• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Season & Thyme
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Social
  • Subscribe
  • Spring Recipes
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Social
  • Subscribe
  • Spring Recipes
×
  • Featured picture of bowl of elotes chicken salad.
    Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad
  • up close of plate of seasoned chicken thighs.
    Homemade Nando's Chicken Thighs
  • bowl of crockpot southwest chicken with toppings.
    Crockpot Southwest Chicken
  • serving of chicken,mushroom, asparagus skillet in a bowl.
    One Pan Chicken with Mushroom and Asparagus
  • Garlic and Herb Roast Chicken
  • featured image for slow cooker venison roast shown up close on a white plate.
    Slow Cooker Venison Roast
  • parmesan garlic chicken thighs on a plate up close.
    Parmesan Garlic Chicken Thighs
  • featured image for pickle roll ups.
    Pickle Roll-ups
  • up close of sliced pork tenderloin.
    Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin
  • featured image for elote pasta salad.
    Elote Pasta Salad
  • Featured picture of olive garden stuffed chicken marsala.
    Olive Garden Stuffed Chicken Marsala
  • Featured photo of cooked venison jerky.
    Homemade Venison Jerky
Home » Recipes » Dinner

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Golabki)

Published: Sep 3, 2022 · Modified: Mar 13, 2024 by Sarah Baumeister · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls or Golabki, are a filling fall and winter meal that is full of hearty veggies and a rich tomato sauce. Each tender cabbage leaf is stuffed with an extra meaty mixture of ground pork, ground beef, rice, and veggies and then rolled up and baked until tender.

sliced cabbage rolls on a plate.

Polish cabbage rolls are one of those dishes that take a little bit prep time, but they are just so good that the effort is well worth it!

In fact, these cabbage rolls are perhaps one of my favorite dishes to eat that I make myself. This polish dish takes inexpensive, unassuming ingredients and elevates them to something special. The cabbage itself gets soft and infused with the flavors of the tomato sauce and the filling. The filling has rice, ground meat, and LOADS of veggies.

This dish proves that healthy does not have to feel lacking or unfilling. This stuffed cabbage recipe is also naturally gluten free and low fat!

two finished rolls on a tan plate.

For other cabbage recipes from Slow Cooker Cabbage and Bacon or Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Sauerkraut.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients for Golabki
  • Step by Step Instructions
  • Creating the Filling
  • Recipe Tip: Double the Dish
  • What to serve with cabbage rolls
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients for Golabki

ingredients for polish cabbage rolls on a white background.

Cabbage Rolls

  • head of cabbage
  • ground pork
  • ground beef
  • carrot
  • celery
  • onion
  • garlic
  • salt
  • egg
  • black pepper
  • cooked rice

Sauce

  • tomato sauce
  • diced tomatoes
  • salt
  • garlic powder
  • red wine vinegar

Step by Step Instructions

Preparing Cabbage Leaves

whole head of cabbage in a pot of water.

Step 1. Core your cabbage head.
Bring a large stockpot of water up to boil, and add cabbage.
Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the leaves begin to peel off easily. They should be half cooked at this point.

blanched cabbage leaves on a plate.

Step 2. Remove full cabbage from pot and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, carefully remove 1 leaf at a time. You will need about 12-16 leaves, depending on their size.

Preparing the Sauce

bowl of unmixed tomato sauce.

Step 3. Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well combined.

Creating the Filling

filling ingredients unmixed in a white bowl.

Step 4. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Take 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce mixture and add it to your filling mixture to give it some moisture.

pork and beef mixture mixed in a bowl.

Step 5. Stir together until well combined.

Assembling the Cabbage Rolls

cabbage leaf being filled with meat mixture.

Step 6. Take a baseball sized amount of filling and form so it is slightly elongated. Place the filling near the stem side of the leaf.

cabbage leaf rolled after being filled.

Step 7. Fold in sides of leaf, and then roll leaf with filling toward the outer part of the leaf.

white dish with tomato sauce covering the bottom.

Step 8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take half the remaining sauce mixture and coat the bottom of a 9 ½ x 13 glass dish.

white dish filled with uncooked cabbage rolls

Step 9. Snugly tuck the cabbage roll into the sauce covered glass pan.
Continue until all filling is used up.

overhead of cabbage rolls uncooked in white dish.

Step 10. Pour the remaining tomato sauce on top and cover dish with aluminum foil.

up close of finished dish.

Step 11. Place in the oven and bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until everything is cooked through and the cabbage is soft.
Let cool and serve.

plate of two golabki with full casserole to the side.

Recipe Tip: Double the Dish

This cabbage roll recipe is ULTRA meaty. It has 2 full pounds of meat! And each cabbage leaf is stuffed to capacity. If you want to stretch this meal in a super easy way, simply add more rice to the meat mixture!

Doubling the rice (4 cups instead of 2), using a second head of cabbage, and filling the cabbage leaves ever so slightly less full, could easily fill up two trays of cabbage rolls. Since cabbage and rice are both super inexpensive, this would be a very economical way to make this meal have double the servings for now or to freeze for later.

one halved polish cabbage roll on a bed of sauce.

What to serve with cabbage rolls

Cabbage rolls are a delicious all in one meal, they have veggies, protein, and carbs. If you want to serve additional sides or condiments try any of the following.

  • spaetzle
  • red cabbage sauerkraut
  • polish cucumber salad
  • rustic sourdough bread or rye bread
  • hot sauce
  • bean salad

Don't forget to add my favorite polish cookie, kolaczki, for dessert!

Recipe FAQs

Can you make cabbage rolls in the slow cooker?

This exact cabbage rolls recipe can absolutely be adapted to cook in the slow cooker. This would be a wonderful crockpot dish. Prepare everything the same, but instead of using a glass 9x13, place half of the sauce on the bottom of your Crock-pot. Layer the rolls on top, and finish with the rest of the sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6 hours.

Can cabbage rolls be frozen?

This meal freezes great and heats up beautifully. I would suggest preparing them in an aluminum disposable pan. This way you don't have to be without your glass dish for however long it’s frozen, and there’s no concern on heating the glass up from frozen. This would be a wonderful freezer meal to give to someone in need. It is delicious, and it is also gluten free and dairy free, so it would work with a lot of diets! You can cook the pan of cabbage rolls from frozen, but be sure to add 30-45 minutes on to the cook time.

Did you enjoy these Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls? I would love for you to let me know by leaving a comment and star rating. I can't wait to hear from you.

up close of cut roll on a plate.

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Sarah Baumeister
Polish stuffed cabbage rolls is a meaty, delicious dinner that is ultra hearty and healthy too! Low fat and gluten free.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Course dinner
Cuisine polish
Servings 8 servings
Calories 459 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head of cabbage
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 carrot peeled small diced
  • 1 celery stalk small diced
  • 1 medium onion small diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • Tomato Sauce
  • 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Core your cabbage head.
  • Bring a large stockpot of water up to boil, and add cabbage.
  • Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the leaves begin to peel off easily. They should be half cooked at this point.
  • Remove full cabbage from pot and let cool.
  • Once cool enough to handle, carefully remove 1 leaf at a time. You will need about 12-16 leaves, depending on their size.
  • Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl.
  • Stir until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling.
  • Stir together until well combined.
  • Take 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce mixture and add it to your filling mixture to give it some moisture.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Take half the remaining sauce mixture and coat the bottom of a 9 ½ x 13 glass dish.
  • Take a baseball sized amount of filling and form so it is slightly elongated.
  • Place the filling near the stem side of the leaf. Fold in sides of leaf, and then roll leaf with filling toward the outer part of the leaf.
  • Snugly tuck the cabbage roll into the sauce covered glass pan.
  • Continue until all filling is used up.
  • Pour the remaining tomato sauce on top and cover dish with aluminum foil.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until everything is cooked through and the cabbage is soft.
  • Let cool and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 459kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 35gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 941mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More family friendly dinner recipes

  • plated slow cooker chicken satay with toppings.
    Slow Cooker Chicken Satay
  • 2 bowls of chicken shawarma over rice.
    Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma
  • Plated beef tenderloin tips.
    Beef Tenderloin Tips with Garlic Sauce
  • finished marinade steak sliced and on a white plate.
    Cast Iron Flank Steak

Reader Interactions

5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

headshot of blog owner.

Hi, I'm Sarah!

I am a wife, mother, and believer. I have been cooking since I can remember and love sharing recipes with all of you. You will find a variety of recipes here from healthy family dinners, to ways to prepare venison, to soups, to baked goods, anything and everything delicious.

About Sarah

Fall Recipes

  • plate of finished chicken with rice in front of slow cooker.
    Crockpot Salsa Chicken
  • loaf of honey sourdough bread surrounded by parchment paper
    Rustic Honey Sourdough Bread
  • bowl of lasagna soup topped with cheese and parsley.
    One Pot Lasagna Soup
  • two sandwiches with melted cheese on a plate
    Crockpot Chicken Giardiniera Sandwiches
  • greek pork featured
    Pepperoncini Pork Roast (Crockpot and Instant Pot)
  • bowl of chicken noodle soup
    Classic Chicken Noodle Soup with Reames Noodles

Popular Posts

  • bowl of pastina topped with parmesan cheese.
    Chicken Pastina with Egg
  • overhead of finished ranch dressing.
    Copycat Wingstop Ranch Recipe
  • thai eggplant curry featured
    Thai Eggplant Curry Recipe
  • featured image of fermented pickles without vinegar in a mason jar
    Fermented Pickles without Vinegar
  • bowl of mexican sopita with a spoon.
    Mexican Sopita (Sopa de Conchas)
  • finished burger on a plate
    Ninja Foodi Frozen Burgers (in Air Fryer)

Footer

Sign up for emails and updates!

Sign me up!
  • Copyright © 2024 Season and Thyme LLC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • ↑ back to top

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.