A dish with lazy cabbage rolls

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Do you love the taste of classic cabbage rolls (oh, yes, me! me! me!), but don’t have time to roll them one by one, by one? This lazy cabbage rolls recipe gives you the same great flavors of stuffed cabbage with very little effort.

These are so so juicy and comforting. Did I mention my kids liked them? Actually, they loved them – it was a very enthusiastic “this is delicious!” from 7-year-old and my toddler quickly cleaned her plate. This recipe was shared with us by my Mom-in-law and it was an instant hit.

These come together in no time and completely satisfy the stuffed cabbage craving. It’s also a really great way to use up leftover rice and cabbage. It’s brilliant!

This lazy cabbage rolls recipe gives you the same great flavors of stuffed cabbage with much less effort. Lazy cabbage rolls are so juicy and comforting | natashaskitchen.com

Ingredients for Lazy Cabbage Rolls:

4 cups cooked white rice (from 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice), cooled to room temp*
1/2 medium cabbage, sliced into 1/4″ wide strips (7 cups sliced)
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground turkey
1 large onion, divided (1/2 grated and 1/2 finely diced)
2 large eggs
Original Mrs. Dash, or any salt-free all-purpose seasoning
Salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley or dill

For the Sauce:

1 Tbsp Olive oil
3 Tbsp butter
1 large carrot, julienned or grated
2 cups store-bought marinara or homemade Marinara Sauce
3 cups hot water

lazy-stuffed-cabbage

*We used Jasmine rice

How To Make Lazy Cabbage Rolls:

Prep: Oil a 9×13 casserole dish, preheat oven to 425˚F.

1. Slice cabbage into 1/4″ thin slices. Place in a heat proof bowl or pot, cover with boiling water and let sit 10 minutes to soften. Drain and squeeze out excess water with your hands.

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2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 lb ground turkey, 1 lb ground pork, drained cabbage and 4 cups cooked rice. Grate 1/2 large onion into meat mixture. Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp Mrs Dash, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp salt, and 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley. Mix well. Form into potato-shaped patties with your hands, each with about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture. Arrange in prepared casserole.

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P.s. my larger casserole dish was a smaller 9×12 so they didn’t all fit in 1 pan. This is why I baked it in 2 separate dishes. If you use a 9×13, they should all fit :).

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3. For the sauce, finely dice remaining 1/2 large onion. Heat a large pot over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil and 3 Tbsp butter. Add diced onion and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occassionally or until softened. Add julienned carrot and cook another 3 minutes or until softened. Add 2 cups marinara and 3 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp Mrs Dash, or season to taste.

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4. Pour sauce over patties until they are nearly covered. Cover with foil and bake on medium rack at 425˚F for 40 min.

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This lazy cabbage rolls recipe gives you the same great flavors of stuffed cabbage with much less effort. Lazy cabbage rolls are so juicy and comforting | natashaskitchen.com

To serve, plate the lazy stuffed cabbage and spoon the extra juice over the top. Serve with sour cream (my favorite) or plain Greek yogurt. 

This lazy cabbage rolls recipe gives you the same great flavors of stuffed cabbage with much less effort. Lazy cabbage rolls are so juicy and comforting | natashaskitchen.com

Lazy Cabbage Rolls

4.95 from 193 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
This lazy cabbage rolls recipe gives you the same great flavors of stuffed cabbage with much less effort. Lazy cabbage rolls are so juicy and comforting.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 16 to 18 patties

For the Lazy Cabbage Rolls:

  • 4 cups cooked white rice, from 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice, cooled to room temp
  • 1/2 medium cabbage, sliced into 1/4" wide strips (7 cups sliced)
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 large onion, divided (1/2 grated and 1/2 finely diced)
  • 2 large eggs
  • Original Mrs. Dash, or any salt-free all-purpose seasoning
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley or dill

For the Sauce:

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 large carrot, julienned or grated
  • 2 cups store-bought marinara or homemade
  • 3 cups hot water

Instructions

Prep:

  • Oil a 9x13 casserole dish, preheat oven to 425˚F.

How To Make Lazy Cabbage Rolls:

  • Slice cabbage into 1/4" thin slices. Place in a heat proof bowl, cover with boiling water and let sit 10 min to soften. Drain and squeeze out excess water with your hands.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, ground pork, drained cabbage and 4 cups cooked rice. Grate 1/2 large onion into meat mixture. Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp Mrs Dash, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp salt, and 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley. Mix well. Form into potato-shaped patties with your hands (each should be about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture). Arrange in oiled casserole.
  • For the sauce, finely dice remaining 1/2 large onion. Heat a large pot over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil and 3 Tbsp butter. Add diced onion and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occassionally or until softened. Add julienned carrot and cook another 3 minutes or until softened. Add 2 cups marinara and 3 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp Mrs Dash, or season to taste.
  • Pour sauce over patties until they are nearly covered. Cover with foil and bake on medium rack at 425˚F for 40 min. To serve, plate the lazy stuffed cabbage and spoon the extra juice over the top. Serve with sour cream (my favorite) or plain Greek yogurt.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Lazy Cabbage Rolls
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

 

Check out our original Cabbage Rolls Video Recipe here if you roll old school and really want to impress your peeps :).

These stuffed cabbage rolls are the best I've tried! Cabbage rolls (golubtsi) are made with simple, inexpensive ingredients but are super delicious (and a freezer friendly meal!) My family loves these with sour cream and soft French bread.

Need more leftover cabbage ideas? Check out all of our cabbage recipes here.

 

This lazy cabbage rolls recipe gives you the same great flavors of stuffed cabbage with much less effort. Lazy cabbage rolls are so juicy and comforting | natashaskitchen.com
4.95 from 193 votes (86 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Lils
    April 10, 2025

    The printable recipe isn’t accurate. The grated onion is no where to be found on that version of the recipe.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 10, 2025

      Hi Lils! I just tested it myself and it’s showing up in my printable version.

      Reply

  • Marla
    March 19, 2025

    I love this recipe! Can I use cauliflower rice instead of white rice? If so, How much? I can’t have rice currently. Thanks!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 19, 2025

      Hi Marla. Some of my viewers reported good results using cauliflower rice in place of rice.

      Reply

  • Annette Thompson
    March 16, 2025

    Can you use ground beef instead of the turkey? I have always had Cabbage rolls that had beef in them.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 16, 2025

      Hi Annette! One of our readers shared this in the comments below “Have used beef and or lamb substitutions and worked well too! Thanks so much for creating this amazing dish!” Hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Faye
    March 5, 2025

    I made this today. I shaped the rolls like cigars instead of balls and used Great Value (Walmart) tomato sauce with some added water. I cooked them at 350 F though instead of 450. THEY ARE DELICIOUS! They taste like my Mum’s without all the work. Highly recommend. I got two 9×13 dishes out of this recipe.

    Reply

  • lily mueller
    January 13, 2025

    Made these last night, I added the whole cooked cabbage to the bottom of the pan, then the patties on top along with all the sauce. Was incredible, hoping there will be some left when I get home from work. 🙂 will be making again and again.

    Reply

  • Nadia
    December 21, 2024

    Love this recipe! Made it many times and my picky kids enjoy it too 🙂 can you provide instructions on cooking from frozen, if frozen uncooked? Thank you!

    Reply

  • Darya
    December 15, 2024

    Best recipe ever! I substituted chicken, instead of the turkey and pork (only cause our family loves chicken) and it turned out so good! Thank you so much for this recipe! God bless you guys!

    Reply

  • Dana Brazdziunas
    December 13, 2024

    I have made this recipe for years now. My sister loves it so much she requests it for her birthday. I use cooked buckwheat groats in place of rice and works well. Have used beef and or lamb substitutions and worked well too! Thanks so much for creating this amazing dish!

    Reply

    • R Kasz
      December 26, 2024

      Wow, I have been eating traditional holubtsi for over 60 years and these are so so good. We cubed some pork belly, fried it and mixed it in with the ground pork. We even sprinkled some on the finished product after it cooked. Nice little salty surprise. Will be sharing with the family at Christmas dinner. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!

      Reply

  • Mary Graczyk
    September 14, 2024

    Made this cabbage recipe and we loved it! Will be making it again. Thank you.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 14, 2024

      I’m so glad to hear that, Mary!

      Reply

  • Roxy
    June 27, 2024

    These were out of this world! So delicious.
    I used red cabbage, no eggs and dill. Everyone loved it! I wanted to post a pic but didnt see how.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 27, 2024

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

      Reply

  • Julia F
    June 22, 2024

    Best recipe ever! So quick and easy compared to the traditional cabbage rolls, and super delicious.
    Thank you so much!

    Reply

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