Valentina Ablaev
A classic stuffed cabbage rolls recipe is the ultimate comfort food made from scratch. These stuffed cabbage rolls are truly a labor of love, but every step is worth it. Tender cabbage leaves are filled with a flavorful meat-and-rice mixture, then slowly braised in a rich, savory sauce. The result is a hearty, satisfying meal packed with comforting flavor in every bite.
What Are Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?
Cabbage rolls are a comforting meal made with softened cabbage leaves tightly rolled around a meat-and-rice filling. Though they are popular in many regions, this Eastern European version is a family favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- So tasty. Stuffed cabbage rolls are so flavorful, from the seasoned meat mixture to the rich and savory sauce.
- Perfect for a crowd. Make a large batch of these cabbage rolls and feed a crowd for days!
- Worth the effort. Making stuffed cabbage rolls may seem time-consuming, but it’s one of those recipes that’s truly worth the effort. Put on your favorite show or podcast and enjoy the relaxing process of assembling each roll.
- Meal prep friendly. Cabbage rolls taste even better the following day, making them the perfect dish to meal prep for the week.
Ingredients for this Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
- Cabbage – A large head of cabbage gives you plenty of leaves for the perfect rolls.
- White rice – Use your favorite rice for this stuffed cabbage roll recipe. You can use jasmine, long-grain, or basmati rice.
- Veggies – Sauteed onion and carrots deepen the flavor of these rolls and cannot be skipped.
- Meat – We use ground pork in this recipe to create a juicy, flavorful mixture.
Substitute: Swap ground pork for ground beef, chicken, or ground turkey. We love a mix of different meats, ground pork and beef is a popular combination. - Filling – The mixture is made complete with seasoning, fresh dill, mayo, and minced garlic.
- Topping – We top the rolls with red pepper slices and butter to flavor them throughout.
- Sauce – You can’t have cabbage rolls without this savory sauce made with ketchup, sour cream, heavy whipping cream, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Extra Filling? No Problem!
If you’ve ever run out of cabbage leaves before using up the meat mixture, fear not! Use extra filling to make mini stuffed peppers, using the same sauce!
Tools for this Recipe
Shop all of Valentina’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and kitchen must-haves!
- Use a large mixing bowl that fits all the meat-and-rice filling.
- Use a deep casserole dish or a dutch oven to stack and bake these cabbage rolls.
Expert Tips:
- Pick your cabbage wisely. You’ll want to pick a large cabbage head with minimal blemishes and imperfections. The more big leaves you have on the outside of the cabbage, the easier the rolling will be.
- Taste the filling. Before building the rolls, cook a small portion of the meat filling in a pan until cooked through, then taste for seasoning. This ensures you don’t make a large batch of underseasoned cabbage rolls.
- Don’t overstuff the rolls. When building the rolls, be careful not to overfill them. Large rolls are harder to fold, more likely to fall apart, and take longer to cook.
How to Make This Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
- Remove core. Cut out the core of the cabbage and discard the outer few leaves.
- Boil cabbage. Place the cabbage in a large pot of water and bring up to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Separate leaves. As the leaves begin to soften, carefully peel them away from the cabbage. Continue until most of the leaves have been removed. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare leaves. Trim the center rib from each cabbage leaf and cut larger leaves into 2 or 3 sections.
5. Cook rice. Boil the rice for about 12 minutes, until partially cooked. Drain, rinse under cold water, and transfer to a large bowl.
6. Cook vegetables. Sauté the onions in butter until softened. Add the grated carrots and more butter; cook until tender. Allow to cool slightly.
7. Make filling. Mix the rice, ground meat, cooked vegetables, seasonings, dill, mayonnaise, and garlic. Mix until well incorporated.
8. Line dish. Cover the bottom of a roasting pan or casserole dish with extra cabbage leaves.
9. Fill and roll. Place a portion of the meat mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf. Fold the cabbage around the filling, leaving the top slightly open.
10. Layer rolls. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam-side down in the prepared dish.
11. Add peppers and butter. Scatter half of the sliced red pepper and half of the butter over the first layer. Repeat with the remaining cabbage rolls, peppers, and butter.
12. Prepare sauce. Bring the ketchup to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Stir in the broth and simmer for 30 seconds.
13. Pour over rolls. Let the sauce cool slightly, then pour evenly over the cabbage rolls.
14. Cover. Top with additional cabbage leaves and cover the dish tightly with foil.
15. Bake. Bake at 375°F for 60–80 minutes, or until the cabbage rolls are tender.
16. Serve. Discard the top cabbage leaves and serve with sour cream and fresh dill.
Can You Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls In Advance?
Stuffed cabbage rolls are one of the best make-ahead meals. Perfect for potlucks or parties, make-ahead rolls make the day of extra easy. Simply assemble the rolls up to 24 hours in advance and store them covered in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, pour the sauce over the rolls and bake as usual.
Serving Suggestions
When we enjoy cabbage rolls, we love to serve them alongside other Slavic favorites. Here are some of the dishes and sides that are always a hit in our home:
- Bread: A fresh loaf of bread and cabbage rolls is a must-have combo! Our easy bread recipe makes the perfect beginner loaf to make from scratch.
- Soup: Bring all of the Eastern European vibes to dinner by making classic beet borscht to serve with stuffed cabbage rolls.
- Sides: A side of fried chicken chebureki completes these cabbage rolls, offering all your comfort classics.
- Salad: A fresh tomato-and-cucumber salad is a simple and flavorful side.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Keep leftover stuffed cabbage rolls in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. Reheat a small portion of leftovers in a pan until heated through. For larger portions, cover with foil and warm in a 350°F oven for 20–30 minutes, or until warmed through. Add a splash of broth if needed to keep the rolls from drying out.
- Freeze. Stuffed cabbage rolls are great to freeze! Allow cooked rolls to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.
More Cozy Comfort Meals
If you enjoyed this stuffed cabbage rolls recipe, be sure to try our other favorite comfort recipes; here are some of our favorites:
Entree- Entree
- Chicken
- Grains and Pasta
- Entree
If you tried this stuffed cabbage roll recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Traditional Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
cabbage rolls-
- 1 large head of cabbage
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion
- 2 large carrots
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp Vegeta seasoning or favorite seasoning
- 2 Tbsp dill
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 8 Tbsp butter cut into slices
- 1 red pepper
sauce-
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 3 Tbsp sour cream
- 3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
cook cabbage –
- Prep cabbage. Remove the core from a large head of cabbage and discard the outer few leaves.
- Boil leaves. Place the cabbage in a large pot and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Separate cabbage leaves. Carefully turn the cabbage over and continue cooking. As the leaves begin to soften, gently peel them away from the head. The leaves should be pliable but not mushy. Continue removing softened leaves until most of the cabbage has been cooked. Set aside to cool.
make filling –
- Cook rice. Cook the rice for about 12 minutes, just until it begins to soften. Do not overcook, as the rice will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and rinse under cold water, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. The rice will not be fully cooked.
- Cook onions. Meanwhile, sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat until softened.
- Cook carrots. Clean and grate the carrots. Add them to the onions along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook until the carrots are tender. Remove from the heat and allow the vegetables to cool slightly.
- Mix up filling. In a large bowl, combine the rice, ground meat, sautéed vegetables, seasonings, dill, mayonnaise, and minced garlic. Mix until well combined.
- Cut cabbage leaves. Once the cabbage leaves have cooled, trim away the thick center rib from each leaf. Depending on the size, cut the leaves into 2 or 3 sections.
- Prep baking dish. Line the bottom of a roasting pan or casserole dish with any unused cabbage leaves.
- Build rolls. Take a section of cabbage leaf and place a portion of the meat mixture in the center. Shape the filling into a small cone. Fold the sides of the cabbage around the filling, leaving the top slightly open.
- Stack cabbage rolls. Place the cabbage roll seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining filling and cabbage leaves until you have a complete layer.
- Garnish. Remove the seeds from the red pepper and slice it into thin strips. Scatter half of the pepper strips over the cabbage rolls and top with half of the butter, cut into small pieces.
- Continue layering rolls. Add the remaining cabbage rolls in a second layer. Top with the remaining pepper strips and the rest of the butter.
make sauce –
- Cook the sauce. In a skillet, bring the ketchup to a gentle simmer. Add the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper, whisking until smooth. Stir in the broth and simmer for about 30 seconds.
- Cool. Allow the sauce to cool slightly before pouring it evenly over the cabbage rolls.
- Cover rolls with sauce. Cover the cabbage rolls with additional cabbage leaves to prevent the top layer from drying out or browning too quickly during baking. Discard these leaves before serving.
- Bake. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 60–80 minutes, or until the cabbage rolls are tender and the top cabbage leaves are lightly browned.
- Serve. Serve warm with sour cream, fresh dill, and enjoy!
Notes
- Choose the right cabbage. Look for a large head of cabbage with plenty of big outer leaves and minimal blemishes. Larger leaves are much easier to fill and roll.
- Test the seasoning. Before assembling the cabbage rolls, cook a small spoonful of the filling in a skillet and taste it. This is an easy way to adjust the seasoning before filling all of the rolls.
- Don’t overfill. It can be tempting to pack in extra filling, but smaller rolls are easier to shape and hold together better while baking. They also cook more evenly.
- Storage. Store leftover stuffed cabbage rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. For a single serving, reheat the cabbage rolls in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. For larger portions, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20–30 minutes. Add a splash of broth if needed to keep the rolls moist.
- Freeze. Stuffed cabbage rolls freeze wonderfully. Let them cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
