30-Minute One-Pot Cabbage Rolls

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30-Minute One-Pot Cabbage Rolls — An EASY recipe for unstuffed cabbage rolls that’s FAST and full of FLAVOR!! Tastes like the real thing, minus the work! Hearty comfort food that’s perfect for busy weeknights!!

pot of unstuffed Cabbage Rolls garnished with fresh parsley

Easy Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

I have fond memories of my Polish grandmother making cabbage rolls and the whole family enjoying them in her dining room complete with floral wallpaper. Her cabbage rolls were delicious, but boy did she ever slave over them. Meticulously rolling them up and so many steps and so many hours.

Ain’t no one got time for that. At least not me.

Enter: this easy recipe for deconstructed cabbage rolls that’s made in one pot and is ready in 30 minutes. It’s a perfect weeknight family dinner when you need to get something on the table fast.

This is hearty comfort food that the whole family will love and will keep you full for hours. It’s naturally gluten-free as a bonus.

There are layers of flavors and textures, including onions, garlic, ground beef, cabbage, rice, tomatoes, Worcestershire, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne. 

Tip: For all the cabbage fans, please check out my Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup and my Slow Cooker Corned Beef Cabbage, too!

serving of unstuffed Cabbage Rolls in white bowl with spoon

What’s in Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls?

For these unstuffed cabbage rolls, you’ll need: 

  • Olive oil
  • Ground beef
  • Sweet Vidalia onion
  • Garlic
  • Green cabbage
  • Cooked rice
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Tomato sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • Spices
  • Granulated sugar
  • Parsley 

How to Make Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven along with the ground beef and onion. Cook until the beef is browned and the onion is softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute or so until fragrant. 

Add in the remaining ingredients and cook uncovered for a few minutes until the cabbage begins to wilt.

Then, pop the lid on and let the mixture simmer until the cabbage has softened. 

Once cooked through, garnish with fresh parsley and serve! 

Do I Have to Add Sugar? 

No, the sugar is optional. I sometimes add it in if I feel the mixture is too acidic from the tomatoes. 

Can I Freeze Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls?

Yes, cabbage rolls can be frozen for up to 3 months. 

30-Minute One-Pot Cabbage Rolls - An EASY recipe for deconstructed cabbage rolls that's FAST and full of FLAVOR!! Tastes like the real thing, minus the work! Hearty comfort food that's perfect for busy weeknights!!

Tips for Making Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Rice – To save some time, I use packaged precooked rice in these cabbage rolls.

You can also make the rice yourself, of course.

However, major heads – don’t try to make this unstuffed cabbage rolls recipe with uncooked rice as there’s not enough liquid in the pot for the rice to absorb. 

Thick Stew-like Consistency – This cabbage rolls recipe is not as brothy as a cabbage roll-inspired soup but could venture into soup territory if you add another can of tomato sauce.

I’d call it hearty stew texture as written.

Not Spicy – Note that the cayenne doesn’t make the dish spicy but rather gives it some flavor because let’s face it, a head of cabbage can be bland and no one wants bland food.

However, if you’d like it to read spicier, feel free to shake out a bit more cayenne.

30-Minute One-Pot Cabbage Rolls — An EASY recipe for unstuffed cabbage rolls that's FAST and full of FLAVOR!! Tastes like the real thing, minus the work! Hearty comfort food that's perfect for busy weeknights!!

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4.54 from 47 votes

30-Minute One-Pot Cabbage Rolls

By Averie Sunshine
An EASY recipe for unstuffed cabbage rolls that's FAST and full of FLAVOR!! Tastes like the real thing, minus the work! Hearty comfort food that's perfect for busy weeknights!!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef, I used 85% lean
  • 1 medium/large sweet Vidalia onion, diced small
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, finely pressed or minced
  • one small/medium head green cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 4 cups cooked rice, use two 8.8-ounce bags precooked rice to save time
  • one 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, do not drain
  • one 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste; divided
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon paprika
  • pinch or two of cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
  • pinch granulated sugar, optional and to taste
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely minced

Instructions 

  • To a large Dutch oven, add the olive oil, ground beef, onions, and cook over medium-high heat to brown the beef, crumbling it with a spatula as it cooks and stirring frequently to ensure even cooking. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or as necessary until beef is cooked through and onions are soft.
  • Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
  • Add the cabbage, rice, tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, paprika, and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until cabbage begins to wilt a bit and tomato juice is gently boiling.
  • Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and allow to cook covered for about 10 minutes or until cabbage is as tender as desired. Stir once or twice while simmering.
  • Taste, and if desired, add additional salt, optional cayenne (doesn’t make it spicy, makes it not bland and adds flavor), optional pinch of sugar (balances the acid from the tomatoes), and stir to combine.
  • Garnish with parsley to taste and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 299kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 1031mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 12g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally posted April 4, 2018 and reposted with updated text January 27, 2023.

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Averie, I LOVE all the recipes that I have tried on your blog; you are da bomb. I read the narrative with your helpful tips. Question – could a 16 oz bag of shredded cabbage be used as a shortcut for the cabbage? Additionally, printed the recipe; but there’s no mention of adding Worcestershire sauce

  2. 5 stars
    Averie, I LOVE all the recipes that I have tried on your blog; you are da bomb. I read the narrative with your helpful tips. Question – could a 16 oz bag of shredded cabbage be used as a shortcut for the cabbage? Additionally, printed the recipe; but there’s no mention of adding Worcestershire sauce

    1. Yes you can use that as a shortcut indeed.

      Step 3 is where you’re going to add the Worcestershire sauce.

  3. 5 stars
    This was DELISH and so easy to make. I substituted brown rice, and ground turkey and upped the spices a bit. Everyone loved it!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delish and easy to make and that the ground turkey worked great!

  4. 5 stars
    I made these and they were fabulous – so much easier than the traditional presentation but same great taste. I swapped out the 28 oz can of diced tomatoes for 28 oz of V8 juice because that is how I have always made cabbage rolls (and V8 has a bit more flavor) and they tasted exactly as I remember! Will definitely be in my rotation going forward.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star rating and glad you loved the ease of this recipe and that it’ll be in your rotation! The V8 is a great idea!

  5. Cabbage rolls are so delicious but so time consuming! I love this idea for a one pot dish! Pinned!

    1. Thanks for pinning and yes this one pot version is WAY faster/easier than the traditional way!

  6. I’ve never made cabbage rolls but I like everything in them and and a 30 minute version looks soooo much easier! I’ve been away for a few days and need to get cooking later this week. I think this recipe (and your yummy looking cilantro chicken) will be a good start!

    1. Being back at home and ready to start cooking some home-cooked meals is always nice after being gone! This recipe is sooooo much easier and faster than actual cabbage rolls, that is for sure!