Home > Main Course > Braised Cabbage With Beef

Braised Cabbage With Beef

A green and blue bowl with braised cabbage with beef and bread in the background

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Braised Cabbage is fairly cheap and easy. That’s probably why it’s a very typical meal for Ukrainian and Russian people. Oh and it’s fairly tasty too! We grew up on this stuff. This is my husband’s cousin’s recipe.

Thank you Angelina for sharing your culinary expertise! It is the same Angelina who shared her fabulous recipe for Easy Bread Kvas. The preparation of the cabbage is slightly different than the Russian Braised Cabbage with Pork that we posted last year. You can also use top sirloin beef in this recipe. The sirloin is better but chuck roast is a cheaper alternative.

Ingredients for Braised cabbage:

2 Medium Cabbage heads
1.5 – 2 lb of chuck roast beef, or top sirloin beef
2 Tbsp of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, grated
1 cup of sauerkraut, well drained
3/4 of a 6oz  can of tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup water
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
2 bay leaves
6 Tbsp of olive oil

How to Make Braised Cabbage With Beef:

1. Cut beef into small 1/2″ thick chunks, add steak seasoning, place it in a ziploc bag & leave it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

Beef marinating in a ziplock bag

2. Once the meat is marinated, thinly shred 1 cabbage (discard the core) and place it in a large pot and cover it with boiling water. Let it stand for 30 min.

Two photos one of shredded cabbage on a cutting board and one of it in a pot with water

3. In the mean time shred the second head of cabbage (discard the core) and place it in a large bowl. Drain 1 cup of sauerkraut and add it to a bowl as well.

Two photos one of a jar of sauerkraut and one of it in a bowl

4. After 30 min are up, drain the first cabbage and squeeze out excess water. Add it to the bowl with the rest of the cabbage. Mix well.

Three photos of cabbage mixture for braised cabbage with beef

5. Preheat your skillet to high and add 2-3 Tbsp olive oil. Sear meat on high heat until it’s just browned. Use 2 pans to avoid overloading the pan. If you overload the pan it will cool down and the meat will juice out instead of searing. Add cooked meat to the bowl with cabbage.

Two photos of beef being browned on a skillet

6. Add 4 Tbsp of oil to the same large skillet used to cook meat and saute diced onion and grated carrots until soft (about 7-8 min).

Three photos of diced carrots and onions being sautéed in a skillet

7. Once onions and carrots are done, 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.

Two photos one of tomato paste and one of it being added into skillet with sautéed carrots and onions

8. Place cooked mixture into the bowl with cabbage and mix everything together.

Mixture for braised cabbage with beef being mixed in a large bowl

9. Place mixture in to a Dutch Oven or large pot with tight fitting lid and add 2 bay leafs. Cook over medium heat for 25 min, stirring it a couple times. Switch heat to med/low and set a timer for 45 min, stirring it every 15 min.

A dutch oven with braised cabbage with beef

Braised Cabbage With Beef-1-2

Serve with bread. 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?

Braised Cabbage With Beef

4.89 from 26 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Prep Time: 5 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 - 8
  • 2 Medium Cabbage heads
  • 1.5 - 2 lb of chuck roast beef, or top sirloin beef
  • 2-3 Tbsp of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, grated
  • 1 cup of sauerkraut, well drained
  • 3/4 of a 6oz can of tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp of pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 Tbsp of olive oil

Instructions

  • Cut beef into small 1/2" thick chunks, add steak seasoning, place it in a plastic cealed bag & leave it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
  • Once the meat is marinated, thinly shred 1 cabbage (discard the core) and place it in a large pot and cover it with boiling water. Let it stand for 30 min.
  • In the mean time shred the second head of cabbage (discard the core) and place it in a large bowl. Drain 1 cup of sauerkraut and add it to a bowl as well.
  • After 30 min are up, drain the first cabbage and squeeze out excess water. Add it to the bowl with the rest of the cabbage. Mix well.
  • Preheat your skillet to high and add 2-3 tbsp olive oil. Sear meat on high heat until it's just browned. Use 2 pans to avoid overloading the pan. If you overload the pan it will cool down and the meat will juice out instead of searing. Add cooked meat to the bowl with cabbage.
  • Add 4 Tbsp of oil to the same large skillet used to cook meat and saute diced onion and grated carrots until soft (about 7-8 min).
  • Once onions and carrots are done, 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.
  • Place cooked mixture into the bowl with cabbage and mix everything together.
  • Place mixture in to a Dutch Oven or large pot with tight fitting lid and add 2 bay leafs. Cook over medium heat for 25 min, stirring it a couple times. Switch heat to med/low and set a timer for 45 min, stirring it every 15 min. Remove from hear and serve with bread and a pickle.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Braised Cabbage With Beef
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

 

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the creator behind Natasha's Kitchen (established in 2009), and I share family-friendly, authentic recipes. I am a New York Times Best-Selling cookbook author and a trusted video personality in the culinary world. My husband, Vadim, and I run this blog together, ensuring every recipe we share is thoroughly tested and approved. Our mission is to provide you with delicious, reliable recipes you can count on. Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy you are here.

Read more posts by Natasha

4.89 from 26 votes (7 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Too many bowls
    March 28, 2022

    This recipe suffers from lack of specificity. What’s a large carrot? A medium size of cabbage? I did my best but the final mix didn’t fit into my 10 quart Dutch oven for braising. This isnt some tiny cocotte, but the unbraised cabbage overfills and you have no room to stir.

    The recipe calls for placing things in bowls only to move the mixture to a Dutch oven in the next step… so why cant i just move it from the skillet to the Dutch oven directly? The recipe calls for more large mixing bowls than I own, especially because I needed bowls for piroshka dough also. I own 4 large mixing bowls.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      March 28, 2022

      Hi, make sure you don’t skip the soaking cabbage step. It is a lot of cabbage but it should shrink down quite a bit and should definitely fit a 10 qt dutch oven. The one in the photos is a 6-quart dutch oven that I used. Also, make sure you are using medium-sized heads of cabbage. If you use large ones, you’d probably be ok using just 1 1/2 of them.

      Reply

    • Ric
      August 28, 2022

      Wow. To say the recipe lacks specificity is just weird. Everyone should adjust receipts to fit their own tastes. Some people love carrots, others like beets. Some like a little heat (peppers, curry, etc). Make it your own. Don’t just copy. Jeesh.

      Reply

  • Eric
    July 8, 2020

    Love the recipe… I’ve also switched proteins, Chicken and pork work well to…

    great recipe

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 9, 2020

      So great to hear that your substitutes worked well too! Thanks for sharing that with us.

      Reply

  • Larry
    February 20, 2020

    I have made this several times and it never disappoints. A couple of shortcuts: I don’t bother with precooking some of the cabbage. I use about a 3 lb head, finely sliced (as for cole claw). Also, I cook this in 325º oven for 1.5 – 2 hours, stirring only once. Makes a ton, but leftovers are even better.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 20, 2020

      Thank you for the great feedback, Larry. Your tips are definitely helpful thanks for sharing them.

      Reply

  • Katie
    June 20, 2019

    Amazing recipe, I’m glad I could find this since I have a bunch of cabbage I’m harvesting from my garden and needed to make something yummy with it, definitely is a plus that it freezes easily! My personal preference is that I cook my beef almost to perfection before I add the cabbage in bc I love my beef extra tender! In step #9 of print out menu “remove from hear” should be “heat”

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 20, 2019

      Thank you Katie! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • Daniel
    April 29, 2019

    What an amazing and healthy dish, thank you!

    I made it without the cream to keep it dairy free, and it came out amazing. I did add a drop of vinegar to add a bit of acidity to complement the meat and salty sauerkraut.

    Quick question, why does the recipe call for one softened and one raw cabbage? Why not soften (or not) it all?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 29, 2019

      Hi Daniel, 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.

      Reply

  • Emily
    March 23, 2019

    My family Really like this recipe but we like it better with no tomato.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 23, 2019

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Laura
    March 22, 2019

    Hi Natasha,

    Thank you for all the wonderful recipes.
    I love the bowls in this recipe! Any chance do you remember where you purchased them?

    Thank you in advance!
    Laura

    Reply

    • Natasha
      March 24, 2019

      Hi Laura, I’m so glad you are enjoying our recipes. It has been awhile since I purchased those but I believe they were from Cost Plus World Market.

      Reply

  • Shaia
    December 28, 2018

    My boys love this dish, as we make it often as part of our Russian Christmas spread to honor their heritage/adoption. My question while I’m getting mentally prepared for another year of cooking, is have you tried this dish in an Instapot to save time? Curious minds, thanks!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 28, 2018

      I have not but that is a great idea! If you experiment with that I would love to know how you like that!

      Reply

  • Natalia
    March 27, 2018

    Could purple cabbage be used?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 27, 2018

      Yes, purple cabbage can be used as well 😀

      Reply

  • Jeremy W
    March 5, 2018

    Sorry, I just made this and the steak seasoning was a total Sabaka! The cabbage was good, the dough was a pain since it was so wet (i made Пирожок and it was tasty). There has to be more authentic seasoning, garlic and dill maybe? I don’t know but the steak seasoning was bad.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 6, 2018

      Hi Jeremy, I haven’t had that experience using steak seasoning and I am always happy to help troubleshoot. It’s best to let the beef marinate per the recipe (the longer the marinating time, the richer the flavor). You could add garlic and dill if you prefer – that should still work great.

      Reply

  • Victoria
    December 18, 2017

    Hi, Natasha!

    If I use this recipe as the filling for your savory baked piroshki recipe, will I have lots of filling left over?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 18, 2017

      Hi Victoria, I never measured how much was leftover but I’m guessing you will have about half or maybe a little less than half left over if you do the full batch of baked piroshki with braised cabbage.

      Reply

  • Emily
    July 15, 2017

    Hi Natasha😊 I absolutely love this cabbage recipe – I have made it on countless occasions and it is FANTASTIC! I was wondering if it might be possible to freeze the leftovers – since my mom and I are the only cabbage lovers in my family, the quantity this recipe makes can be a bit overwhelming! I noticed that your cabbage roll recipe was freezer-friendly – do you think I could do the same with this recipe?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 15, 2017

      Hi Emily, I haven’t tried freezing this particular recipe but I do think you could freeze portions of this without issues. All of the ingredients are freezer friendly :).

      Reply

      • Emily
        July 15, 2017

        Awesome!! I do plan on using some of the leftovers for piroshki – I’m already so pumped to start cooking! 🙂

        Reply

  • Irina
    November 21, 2016

    This recipe is awesome! It was my first time making anything like this and it came out perfect! Huge hit at our house, even with my mom who can be a tough critic (like a typical Russian mom ha ha). I was wondering though, what is the purpose of soaking cabbage in boiling water?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 21, 2016

      Thank you for the great review Irina! The purpose of soaking the cabbage helps to remove any bitterness in cabbage, also helps to better fit in the pot.

      Reply

  • Inna
    November 17, 2016

    Made this yesterday and it was delicious ! Thank you for such a yummy recipes 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 17, 2016

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply

  • Julia
    September 24, 2016

    Hey Natasha, We love this recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
    Btw where did you get those beautiful ramekins/oven dishes?? They are sooo cute.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 24, 2016

      You are welcome Julia, I’m glad you like the recipe 😄. I purchased these dishes/ramekins at Cost Plus World Market.

      Reply

  • Ksenia
    March 13, 2016

    I cooked this one in the same pan (the metal pan you have listed in the beginning) and never transferred it to the Dutch Oven and it turned out beautiful! Full of flavor and taste. I also added some paprika, chili powder, dill and parsley and it turned out awesome! Thank you so much for a great recipe once again! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 13, 2016

      Ksenia, I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us and nice job improvising 😀.

      Reply

      • Patrick
        September 12, 2016

        Hello from South Africa !
        I have a lady-friend in Russia, and when I looked up her town on the internet i came upon some lovely Russian recipes.
        I have gone a few times to your site, and am wondering if you have any more recipes that are similar to piroshky, or small pies with meat or other fillings.
        Thanks for the YUMMMMMMYrecipes !

        Reply

  • julia
    November 20, 2015

    If I was to put this in the slow cooker would steps 1 through 10 be the same? Thanks! Love your recipes!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 20, 2015

      Hi Julia, I haven’t tried this one in the slow cooker so I can’t guarantee the results or advise you on how long to slow cook it. Are you planning to cook it in the pot and keep it warm in the slow cooker or just complete steps 1-8 and then slow cook it? Either way would probably work. You may have to stir a couple times if using a slow cooker though so it doesn’t scorch to the sides.

      Reply

      • julia
        November 22, 2015

        Thanks! Yes I’ll try to cook it in the slow cooker and then leave it to warm. I’ll make sure to stir it often. Thanks for your help!

        Reply

      • Valentina
        January 30, 2016

        HI Natasha, I’ve previously made a similar braised cabbage meal in a crock pot -low setting over night, and the cabbage was really overcooked and turned brown, wasn’t too pretty or tasty. Just an fyi.
        Planning to try this one soon by the recipe, thanks for all of your hard work!

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          January 30, 2016

          Thank you for sharing that with me Valentina and you are welcome 😀.

          Reply

  • Andrew
    August 26, 2015

    Great recipe! I only used one head of cabbage, which still ended up being quite a lot so I didn’t use all of it, but it came out pretty delicious. Now I have a lot left over for making piroshki with!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 26, 2015

      Andrew, thank you for the great feedback, and the thought of piroshki with cabbage is mouthwatering :D.

      Reply

  • Larry
    August 21, 2015

    This is excellent. I followed the recipe except for making my own steak seasoning–3 TBs. Meat was marinated overnight, and was not at all over-seasoned as I feared. I also sweated the cabbage down a little, then cooked everything in a 325 oven for 1 hour. Delicious! Re the amount of cabbage, I used 1 1/2 heads totaling about 3 pounds, and I found this amount to be perfect. I think a sour cream garnish would be great with this.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 21, 2015

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂 Now I’m craving it too! 😉

      Reply

  • Meiling
    July 19, 2015

    I used 2 LBs of “beef for stew” and it took me more than 2 hours to cook it to fork tender. The 45 minutes specified in the recipe was not working for me. I also cut down to 1 head of cabbage, and there was a lot of cabbage.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 19, 2015

      Hi Meiling, stew meat is usually a tougher cut of meat so it takes longer to cook it. I think you’d have better results with the chuck or sirloin per the recipe. The cabbage shrinks down quite a bit as it cooks and wilts, but you can use less if you want a smaller portion. Cabbage sizes vary widely also – a large cabbage can be the same as 2 smaller ones.

      Reply

As Featured On

Never Go "Hangry" Again!

Get weekly updates on new recipes, exclusive giveaways plus behind the scenes photos.