Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls are for those of us who love traditional cabbage rolls almost as much as we hate the time it takes to roll and bake them. Bites of juicy ground beef with fluffy rice and tangy tomato sauce are made even better in this simple one-skillet meal.
Sometimes (read: most of the time), as much as I love cabbage rolls, I just don’t have the time, energy, or patience to make them on a weeknight. If you’re like me, these Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls might be your newest favorite dinner.
Unstuffed Cabbage
For nearly as long as Sean and I have been married, I’ve been making Layered Cabbage Rolls as a timesaver option for a cabbage roll dinner. My whole family loves them and they’re requested often.
I remember the first time I served that easy variation on cabbage rolls to our friend Joe. Joe was born in Hungary and he was so happy with that dish that he kept smiling and telling stories all the way through the meal.
He told us it tasted exactly as he remembered his mother’s cooking. Joe passed away last year and remembering his happiness over that meal still brings a smile to my face.
A few years ago, I was thrilled to realize that I could get the cabbage roll flavors we love in a simple skillet meal, without even turning on the oven. The ground beef is browned along with plenty of seasonings before simmering in a rich tomato sauce with fresh cabbage and rice.
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
From start to finish, this meal comes together in under 20 minutes, making it pretty much perfect as far as I’m concerned. I like to serve the Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls with a simple salad and a crusty bread to sop up any juices on our plates. This would also be delicious served with Homemade Pierogies for a full Polish feast!
This is a dinner that checks all my boxes, a quick meal that manages to make everyone happy using simple and inexpensive ingredients. If you have never had the joy of tasting Cabbage Rolls before now, here is your chance.
Cabbage rolls are a classic European dish of cabbage leaves wrapped around seasoned ground meat and baked. Ground beef is a traditional filling for the cabbage but ground lamb and turkey are also popular in some areas.
These rolls make for a hearty and delicious meal that can feed a crowd inexpensively, so you can imagine that finding a way to make them without much time or effort was a huge win.
Skillet dinners are meals where all the ingredients (or almost all of them) come together in one pan.
They may not always be the fanciest, prettiest, or most impressive dishes but they are the ones most likely to become part of your family’s meal rotation. They’re built for busy weeknights and long leisurely weekends alike.
Skillet meals like Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls are the dishes our kids will have fond memories of enjoying together at the dinner table. And because recipes like this don’t require hours in the kitchen prepping dozens of ingredients in advance or cleaning up a bunch of dishes afterward, you can enjoy that time with them, too.
Some other easy skillet dinners to try are our Cabbage and Sausage Skillet, Bell Pepper and Zucchini Skillet with Spicy Sausage and this Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry that’s better than any take-out I’ve ever had.
None of these have ever served me wrong when I’m on the hunt for a fast and filling meal for my family and this recipe is no different.
Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage shows up in so many soups, stews, and stir-fries for a good reason. It’s packed with nutrients, holds up well to many different ways of cooking, and can feed an army with just pennies.
Cabbage rolls and all their variants are possibly my favorite way to enjoy this amazing vegetable but I also completely adore eating it in Mexican White Bean and Cabbage Soup, Kielbasa and Potato Skillet, and in this Corned Beef and Cabbage Stew.
In this recipe, pieces of chopped cabbage are added to ground beef and tomato sauce. You get all the taste of fresh cabbage, tender meat, and tangy sauce in each bite without the hassle of rolling up individual cabbage rolls!
COOK’S TIP: If you don’t have pre-cooked or leftover rice on hand, start a pan of rice cooking on the stove when you begin to brown the meat for this recipe. By the time you need to add the rice, it will be cooked and ready to add with the rest of the ingredients.
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
A pan full of steaming, mouthwatering Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls begins with browning ground beef in a skillet on the stove. (I use this skillet to make this recipe.) As the meat browns, add chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Crushed tomatoes and sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar then go into the skillet right with the browned ground beef. After the whole concoction comes to a boil, add pieces of cabbage right to the pan along with cooked rice. That’s it!
If you’re looking for more quick and easy 20 minute dinners, check out One Skillet Beef Meatballs with Rice and Peas, and this Caprese Skillet Chicken.
This Spinach Pasta Salad is a light meal that can be made ahead of time and eaten warm or cold. Lebanese Beef with Green Beans is a recipe that my sister made for us many years ago and it’s a regular on our meal plan as well now.
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 24 oz crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ head green cabbage about 4-6 cups, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups cooked rice (total amount is rice when cooked)
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a large deep sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef, chili powder, garlic, salt, and pepper. Crumble the meat as it cooks.
- When the meat has browned, about 8 minutes, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the cabbage, reduce to simmer, and cover with lid. Cook until the cabbage is bright green, tender, and still slightly crisp, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the cooked rice and simmer just until heated through about 2 minutes. Serve warm.
Nutrition
{originally published 2/27/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/25/22}
Suzi says
Truly delicious! Had to sub tomato purée for sauce as it was all I had in the cabinet. Got rave reviews from my dinner group. We like a sweeter tomato sauce rather than the acidic ones so it was perfect. Served it up with cornbread.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Suzi.
Audra says
This recipe was delicious! Yummy! Husband liked it, too!
Mary Younkin says
That’s great to hear, Audra.
marilyn nail says
To sweet for me and my husband, I will try again and not use to much BS. THANK YOU .
marilyn says
I didn’t add my rating
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you liked it, Marilyn!
Cara says
Very good, but a little too sweet for my liking. Came together quickly and my family liked it. I will make it again, but will use less sugar next time.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad they all enjoyed the recipe, Cara.
Liz says
An absolute favorite in our house. Wonder if it would freeze alright?
Mary Younkin says
I’d recommend freezing a portion and thawing it to see how it works, Liz. I’m guessing it will be alright, but there’s a chance that the cabbage might create too much liquid as it thaws.
Susan Galvan says
I haven’t had cabbage rolls since I was a child so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I liked this recipe but knowing I don’t care for sweet sauces I only added 1 T of brn. sugar. I will make this recipe again. Thank you
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Susan!
Tracey says
Sadly way too sweet. I wish I had read the reviews before making. I should have trusted my instincts that 1/4 cup of sugar was too much.
Mary Younkin says
This is a traditionally sweet recipe, Tracey. A few people have mentioned having success with reducing the sugar to their own tastes though.
Julie says
Was good and I used following substitutes for lower carb.
Instead of brown sugar used Golden monk fruit and used a little less, I will drop to 1/8c next time.
Used tomato purée and some water instead of sauce and tomatoes.
Served with zero carb bread and butter.
Think green peppers would be a great addition.
Will make again!
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you like the recipe, Julie!
mike says
This recipe was so easy to make.And was delicious.Thank You!
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Mike!
Carol Buchler says
Loved this recipe. I did add an onion. Did not find it to be too sweet. It was perfect
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you are enjoying the recipe, Carol.
Wiley Weaver says
Cook 4 to 5 minutes! Surely you jest. I let it simmer as long as it needs for the flavors to blend.
Mary Younkin says
That’s the beauty of cooking in your own kitchen. Feel free to simmer as long as you like, Wiley.
Kevin Myerscough says
Way too sweet.
Mary Younkin says
Sorry to hear you didn’t love it, Kevin. This is a fairly traditional recipe, but you can easily reduce the sugar in the recipe.
Ann says
This recipe is fabulous. Made it my own by subbing fresh garlic for the powder, adding a shallot, subbed pepper paste in place of the tomato sauce, and tamari soy sauce in place of the vinegar and salt.
Will be serving this often. Thanks Mary!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cabbage rolls!
Donna Porro says
If you didn’t follow the recipe l, then you didn’t MAKE the recipe and have no business rating it.
Bonnie Burkhardt says
Would it be possible to just add Minute Rice to the pot? I might try that. I make Spanish Rice that way.
Mary Younkin says
I’ve never tried that, Bonnie.
Gail says
Made this today. Was going to half the recipe since there are 3 of us. So glad I didn’t! So delicious! I was not sure about the chili powder, but went with it anyway and wow! Maybe used a little less sugar than called for and it came out great! Thank you for sharing!
Mary Younkin says
That’s great to hear, Gail. I’m glad it was a hit!
chester ozment says
Made this but left the sugar out and used a can of diced tomatoes turned out great
Mary Younkin says
I am so happy you enjoyed it Chester!
Candi says
This looks so delicious!! Could a person use the bagged coleslaw mix in this? It has a little bit of carrot & a little red cabbage, but it’s mostly shredded green cabbage. Would save a little more time, so I wondered… 🙂
Mary Younkin says
Yes, That would work great Candi.