Home › Recipe Index › Dinner › How To Make Golabki – Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
By Joanie Zisk
on Feb 06, 2014, Updated Aug 10, 2022
4.50 from 10 votes
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Traditional Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe (Polish Golabki)combines ground beef, ground pork and rice and topped with a sweet and tangy tomato sauce.
This cabbage roll recipe was created with fond memories of my husband’s grandmother, Mary, who first introduced me to her amazing polish cabbage rolls she called Golabki.
Cabbage rolls are often referred to as golabki, or galumpki, and are popular in many parts of Central and Eastern Europe as well as other places around the world.
A cabbage roll is made by stuffing cooked cabbage leaves with generously spiced fillings often made with beef or pork and rice. The rolls are covered in a tomato-based sauce and baked in the oven.
Table of Contents
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Expert Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Serving Suggestions
- Golabki (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
It almost goes without saying just how loved cabbage rolls are in our family. It’s a dish my husband, his siblings, and his parents have enjoyed for many years.
I have been on a quest to recreate my husband’s grandmother’s Golabki recipe, and this quest of mine has been more of an exploratory journey. One filled with many trials and quite a number of errors. But after all, what fun is arriving at the desired destination if not by traveling through the maze of highs and lows, right?
These Golabkis were perfectly seasoned and most importantly, they were exactly the way EJ remembered them to be.
Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Cabbage: You can use one large head of green cabbage or 2 small green cabbages.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this cabbage roll recipe as well as in every other recipe on ZagLeft that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It’s my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
- Chopped onions, garlic, and tomato: These ingredients cook together and add tremendous flavor.
- White wine vinegar: Can be replaced with red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar – whatever you have on hand.
- Sugar: Provides the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Salt and Pepper: For flavor. Feel free to add a little more or use a little less based on your preference.
- Tomato Paste: Used for the base of the sauce.
- Red wine: 2 tablespoons of red wine.
- Ground beef and ground pork: The mixture of ground beef and ground pork is the most flavorful, but you can also use ground turkey if you would prefer.
- Egg: One large egg will help in binding the meat mixture.
- White rice: I like to use white rice, but any short grain white or brown rice will work just fine.
How to Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
The stuffed cabbage roll recipe starts out by choosing a large leafy head of cabbage.
- Peel the large leaves off carefully, trying to keep them whole. Some leaves will fall apart and although not ideal, you can still use them.
2. Blanch the cabbage leaves in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes.
3. Drain the cabbage in a colander and run the leaves under cold water. Lay the leaves out on a cutting board and pat dry with a paper towel.
To Make the Sauce:
Coat a large saucepan with oil and place over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute’ for 1 minute.
Add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes with their juices to the saucepan, stir and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the vinegar and sugar; simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
Season with the salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
Make the Onion and Garlic Mixture:
Place a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Saute’ the onion and the garlic for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, red wine and 3/4 cup of the prepared tomato sauce, mix and remove from the heat.
Prepare the Filling:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and the ground pork. Add the egg, the cooked rice, the sauteed onion and garlic mixture and the salt and pepper.
Stir or toss the filling together using your hands to combine. Set aside.
To Assemble:
Pour 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking dish. Spread the sauce with a spoon so it covers the entire bottom of the dish.
Take each cabbage leaf and place 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the filling in the center. Fold the base of the leaf up and over the filling until it’s completely covered.
Fold the sides in and roll up the cabbage to enclose the filling.
4. Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam side down in the baking dish.
5. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour until the meat is cooked.
Expert Tips
- You can use either white or brown rice in this recipe.
- You can prepare these cabbage rolls ahead of time by making the recipe and not baking them. Cover the unbaked rolls and place them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, then cook as directed in the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Have to Add Sugar to Cabbage Rolls?
No. Instead of sugar, you could use honey, agave nectar, or brown sugar, or you could leave out the sweetener altogether. I find the sugar balances out the acidity of the sauce. It’s a matter of personal preference.
How Can I Make a Low Carb Version of This Recipe?
If you would like to make this a low carb cabbage recipe, do not serve with rice and leave out the sugar.
Can I Freeze These Cabbage Rolls?
Yes. Wrap each cooked cabbage roll individually with aluminum foil and pour the sauce into a separate container with a lid. Or, you can freeze the cabbage rolls and the sauce altogether in a single container. Freeze up to 3 months.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this Golabki recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Tomato paste: Beef and Cheese Pita Pizza, Chicken Tagine
- Red wine: French Onion Soup, Beef Stew
- White rice: Fried Rice, Rice Pudding
Serving Suggestions
You might like to consider serving any of these single serving or small batch recipes with your Golabki:
If you’re looking for a Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls for One recipe, you can find that recipe as well as many other single serving and small batch recipes by visiting our One Dish Kitchen site.
Enjoy!
Golabki (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)
By: Joanie Zisk
Prep: 30 minutes mins
Cook: 1 hour hr
Total: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Servings: 16 Rolls
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How to make traditional Polish Golabki (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) combining ground beef, ground pork and rice and topped with a sweet and tangy tomato sauce…
Ingredients
- 1 large head green cabbage (or 2 small green cabbages)
SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic , chopped
- (2) 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
CABBAGE ROLLS
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons red wine
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 large egg , lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Remove the large, damaged outer leaves of the cabbage and discard.
Carefully peel off the large cabbage leaves from the head of the cabbage, setting aside the leaves that are whole and big enough to stuff.
Blanch the cabbage leaves in the pot of water, boiling for 4-5 minutes.
Drain the cabbage in a colander and run the leaves under cold water. Lay the leaves out on a cutting board and pat dry with a paper towel.
MAKE THE SAUCE
Coat a large saucepan with oil and place over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute' for 1 minute.
Add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes with their juices to the saucepan, stir and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the vinegar and sugar; simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
Season with the salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
MAKE THE ONION AND GARLIC MIXTURE
Place a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Saute' the onion and the garlic for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, red wine and 3/4 cup of the prepared tomato sauce, mix and remove from the heat.
PREPARE THE FILLING
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and the ground pork. Add the egg, the cooked rice, the sauteed onion and garlic mixture and the salt and pepper.
Stir or toss the filling together using your hands to combine. Set aside.
TO ASSEMBLE
Pour 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking dish. Spread the sauce with a spoon so it covers the entire bottom of the dish.
Take each cabbage leaf and place 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the filling in the center. Fold the base of the leaf up and over the filling until it's completely covered.
Fold the sides in and roll up the cabbage to enclose the filling.
Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam side down in the baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour until the meat is cooked.
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Hi, I’m Joanie and welcome to ZagLeft where we share favorite recipes as well as exciting travel experiences that we’ve enjoyed while always trying to take the road less traveled.
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These cabbage rolls are so Instagrammable and adorable! As you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely! Thanks, Joanie for sharing!
I cut out most of the core of the cabbage and place this side down in a large plastic bowl with about a half a cup of water. Cover with plastic wrap in microwave for 10 minutes. Remove from bowl with meat fork, placing it on a plate to cool.
