This delicious Polish style beef stuffed cabbage rolls recipe is a classic European comfort dish that you're going to want to pass down through generations. A beef and rice mixture rolled into steamed cabbage leaves and stewed in a flavorful tomato sauce will make these cabbage rolls a new family favorite.
These beef stuffed cabbage rolls recipe is comfort food at it's finest! They are traditionally served in much of Eastern Europe during the holiday season but I love making them throughout the fall and winter. While they do require multiple steps, making this dish is pretty straightforward and in my opinion well worth the effort.
This dish also works wonderful as a gift for new moms or anytime someone around you needs some comfort. The sauce can easily be adjusted to your personal taste and I'm sure this recipe will soon become a family favorite!
Jump to:
Tell me about Polish style cabbage rolls.
These stuffed cabbage rolls are a common dish throughout Eastern Europe. In Poland they are most commonly referred to as Golumpki or Go??bki and are traditionally cabbage leaves stuffed with meat, rice and onions, wrapped up and simmered in a tomato based sauce.
It's commonly served during the holidays and family reunions as a special occasion dish. Many of the original recipes recommend stewing the cabbage rolls on the stove top, but I like the way they come out after being baked in the oven.
More winter recipes you will love.
Equipment
- Large pots (2): One will be for boiling the cabbage, the second is for the ice bath.
- Dutch oven or another heavy bottomed pot
- Casserole dish 13 x 9: This Emile Henry Large Rectangular Baker works great!
- Cutting board and sharp knife
Ingredients
- Green cabbage: The larger and more intact the head of cabbage the better.
- Butter
- Onions: I recommend using 2 small onions or you can use 1 large and split between the sauce and meat mixture.
- Garlic: I recommend using fresh garlic over the jarred kind.
- Tomato sauce: I recommend using 2 8 oz cans. This comes out to about 2 cups.
- Crushed tomatoes: You could substitute with canned whole tomatoes and then just crush up as you cook the sauce or blend for a few seconds beforehand.
- Lemon: You'll need lemon juice for the sauce and the lemon zest for the meat mixture.
- Brown sugar: The sweetness level of this sauce is completely up to personal preference. I like about ¼th cup of brown sugar. Some people like to leave it out altogether. Others like as much as ¾ cup of sugar in their sauce. I recommend tasting and seasoning it to your preference.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Golden raisins (optional): These are optional but I love the little bites of sweetness they add.
- Ground beef: I recommend an 85/15 lean to fat ratio but you use the beef you prefer.
- Eggs: These act as a binder in the meat mixture. But they can be left out if preferred.
- White rice: I recommend using short grain rice as it generally cooks quicker.
- Salt & Pepper
- Fresh parsley (optional)
Step-by-Step Photos
Time needed: 3 hours and 20 minutes
These Polish style Beef Stuffed Cabbage Rolls do require several steps but they are well worth the effort!
- Prep and steam the cabbage leaves.
- Make the sauce.
- Make the ground beef filling.
- Stuff the cabbage leaves.
- Assemble the cabbage rolls.
- Cover and bake.
- Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve these beef stuffed cabbage rolls is over mashed potatoes. It's also great over rice or eggs noodles or served on their own.
My Polish Cucumber Salad recipe works great as a side dish!
More recipes you will love.
Polish Cucumber Salad {Mizeria}
Made this Stuffed Cabbage Roll recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 large head of green cabbage the bigger the better
- parsley optional
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 lemon, juiced save 1 teaspoon zest for the meat filling
- ¼ cup brown sugar add more or less according to taste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup chopped cabbage reserved from the steamed cabbage
- ½ cup golden raisins, chopped optional
- salt & pepper
For the ground beef filling
- 2 lb ground beef I recommend 85/15
- 1 small onion, grated
- 2 eggs
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup uncooked white rice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Steam and Prep the Cabbage Leaves.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, fill a separate large pot with ice water and set aside. Core the cabbage by using a sharp knife and cutting at a tilted angle in a circle around the core. Remove the core and discard. Place the whole cabbage in the pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes until the leaves are soft and pliable. Leaving the cabbage in the boiling water, use a pair of tongs to gently remove one leaf at a time, being careful not to tear. Place each leaf into the pot of iced water. Ideally you should expect to get 14-16 large, quality leaves. *Chop up the remaining cabbage (whatever is left over after the 14-16 leaves) and set aside for the sauce. You should get about one cup.*Once the cabbage leaves have cooled remove them from the ice bath and place on a towel to drain. Then pat dry. Set aside while you make the sauce.
Make the sauce.
- Melt 2 tablespoon of butter in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add in 1 medium chopped onion and cook for about 5-6 minutes until softened. Add in 2 cloves of minced garlic and the reserved chopped cabbage and cook for another minute until fragrant. *While the onion is cooking use a zester to get about 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Set aside for later.*Pour in the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, along with the juice of 1 lemon, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, golden raisins (if using) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil, then turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and add additional salt, pepper or sugar to your preference. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Make the ground beef filling.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients for the ground beef filling. Use your hands to thoroughly combine. Then divide into small portions to match the number of leaves you have.*For example, if you got 12 leaves divide into 12 equal portions. If you got 16 leaves divide into 16 equal portions.*Set aside.
Assemble the cabbage rolls and bake.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour 2 cups of the tomato sauce into a large casserole dish and spread evenly over the bottom.
- To make the cabbage rolls lay out a leaf and make a V shaped incision at the bottom, cutting off the firmest part of the stem. Shape one portion of the meat mixture into an almond (or football) shape and place on top of the leaf. Then fold the left and right sides over the meat and roll up like a burrito. *See photos above for an example.*Place the cabbage roll seam side down into the casserole dish with the sauce. Repeat the process until all of the meat and cabbage leaves have been used.
- Top the cabbage rolls with the remaining sauce and use a spoon to gently push into any cracks and crevices. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 2 hours and 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 20-30 minutes until serving. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or one their own. Top with fresh parsley if desired and enjoy!
Marjoram Really. Not Polish Dill dill dill
Thanks for your feedback. We like this recipe but it's probably not the one for you.