For a quick and easy dinner, look no further than this Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe! It has all of the flavors you know and love in traditional stuffed cabbage with ground beef, rice, tomato sauce, and cabbage, but without all of the work! This easy 30-minute weeknight meal will soon become a family favorite.
Table of Contents
I absolutely love these Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. But, what I DON’T love about them is how long it takes to get this dinner on the table.
So, I had the idea to take all of the components, throw them in a skillet, and cook them up. I have had great success with doing this previously when I made this Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe and Reuben in a Bowl!
Ingredients
- Ground meat. Beef, venison, ground turkey or chicken work fantastic. Red meat tastes more like the authentic recipe. Opt for a 90/10 or 93/7 as fattier blends will have excess liquid. And a little tip, venison turns out great!
- Cabbage. Use one small head or half of a large one. You want about 8 cups once it’s chopped. Here’s a guide to easily shred cabbage if you need one.
- Tomatoes. Both crushed and canned sauce are needed. You can sub the crushed with diced tomatoes, but it will end up with a different consistency.
- Rice. Cook the brown or white rice ahead of time. Try this Instant Pot White Rice or cook it on the stovetop.
- Worcestershire sauce. This is necessary as it adds a lovely depth of flavor.
- Seasonings. Salt, pepper, paprika, dried oregano, and fresh parsley. You can use ¼ teaspoon dried parsley in place of the fresh, if needed.
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
How to Make Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
- Cook the onions. Add oil and onions to a large skillet or Dutch oven and sauté over medium or medium-high heat. Allow the onions to cook for several minutes, until translucent and aromatic. Add minced garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Here are tips on how to mince garlic. Stir consistently so the onions and garlic do not burn.
- Brown the meat. Push the garlic and onions to the side of the pan and add your protein of choice. Be sure to break up the beef or venison as it is cooking so no large chunks remain. Note, use a meat browning tool or potato masher to crumble it more easily. Sauté the meat and onions for four or five minutes until the juice runs clear and no pink is left.
- Sauté the cabbage. Carefully combine the cabbage with the beef and onion mixture. If the pan is small, add the cabbage in two batches. Stir gently so the filling is not tossed out accidentally.
- Simmer and stir. Add rice, tomatoes, sauce, seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce to the mixture and thoroughly combine. Once all of the ingredients are incorporated, cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid and allow the mixture to simmer for ten minutes, or until the cabbage is softened.
FAQs
Cabbage rolls pair great with hearty bread, a starchy side like potatoes or spaetzle, or a bean salad.
Cabbage rolls can be traced to many cultures, including Jewish, Romanian, Polish, Ukrainian, Egyptian, and Asian. While the filling varies, the basic idea remains the same with meat, grains, or other vegetables cooked inside cabbage leaves.
Green cabbage looks a little like iceberg lettuce and is peppery until it is cooked. Then, it becomes sweeter. Red or purple cabbage can be used in place of green, but will likely leach color into the rest of your dish. Savoy cabbage has crinkly leaves and is generally the sweetest. Napa cabbage is the most tender and is generally sweet, as well.
Make It a Meal
Add one of these side dishes for a complete meal.
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Maple
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Italian Dressing Pasta Salad
More Cabbage Recipes
Try one of these other cabbage recipes.
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Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil divided
- 1 small sweet onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 pound ground beef venison or turkey, 90/10 or 93/7
- 7-8 cups cabbage shredded
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes canned
- 8 ounces tomato sauce canned
- 1 cup rice cooked white or brown*
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar optional
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano dried
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Sauté the Onion: Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet along with the diced onion and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds, or until it becomes fragrant.2 tablespoons oil, 1 small sweet onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the Meat: Push onion and garlic to the side and add the ground beef. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink. Mash with a potato masher to get fine crumbles and then drain any excess fat.1 pound ground beef
- Stir in Cabbage: Push the meat and onions to the side and add in an additional tablespoon of oil along with the cabbage. You may have to add this in batches if your skillet isn’t large enough. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, adding in more cabbage as you go.7-8 cups cabbage, 2 tablespoons oil
- Combine and Simmer: Once the cabbage has softened, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, cooked rice, Worcestershire sauce, and remaining seasonings. Stir everything together until well combined. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.15 ounces crushed tomatoes, 8 ounces tomato sauce, 1 cup rice cooked, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon oregano
- Serve the unstuffed cabbage rolls immediately with a sprinkle of additional chopped parsley and enjoy!2 tablespoons fresh parsley
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Notes
- Cabbage: Ensure the cabbage is evenly shredded so it cooks up consistently.
- Protein: Opt for a lower fat blend in your meat choice, otherwise there will be extra liquid in your dish.
- Prep-Ahead: The cabbage and onions can be cut 1-2 days before you cook the dish. The seasonings can be pre-mixed, as well.
- Storage: Place the unstuffed cabbage rolls in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. For best results, reheat in a skillet over medium heat. To avoid soggy cabbage, do not reheat in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe and have made with both beef and turkey. Prefer the flavor of the beef and the second time I left out the oregano. Feel like it throws it off a bit but that’s a preference.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Dana! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
It’s true. This is the best unstuffed cabbage recipe. I can’t eat grains so omitted the rice and added more veg.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I’m glad you could make it work! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
There are 100 unstuffed cabbage roll recipes. I’ve made several different ones. I usually make the dish per the recipe the first time, then tweak it to my liking. I’ve used beef, turkey and chicken. Tonite I used bison, which is our red meat go to instead of beef. This is the best unstuffed cabbage roll recipe I’ve made! Sauteing the cabbage in with the meat is so much more flavorful than adding it at the end to simmer as an after thought. The only change I will make is chopping the garlic, instead of adding it crushed whole. I love garlic and am of the opinion you can’t use too much, but I prefer not to bite into a large piece of it. I served this over brown rice, to allow the option of omitting carbs. This is a perfect dish that I will be returning to as a weeknight treat!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Suzanne! That’s so awesome that this recipe made the top cut. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Made this yesterday and loved it! Last time I tried a deconstructed cabbage roll recipe I was disappointed, so I continued with the old fashioned recipe for several years. But I was craving stuffed cabbage and thought I would try this recipe. Truly satisfied my craving and I will definitely make again!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Patty! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
This dish is superb! I added lemon at the end (Lebanese folks use lemon in their cabbage rolls). Its amazing!!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Andrea! That sounds delicious! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Delicious and a great way to get that cabbage roll taste without all the labor! Don’t skip the sugar. It makes a big difference!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Heather! I love delicious and easy. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
I modified this recipe for my 9 month old and we both LOVED it! So easy to follow and absolutely delicious!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Erin! I’m so glad the whole family could eat it. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Do you think quinoa would work in place of white rice?
Hi Kathy, I have never tried it, but it could work. Let me know what you think if you do it!
I have made stuffed cabbage rolls with quinoa and it worked great. So,I would guess unstuffed with quinoa will also work. I am going to try it in this recipe.
Is the one cup rice measured dry or after being cooked?
Hi Mara, the rice needs to be cooked before adding, and you will need one cup of cooked rice.
This was delicious! Thanks for sharing. I left out the sugar and did not miss it. Have already saved this recipe to make again!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Stacey! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!