This Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe is tender cabbage leaves filled with lean ground beef and rice, and baked in a tangy homemade tomato sauce. Classic, simple comfort food!
Alternatively, if you’re short on time, make unstuffed cabbage rolls in a skillet – all the same great flavors, but less work.
Classic Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls can vary depending on the origin – some are made more sweet, some more savory, some made with only rice, others made with a combination of meats. I make my Stuffed Cabbage Roll recipe with ground beef, rice, and golden raisins! The raisins give great balance to the richness of the tomato sauce. If you don’t like raisins, you can omit them, but I’d recommend adding in some brown sugar to replace that missing sweetness.
The brilliance about cabbage rolls is the meat and the rice cook in the cabbage leaves themselves. Similar to our homemade dolma (stuffed grape leaves.) They are definitely a labor of love, though, sort of like lasagna. They take time, but very easy to make, and absolutely worth it!
Ingredients Needed
Very humble ingredients are used to make cabbage rolls.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Cabbage – Our star ingredient. You’ll need 1 large head of green cabbage.
- Ground beef – We prefer lean ground beef 80/20.
- Onion – Provides aromatics and great flavor.
- Tomato sauce – Plain canned tomato sauce, not seasoned spaghetti sauce.
- Beef broth – This is mixed with the tomato sauce, which provides necessary moisture and adds depth of flavor. Chicken or vegetable broth can be used instead, if preferred.
- Cooked white rice – We prefer these rolls made with white rice, but cooked brown rice is good, too!
- Golden raisins – These give balance to the tomato sauce. You can omit them, but I recommend adding in some brown sugar to replace that missing sweetness.
- Olive oil – Used to sauté the onion.
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, and paprika.
- For serving – The coolness of tangy sour cream pairs wonderfully with the rich tomato and beef flavor.
How To Make Cabbage Rolls
Making cabbage rolls is a process, but not difficult. And the end result is wonderful! Here’s a summary of how to make them.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Cook the onions. Begin by sautéing the onions with a little bit of oil until softened, then set aside to cool.
- Prep the cabbage leaves. Using a small, sharp knife, cut in a circle all around the stem of the cabbage and remove the core. Then you’ll blanch the head of cabbage in boiling water for about 2 minutes to loosen the leaves, removing them carefully one by one with tongs, until you have 10. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels and allow them to cool.
- Make the tomato sauce mixture. In a bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, beef broth, and paprika.
- Mix your filling. Combine the beef, cooled onion, rice, raisins, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce.
- Form your rolls. Lay each cabbage leaf on a flat surface. Using a paring knife, cut a V-shaped notch to remove the thick part of the cabbage rib (but don’t cut more than a third of the way into the leaf.) Shape 1/3 cup of the meat mixture into a log shape and place in the center of the cabbage leaf. Fold the bottom edge over the mixture and then fold the sides over and roll into a tidy packet. Repeat with remaining meat mixture and cabbage leaves.
- Transfer to baking dish. Pour half of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish (coated with nonstick spray.) Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, on top of the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls.
- Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
What to Serve with Cabbage Rolls
Since cabbage rolls are stuffed with beef and rice, they’re quite hearty on their own, so if you decide to serve them with other dishes, make sure they’re lighter. We like to enjoy them with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley. Some of our favorite pairings include cucumber salad, roasted carrots, latkes, and dinner rolls.
Make Ahead and Proper Storage
This Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe is a great make-ahead meal for busy weeknights!
- Make ahead. Cabbage rolls can be assembled and stored covered in the refrigerator up to 8 hours before you plan to bake them.
- To freeze before baking. If you want to freeze them, simply assemble (including the sauce), wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then again with foil. To bake, follow the written directions adding an additional 20 minutes to the cooking time since you’re cooking from frozen. They can be frozen up to 1 month.
- Storing leftovers. Let cool completely, then store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Cabbage Recipes:
- Fried Cabbage
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- KFC Coleslaw
- Kielbasa and Cabbage Skillet
- Roasted Cabbage (with crispy bacon)
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Classic Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced sweet onion
- 1 head green cabbage (2 pounds)
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup cooked white rice
- 1/4 cup golden raisins (see note)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- sour cream or Greek yogurt , for serving
- fresh chopped parsley , for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13×9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Using a small, sharp knife, cut in a circle all around the stem of the cabbage and remove the core.
- Place the head of cabbage in the boiling water. After about 2 minutes an outside leaf will come loose–gently pull it off and out of the water using tongs. After another minute the next leaf will come loose. Remove and repeat until you have 10 leaves.
- Pat the leaves dry with paper towels and set aside to cool.
- Lay each cabbage leaf on a flat surface. Using a small knife, cut a V-shaped notch to remove the thick part of the cabbage rib (but don’t cut more than a third of the way into the leaf.)
- In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, broth, and paprika.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, cooled onion, cooked rice, raisins, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce mixture.
- Shape 1/3 cup of the beef mixture into a log shape and place in the center of the cabbage leaf. Fold the bottom edge over the mixture and then fold the sides over and roll into a tidy packet. Repeat with remaining meat mixture and cabbage leaves.
- Pour half the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Transfer the cabbage rolls, seam side down, on top of the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls.
- Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
- Serve the cabbage rolls with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley.
This is a great hearty meal! I have made it with white and brown rice – both good. They really absorb all the wonderful flavors.
This recipe was perfect. I wouldn’t change anything.