This Braised Cabbage recipe warms you from the inside out. It’s a classic Eastern European recipe with tender bites of beef and shredded cabbage simmering in a savory mix of vegetables and spices. I grew up eating this, and it’s particularly good served with crusty bread and pickles for an easy, crowd-favorite dinner.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Natasha, Thank You so much for this recipe! It is the BEST braised cabbage recipe I’ve ever tried…hands down! I’ve made it about 5 times already…in the past 3 weeks…and I keep getting more requests for it! Thank You!” – Sveta ★★★★★
Braised Cabbage with Beef
Braised Cabbage is fairly cheap and easy to make and serve, which is probably why it’s so popular generation after generation. I grew up eating my mom’s braised cabbage, and to this day, I still find it one of the most comforting dishes, because it uses simple, humble ingredients, but the flavors are so satisfying, not to mention the fall-apart tender morsels of beef. It also keeps well and reheats beautifully.
The inspiration for this recipe came from my husband’s cousin Angelina, who also shared her fabulous recipe for Easy Bread Kvas. This is so hearty and delicious, especially paired with a slice of Sourdough Bread and pickles on the side (a weird and wonderful combination).
Braised Cabbage Ingredients
The simple ingredients in this braised cabbage recipe mean it’s easy to make, but you won’t believe the flavors!
- Cabbage – You can buy pre-shredded or use two medium heads. I prefer green cabbage for its milder flavor.
- Beef – the recipe calls for chuck roast beef, but you can use top sirloin beef or substitute the beef – like I did with my Braised Cabbage with Pork.
- Steak Seasoning – my favorite is Montreal Steak Seasoning
, but you can use a different brand if you prefer, or just season with salt and pepper.
- Vegetables – diced onions and grated carrots add depth and aroma.
- Sauerkraut – drain well. Try my Homemade Sauerkraut or store-bought versions. It’s the secret ingredient to the best braised cabbage!
- Sauce Ingredients – tomato paste, brown sugar, heavy cream, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and olive oil.
How to Make Braised Cabbage With Beef
Braised cabbage comes together in a large pot on the stove and then simmers away until tender and flavorful.
- Marinate – in a zip-top bag, mix beef (cut into 1/2″ pieces) with steak seasoning and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Boil a large pot of water, and then shred and stir in 1/2 of the cabbage (1 head). Turn off the heat and soak for 30 minutes then drain and squeeze out any extra water and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Shred the second head of cabbage and add to the mixing bowl along with the drained sauerkraut and mix to combine.
- Sear the beef – Brown the beef chunks in batches in a 6qt Dutch oven on medium-high heat until a slight crust has formed, but don’t worry about cooking through, since it will cook with the braised cabbage. You may need to use two pans. And then, add the browned meat to the cabbage mixture.
- Make the Sauce – saute the onion and carrot in the skillet until softened. Add tomato paste, heavy cream, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and water to the pan, let it cook, and then add the veggie mixture to the cabbage, and toss to combine.
Pro Tip:
It’s important to cook the beef in 2 batches; otherwise, the pan will cool too quickly, causing the beef to steam cook instead of getting a good sear. Steam cooking will result in tough beef.
- Cook – Transfer the cabbage mixture to the Dutch oven and add bay leaves. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook on medium-low for 25 minutes, stirring a few times to prevent sticking (add 1/4 cup of water if needed). Then lower the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and then serve. Note: A Dutch oven is ideal for braised cabbage because it has a heavy bottom for even cooking that is less prone to scorching.
To Serve Braised Cabbage
Traditionally, braised cabbage is served with bread, like my No-Knead Bread or Dutch Oven Bread, or Soft Dinner Rolls, and a pickle (of course). What is it with our fascination with pickles? And what Russian or Ukrainian person doesn’t have a can of pickles in the fridge at all times?
It’s a hearty meal on its own, but you can also serve it alongside Mashed Potatoes, Rice, or a slice of Cornbread (try this homemade recipe, you won’t be disappointed!)
Helpful Reader Review
“I do it the same way except instead of heavy whipped cream I add sour cream. Love this stuff…grew up on it too.” – Tina ★★★★★
Everything about this braised cabbage with beef is so comforting, with good-for-you veggies, tender beef, and all the flavor that develops as it simmers. I’ll never get tired of this classic braised cabbage recipe.
Braised Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1.5 – 2 lb chuck roast beef, or top sirloin beef
- 2-3 Tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 2 medium heads of cabbage, 20 cups finely chopped
- 1 cup sauerkraut, well drained
- 6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 4.5 oz tomato paste, 3/4 of a 6-oz can
- 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream, or half and half, or sour cream
- 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Marinate beef – Cut beef into small 1/2" thick chunks, add steak seasoning, place it in a plastic sealed bag & leave it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
- Boil a large pot of water and stir in 1 head of shredded cabbage. Turn off the heat and let it sit 30 minutes to soften, then drain and squeeze out excess water and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Shred Second Cabbage -While the first cabbage soaks, finely shred the second head of cabbage (discard the core) and place it in the mixing bowl. Drain 1 cup of sauerkraut and add it to the bowl as well.
- Sear beef – Meanwhile, set a 6 qt Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 to 3 Tbsp oil. Add half of the beef and sear until browned on all sides. Don’t worry about cooking it through, and cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan*. Add cooked meat to the bowl with cabbage.
- Make the sauce – Add 4 Tbsp of oil to the same large skillet used to cook meat and sauté diced onion and grated carrots until soft (about 7-8 min). Add 3/4 can of tomato paste, 2 tbsp of heavy cream, 1/2 cup of water, 1 tsp of salt, 1.5 Tbsp of brown sugar, and sprinkle with some black pepper. Mix well and let it cook for a few minutes. Mix it into the cabbage mixture.
- Braise cabbage – Transfer the mixture to a Dutch oven or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid and add 2 bay leaves. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring a few times to prevent scorching the bottom. If the mixture seems dry while cooking or is sticking to the bottom, add 1/4 cup of water. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer covered for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent scorching the bottom.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Hearty Soups and Stews
This braised cabbage recipe brings me back to childhood with every bite. For more comfort stews that will warm you up, try these recipe favorites:
- Lamb Stew
- Beef Chili
- White Chicken Chili
- Meatball Soup
- Slow Cooker Chili
- Mushroom Soup
- Beef Stew
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Borcht
I love your recipes i learned a lot,, thanks to you Miss, Natasha..
Thank you for your sweet comment and you are welcome :).
Is it okay to use the russian style sauerkraut, I have a bunch of it in my fridge and if so, how much would I need to use
Yes, it is ok. Just use the same amount.
very delicious!!!
Thank you so much 🙂
Hey natasha I was wondering if I can make this braised cabbage without marinating the meat with the seasoning? If yes, then do I need to add salt to the beef ? And do I still need to put it in fridge for 4 hours ?
The steak seasoning gives the meat really good flavor as well as marinating it for at least 4 hours. We used to marinate the meat even overnight for even tastier results. You can marinate for less time and still have a good braised cabbage but you won’t have the same depth of rich flavor that marinating would bring. Also, you definitely at least want to season the meat with salt and pepper or it will be pretty bland.
Hi Natasha! Your website is amazing!!! I am fascinated by the Russian culture and as a self-proclaimed foodie, I’ve been searching everywhere for authentic Russian dishes – I could spend hours looking at all of your recipes! Since this is my first time making this dish, is there any way I could scale it down to serve maybe 3 or 4 people? If I use only one cabbage, do I have to halve the rest of the ingredients, or do I follow the recipe as written? Thanks!!
I would cut everything in half and just follow the recipe. I haven’t tested it with half of the ingredients to tell you the exact times, but every step will go slightly faster and the final cooking time might be 5 minutes less. Enjoy and welcome to the blog! 🙂
Just a random question: do you use this steak seasoning in any other recipes on your blog? just want to know how much of it yo buy 🙂
I don’t use it a lot during winter but tend to use it more during summer months when barbecuing :).
Wow! This was really good! I made it as printed but made the mistake of using the “spicy” Montreal steak seasoning and although we love spicy food, IT.WAS.HOT!! I’m wondering if it got spicier because I marinated it before bedtime and pulled it out of the fridge the next evening as I was preparing the meal? Anyway, in an effort to tone down the heat, I served this over rice and topped with Fage 0% Nonfat Greek Yogurt. The yogurt really helped and the rice stretched the meal even further making it even more economical. Lots of great left overs that were enjoyed with rave reviews! Thank you so much for a filling, satisfying new recipe that will go into our rotation. Oh, almost forgot to mention…once I cooked everything for the first 25 minutes, the meat seemed tough even though it was a nice roast. So I simply put everything in the crock pot and cooked it on low for five hours. That seemed to do the trick…it was sooo tender and moist. Just took a little extra time, but it was well worth the wait.
Cindy, I’m glad you like the recipe and a great job on improvising. Crock pot really does wonders with the meat :).
Cooked this for dinner and it was so good! My girls love anything with cabbage. Even my husband who is not fan of cabbage liked it! Thank you Natasha!
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you all liked it 🙂
Tried this one for the first time tonight — loved it! My husband said it reminded him of a dish his Finnish Grandmother used to make. I didn’t have the seasoning you suggested for the meat, so I made my own concoction of salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder and paprika, which worked just fine. Thank you for sharing this — I foresee this will become part of the regular fare at our house!
Thank you for great review and great job on improvising :).
i do it the same way except instead of heavy whip cream i add sour cream. Love this stuff…grew up on it too:)
Oooh sour cream sounds like a nice add-in 🙂
Sooooo good. I made this exactly as written except i cooked it in a covered roasting pan in the oven at 350F for an hour, instead of a dutch oven on top of stove, and it came out perfect. The only reason I cooked it in the roasting pan instead of dutch oven on top of the stove was because my dutch oven would have been so full i know that stirring it every 15 minutes was going to be a pain. Using the roasting pan, i only stirred it once. There was no scorching and no problem with too much juice, as mentioned by other reviewers. The meat (chuck roast) was tender, tender, tender. Thank you Natasha, for posting a fabulous recipe.
That’s awesome to know that it works so well in the oven. I will definitely try that next time. Thank you so much for sharing!
Вкусняшка!!! Спасибо Наталья:)
Yes!! So happy you liked it 🙂
THANK YOU!!!! My fiancé is Ukrainian & I am Black I would like to say first. So needless to mention cultural difference 😉 I made this тушенную капусту с мясом for him and he is very proud as am I smiling from ear to ear eating this delicious dish. Thank you again I look forward to trying new things (for me) in our kitchen.
Awww that’s awesome! I’m so happy you both enjoyed the braised cabbage. Now I’m smiling too 🙂 Thanks Mickca!
I did that last week. Turned out great. 🙂
🙂
Made this a couple days ago and it turned out AMAZING! Thank you so much! My husband and brother said it was one of the best тушеная капуста they have every tried 🙂 My extra picky sister-in-law couldn’t get enough of it either. Just a side note, it seems like it makes a ton when you’re preparing all the ingredients, but the cabbage definitely reduces by the end.
Great, you are very welcome Roxanne, this is music to my ears :).
Hi, I want to make this and was wondering if the brown sugar is reeeeally needed. Will the taste be much different without the sugar? I only use stevia as my sweetner. Thanks
You can omit brown sugar, it would still taste great :).
Love this Recipe!!!
I was wondering if I have to soak the meat in cold water a couple of hours
Before marinated it or cooking the meat?
It’s really not necessary for this recipe.
Is there any reason why you only put boiling water over half amount of the cabbage?
It’s the way I was instructed to make it. 😉 I think it’s to keep the textures more interesting, Otherwise it might get a little soggy.
hey! is it ok if i use saurkraut with wine?
I never tried that version before so can’t really turn out. Let me know how it turns out if you give it a try.