Baked Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

By Diana Rattray

Updated 09/24/18

Cabbage Rolls, Baked
Diana Rattray
Ratings (147)
  • Total: 100 mins
  • Prep: 25 mins
  • Cook: 75 mins
  • Yield: 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
320 Calories
10g Fat
32g Carbs
27g Protein
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

These cabbage rolls are baked in a baking dish with a tomato-based sauce. The mixture of ground beef, rice, and onion makes a delicious filling for the partially cooked cabbage leaves.

The head of cabbage is frozen and then thawed, which softens the leaves and makes them easy to peel and stuff. 

1:42

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Ingredients

  • 12 to 14 large cabbage leaves
  • Filling
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 3/4 cup cooked rice
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • Sauce
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water (plus 3 tablespoons for thickening the sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather ingredients.

    Cabbage rolls ingredients
      The Spruce

  2. Freeze the whole head of cabbage for several hours or overnight. Let thaw for a few hours, then cut around the core and gently peel leaves off (starting at core end) under warm running water. They should be flexible enough to stuff. If not, steam gently to soften.

  3. If you are starting with a fresh unfrozen head of cabbage: Peel and drop the cabbage leaves into boiling salted water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes or just until pliable. Drain well.

    Thaw cabbage
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  4. Heat the oven to 350 F (180 C/Gas Mark 4).

  5. For filling, combine ground beef, rice, onion, egg, paprika, and salt, pepper, and milk. Mix well and divide into 12 portions.

    Combine ingredients for cabbage rolls
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  6. Place a portion of the ground beef mixture into the center of a cabbage leaf.

    Place meat in cabbage leaf
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  7. Roll leaf around filling; fasten with a toothpick. 

    Roll cabbage leaf and fasten with tooth pick
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  8. Place in a baking dish or Dutch oven. Repeat with the remaining ground beef and cabbage leaves.

    Finish stuffing the remaining cabbage leaves
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  9. In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and 1/2 cup of water.

    Combine ingredients for sauce
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  10. Pour sauce over cabbage rolls.

    Pour sauce over cabbage rolls
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  11. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cooked through and cabbage is tender.

    Cook cabbage rolls
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  12. Remove the cabbage rolls to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Take out the toothpicks and discard.

  13. Place the pan with juices over medium heat or transfer the juices to a saucepan and place over the heat. Combine the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water and mix until smooth. Stir the cornstarch and cold water mixture into the sauce; bring the sauce to a boil and cook until thickened.

    Cabbage rolls
     The Spruce

  14. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

If you don't have time to freeze the cabbage, place the whole head—cored or not—in a microwave-safe dish with a small amount of water and microwave it on full power for about 10 to 15 minutes. The leaves should peel off nicely.