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a plate of cooked stuffed cabbage rolls on a plate with one sliced open to show filling
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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed cabbage rolls are a delicious comfort food dinner. See how easy they are to make.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 5 people
Calories 241kcal
Author Rachel Ballard

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound ground beef ground turkey would substitute
  • 1/3 cup yellow onion diced into 1/4" pieces
  • 1 teaspoon garlic minced; no jarred garlic
  • 1/4 cup basmati rice rinsed but uncooked, See Note 1
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes with the juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt See Note 2
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 head green cabbage you'll need about 10 leaves total
  • 4 cups V8 juice tomato juice will substitute
Makes: 3 x 2inch rectangle

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix the beef, onion, garlic, rice, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper.
  • Mix well but don't over mix it or the meat will be tough. Set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer. While the water heats, prepare your cabbage leaves. Remove the dirty or thin outer leaves first and discard.
  • Turn the cabbage core end up and use a sharp knife to cut away as much as you can. Then working from this same end, gently loosen one leaf at a time and gently remove it. It may tear and that's okay.
  • Use a sharp knife to remove the thickest part of the stem from the lower 1/3 of each leaf.
  • Drop two or three leaves at a time into the hot water and cook 30-45 seconds then transfer to a colander with a wide spatula.
  • Once cool enough to handle, add 1/4 cup of filling to the lower third of each leaf.
  • Begin to roll, tucking in the sides as you go and place the roll seam side down in a deep heavy bottomed 7 quart or larger pot. It's okay to layer them on top of one another if needed.
  • Pour over the tomato juice or V8, cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook 20-25 minutes until the meat is cooked through. Serve immediately or let them cool on the stove and reheat 2 to 3 hours later for maximum flavor.

Notes

Note 1: Whatever rice you use needs to be able to cook in 20 minutes or less. Don't use wild rice or brown--these take 45 minutes to an hour or more to cook. 
Note 2: V8 juice can be too salty for some people. If you are using V8 feel free to reduce the salt in the recipe. Also note that sea salt is not as salty as table salt. If you are using table salt, reduce by at least half. 
Note 3: This filling makes about 10 rolls. It can be easily doubled. Serving size estimates two rolls per person.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 2rolls | Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 385mg | Potassium: 997mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1110IU | Vitamin C: 107mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 3mg