Crockpot Cabbage Rolls

Overhead of slow cooker of cabbage rolls topped with sauce and fresh parsley

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Crockpot Cabbage Rolls

These Crockpot Cabbage Rolls are tender, juicy, and easy to make with a savory meat filling and simple tomato sauce. They stay rolled and cook perfectly in the slow cooker.

Prep Time30

Cook Time6

Total Time6 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 387kcal

Author: Lisa Longley

Ingredients

1 green cabbage head stem cut out of the head, see note
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound ground beef (226.8 grams)
1/2 pound ground pork (226.8 grams)
1 small yellow onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup cooked rice see note
1 large egg whisked
2 teaspoons dry parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dry dill
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces tomato sauce (227 grams)
14 ounces crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with salt. Add the cabbage and boil for 15 minutes. Then remove from the water and transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes. After removing from the ice bath, it should be easy to peel off the leaves.
1 green cabbage head, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, egg, onion, garlic, cooked rice, parsley, kosher salt, dry dill, and black pepper.
1/2 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1 small yellow onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 cup cooked rice, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons dry parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dry dill, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Spray a large crockpot with cooking spray and put a small amount of the sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker.
8 ounces tomato sauce, 14 ounces crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Working with one cabbage leaf at a time, add about 1/4 cup of the mixture to the middle of the leaf. Fold in the sides and then roll it up like you would roll a burrito. Place it into the prepared crockpot, seam side down. (If you use a 6-quart slow cooker, they can be placed in a single layer. If not, you can layer them with sauce in between each layer.) Repeat with the remaining cabbage leaves.
Cover the leaves with the remaining tomato sauce mixture. Then cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until the cabbage rolls reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit as measured with an instant read thermometer.

Notes

To cut out the cabbage stem: Using a knife, cut at an angle around the stem of the cabbage head. Then pull it out. Removing it will help get the boiling water inside of the cabbage head to soften it.

Cabbage leaves: We will need 10 to 15 cabbage leaves for this recipe. It works best to boil the entire head of cabbage.

Rice: This recipe has only been tested with cooked rice and you are measuring one cup of cooked rice. Uncooked rice will absorb too much of the sauce and change both the texture of the filling and the amount of liquid in the slow cooker.

Make Ahead: This recipe can be prepared the night before and then put into the slow cooker in the morning. Cook the cabbage, make the filling, and make the sauce. Roll the cabbage rolls. Store the prepared rolls and the sauce separately in the refrigerator overnight. Then put it all together in the slow cooker in the morning.

Nutrition