Stuffed cabbage rolls seem to have been around forever and they’re a really delicious option if you have cabbage leaves to use up. These are filled with beef, rice and seasonings and then served in a tangy homemade tomato sauce.
Whether you grew up with these as a regular meal or you’ve never had them before, you’re going to love them. Cabbage rolls are so full of flavor and the recipe can be adjusted and tweaked if you want different flavors in there.
A lot of people aren’t sure whether they like cabbage and this can be the case if they’ve only had boiled cabbage which can be quite off-putting in terms of both smell and flavor. However, when cooked properly, cabbage can be really delicious and it certainly works perfectly as a roll to hold the juicy meat and rice filling.
Why You’ll Love the Recipe:
These cabbage rolls are really delicious. They’re easy enough to make and your mouth will be watering while they’re baking because they smell so good.
How to Serve Them:
Enjoy these with your preferred side dishes, perhaps roasted potatoes or some salad.
Can You Make Them Ahead?
You can prepare and assemble this dish in advance and then bake it later.
Storage Instructions:
Keep the cabbage rolls covered and refrigerated and eat within 3 days.
Variations and Substitutions:
You can use a different kind of meat if you like, or a grain other than rice (perhaps quinoa or barley).
Ingredients:
- Ground beef
- Onion
- White rice
- Italian seasoning
- Cumin
- Cabbage
- Minced garlic cloves
- Eggs
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Minced fresh parsley
- Cooking spray, as needed
For the tomato sauce:
- Yellow onion
- Olive oil
- Canned tomato sauce
- Minced garlic cloves
- Crushed red pepper
- Red wine vinegar
- Brown sugar
- Canned fire-roasted tomatoes and juice
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
How to make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls:
Step 1. First, make the sauce.
Step 2. Heat the oil in a pot over moderate heat and saute the onion until tender.
Step 3. Stir in the minced garlic and then the canned fire-roasted tomatoes plus their juice, tomato sauce, salt, black pepper, and seasonings.
Step 4. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the vinegar and sugar.
Step 5. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Step 6. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the whole cabbage for 8 minutes or until pliable.
Step 7. Peel off 12 large leaves.
Step 8. Stir the ground beef, rice, garlic, onion, seasonings, parsley, salt, pepper, and egg. You can use your hands to mix.
Step 9. Cut off the thickest part of each leaf rib using scissors.
Step 10. Shape a piece of the meat mixture into a log shape and put it on a cabbage leaf, then roll up burrito-style.
Step 11. Repeat with the rest of the meat mixture and the rest of the cabbage.
Step 12. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 13. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and add half the fire-roasted tomato sauce mixture in there.
Step 14. Arrange the cabbage rolls on top, seam side down.
Step 15. Pour the rest of the sauce on top, then cover with foil and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
Step 16. Serve hot.
Stuffed cabbage rolls are an old-fashioned savory dish. They’ve stood the time and are just as well-loved today as always. The beef and rice filling and tasty, tangy tomato sauce make this dish a real crowd-pleaser.
PrintStuffed Cabbage Rolls
Stuffed cabbage rolls are an old-fashioned savory dish. They’ve stood the time and are just as well-loved today as always. The beef and rice filling and tasty, tangy tomato sauce make this dish a real crowd-pleaser.
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1½ cups cooked white rice
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 head of cabbage
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- Cooking spray, as needed
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 15 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 28 ounces canned fire-roasted tomatoes and juice
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First make the sauce.
- Heat the oil in a pot over a moderate heat and saute the onion until tender.
- Stir in the minced garlic and then the canned fire-roasted tomatoes plus their juice, tomato sauce, salt, black pepper, and seasonings.
- Stir and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the vinegar and sugar.
- Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the whole cabbage for 8 minutes or until pliable.
- Peel off 12 large leaves.
- Stir the ground beef, rice, garlic, onion, seasonings, parsley, salt, pepper, and egg. You can use your hands to mix.
- Cut off the thickest part of each leaf rib using scissors.
- Shape a piece of the meat mixture into a log shape and put it on a cabbage leaf, then roll up burrito-style.
- Repeat with the rest of the meat mixture and the rest of the cabbage.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and add half the fire-roasted tomato sauce mixture in there.
- Arrange the cabbage rolls on top, seam side down.
- Pour the rest of the sauce on top, then cover with foil and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
- Serve hot.
- Cook Time: 2 hours
Marie Rayner is a retired Chef, freelance writer, recipe developer, food blogger, and Cookbook author. She makes her home in Chester, UK, where she lives with her husband, Todd, and their much beloved English Cocker, Mitzie. Her motto is “Life is far too short to eat bad food,” and her goal is to share delicious and easy recipes which anyone can enjoy and cook in the comfort of their own home.