This super easy, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe brings together tender cabbage leaves that envelop a hearty beef and pork mixture with rice. The rolls are deeply comforting + satisfying and baked in a simple yet flavorful tomato sauce. These delicious rolls are perfect for weeknight-friendly dinners, cozy weekends inside, or a holiday-inspired main entree. Step-by-step photos and make-ahead notes, too!

stuffed cabbage rolls with tomato sauce on plate

Cabbage rolls were one of those super comforting meals that always hit the spot for me as a kid. It’s right up there with hamburger helper and hamburger steaks, ha. Y’all know those recipes that never fail to serve up joyful, delicious vibes. If you’ve never made homemade cabbage rolls before or would like to try a new version of it, let me holla at you right quick! C’mon and pull up!

stuffed cabbage rolls with tomato sauce on plates

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls 😍

Across the globe, there are many variations of this signature dish with them all being quite similar at the core. This stuffed cabbage recipe is my version with a few tweaks from the family recipe. The filling is flavor-loaded and they never last long, mmm. These cabbage rolls are outrageously good + so easy to make!

They’re perfect to feed a crowd for a light lunch or a nice and cozy dinner, too. Friends, the entire meal here is mostly hands-off with just a little prep work involved. It’s definitely a low-effort, high-reward winner!

ingredients for stuffed cabbage rolls in bowls

Ingredients You’ll Need Here:

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

  • For the filling: Rice, ground beef & ground pork, onion, scallions, ginger paste, jalapeño flavor, Cajun seasoning, salt/pepper, fresh herbs, cane syrup, and worcestershire sauce.
  • For cabbage roll assembly & sauce: Green cabbage, crushed tomatoes, and beef broth.

The filling mixture is brimming with flavor, yes indeed! All of the savory filling is stuffed inside of the tender cabbage leaves and baked in a simple tomato sauce…everything compliments each other and works in harmony with this dish 😌!

raw meat mixture in bowl with spatula
boiled cabbage leaves on baking sheet

How To Make Cabbage Rolls:

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

Let’s start with the prep work! ☝🏾

  • For the filling: In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Then mix the ingredients until fully incorporated and set the filling mixture aside to rest while you prep the cabbage.
  • Prep the cabbage: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the core out of the cabbage. Place the whole head of cabbage into the boiling water and let boil for about 2-3 minutes. The outer leaves of cabbage will pull away and come loose. Set the soft cabbage leaves onto a clean plate and set aside until slightly cool before cabbage assembly.
raw meat mixture on boiled cabbage leaf
tender cabbage leaf wrapped with raw meat mixture on cutting board
meat-stuffed cabbage leaf on cutting board
meat-stuffed, wrapped cabbage leaf on cutting board

Assembly & Stuffing Your Rolls:

  • Cabbage roll assembly: Place a cabbage leaf lengthwise onto a clean surface and add about 3 tablespoons of the filling into the center. Like a burrito, fold in the sides and roll the cabbage leaf lengthwise away from you into a tight log. Set the filled cabbage roll aside and repeat this process until all cabbage leaves are stuffed, keeping the seam side down.
tomato sauce being poured over stuffed cabbage leaves in baking dish
stuffed cabbage leaves with tomato sauce in baking dish

Prep The Sauce & Bake:

  • Sauce prep: In a large bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Pour half of the tomato sauce mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread evenly along the bottom. Then place the cabbage rolls, seam-side down on top of the sauce. Then evenly pour the remaining sauce over the arranged cabbage rolls.
  • Bake & serve: Cover with foil and place into the oven to bake at 350° for 1 hour. Go on and serve these stuffed cabbage rolls with a dollop of sour cream and more fresh herbs if you’d like. Ooooeeeee, they’re incredible 😋!
stuffed cabbage leaves with tomato sauce and sour cream on plate

Tips + Tricks For Recipe Success & More Info:

  • Prepping the cabbage– Removing the core from the head of the cabbage is necessary so that the leaves separate during the boil. You’ll boil the whole head of cabbage instead of peeling the leaves and boiling them separately. It reduces the result of broken leaves and ensures a seamless prep.
  • Sweetness– I use a touch of cane syrup in both the filling and the sauce to balance the flavors. Tomato sauce can be a little acidic and the cane syrup helps. You can also use corn syrup or brown sugar as a sub.
  • Make ahead cabbage rolls– You can prep the rolls ahead of time if you’d like. Follow the instructions in the recipe card to prep and assemble the rolls in the baking dish. Then cover with foil and refrigerate overnight (I’d say up to 8-10 hours before). Bake/cook the rolls on the following day.
stuffed cabbage leaves with tomato sauce on white plates

These Cabbage Rolls are such a nostalgic recipe in my home, they’re just so good! I hope you get a chance to try ’em. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

More main dishes you’ll enjoy:

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stuffed cabbage rolls with tomato sauce on plate

Tender Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

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  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8
  • Category: Main Dishes
  • Method: Baking, Stovetop
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Description

This super easy, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe brings together tender cabbage leaves that envelop a hearty beef and pork mixture with rice. The rolls are deeply comforting + satisfying and baked in a simple yet flavorful tomato sauce. These delicious rolls are perfect for weeknight-friendly dinners, cozy weekends inside, or a holiday-inspired main entree.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup long grain parboiled rice, rinsed until the water runs clear!
  • 1 lb ground beef (we use 93%)
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 6 scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper paste (or 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño as sub)
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons Creole Cajun Seasoning– homemade or store-bought– divided
  • Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper- to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or dill
  • 3 tablespoons Steen’s pure cane syrup (or dark corn syrup as sub)– divided
  • 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
  • 1 whole head green cabbage, core removed
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup beef broth
  • Fresh chopped parsley or dill & sour cream, for serving– optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
  2. For the filling: In a large bowl, add the rinsed parboiled rice, ground beef, ground pork, onion, scallions, garlic paste, jalapeño paste (or diced jalapeno), 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, salt/pepper- to taste, chopped parsley (or dill), 1 tablespoon of cane syrup (or corn syrup), and worcestershire sauce. Use your hands (fitted with disposable gloves if desired) to mix the ingredients thoroughly until fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with foil/plastic wrap and then set the filling mixture aside to rest while you prep the cabbage.
  3. Prep the cabbage: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, prep the head of cabbage by using a paring knife to cut the core out of the cabbage.
  4. Gently place the whole head of cabbage into the boiling water and let boil for about 2-3 minutes. You should see the outer leaves of cabbage start to pull away and come loose. Use tongs to carefully peel/pull the cabbage leaves away, letting the outer leaves become soft and tender before removing them. Set the soft cabbage leaves onto a clean plate/platter and set aside until slightly cool before cabbage assembly.
  5. Cabbage roll assembly: The number of leaves you have will depend on your head of cabbage but you should have enough filling for 15-17 rolls. Once the cabbage leaves are cool, let’s begin assembling! Place a cabbage leaf lengthwise onto a clean surface and add about 3 tablespoons of the filling into the center. Like a burrito, fold in the sides and roll the cabbage leaf lengthwise away from you into a tight log. Set the filled cabbage roll aside and repeat this process until all cabbage leaves are stuffed, keeping the seam side down.
  6. Sauce prep: In a large bowl, add the can of crushed tomatoes, broth, 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, 2 tablespoons of cane syrup (or corn syrup), and season to taste with salt/pepper. Stir the mixture until well combined. Pour *half* of the tomato sauce mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly along the bottom of the dish. Then place the stuffed cabbage rolls, seam-side down into the dish, packing/nestling them tightly together on top of the sauce. Then evenly pour the remaining sauce over the arranged cabbage rolls.
  7. Bake: Cover the dish tightly with foil and place into the oven to bake at 350° for 1 hour or until the cabbage rolls are cooked through (registering at least 160°F when checked using an internal thermometer). 
  8. Serve the stuffed cabbage rolls immediately with a dollop of sour cream and more fresh parsley or dill to garnish, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.

Recipe by: Quin Liburd- Butter Be Ready

Photography by: Ashley McLaughlin