Finished recipe photo

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

This really easy unstuffed cabbage rolls recipe is a comforting homestyle meal with central European vibes! It's way less work to make than actual cabbage rolls.

Author: Natasha Bull Servings: 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 45 min Effort: Easy
Public recipe
PORTIONS

INGREDIENTS

Measure Ingredient Note
  • 1.0 lean ground beef
  • 1.0 medium onion chopped
  • 3.0 medium garlic clove minced
  • 1.0 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • teaspoon salt
  • 0.2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1.0 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1.0 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 15.0 ounce crushed tomatoes 1 - 15 oz can
  • 15.0 ounce tomato sauce
  • 1.0 cup beef broth + more if needed
  • 6.0 cup chopped green cabbage

INSTRUCTIONS

Imported instructions

Step
Directions
1
Add the beef and onions to a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned (about 8-10) minutes. Drain excess fat.
2
Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.
3
Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and cabbage. Give it a good stir. Once it starts bubbling, reduce the heat to a simmer (medium to medium-low) and cook for 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally, or until the cabbage has reached your desired tenderness. Consistency of canned tomatoes can vary (some are thicker than others), so keep an eye on it and add some extra beef broth if it looks a bit dry. The cabbage will release some water as it cooks down.
4
Season with extra salt & pepper as needed and serve over cooked rice with a dollop of sour cream and parsley sprinkled on top if desired.
5
Notes
6
To serve 4 people, I cook 1 cup of rice.
7
If not using sea salt or kosher salt, you may want to use half the amount and then add more to taste if needed.
8
Serves 4-6 depending on portion size and how much rice you make it with. Nutrition info is for 1/4 of the recipe and doesn’t include rice/sour cream/parsley.
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