Cabbage Rolls Recipe

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: middle eastern

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1 20

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: rolls

Calories: 235kcal

Cabbage leaves are stuffed with ground meat and rice, and baked in a rich tomato sauce.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. Chop the stem off the head of cabbage.
1 head green cabbage
Bring the cabbage over to the sink and turn on the faucet. Gently loosen the outer leaf while running the water in between the leaf and the rest of the cabbage. The water pressure should help the leaf peel away from the head of cabbage. Repeat until you have 12 cabbage leaves.
Drop half of the leaves into the boiling water, and let them boil for about 1 minute, until softened and pliable.
Remove from the water with tongs and place them on a large sheet pan lined with paper towel. Repeat for the remaining leaves.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Once heated, add half of the chopped onion and all of the garlic, and cook until softened.
1 onion, 2 cloves garlic
Add in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, and cinnamon. Turn the heat to high until the mixture starts to bubble. Then, turn down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

While the sauce simmers, prepare the filling: Add the remaining chopped onion, ground beef, ground pork, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and rice to a bowl. Mix until combined.
1 pound ground beef, ½ pound ground pork, 1 cup instant white rice

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Layer ½ cup of sauce in the bottom of the pan.
Place the cabbage leaf on a flat surface with the tougher, stem side down. Place about ¼-⅓ cup of filling In the middle of the leaf. Fold both sides of the leaf in towards the middle. Then, roll the bottom all the way up.
Place the roll, seam side down, in the pan. Repeat for the remaining rolls.
Cover the rolls with foil and bake for 60-70 minutes.

Green cabbage is perfect for this recipe. You can also use Savoy, Napa, or red/purple cabbage, but red/purple cabbage may stain the rice.
Use the natural force of running water to help separate the cabbage leaves from the head.
Make sure to use instant rice, not regular dry (uncooked) rice. Uncooked rice will not cook through in the filling!
If the cabbage leaves still seem tough after cooking, bake the rolls for a bit longer.

Storage: Store cabbage rolls tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.