Description
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are a timeless comfort food dish made with tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a hearty filling of ground meat, rice, and spices—all simmered in a tangy tomato sauce. This classic recipe brings warmth, flavor, and nostalgia to your table, whether you’re making a family dinner or meal prepping for the week.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Rolls
- 1 large head of green cabbage
- 1 lb ground beef (or a mix of beef and pork)
- ½ cup uncooked white rice
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
For the Tomato Sauce
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- Optional: ½ cup beef broth for extra richness
Instructions
1. Prepare the Cabbage Leaves
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Carefully remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in boiling water for 3–5 minutes, peeling off outer softened leaves as they loosen.
- Continue until you have about 10–12 large, intact leaves.
- Trim thick part of the stem from each leaf for easier rolling.
2. Make the Filling
- In a large bowl, mix ground meat, uncooked rice, onion, garlic, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and paprika until well combined.
3. Assemble the Rolls
- Lay a cabbage leaf flat and place about ¼–⅓ cup filling near the stem end.
- Fold in the sides and roll up like a burrito.
- Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
4. Make the Sauce
- In a bowl, combine crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, oregano, and broth (if using). Stir well.
5. Layer and Cook
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Spoon a bit of sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.
- Arrange rolls seam-side down in the dish.
- Pour remaining sauce over the rolls, covering completely.
- Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until rice is tender and rolls are fully cooked.
Notes
Be sure to read the full blog post for all my best tips and helpful tricks!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 servings
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 370 mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
Keywords: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls