How to Make Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls are a hearty dish traditionally made from ground meat, cabbage leaves, and tomato sauce, and they can be cooked in the oven, on the stove, or in the slow cooker. Here's what you need to do to prepare this basic meal using each method.

Ingredients

Cabbage rolls with sauce:
Makes 12 rolls:

1 medium head green cabbage, about 3 lbs (1350 g)
15-oz (470-ml) can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp (30 ml) brown sugar
2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
2 tsp (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lb (225 g) ground beef
1/2 lb (225 g) ground pork
1/2 cup (125 ml) tomato sauce
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) uncooked long-grain rice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) dry minced parsley
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) ground black pepper
1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) paprika

Large ball cabbage roll:

1 large whole cabbage
Filling of choice (for example, cooked brown rice with hamburger, garlic and onion and an egg to bind it all; leftovers work too)

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Cabbage Rolls and Sauce

Preparing the cabbage and sauce

1
Bring a large stockpot of water to boil. Fill a large pot roughly halfway with water and bring it to a boil on the stove over high heat.
- The stockpot should contain enough water to completely cover the head of cabbage. Do not overfill the pot, however, since doing so can cause the water to boil over the side.
- You do not need to add any salt or oil to the water.
2
Trim the cabbage. Cut away as much of the core as you can and remove any torn or ragged outer leaves.
- Cut around the core at the bottom of the cabbage head using a small paring knife. Dig as much of the core out as possible. Doing this makes it easier to remove the leaves after the cabbage boils.
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3
Cook the cabbage until soft. Place the cabbage in the boiling water and cook for roughly 2 minutes.
- Carefully dunk the cabbage in and out of the boiling water using tongs or a heat-resistant serving spoon.
- Keep the cabbage core-end-up as it boils.
- The leaves should soften and start to break free once the cabbage has boiled for a sufficient amount of time.
4
Pull away 12 large leaves. Once the cabbage is cool enough to handle with your hands, remove 12 leaves from the outside of the cabbage, keeping them intact as much as possible.
- As long as you cut away a portion of the core before boiling the cabbage, the leaves should practically fall off on their own. If this does not happen, though, you can use a fork or tongs to gently loosen the leaves.
- As you pull away the leaves, do so gently so that you do not accidentally rip them.
5
Cut the thick center vein from each leaf. Use a paring knife to cut a V-shaped cut from the bottom of each leaf around the thick center rib to remove it.
- Only cut out the thickest part of this center rib, located at the bottom of the stem. Do not cut too far into the leaf. If you do, wrapping the leaf around the filling will become difficult.
- This is only an optional step and is not absolutely essential. If you are uncertain about how much to trim and are anxious about trimming away too much, you could simply skip this step.
6
Mix the sauce ingredients together.^{[1]
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Research source} In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
- For a chunkier sauce, you could use an undrained 15-oz (470-ml) can of diced tomatoes and 1 cup (250 ml) of tomato sauce instead of the 15-oz (470-ml) can of tomato sauce.

Filling the cabbage rolls

1
Combine the ingredients for the meat filling. Place the ground beef, ground pork, tomato sauce, chopped onion, uncooked rice, parsley, salt, pepper, and paprika in a large mixing bowl and mix the ingredients with your hands until thoroughly combined.
- Make sure that your hands are clean before you mix the filling. On a similar note, make sure that you wash your hands with warm water and soap after handling raw meat.
- You could use a wooden or plastic mixing spoon instead of your hands, but it may be more difficult to combine the ingredients evenly using that technique.
2
Place even amounts of filling on each cabbage leaf. Place roughly 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the mixture in each leaf, toward the center bottom.
- If you cut away a portion of the center vein, place the filling just above the removed portion.
3
Roll the leaf around the filling. Beginning from the cut end of the leaf, roll each leaf up and over the filling, tucking the leaf underneath itself to create a tight bundle.
- If you cut away a portion of the center vein, overlap the cut ends before you begin rolling the leaf up. Otherwise, you may not be able to create an even roll and the filling could start to fall out.
4
Tuck the ends under. Fold the open ends of each leaf underneath the bundle to prevent the roll from unraveling.
- The bottom of the roll should be the edge at which you stopped rolling. In other words, no seams should be visible from the “top” of the cabbage roll.
- Hold each roll together with a toothpick, if necessary. If the roll comes loose or spills open, re-wrap it and secure the ends in place by spearing the roll with a toothpick.

Baking cabbage rolls in the oven

1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).^{[2]
X
Research source} Bring out a large Dutch oven or roasting pan for the cabbage rolls.
- A Dutch oven or roasting pan is ideal because of the size and weight of the pan, but you could also use a casserole dish or large baking dish in a pinch.
2
Spread 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the sauce on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Spoon the sauce onto the bottom of the pan and spread it out evenly.
- The sauce helps to prevent the cabbage rolls from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As such, you do not need to use aluminum foil or cooking spray.
3
Arrange the cabbage rolls over the sauce. Place the cabbage rolls seam-side-down on the sauce-covered pan bottom, keeping them in a single layer.
- The cabbage rolls will likely fit into the pan rather snugly, but that is not a problem. If anything, the snug fit will help the rolls keep their shape as they bake.
- It is, however, important that the rolls be kept on a single layer. If not, they may not cook evenly.
4
Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover the rolls as evenly as possible.
- If necessary, use a spoon or spatula to spread the sauce so that it covers the top of each cabbage roll. Some of the sauce can also slide down into the spaces between the rolls.
5
Bake for 60 to 90 minutes. Cover the pan and bake the rolls until become tender.
- Check the cabbage rolls after the first 60 minutes. If the cabbage leaves still do not feel tender, continue baking for the additional 30 minutes.
- Make sure that the cover you are using is oven-safe. This is especially important if you are using a baking pan instead of a Dutch oven. If you do not have a lid, cover the pan with aluminum foil.
6
Serve hot out of the oven. The cabbage rolls should be served straight from the oven. Spoon a little of the sauce from the pan onto each roll before serving.
- A standard serving size is two rolls per person.

Cooking cabbage rolls on the stove

1
Spread 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the sauce on the bottom of a Dutch oven. Spoon the sauce onto the bottom of the pan and spread it out evenly.
- The sauce partially prevents the cabbage rolls from sticking to the bottom of the Dutch oven. As a result, you do not need to use cooking spray.
2
Arrange the cabbage rolls over the sauce. Place the cabbage rolls seam-side-down on the sauce-covered pan bottom, keeping them in a single layer.
- The cabbage rolls will fit into the Dutch oven rather snugly. This snug fit will help the rolls keep their shape as they cook.
- It is important, however, to keep the cabbage rolls in a single layer inside the Dutch oven. If not, they may not cook evenly.
3
Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover the rolls as evenly as possible.
- If necessary, spread the sauce so that it covers the top of each cabbage roll by using the back of a spoon or a flat spatula. Some of the sauce should also slide down into the gaps between the cabbage rolls.
4
Cook on low heat for 45 to 60 minutes. Cover the pan and cook on the lowest heat possible until the rolls become tender.
- If you cook the cabbage rolls at too high a heat or for too long, the bottoms may burn and stick to the Dutch oven.
5
Serve hot. The cabbage rolls should be served straight from the stove. Spoon a little of the sauce from the pan onto each roll before serving.
- A standard serving size is two rolls per person.

Cooking cabbage rolls in the slow cooker

1
Arrange the cabbage rolls in your slow cooker. Place the rolls in your slow cooker, seam-side-down, packing them in tightly and in even layers.
- Ideally, the cabbage rolls should be packed into a single layer. This is not always possible with a slow cooker, though, and not even essential. Since the majority of the cooking depends on the steam and heat built up inside the slow cooker as it cooks, the rolls do not need to be packed into one layer to cook evenly.
2
Pour the sauce over the rolls. Evenly spread the sauce out over the contents of the slow cooker.
- Spread the sauce so that it covers the top of each cabbage roll by using the back of a spoon or a flat spatula.
- Make sure that some of the sauce seeps into the cracks and crevices between the cabbage rolls. This is especially important if some of the cabbage rolls are layered on top of others.
3
Cook on Low for 8 to 9 hours.^{[3]
X
Research source} Cover the slow cooker and cook the cabbage rolls until tender.
- Do not remove the cover from the slow cooker at any point during the cooking process.
- If you are running a bit short on time, cook the cabbage rolls on High for about 4 hours.
4
Serve hot. The cabbage rolls should be served straight from the slow cooker. Spoon a little of the sauce from the pan onto each roll before serving.
- A standard serving size is two rolls per person.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Large Ball Cabbage Roll

This large version is one to slice rather than serve as individual rolls. It looks amazing for potlucks and other large shared dinner occasions.

Preparing the leaves

1
Prepare the cabbage leaves. Remove and wash the leaves. Place them in the freezer to freeze. Layer them on a baking sheet before placing in the freezer.
2
Remove the leaves from the freezer. Allow to thaw.
3
Tear off a large piece of kitchen foil. Place on a large baking tray or dish. Line this with an equally large piece of parchment paper. You will be placing the thawed leaves onto the parchment paper sitting on top of the foil.
- Both the foil and the parchment need to be long; you will be picking up the edges to wrap over the finished cabbage ball, so leave plenty of room for movement.

Assembling the cabbage ball

1
Place four leaves onto the foil/parchment paper combination. Place the leaves crisscross from one another.
2
Layer the filling of choice onto these four leaves. The filling could be hamburger mince with cooked rice (brown or white), some spices and seasonings, garlic and an egg to bind it all together. A vegetarian version could be made using mince analog, a grain, mashed beans or hydrated TVP in place of the hamburger mince (egg optional).
3
Continue layering the leaves four at a time. Add the filling after each layer of leaves. When all of the leaves from the entire cabbage have been used and the stuffing is in each layer, the ball is completed.

Baking the cabbage ball

1
Roll the layers of stuffed cabbage leaves up with the foil and parchment. The aim is to create a large boil; don't be surprised at the large shape––this can easily be as large as a basketball.
2
Place in the oven, sitting on a baking sheet with edges or inside a baking dish. Bake at 350ºF/180ºC for about 1 and 1/2 hours. Check to see how it is baking now and then; wear oven mitts as it will be hot to hold.
3
Remove from the oven when baked.
4
Serve whole. Place on a serving plate and add to a buffet or potluck table. Provide a knife for cutting slices; the idea is to cut large layers in a circle, just like a round cake. At least 12 large slices will be available.

Community Q&A

Question

Does the rice need to be cooked before putting into mixture?

Sarah

Community Answer

No, it doesn't (refer to the method "Filling the cabbage roll") as it will be cooked by the sauce when the rolls are baked in the oven. Just be sure to adjust your cooking time if you are using cooked or uncooked rice.
Question

What's the best way to hold cabbage rolls together while preparing and cooking them?

Community Answer

You can use toothpicks, just be sure to remove them once the rolls are cooked.
Question

How do I prepare stuffed peppers?

Community Answer

You should check out online recipes for stuffed peppers from Food network or All Recipes but the basic idea is that you first steam the peppers, then stuff them with cooked ground meat, onions, rice, and cheese, and then bake them in the oven.