spinning with ideas for how I can use the recipe for many other dishes as it is a beautiful, rich, tomato ‘gravy’. Thank you Thank you Thank you,.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine Michael! So glad that you liked the cabbage rolls.
Kathleen
Amazing recipie. I a little more than doubled the recipie to make a bunch for my husband’s lunches and it turned out great. I altered a few things but I used a big package of beef and pork, 3 eggs, 2 cups of rice and probably 12 garlic between the sauce and meat. I also used 2 whole onions and balsamic vinegar instead of cider vinegar. For the sauce just to add a little bit more to it i also added 2 cans of tomato soup, 2 cans of diced tomatoes (1 with herbs and spices), and 1 large can of tomato sauce. It turned out great and was a major hit. I used a large cabbage and about half way through my cabbage I noticed the leaves were hard to pull off and so I boiled the cabbage a bit more to help and it worked perfect. Cutting off the stems in a V of each cabbage leaf helped a lot and made it very easy to roll. I will defiently be making this again! Thankyou!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Kathleen. I am glad that you liked the recipe and thanks for the tips.
AO
My first time making these. Not bad! I used 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground pork. Next time will consider using ground sausage for a little more flavor. I used more like a whole medium onion (3-4 inch) in both the sauce and in the filling. Used more garlic because we ALWAYS use more garlic in most any recipe 🙂. I noticed that the filling directions included no salt and pepper, so I added. I baked for an hour and they were kinda dry. Next time, I think Ill follow the suggestion noted on some other recipes and use cooked rice. I’ll double the sauce. Overall pretty darn good A good start ing place for adding your own touches