Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls (with ground beef and rice)

With Ukrainian Christmas around the corner, I wanted to share one of my ultimate favorite Ukrainian Christmas comfort food recipes - the best cabbage rolls ever! Although I am Ukrainian and adore Ukrainian food, these are not your typical traditional Ukrainian cabbage rolls (Ukrainian holubtsi). These are what my family likes to call, "Scottish Cabbage Rolls" because they contain both ground beef and rice and are covered in tomato soup sauce.

These Scottish-style Ukrainian cabbage rolls are popular around the holidays, but great for any time of the year! They pair well with any holiday meal, but especially with Potato and Cottage Cheese Perogies, borscht (with canned beets, and Lemon Poppyseed Torte for dessert!

🥘 Ingredient Notes

My Mom said she started adding ketchup to these cabbage rolls because it seemed like they needed a little more flavor and thought: “ketchup goes so good with hamburger …” Oh and she said these were actually easier to make than the other ones! Brilliant....

For this recipe, you'll need:

• Head of cabbage. I prefer the taste and texture of regular green cabbage.
• Cooked brown rice. I typically use instant rice because it's faster but I have used lots of different types of rice in this recipe.
• Ground beef. I prefer to use extra lean because it's healthier and makes for less greasy cabbage rolls.
• Canned mushrooms. Canned mushrooms are economical and convenient.
• Ketchup. Although ketchup seems like and odd thing to add, it works so well in this recipe! * I use Heinz
• Condensed canned tomato soup. I prefer to use Campbell's Tomato soup.

*see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities

📖 Variations & Substitutions

• Slow Cooker: You can slow cook these for 6 hours on low in your crock pot as well.
• Instant Pot: They take about 20 minutes in the instant pot.
• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free tomato soup
• Ground beef: You can use regular ground beef, lean, extra lean or half ground beef and half ground pork
• Mushrooms: You can sautee fresh mushrooms and use them instead of canned
• Toppings: Top with sour cream and/or fresh dill

🔪How to Make Ground Beef and Rice Cabbage Rolls

*I often cook the ground beef and rice the night before to save time

Prep (this can be done up to 3 days in advance):

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and spray a large casserole dish or roaster pan with non-stick cooking spray
2. Brown ground beef with chopped onion on the stovetop in a large skillet or dutch oven. Add mushrooms when beef is nearly done (if using fresh mushrooms). If you are using canned mushrooms, you can add them when you mix everything together. Cook until meat is browned and onions and mushrooms are soft.
3. Cook rice until done, as per package directions

COOK THE CABBAGE (STEP 1): Place cabbage on a microwave safe plate (Image 1). Cook cabbage in the microwave for 10 minutes, and then cool (Image 2) Turn and return to microwave and cook for another 10 minutes (Mom started to use this method when she got a microwave in the 1980’s because it’s much faster) (Image 3). Cool for a couple of minutes until the cabbage can be handled, then remove the core from the cabbage (Image 4).

MAKE THE FILLING (STEP 2): Meanwhile, add cooked ground meat mixture, rice, and, mushrooms ketchup together in a large bowl (Image 5). Mix until well combined. Add more ketchup to your liking, as desired (Image 6).

REMOVE THE LEAVES FROM THE CABBAGE (STEP 3): Gently start peeling away the leaves (Image 7). *If the leaves are not coming off easily (they are ripping) return to microwave for another 5 minutes. Continue to very gently peel away the leaves (Image 8). *If at any point this becomes difficult and the leaves are starting to rip, put the cabbage back in the microwave in 2-minute increments. Continue doing this until all the leaves have been removed (Image 9). *You can trim off any bad parts on the leaves or discard leaves that are bad. Set aside the leaves that are too ripped to roll (See Pro Tip). Place a piece of cabbage on a work surface (I use a cutting board) and cut off about ½ - ¾ an inch of the tough stem part on the bottom of the leaf (Image 10).

ROLL THE CABBAGE ROLLS (STEP 4): Add about a tablespoon of the filling in the center of the leaf (this amount will depend on the size of the leaf- you may need to add a little more for larger leaves and a little less for very small leaves)  (Image 11). Begin by folding the cabbage leaf in on the sides, then fold the bottom (Image 12). Then continue to roll up the cabbage roll from the bottom, as you would a wrap (Image 13). Continue rolling right up to the top (Image 14). *When you get to this stage, you can just gently push any rogue filling back into the cabbage roll and gently fold the loose leaf part over and place the cabbage roll (seam down) in the prepared casserole dish.

BAKE THE CABBAGE ROLLS (STEP 5): Place cabbage rolls gently in the prepared baking dish (Image 15). Keep adding (stacking is fine) until all the cabbage rolls are added (Image 16). Pour tomato soup over the cabbage rolls (Image 17). Bake in prepared oven for about 2 hours or until cabbage is tender. Serve warm (Image 18). *Alternatively, you can slow cook these for 6 hours on low in your crock pot.

🥗What to serve with cabbage rolls

Traditionally, cabbage rolls go well with borscht (shown below), Air Fryer Kielbasa (Kovbasa), and Potato and Cottage Cheese Perogies. However, I also like to serve them with Shortcut Lazy Pierogies, Quick Cucumber Kimchi, and Dinner buns or Paska Ukrainian Bread on holidays.

🌡️Storing Cabbage Rolls

Store leftover cabbage rolls in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Make-ahead: You can go ahead and make them in advance (when you have a little more time on your hands), as they last for 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge and a very long time in the freezer (6 months) when they are wrapped well in a Ziploc freezer bag or in an airtight container.

❔ Recipe FAQ's

More Ukrainian Recipes

📋 Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls Recipe (with ground beef and rice)

These hearty, meaty cabbage rolls (holubtsi) are Scottish -style Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls stuffed with ground beef, rice, mushrooms, and smothered in tomato sauce! The cabbage is cooked in the microwave so these stuffed cabbage rolls are quicker and easier!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Save Recipe Save Recipe Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Scottish, Ukrainian

Special Diet: weight watchers

Servings: 24 servings

Calories: 186kcal

Author: Terri Gilson

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• ▢
  large casserole dish

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 large head of cabbage
• ▢ 1 lb ground beef
• ▢ 4 cups of brown rice this is about 10 servings of instant rice
• ▢ 1 medium onion diced
• ▢ 1 cup sliced mushrooms can substitute canned
• ▢ 1 cup ketchup add additional to taste
• ▢ 2 10 oz cans condensed tomato soup * gluten-free

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Prep: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (121 degrees C ) and spray a large casserole dish or roaster pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Cook ground beef with onion and drain off fat. Cook rice. *I often do this the night before.
• Place whole cabbage on a plate.
• Cook cabbage in the microwave for 10 minutes, and then cool.
• Meanwhile: Add cooked ground beef with onion, cooked rice, mushrooms and ketchup together in a large bowl.
• Mix until combined. Add additonal ketchup to your preference, if desired.
• Turn cabbage over and return to the microwave and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Remove core from cabbage and carefully remove cabbage leaves.
• Gently start peeling away the leaves.

  *If the leaves are not coming off easily (they are ripping), return to microwave for another 5 minutes.
• Continue to very gently peel away the leaves.

  *If at any point this becomes difficult and the leaves are starting to rip, put the cabbage back in the microwave in 2 minutes increments.
• Continue doing this until all the leaves have been removed.

  *you can trim off any bad parts on the leaves or discard leaves that bad. Save leaves that are too ripped to roll (you can use them in soup or make a mini lazy cabbage roll with leftover leaves and filling).

  * You will probably have to cut away more of the core as you go along in order to remove the leaves without tearing them
• Place a piece of cabbage on a work surface (I use a cutting board) and cut off about ½ - ¾ of an inch of the tough part on the bottom of the leaf.
• Add about a tablespoon of the filling to the middle of the cabbage leaf (this amount will depend on the size of each cabbage leaf) 
• Begin by folding the cabbage in on the sides, then fold the bottom.
• Then continue to roll up the cabbage roll from the bottom, as you would a wrap .
• Continue rolling right up to the top

  *When you get to this stage, you can just gently push any rogue filling back into the cabbage roll and gently fold the loose leaf part over and place the cabbage roll (seam down) in the prepared casserole dish
• Place gently in prepared dish.
• Keep adding them to pan until they are all gone (stacking is fine). *See Pro Tip for leftover filling and ripped leaves.
• Pour canned tomato soup on top of the layers of cabbage rolls and cover with lid.
• Bake in oven for about 2 hours or until cabbage is tender. Serve warm. *Alternatively, you can slow cook these for 6 hours on low in your crock pot.

Notes

🌡️Storing Cabbage Rolls

Store leftover cabbage rolls in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Make-ahead: You can go ahead and make them in advance (when you have a little more time on your hands), as they last for 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge and a very long time in the freezer (6 months) when they are wrapped well in a Ziploc freezer bag or in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cabbage roll | Calories: 186kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates: 29g (10%) | Protein: 6g (12%) | Fat: 4g (6%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Cholesterol: 13mg (4%) | Sodium: 112mg (5%) | Potassium: 251mg (7%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 3g (3%) | Vitamin A: 90IU (2%) | Vitamin C: 14.7mg (18%) | Calcium: 32mg (3%) | Iron: 1.2mg (7%)

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!

Rate this Recipe