Eastern European
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Blanched cabbage leaves wrap a beef-and-rice filling, then bake in tomato sauce until the rice inside is tender.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 10 min
- Total
- 1 hr 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Photo: Thriving Vegetarian (CC BY). Source
Why you’ll love it
- Wilt the leaves so they roll.
- Rice finishes in the oven, so it starts uncooked.
- 350°F, covered, for a real hour.
- The sauce should come halfway up the rolls.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Core the cabbage and boil it 5 minutes. Peel off 12 leaves and trim the thick ribs.
- 2
Mix beef, rice, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and paprika.
- 3
Divide the filling among the leaves and roll, tucking the sides.
- 4
Stir tomato sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Spread half in a baking dish. Pack in the rolls and cover with the rest.
- 5
Cover and bake 65 to 70 minutes, until the rice in a center roll is tender.
Pro tips
- If a leaf tears, patch it with a piece of another leaf.
- Uncooked rice swells. Do not overfill.
- Taste a roll. A thermometer will not tell you if the rice is done.
Easy substitutions
- Ground beef
- Ground turkey
- Brown sugar
- A grated carrot in the sauce
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days.
Reheating
Cover and bake at 325°F until hot, about 25 minutes, with a splash of water if the sauce is tight.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 340
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
Budget friendly · Oven, Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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