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.

lazy-stuffed-cabbage-10

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.

lazy-stuffed-cabbage-3

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

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Lazy Cabbage Rolls

4.96 from 182 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: $$

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

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • allie
    January 23, 2024

    this dish was a lot of work. the meat should have been cooked first and drained of fat because the fat ended up in the sauce.
    won’t be making this again. Just wasn’t that good.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      January 25, 2024

      HI Allie, if using a beef with a hight fat content, it is a good idea to drain but I haven’t had that issue with this recipe. Otherwise, it should have been a pretty straightforward recipe. What part was time consuming? Maybe there’s something I need to clarify in the recipe?

      Reply

  • Kimberly
    January 16, 2024

    So yummy! Have you ever tried making them with a large can of sauerkraut instead of fresh, steamed cabbage?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 16, 2024

      Hi Kimberly! I have not, but sounds delish!

      Reply

  • Ursula Shbib
    November 21, 2023

    Great recipe but unless you have an army to feed cut the recipe in half.

    Reply

  • Mary
    October 25, 2023

    I dont eat pork.
    Could I use all turkey instead.

    Has anyone done that and
    How are the results.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 25, 2023

      Hi Mary, I definitely recommend keeping the pork along with the turkey, turkey on its own will be very dry.

      Reply

    • Katya
      January 25, 2024

      Usually use ground beef and chicken breast. I make my own ground beef and usually use chuck pot roast, so chicken breast goes very well with it)

      Reply

  • Alisa
    October 11, 2023

    Hi Natasha. I am from Western Ukraine originally and love all your recipes. Lazy cabbage rolls came out perfect and I have also added garlic to the sauce and rolls too for extra taste. Thank you!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      October 11, 2023

      That’s wonderful, Alisa!

      Reply

  • Karolina
    June 27, 2023

    Hello, i was wondering Can I freeze these after its been cooked?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 27, 2023

      Hi Karolina, I have successfully frozen these uncooked, but I haven’t tried freezing them cooked to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

  • Mary
    May 23, 2023

    I made these last night and they were so good. I cut the recipe in half, since it’s just me and my husband. I adjusted the recipe some just to use what I had in the kitchen…meatloaf meat (pork, veal, hamburger) cause it’s what I had in the freezer, one pouch of microwavable brown rice, and a bag of pre-shredded cabbage just for convenience, and it turned out great. Will definitely be making this one again!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 23, 2023

      That’s wonderful, Mary! Thank you for sharing that with us. I’m glad you love the recipe.

      Reply

  • Shelley
    April 23, 2023

    Very good.
    I did misunderstand the saucing part. It wasn’t until I had poured it ALL over the meat that I realized I should have reserved some. There was some spillover into the oven. Noted for next time!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 24, 2023

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Shelley! I hope you loved the recipe!

      Reply

  • sandy
    January 18, 2023

    Hi Natasha, I know you listed this years ago but I’m just now making. noticed you told others tomato sauce may not work as well as marinara. I have homemade tomato sauce from our garden tomato’s with onions,garlic etc. it’s not thick like marinara but thought it would work if I leave out the water & used more. also wondering if dutch oven would work instead of casserole dish.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 19, 2023

      Hi Sandy! Yes, marinara works best but that should be fine. The casserole dish is wider, but you can use a dutch oven if the meat patties have enough room to be laid out on one level.

      Reply

  • Chris
    January 2, 2023

    This was so easy to make. Thanks for a great recipe. Just out of curiosity, what do you eat with cabbage rolls? Are there any sides that are served with this?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 2, 2023

      Hi Chris! You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked it. You can serve them with roasted or mashed potatoes. Some cultures serve them with polenta. They can be served with many things or as simple as eating with french bread on the side.

      Reply

  • Mark
    December 13, 2022

    Delicious ! However being a Garlic lover , I added a few dashes of garlic powder . Delicious!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 13, 2022

      Sounds good, glad you liked it!

      Reply

  • Debbie
    November 3, 2022

    Love your recipes so I’m excited to make this one, but are they freezer friendly like your cabbage rolls are?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      November 3, 2022

      Hi Debbie! Yes, you should be able to freeze these uncooked. 🙂

      Reply

  • Kevan
    October 28, 2022

    These were awesome. Didn’t have unsalted seasoning so I replaced the salt with a mix of the same amount of Herbamare and Old Bay, and aside from purple cabbage, the recipe was followed exactly. I will be making it often.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      October 28, 2022

      Thank you for sharing that with us, Kevan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.

      Reply

  • Katrina
    October 21, 2022

    This is a great recipe! I thought they took as much time to make as regular to make though, so not sure if that is the best name for this dish. I think cabbage roll meatloaf or something like that would be better. I didn’t have Mrs. DASH, so I looked up the ingredients in it and added 1/4 teaspoon of each one I had, which was all but one. They taste amazing and I will definitely make again. I did add cabbage underneath the rolls and so glad I did!! Yum! Yum! Yum!!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      October 21, 2022

      Thank you for the feedback, Katrina! Glad you loved this recipe

      Reply

    • Suzanne
      January 6, 2024

      Love the idea of cabbage underneath the rolls. Hubby loves cabbage and his opinion is the more the merrier!

      Reply

  • Elisabeth May Jacker
    October 21, 2022

    Do we have the calorie count on these? These are delicious!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 21, 2022

      Hi Elizabeth! we are slowly working through all of our recipes to add nutrition info but it is a time-consuming process as they have to be added one at a time. Thank you for being patient!

      Reply

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