Cabbage Rolls Recipe

Stuffed cabbage rolls are one of the comfort food of my youth. This is my family's cabbage roll recipe and you will be surprised how easy they are to make.

Be sure to check out the crockpot instructions for the step-by-step slow-cooker cabbage rolls instructions.

If you want to learn to make more Ukrainian recipes be sure to make Paska bread. I also share about my German culinary side of the family by making the potato donuts called fastnachts. If you are a fan of cabbage rolls you are going to want to make stuffed pepper soup. Grab some black raspberries from your freezer and make a black raspberry pie for dessert!

My Ukrainian grandmother would stuff steamed cabbage leaves with a mixture of meat, rice, diced green peppers, and onions, they were stewed in tomatoes and topped with sauerkraut. When we walked into the house and caught a whiff of the Halupki cooking in the oven, we knew that we were in for a delicious meal. 

My kids will be remembering the sous vide pork shoulder I have been making.

🥫 Ingredients needed:

• Ground beef - some people prefer a 50/50 ground beef / ground pork
• mixture
• Cabbage - whole head
• White rice, uncooked
• Eggs
• onion
• Green pepper
• Carrot
• Parsley
• Salt and pepper
• tomato sauce
• tomato soup (undiluted)
• diced tomatoes
• sauerkraut

Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

🍳 How to make cabbage rolls:

1. Steam the cabbage leaves and remove them from the core of the cabbage as directed above.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the ground meat, uncooked rice, eggs, finely diced onions, finely diced green pepper, grated carrot, parsley, salt, and pepper.
3. Remove the firm vein of the cabbage leaf.
4. Place ⅓ to ½ cup rice meat mixture in the center of leaf.
5. Fold the sides of the leaf over the meat mixture and roll the cabbage leaf, leaving the seam down. 
6. In a medium bowl, combine the tomato sauce, tomato soup, and the diced tomatoes. 
7. Spoon some of the tomato mixture into the bottom of a dutch oven.
8. Place cabbage rolls in the dutch oven, in a single layer and top with ½ of the sauerkraut and ½ the tomato mixture.
9. Add a second layer of stuffed rolls and a second layer of sauerkraut and tomato mixture.
10. Cover and simmer on the stovetop for 3-4 hours.

🔪 Separate cabbage leaves without tearing

1. Over high heat bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a heavy pinch of salt to the water.
2. Remove any damaged outer leaves from the outside of a head of cabbage and insert a skewer or fork into the bottom of the cabbage head.
3. Dunk the whole cabbage in the simmering boiling salted water for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Remove from the simmering water and place it on a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet.
5. Use a small paring knife to slice the thick rib of the leaf away from the core of the cabbage.
6. Remove the loosened cabbage leaf from the rest of the head.
7. Repeat with each layer of the cabbage.

♨️ Slow cooker cabbage rolls instructions

1. Steam the cabbage leaves and remove them from the core of the cabbage as directed above.
2. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, uncooked rice, eggs, finely diced onions, finely diced green pepper, grated carrot, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. Remove the firm vein of the cabbage leaf.
4. Place ⅓ to ½ cup meat mixture in the center of each steamed cabbage leaf.
5. Fold the sides of the leaf over the meat mixture and roll the cabbage leaf, leaving the seam down. 
6. In a medium bowl, combine the tomato sauce, tomato soup and the diced tomatoes. 
7. Spoon some of the tomato mixture into the bottom of the slow cooker.
8. Place cabbage rolls in the crock pot, in a single layer and top with ½ of the sauerkraut and ½ the tomato mixture.
9. Add a second layer of stuffed cabbage rolls and a second layer of sauerkraut and tomato mixture.
10. Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 on low.

❄️ Storage tips

How long do cabbage rolls last in the fridge? - Once cooked and cooled, cabbage rolls will last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator stored in an airtight container.

How long do cabbage rolls last in the freezer? - I keep cabbage rolls in the freezer for up to 4 months. By freezing them individually, you are able to use as few or as many stuffed cabbage rolls as needed for dinner. If you have made a double or triple batch of cabbage rolls, pop them into the freezer for future meals. I like to freeze them before they are fully cooked for the best results. 

🔥 Reheating

I will microwave the cabbage rolls on 50% until heated through. Be sure they have heated through to the center.

Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:

📄 Related Recipes

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Sarah Mock

One of the comfort foods of my youth are stuffed cabbage rolls, also called Halupki. This is my family's cabbage roll recipe and you will be surprised how easy they are to make. This is the ultimate comfort food from the old country.

4.48 from 63 votes

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Note From Sarah

There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

Prep time for the recipePrep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook time for the recipeCook Time 4 hours hrs

total time to prep and cook the recipe.Total Time 4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark, toggle to button to the right to turn GREEN

Course Beef Recipes

Cuisine American

Makes 18 rolls

Per Serving 211 kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 pounds ground beef
• ▢ 1 head of cabbage
• ▢ ½ cup uncooked white rice
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1 onion (finely diced)
• ▢ ½ green pepper (finely diced)
• ▢ ¼ cup grated carrot
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 14 ounces tomato sauce
• ▢ 14 ounces tomato soup (undiluted)
• ▢ 28 ounces diced tomatoes
• ▢ 1 lb sauerkraut

Instructions

 

How to make stuffed cabbage rolls:

• Steam the cabbage leaves and remove them from the core of the cabbage as directed above.
  1 head of cabbage
• In a large mixing bowl combine the ground beef, uncooked rice, eggs, finely diced onions, finely diced green pepper, grated carrot, parsley, salt and pepper.
  2 pounds ground beef, ½ cup uncooked white rice, 2 eggs, 1 onion, ½ green pepper, ¼ cup grated carrot, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, Salt and pepper
• Remove the firm vein of the cabbage leaf.
• Place ⅓ to ½ cup of meat mixture in the center of each steamed cabbage leaf.
• Fold the sides of the leaf over the meat mixture and roll the cabbage leaf, leaving the seam down.
• In a medium bowl, combine the tomato sauce, tomato soup and the diced tomatoes.
  14 ounces tomato sauce, 14 ounces tomato soup, 28 ounces diced tomatoes
• Spoon some of the tomato mixture into the bottom of a dutch oven.
• Place the cabbage rolls in the dutch oven, in a single layer and top with ½ of the sauerkraut and ½ the tomato mixture.
• Add a second layer of stuffed cabbage rolls and a second layer of sauerkraut and tomato mixture.
  1 lb sauerkraut
• 10. Cover and simmer on the stovetop for 3-4 hours.

Crockpot stuffed cabbage rolls instructions:

• Steam the cabbage leaves and remove them from the core of the cabbage as directed above.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the ground beef, uncooked rice, eggs, finely diced onions, finely diced green pepper, grated carrot, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Remove the firm vein of the cabbage leaf.
• Place ⅓ to ½ cup of meat mixture in the center of each steamed cabbage leaf.
• Fold the sides of the leaf over the meat mixture and roll the cabbage leaf, leaving the seam down. 
• In a medium bowl, combine the tomato sauce, tomato soup and the diced tomatoes. 
• Spoon some of the tomato mixture into the bottom of a large crock pot/slow cooker.
• Place the cabbage rolls in the crock pot, in a single layer and top with ½ of the sauerkraut and ½ the tomato mixture.
• Add a second layer of stuffed cabbage rolls and a second layer of sauerkraut and tomato mixture.
• Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 on low.

Oven stuffed cabbage rolls instructions:

• Heat the oven to 350.
• Steam the cabbage leaves and remove them from the core of the cabbage as directed above.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the ground beef, uncooked rice, eggs, finely diced onions, finely diced green pepper, grated carrot, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Remove the firm vein of the cabbage leaf.
• Place ⅓ to ½ cup of meat mixture in the center of each steamed cabbage leaf.
• Fold the sides of the leaf over the meat mixture and roll the cabbage leaf, leaving the seam down. 
• In a medium bowl, combine the tomato sauce, tomato soup and the diced tomatoes. 
• Spoon some of the tomato mixture into the bottom of a dutch oven.
• Place the cabbage rolls in the dutch oven in a single layer and top with ½ of the sauerkraut and ½ the tomato mixture.
• Add a second layer of stuffed cabbage rolls and a second layer of sauerkraut and tomato mixture.
• Cover and cook at 350 for 1 hour or until the insides of the rolls reach 165°.

Notes

How do you remove cabbage leaves without tearing?

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a heavy pinch of salt to to the water.
2. Remove any damaged outer leaves from the outside of a head of cabbage and insert a skewer or fork into the core.
3. Dunk the cabbage in the simmering/boiling salted water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 
4. Remove from the simmering water and place on a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet. 
5. Use a small paring knife to slice the stem of the leaf away from the core of the cabbage.
6. Remove the loosened cabbage leaf from the rest of the head.
7. Repeat with each layer of the cabbage.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 211kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 17gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 452mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6g

Nutrition Disclosure

Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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published March 2019

👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock

CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.