Stuffed cabbage rolls are so comforting and I think are not given enough credit. This stuffed cabbage roll recipe has some sweet notes with raisins and brown sugar that goes wonderfully with the sweet cabbage. I used a pressure cooker in my video for this which can be found on HERE on TikTok, but in the procedures below I give full instructions for braising in the oven. Either way, this is recipe for stuffed cabbage rolls is absolutely scrumptious.
Sauce:
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 Cups yellow onions, chopped
- 2 x 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes with the juice
- 1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 Cup golden raisins
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large head of either Savoy or green cabbage with outer leaves
Filling:
- 2 1/2 lbs ground chuck beef or ground turkey mixed with 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 Cup yellow onions, chopped fine
- 1/2 Cup dried plain breadcrumbs
- 1/2 Cup uncooked long grain rice
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Procedure
Make the sauce:
- Heat large saucepan to medium and add the olive oil and the onions. Turn heat to medium low and cook for about 5-7 minutes until just translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, salt, and pepper. Stir until incorporated.
- Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stir occasionally.
Cook cabbage:
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Cut the cabbage in half and remove the core.
- Immerse both halves in the water for a just a few minutes. Peel the leaves off as you can when they become flexible. Set them aside on a paper towel to drain and cool. You will need at least 14 leaves or a combination to make 12-14 rolls.
Make the filling:
- In a large bowl add the ground chuck, eggs, onion, breadcrumbs, rice thyme, salt and pepper. Mix lightly with a fork.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Remove the hard rib from each leaf of cabbage. Place about 1/3 cup of the filling on one end of the cabbage leaf and rollup like a burrito - tuck those sides in as you are rolling.
- Spread about 1 Cup of sauce on the bottom of a large dutch oven. Place half the cabbage rolls with the seams down on the sauce. Add another cup or so of sauce and then place the rest of the rolls on top. Finish by covering with the rest of the sauce.
- Cover the the dutch oven with the lid and bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven or until the meat is cooked all the way through and the rice is tender.