Slow Cooker Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are a household classic favorite, hearty and filling! Full of flavor and easily made in the crockpot. The cabbage is a versatile vegetable that has unexpected health benefits. Enjoy it in this dish as well as in other recipes like the Bacon Fried Cabbage, and Corned Beef with Cabbage, and if you are looking for some crunchiness, try these Baja Fish Tacos!
Crockpot Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Slow-Cooker Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are filled with tangy tomato sauce, seasoned ground beef, and cooked rice. Each one is wrapped in a slightly sweet cabbage leaf and then soaks up all the flavors in the crock pot all day. You can add your favorite tastes like minced garlic, sour cream, and even hot sauce if you like your stuffed cabbage rolls spicy.
To begin, place the cabbage head in a pot of boiling water on medium heat and boil for a few minutes to make the leaves easy to roll. Then, mix ground beef, cooked rice, garlic, onion powder, paprika, Italian herbs, parsley, egg, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. After, make the sauce in a small bowl with chopped onion, garlic powder, tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and dried Italian herbs.
Now, spray the crock pot with cooking spray and layer three cabbage leaves on the bottom. Pour half the sauce on top. Then, make your rolls by filling each cabbage leaf with half the ground beef meat mixture. Seal both ends and set them aside. Continue with the remaining leaves. Finally, place the prepared cabbage rolls in the crock pot and top with the remaining sauce. Cover and cook on high for four hours or eight hours on low.
Recipe variations:
- Different meat: Try using ground turkey, chicken, ground pork, or even spicy ground sausage for your crock pot cabbage rolls.
- Use soup: If you do not have tomato sauce, you can use condensed tomato soup.
- Real onions: Instead of onion powder, use minced onions for more flavor.
- Add cheese: Everything tastes better with cheese. Add some shredded mozzarella or parmesan on top.
- Extra spicy: Add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for spicy cabbage rolls.
- Less sweet: If you don’t like your cabbage rolls sweet, you can omit the brown sugar.
How to store leftovers:
- Store: You can store your leftover cabbage rolls in an airtight container for several days in the fridge.
- Freeze: Wrap in plastic and place the cabbage rolls in a freezer bag to freeze for up to three months.
- Thaw: Thaw your frozen leftover cabbage rolls in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of rice is best for this recipe?
We used cooked white rice for our slow-cooker cabbage rolls, but you could use brown rice or whatever kind of rice you like. Some recipes call for uncooked rice, but we like to use cooked rice to make sure it gets done all the way. You can also try using jasmine, basmati, or black rice in your slow-cooker cabbage rolls. Minute Rice is a great choice for using uncooked rice.
What is the best cabbage to use?
Green cabbage is best for this recipe. However, you can use whatever you have. As long as you use fresh cabbage, you can make it with whatever type of cabbage you like. Although there are over 400 types of cabbage, the main ones are green, red, napa, savoy, and black cabbage. You will need about eight outer leaves from a head of cabbage for this crock pot cabbage roll recipe.
Can I use lean ground beef?
We used lean ground beef (80/20) but you can use whatever you like to cook with. Just remember, the higher the amount of fat, the more grease you will end up with and you do not want your cooked cabbage rolls swimming in oil. Actually, you may want to use 90/10 ground sirloin for the least amount of grease and saturated fats.
More recipes with cabbage:
Slow Cooker Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Nutrition Facts
Cooking tips:
- Cook the whole head of cabbage just until the leaves fall off. There is no need to cook it for longer.
- Remember to season your ground beef mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- If you love stuffed cabbage rolls, you can make this as a complete meal one night and then use the leftover cabbage rolls for cabbage soup, casserole, or another casserole dish the next day.
- Make sure your phone is in cook mode, so it does not go dark while you are cooking.
- You will probably have to make two layers of cabbage rolls but leave a little space in between them.
