These tasty stuffed cabbage rolls (or gołąbki) are filled with soft rice and a savory blend of pork and beef plus veggies that are then baked in tomato sauce! It's a relatively healthy, low carb dinner recipe that that is still incredibly satisfying and full of flavor. Pair your cabbage rolls with potatoes for a heartier meal or serve them with your favorite veggies as a delicious light dinner!
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Gołąbki)
Cabbage rolls are a traditional Polish dish and it's quite easy to see why their popularity has spread over to the states. They are flavorful, filling, and the tender boiled cabbage leaves make the perfect vessel for stuffing your face full of savory meat and soft rice.
Another great thing about cabbage rolls is that you can enjoy them on their own as an appetizer or add some sides and make them the main course! And with all of the ingredients wrapped up in a convenient cabbage package, you get the perfect bite, every time!
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🥘 Ingredients
There's nothing on this list that can't be picked up on a quick trip to the grocery store. For the best results, use cabbage that looks green and fresh with no blemishes on the leaves.
Sauce
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- White Onion - ¼ cup white onion or yellow onion, finely chopped.
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon, minced.
- Tomato Sauce - 1 15-ounce can of tomato sauce.
- Petite Diced Tomatoes - 1 14.5-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes or 5-6 fresh tomatoes, diced.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 tablespoon.
- Brown Sugar - 1 ½ tablespoons.
- Salt & Pepper - to taste.
Cabbage Rolls
- Green Cabbage - 1 large head of cabbage.
- Ground Pork Sausage - ½ pound.
- Ground Beef - ½ pound ground beef
- White Onion - ¼ cup white onion or yellow onion, finely chopped.
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon, finely minced.
- Egg - 1 large egg
- Minute Rice - ¾ cup Minute Rice, or you can par-boil 1 cup of regular rice.
- Paprika - ½ teaspoon.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*
🔪 How To Make Cabbage Rolls
Boiling your cabbage leaves is essential in being able to properly roll them up, so don't skip it! You will need a pot, a knife and cutting board, a skillet, and a wooden spoon for stirring.
- Boil. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bring a large stockpot full of water to a boil, then add 1 large head of green cabbage and boil it for 5 minutes. Transfer it to a colander to drain and cool.
- Slice. Once the cabbage has cooled enough to handle, slice off ½ an inch from the stem-end of the cabbage. Gently remove 12 cabbage leaves, being careful to keep them intact. Cut a 'V' out of the stem-end of each cabbage leaf to remove the tough rib so they will roll up easier.
Make The Tomato Sauce & Filling
- Make the sauce. To make the sauce, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, add ¼ cup white onion and saute for 2-3 minutes while stirring. Reduce the heat to low and add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring frequently, then add 15 ounces of tomato sauce, 14.5 ounces of diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar,1 ½ tablespoons of brown sugar, and salt & pepper to taste.
- Make filling. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce across the bottom o a 9x13 baking dish. Then combine ½ a pound of ground pork sausage, ½ a pound of ground beef, ¼ cup of white onion, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic,1 large egg, ¾ cup of Minute Rice, and ½ a teaspoon of paprika in a large bowl and mix until combined.
Assemble Cabbage Rolls & Bake
- Roll. Lay out 12 cabbage leaves and place ⅓ cup of the meat mixture in the center of each leaf. Fold in each side and roll it up tight. As you finish the cabbage rolls, place them in your prepared baking dish. Repeat until all cabbage leaves have been stuffed, rolled, and placed on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce.
- Bake. Cover the cabbage rolls tightly with a sheet of foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 80-90 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Serve your cabbage rolls with roasted red potatoes for a heartier meal or roasted broccoli for something less carb-heavy. For more suggestions, check out my page dedicated to what to serve with cabbage rolls.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- You could very easily make this recipe with 100% sausage or 100% ground beef rather than a mixture if that's what you prefer.
- Grab a large head of cabbage so you have plenty of leaves to work with in the event some rip.
- You do not need to brown the meat, it will cook in the oven.
- If you are in a rush, you could swap the sauce for your favorite jarred marinara and add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 ½-2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
- Storing: Left over cabbage rolls should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
🥬 More Cabbage Recipes!
- Detox Cabbage Soup
- Instant Pot Braised Red Cabbage
- Kielbasa Cabbage Skillet
- Cajun Cabbage Stew
- Instant Pot Buttered Cabbage
- Fried Cabbage
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📖 Recipe Card
Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ¼ cup white onion (or yellow onion, finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 15 oz tomato sauce (1 15-ounce can)
- 14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes (1 14.5-ounce can)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Cabbage Rolls
- 1 large green cabbage
- ½ lb ground pork sausage
- ½ lb ground beef
- ¼ cup white onion (or yellow onion, finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (finely minced)
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup Minute Rice (or parboiled rice)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bring a large stockpot full of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the entire head of green cabbage and boil it for 5 minutes. Transfer it to a colander to drain and cool.
- Once the cabbage has cooled some, slice off ½ an inch from the stem-end of the cabbage. Gently remove 12 cabbage leaves, being careful to keep them intact. Cut a 'V' out of the stem-end of each cabbage leaf to remove the tough rib so that they are easier to roll.
- To make the sauce, heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes while stirring, then reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently, then add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and salt & pepper to taste. Reduce heat as needed to maintain a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Then, add the ground pork, ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, rice, parsley, and paprika to a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Lay out your 12 cabbage leaves and place about ⅓ cup of the meat mixture into the center of each leaf. Fold in each side and roll it up tight. Place the finished cabbage rolls in the sauce in your prepared baking dish. Repeat until all cabbage leaves have been stuffed, rolled, and placed in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce.
- Cover the cabbage rolls with a sheet of foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 80-90 minutes. Remove from the oven when done and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- You could very easily make this recipe with 100% sausage or 100% ground beef rather than a mixture if that's what you prefer.
- Grab a large head of cabbage so you have plenty of leaves to work with in the event some rip.
- You do not need to brown the meat, it will cook in the oven.
- If you are in a rush, you could swap the sauce for your favorite jarred marinara and add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 ½-2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
STAN RAY HOPWOOD says
My family loved this!