Instant Dutch Oven Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Stuffed cabbage rolls are classic comfort food you can make in your Instant Precision Dutch Oven. A low-carb one-pot dinner featuring tender leaves of cabbage filled with seasoned beef, vegetables, and rice are the perfect choice for a family dinner.
Why this works
- Classic comfort food - stuffed cabbage rolls are a classic Eastern European dish and pure comfort food like my French Onion Pot Roast. You can even make the a one-pot deconstructed cabbage roll recipe in your Instant Pot.
- Simple and easy - these stuffed cabbage rolls are simple and easy to make but take a little time to pull together like my Chicken and Spinach dinner. After that, the Instant Dutch Oven does all the work for you.
Ingredients you will need
Here is a quick snapshot of the ingredients you'll need. Scroll down to the recipe card, where you'll find exact measurements.
Ingredient notes
- Ground beef - use 80/20 or 90/10 ground beef for this recipe. Any meat with a higher fat content will lead to a greasy dish at the end.
- Cabbage - when choosing a head of cabbage, look for one with bright green leaves. It should be large and dense with crisp-looking leaves but not too large. If the cabbage heads are very small, you may need two.
- Cooked rice - leftover rice from a previous dinner or take-out is perfect for this recipe. If you don't have any, you can make your own or purchase already-cooked rice from the grocery store.
- Breadcrumbs - I use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs when making this recipe, but plain will also work.
- Brown sugar - light or dark brown sugar will work well for this recipe.
How to make this
Step 1: Preparing the cabbage leaves
The cabbage leaves need to be pre-cooked a little prior to being able to work with the leaves. Trim the stem and cut an "x" at the bottom of the stem. You can do this one of two ways.
Method #1 - fill a large pot at least halfway with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat on the stove. Place the cabbage in the water for a few minutes, then remove and cut off the leaves. Repeat the process until all the leaves that can be used have been cut off, then set aside. Keep the cabbage head core as well.
Method #2 - use your Instant Pot to soften the leaves. Add the rack to the Instant Pot plus the minimum water for your model. You will likely be using a 6-quart, so that would be one cup, and if using an 8-quart, that is 1 ½ cups. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, followed by a quick release. Once done, cut the leaves off and set them aside. Keep the cabbage head core as well.
Step 2: Make the meat filling for the cabbage rolls
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, salt pepper, breadcrumbs, eggs, diced onion, minced garlic, shredded carrot, cooked rice, and water. Mix together and combine thoroughly. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to be used.
If you have not cut the leaves off the cabbage head, do so now. Once all the usable leaves have been cut off, chop some of the remaining cabbage and set aside.
Cut the thick part of the stem at the bottom of the cabbage leaf. Using a small knife, make a cut along the spline of the cabbage but do not cut all the way through. This will make working with and rolling the cabbage rolls easier.
Place some of the meat in the cabbage and put it at the end of the leaf. Fold in the sides and proceed to roll away from you. Finish seam side down and set aside. Repeat this until all the leaves are used, or the meat is gone.
Preheat the Instant Precision Dutch Oven on sear/saute. Chop some of the cabbage and a second onion. Add a small amount of olive into the pot once heated, then saute the cabbage and onion until slightly softened. Turn off the sear/saute function.
Layer the cabbage rolls, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, and lemon juice in the Instant Dutch Oven. You likely will have enough for two layers.
Once all the layers are done, add enough water to the pot to barely cover the cabbage rolls.
Cook the stuffed cabbage rolls on manual mode 2 at 350 degrees for one hour.
Expert tips
These stuffed cabbage rolls are a great meal to hide vegetables in, like carrots. Add in some shredded zucchini for something different.
The raw cabbage rolls can be made as far in advance as the night before. The cooked cabbage rolls can be made two days in advance and still retain their flavor.
FAQs
They have not been cooked enough and should be returned to the pot to cook for some additional time.
The Turkish claim to be the original inventors of the dish.
Serving suggestions
Serve the stuffed cabbage rolls with a dollop of sour cream with some mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes.
Storage & reheating
Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to one week. Reheat in the microwave for two minutes. Freeze for up to three months in a freezer container or bag.
How-to video
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Recipe
Instant Dutch Oven Cabbage Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 1 cup rice cooked
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 carrots shredded
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup water
Cabbage Roll Ingredients
- 2 cabbage heads steamed or boiled, leaves cut off, remainder chopped
- 2 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 lemon several drops
- 2-3 cups water enough water to cover or fill to max line
- 1 onion roughly chopped
Instructions
- Cut an "x" in the cabbage heads. Steam in pressure cooker for 5 minutes on trivet with one cup of water followed by a quick release. Or, boil a large pot of water and boil cabbage head for ten minutes. Cut the leaves off, and set aside.
- Chop some of the leftover cabbage, and roughly chop one onion then set aside.
- Combine all the ingredients in the filling group together in a large bowl or mixer, and set aside.
- Trim the ends of the cabbage leaves and partially slice the thicker part of the spine of the leaf. Place the meat mixture in the middle and fold both sides of the cabbage leaf over. Roll vertically and set aside seam side down.
- Preheat Instant Dutch Oven to sear/saute. Add the chopped cabbage and onion, then saute until slightly softened. Turn off the saute function.
- Layer the cabbage rolls, diced tomatoes, drops of lemon juice, and brown sugar. You will likely have two layers.
- Cook on manual mode 2 at 350 degrees for one hour.
- Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to one week. Freeze for up to three months in freezer containers or freezer bags.
Video
Notes
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This recipe is so good and will be on repeat in my house!
this was the first recipe i made in my instant dutch oven!!
So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
I don’t have a Dutch oven, what else can I use? Crockpot?
Yes, but I haven't tested it. I would suggest 8-10 hours on low, or 4-6 hours on high.