A Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls Recipe To Enjoy This Classic Dish!
If you want to try a timeless European dish that requires a bit of prep, cabbage rolls are most certainly worth the effort!
Made with a delicious blend of minced meat and rice, these cabbage leaves are stuffed, rolled, and cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce.
Cabbage rolls are an important part of the cuisine of Central and Eastern European countries – with many regional and family variations in recipes. So here’s just one take on Ukrainian cabbage rolls.
Known as Golubtsi – but sometimes also called Holubtsi – this relatively inexpensive dish is filling, hearty, and can be prepared in advance and frozen for the colder months!
Side note from Eric: Having part Hungarian and part Ukrainian heritage, eating cabbage rolls – and the debate over exactly how to make them – has been prevalent in my family for decades.
One point of contention has always been the ratio of meat to rice. One family recipe has more rice than meat, while other, similar recipes have more meat than rice. The common narrative in my family is that back in the day more rice was added because it was cheaper than meat and more filling.
Aside from the filling ratio, how the cabbage roll is cooked/prepared also varies greatly across countries and regions. For example, Hungarian Cabbage rolls (Töltött káposzta) are generally made with some kind of pork product.
We even have a family recipe for “unstuffed” cabbage rolls which we call cabbage roll casserole. It’s all the flavors of stuffed cabbage rolls with a little less effort.
Ingredients
To make this Golubtsi recipe, here are the ingredients that you will need. These ingredients may be slightly different from another cabbage roll recipe you may be familiar with.
- Cabbage leaves – Use relatively large cabbage leaves so that they are easier to roll.
- Minced meat – You can use whatever meat you like. A mix of pork and beef is a popular choice.
- Egg – Helps bind the filling.
- Rice – Cooked; use long-grain rice.
- Onion – One yellow onion.
- Carrot – Grated carrot adds extra flavor.
- Salt – Enhances the overall flavor.
- Coriander – Adds flavor to the filling.
- Paprika – Adds flavor and color to the filling.
- Granulated garlic – Or garlic powder.
- Oil – For frying the onion and carrot.
- Sour cream – To mix with the tomato sauce and extra for serving.
- Tomato sauce – Used for the sauce in which the cabbage rolls simmer. You can make your own or use store-bought sauce.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Before you make this Ukrainian stuffed cabbage, here are some recipe tips and substitutions that you should know before you begin cooking!
- Instead of white cabbage leaves, you can use napa cabbage leaves if you prefer.
- As mentioned, you can use whatever minced meat you have on hand for the filling. A traditional choice is a mix of beef and pork, but you can also use chicken or turkey.
- You can omit the egg from the filling if you prefer.
- Don’t overcook the rice – it should be just cooked. Otherwise, it may become too mushy in the cabbage rolls.
- You can adjust the seasonings for the filling to your liking.
- Instead of using tomato sauce, you can also cook the cabbage rolls in tomato juice.
- For the best result, cook the cabbage rolls over low heat. This allows the flavors to meld together.
- You can cook the stuffed cabbage in the oven or in a slow cooker instead of on the stove.
- You can freeze the cabbage rolls prior to cooking if you want to make some for later.
How to Make Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls – Step by Step Instructions
In this section, we’ll show you how to make these Ukrainian cabbage rolls. We’ve included all the photos of the recipe process so that you can follow along at home and track your progress.
The detailed recipe card is located at the bottom of this post, so you can always have a look at these process photos and then head down there when you’re ready to start cooking!
In a large bowl, combine the minced meat, cooked rice, egg, salt, coriander, paprika, and granulated garlic.
Mix well with your clean hands or a fork. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place it in the fridge.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the grated carrots and chopped onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Dip the cabbage leaves one by one into a bowl filled with boiling water and let them sit until they become pliable, about 3-4 minutes.
It is important not to blanch them too long, otherwise, the cabbage leaves may fall apart.
Place 2-3 tablespoons of the meat filling on the edge of a cabbage leaf, fold in the sides and roll it up tightly. You can secure it with cooking twine if necessary.
Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
Add half of the fried onions and carrots to the bottom of a deep pot. Place the cabbage rolls on top. Then add the remaining onions and carrots on top.
In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce and sour cream. Pour the mixture over the cabbage rolls.
Cover the pot with a lid and cook the cabbage rolls over low heat for about 40 minutes until the meat is cooked through.
Serve the stuffed cabbage rolls hot or warm, topped with sour cream and fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
Once you have made these cabbage rolls, you can store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Alternatively, you can either freeze them before cooking (and then cook them in the tomato sauce as described in the recipe above) or freeze them after cooking.
To do this, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Properly stored, they’ll keep for about 3 months.
To reheat the cabbage rolls, you can place them in a baking dish in the oven with a little extra sauce and heat them at about 320 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through. You can cover the baking dish with aluminum foil if necessary.
You can also reheat them in the microwave or in a skillet with a bit of oil and sauce over low heat.
Related Recipes
If you liked these Ukrainian cabbage rolls, here are some other classic and lesser-known Ukrainian recipes that you may want to try next!
- Sicheniki (Tasty Chicken Patties)
- Varenyky (Ukrainian Dumplings)
- Kotleti (Ukrainian Meat Patties)
- Kruchenyky (Meat Rolls with Mushrooms)
- Eggplant Mezhivo
Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 pound minced meat
- 1/3 cup rice, cooked
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon oil, for frying
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 8 – 10 cabbage leaves
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons sour cream, plus extra for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine minced meat, rice, egg, salt, coriander, paprika, and granulated garlic. Mix well with your hands or a fork.1 pound minced meat, 1 egg, 1/3 cup rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place it in the fridge.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the grated carrots and chopped onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 medium onion, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 medium carrot
- Dip the cabbage leaves one by one into a bowl filled with boiling water and blanch them until soft, about 3-4 minutes. It is important not to blanch them for too long, otherwise, the leaves may fall apart.8 – 10 cabbage leaves
- Place 2-3 tablespoons of the meat filling on the edge of a cabbage leaf, fold in the sides, and roll it up tightly. You can secure it with cooking twine if necessary. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
- Add half of the fried onions and carrots to the bottom of a deep pot. Place the cabbage rolls on top. Add the remaining onions and carrots on top.
- In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce and sour cream. Pour the mixture over the cabbage rolls.1 cup tomato sauce, 3 tablespoons sour cream
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook the cabbage rolls over low heat for about 40 minutes until the meat is cooked through.
- Serve the stuffed cabbage rolls hot or warm, topped with sour cream and fresh herbs.
Notes
- You can use napa cabbage leaves instead of white cabbage leaves if you prefer.
- You can use whatever minced meat you have on hand for the filling. A traditional choice is a mix of beef and pork, but you can also use chicken or turkey.
- You can omit the egg from the filling if you prefer.
- Don’t overcook the rice – it should be just cooked. Otherwise, it may become too mushy in the cabbage rolls.
- You can adjust the seasonings for the filling to your liking.
- Instead of using tomato sauce, you can also cook the cabbage rolls in tomato juice.
- For best results, cook the cabbage rolls over low heat.
- You can cook the stuffed cabbage in the oven or in a slow cooker instead of on the stove.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
so is my mom’s,
nobody ever added coriander to cabbage rolls. not in my mothers life time.
Thank you for your comment, Anna, but I do hope you realize that recipes can differ between countries, regions, and families, so I don’t see the need to make such definitive statements (“nobody ever”). If your family doesn’t use coriander in cabbage rolls, that’s perfectly fine and valid. Yuliia’s family (from Ukraine) uses coriander in their Ukrainian cabbage rolls, which is just as valid.