These stuffed cabbage rolls are made with tender cabbage leaves wrapped around ground beef, rice, onion, and garlic, then simmered in a tomato sauce with grated carrot until everything is soft and saucy.

The filling stays juicy and the sauce soaks right into the leaves.

They’re a classic for Sunday dinner, a freezer-friendly meal prep option, and the kind of thing people ask for again at family gatherings.

I serve them with a spoonful of sour cream and crusty bread, and if you like old-school cooking, these grandma crockpot recipes are right up your alley.

If you love old-fashioned family dinners like this one, these are worth bookmarking too:

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Rice and Ground Beef in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients You’ll Need

A green cabbage with loose outer leaves is easiest to roll, and savoy cabbage is even more pliable. Use 80/20 ground beef so the filling stays moist after the long simmer.

Ingredients

1 large head green cabbage (about 3 lb)
1 lb (450 g) ground beef, 80/20
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice, rinsed
1 large onion, finely diced and divided
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
Fresh parsley and sour cream, for serving

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cut out the cabbage core with a small knife, cutting a cone shape about 2 inches deep.
Lower the whole head into the boiling water core-side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then use tongs to peel off the outer leaves as they soften.
Keep returning the head to the water and peeling until you have 14 to 16 good leaves.
Lay each leaf flat and shave down the thick center rib with a paring knife so it’s level with the rest of the leaf.
Don’t cut through the leaf.
This one detail makes rolling so much easier (and stops the rolls from cracking open).
Cook the rinsed rice in boiling water for 5 minutes only, then drain.
It finishes cooking inside the rolls as they simmer.
Fully cooked rice turns to mush by the end, so trust the short par-boil.
In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, par-cooked rice, half the diced onion, the garlic, egg, 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, paprika, and dill.
Use your hands and mix until just combined.
Overmixing makes the filling dense, so stop as soon as everything looks even.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the remaining onion and grated carrot and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the crushed tomatoes, broth, brown sugar, lemon juice, the rest of the salt, and the bay leaf.
Simmer for 5 minutes and taste, adjusting for sweetness and tang.
Place about 1/3 cup of filling near the stem end of a leaf.
Fold the bottom over the filling, fold in both sides, and roll it up snugly like a burrito.
Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
The first couple might look a bit messy, but you’ll get faster by the third or fourth.
Ladle about a third of the sauce into a separate bowl and set it aside.
Line the bottom of the Dutch oven with a few torn or leftover cabbage leaves to keep the rolls from scorching.
Arrange the rolls seam-side down in a snug layer (two layers is fine), then pour the reserved sauce over the top.
Cover and simmer over low heat for 50 to 60 minutes, or bake covered at 350°F for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Check the sauce halfway and add a splash of broth if it’s getting too thick.
They’re done when the cabbage is fork-tender and the rice inside is fully cooked.
Serve hot with sauce spooned over the top, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh parsley, and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Freezer shortcut for the leaves. Freeze the whole cabbage overnight, then thaw it in the fridge. The leaves come off soft and pliable with no boiling at all.
Don’t fully cook the rice. Par-boiled rice absorbs juices from the meat and sauce as it simmers. Fully cooked rice turns mushy and makes the filling pasty.
Pack the rolls tightly. A snug pot keeps the cabbage rolls from unrolling while they cook. If you have gaps, tuck in a few extra cabbage scraps.
Keep the simmer gentle. A rolling boil breaks the leaves and dries out the sauce. Low heat with an occasional bubble is all you need.

They taste better the next day. The sauce soaks into the cabbage overnight, so this is a great make-ahead dinner. Cook them a day early and reheat slowly.
Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container with plenty of sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing. Freeze cooked rolls in their sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat covered at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Serve the cabbage rolls hot, two per plate, with plenty of tomato sauce and a dollop of sour cream.

Mashed potatoes, crusty bread, or rye bread are great for soaking up the sauce. Fresh parsley or dill on top adds a bit of color.

Storage:

Store the rolls in their sauce in a covered glass dish or airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.

The cabbage gets softer and the flavor deepens each day. Reheat gently on the stove or in the oven, adding a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened.

Customization:

Use half ground pork and half beef for a richer filling, or ground turkey for something lighter.

Brown rice works if you par-boil it for 15 minutes first. For a slow cooker version, layer the rolls and sauce and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.