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Slow cooker cabbage rolls are moister and more flavorful than ones baked in the oven. Stuffed with beef and rice and simmered in a tomato sauce all day long, this comfort food makes enough to feed families.

Slow cooker cabbage rolls are moister and more flavorful than ones baked in the oven. Stuffed with beef and rice and simmered in a tomato sauce all day long, this comfort food makes enough to feed families.

Cabbage rolls, or stuffed cabbage, are one of my all time favorite foods. I love them so much that instead of the traditional ham sandwiches served at graduation open houses where I grew up, I served cabbage rolls. It was delicious.

This is my first attempt at making cabbage rolls myself and let me just say, they turned out fantastic! This is not exactly a quick recipe, but the end result was well worth the time and effort.

Cabbage rolls slow cooked in a slow cooker will be moister and more flavorful than ones that are baked in the oven.

Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls in Tomato Sauce

Steamed Cabbage Leaves

When steaming the cabbage, you will see a point where the cabbage turns a bright green. The leaves are ready to peel off then.  I got about 2-3 leaves off and then had to put the head back in to soften up the head more.

You will most likely have leftover cabbage. Don't throw it away! One of our readers left a great idea in the comments:

“Cut it into shreds with a sharp knife and line the bottom of the crock pot before putting in the rolls. It will simmer away in the sauce and is absolutely delish. You can also omit the brown sugar and added a small can of sauerkraut, drained. Toss with the shredded cabbage, It adds a nice zip to the recipe.” 

Thanks for the great tip!

Stuffing for cabbage rolls

You will want to try and use converted rice for the cabbage rolls. Converted rice takes longer to cook so it doesn't turn to mush in the cabbage rolls.  The good news is that Uncle Ben's Original Rice is converted rice so it's easy to find in the grocery store.

How to make cabbage rolls

The cabbage was really easy to roll up but careful not to rip it (too much).  Put about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture at the top a cabbage leaf. Use a 1/3 cup to just measure out the mix and plop it right on the cabbage leaf.

Cabbage Rolled

Keep rolling to the end of the cabbage leaf. When you reach the end, tuck in the ends.  You may want to cut off the thick rib from the leaves. It will leave a little split at the end. Just tuck it all in.

CrockPot Stuffed Cabbage

Lay the stuffed cabbage leaves in the crock of a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.  You may get to a point in the cabbage where it's difficult to get the leaves off the head in a whole leaf. That's fine! Just stop and call it good.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Once all the cabbage rolls are done and layered in the slow cooker, pour the tomato sauce over the rolls. Put the lid on the slow cooker and turn it on low.  You can also cook on high if you are in a hurry just cut the time in half.

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Check out all the recipes in the 30 Day Slow Cooking Challenge!

Yield: About 10 rolls

Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls in Tomato Sauce

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cabbage
  • 1/2 cup converted long grain rice (Uncle Ben's)
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1 large egg, well beaten
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 (15 oz.) can diced Italian seasoned tomatoes
  • 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. COOK THE CABBAGE: Fill a large pot three quarters full of water and lightly salt. Place the pan over high heat and bring the water to a brisk boil. Add the cabbage, cover the pot and cook until the outer layers of the cabbage peel off easily. Remove the tender leaves and pick out 10 of the largest leaves. Remove the thick ribs in the center of each leaf. Set aside.
  2. PAR COOK THE RICE: Fill a medium saucepan three quarters full of water and lightly salt. Place the pan over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the rice. Cook for 5 minutes then drain and rinse under cold water and drain well again. Set aside.
  3. PREPARE FILLING: Melt the butter in a skillet placed over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.
  4. Place the onion and garlic into a mixing bowl. Stir in the par cooked rice from Step 2. Add the ground beef, egg, rosemary, salt and pepper and mix until well blended.
  5. MAKE THE ROLLS: Spread 1/3 CUP of the filling into the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold the sides of the leaves over the filling and roll up the cabbage. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, into a 6 quart or larger slow cooker . Repeat until all the cabbage leaves and meat mixture are used up.
  6. MAKE SAUCE: In a mixing bowl stir together the tomatoes with their juice, brown sugar and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the cabbage in the slow cooker.
  7. SLOW COOK: Cover and cook on low 6 hours or until the cabbage is fork tender.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

5

Serving Size:

1 roll
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 377 Total Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 102mg Sodium: 717mg Fiber: 9g Sugar: 17g Protein: 26g
Category: Slow Cooker Recipes
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June 18, 2016 / / 57 Comments / Family Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes / ,

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57 comments on “Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls in Tomato Sauce”

  1. Cassie on said:

    I’m confused about step two. Is the rice suppose to be cooked or just added the the meat mixture raw?

    Reply ↓
  2. Cathy on said:

    Just wondering, do you cook ahe rice first or addit uncooked?

    Reply ↓
  3. Eleanor Jacobs on said:

    I am wondering if anyone has tried freezing these, I am cooking for 1 person (me)and usually always have leftovers

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  4. Kaitlynne on said:

    These are delicious and so easy, a little trick my family did (growing up in a Irish/Italian household, we would add Italian sausage to the meet mixture and it always gave such a delicious spice and added a lot of flavor to the tomato sauce 🙂

    Reply ↓
  5. Michael on said:

    Cabbage rolls are wonderful!
    Just the right amount of spiciness.
    I plan on making these again – soon.

    Reply ↓
  6. Sandy on said:

    I love how you write your recipes…so sweet and “real”. Please keep up the good work.

    Reply ↓
  7. eduardo on said:

    Yo los preparo casi de las misma manera pero, con menos carne y más arroz y otros vegetales como el morron rojo o amarillo. Los sobrantes de repollo se colocan en el fondo de la olla con 2 o 3 rodajas de limón. Los acomodo en círculos y los cubro con una tapa de olla más pequeña y le coloco un elemento pesado (1 o 2 piedras) para que no se rompan. Cubro con agua o caldo hasta las tapa de la olla y los cocino por 35 a 40 minutos. Cuando algún arroz que este flotando pruebo y está listo. Los sirvo caliente con: pesto, aceite de oliva y limón o salsa roja (tomate). Espero que les sea útil.

    Reply ↓
  8. Ronni on said:

    This recipe have become my family’s favorite!! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply ↓
  9. Susy on said:

    My Mom used to use a thin bacon rind to add flavor. I use real bacon and also we used sauercrut! I alternate bacon, then, cabbage roll, then sauercrut and last tomato sauce then start all over again! The flavor is outstanding.

    Reply ↓
  10. Carol Foster on said:

    Want to save this recipe but can’t find out have to save it.

    Reply ↓
  11. suzy on said:

    Cabbage rolls have always been a favorite of mine and I make them in the oven.I’m going to used the slow cooker next time!

    Reply ↓
  12. sherry on said:

    Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

    Reply ↓
  13. Jann Olson on said:

    This sounds super yummy! Thanks for sharing with Share Your Cup. I’m sure it’s not intentional, but I’m not seeing a link back to the party. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

    Reply ↓
  14. Judi Graber on said:

    We love stuffed cabbage rolls – my Weight Watcher’s recipe is one of the most popular posts on my blog – go figure! Your version looks really good! Thanks for sharing with Fiesta Friday.

    Reply ↓
  15. Miz Helen on said:

    Your Cabbage Rolls are perfectly rolled, they look delicious!Thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply ↓
  16. Heather on said:

    I’ve never had these, but they sound simply amazing! Will have to pin this for later!

    Reply ↓
  17. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome on said:

    Delicious! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner Party.

    Reply ↓
  18. Sharon@bluewillowhouse on said:

    Your cabbage roll recipe sounds and looks delicious. Thank you for sharing at Snickerdoodle. I am featuring your recipe at the party this week.

    Reply ↓
  19. Donna Reidland on said:

    I have thought about making cabbage rolls but just haven’t attempted it. I like things I can do in my slow cooker, so I’m pinning to give this one a try.

    Reply ↓
  20. Deena Simair on said:

    This looks way easier than the other ways I’ve tried making cabbage rolls. Thanks for linking up with the Blended Blog

    Reply ↓
  21. Jess on said:

    Pinned! Sounds so yummy!! 🙂

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    Reply ↓
  22. Peggy on said:

    Delicious!!! I’ll use a bit less brown sugar next time, but this was definitely a winner! My daughter loves it!!!

    Reply ↓
  23. Ruth Kirkey on said:

    These were delicious. My husband said they were the best I’ve ever made!

    Reply ↓
  24. Teresa on said:

    Going to try this haven’t had cabbage rolls in years.

    Reply ↓
  25. Margaret caiola on said:

    Looks yummy

    Reply ↓
  26. Grandma Cindy on said:

    Don’t waste the rest of the cabbage. Cut it into shreds with a sharp knife and line the bottom of the crock pot before putting in the rolls. It wuill simmer away in the sauce and is absolutely delish. You can also omit the brown sugar and added a small can of saurkraut, drained. Toss with the shredded cabbage, It adds a nice zip to the recipe.

    Reply ↓
  27. Alicia on said:

    Any advice on what to use the leftover boiled cabbage for? Thanks, this looks lovely! 🙂

    Reply ↓
  28. Renata on said:

    Why is this recipe under “low carb”? It is not low carb. 42g of carb? It sounds good, but should be in a different catagory.

    Reply ↓
  29. yvonne on said:

    I bought the largest head of cabbage I could find so I’d have larger leaves. I also cut around the core at the bottom and steamed in the microwave. It was much easier to peel the leaves off. I also took the extra cabbage left over and added it to the crockpot to eat with the rolls.

    Reply ↓
  30. Debbi on said:

    I love cabbage rolls, but haven’t made them for many years. This got me thinking of a recipe called Bubble & Squeak which has all the ingredients & flavor of cabbage rolls without all the work. You cut up the cabbage & cook it all together in one pot. It would bubble when it cooked & the cabbage would squeak when you stirred the pot. I believe this is how it got it’s name. I think this could work in a crock pot as well.

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  31. Vickie Geiger on said:

    Core your whole head of cabbage and then stick it in the freezer overnight. Thaw the next day. Leaves peel off head easily.

    Reply ↓
  32. Robert J Sicora on said:

    I use my crock pot for a marinara sauce . Three 28oz.cans of Peeled Plum Italian Style Tomatoes , two 14.5 oz.cans of Stewed Tomatoes Italian Recipe , two 8oz. cans of sauce , and one 8oz. can of paste . Salt, pepper, 2 tbsp. sugar(brown) , 2 large leafs of basil cut up fine or 1 tbsp. of dried basil , 1 tbsp. of dried oregano , 1 med. onion cut up fine , 2 cloves of garlic cut up fine . Cook on high for two hours then use a masher to break down plum and stewed tomatoes . Simmer on low for three hours . Use a large spoon to draw off thin liquid . This will yield a much thicker sauce .

    Reply ↓
  33. Frugal Hausfrau on said:

    These look really good, Camille! I love love love cabbage rolls and never thought to make them in a slow cooker!!

    Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday!

    Mollie

    Reply ↓
  34. Shannon on said:

    I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love cooking in my slowcooker and adore cabbage rolls!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply ↓
  35. Jennifer on said:

    I love cabbage rolls but never thought to make them in a slow cooker. YUMMY!

    I’ll have to give this a try!

    Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).

    Wishing you a lovely weekend.
    xoxo

    Reply ↓
  36. Joanne Viola on said:

    Stuffed cabbage is one of our family’s favorites. My mom always cooked hers on top of the stove in a Dutch oven. Definitely going to try this! So glad you shared it!!!

    Reply ↓
  37. Audrey on said:

    Headslap! If I made this in the slow cooker, I could move it outside and not “stink up the house like my mom always did” as my husband says. And that is why I have never thought about making them until now.

    Reply ↓
  38. Helen on said:

    OMG – I lov Thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner Sunday Link up!e cabbage rolls but I’m too lazy to do all the pan cooking – in a slow cooker?? Oh yeah!!

    Reply ↓
  39. Trish on said:

    I usually cook these on the stove top for a long, long time but I have you keep checking to make sure there’s enough liquid in the pot – never thought of using the slow cooker. Makes a lot of sense and it’s much easier just put the rolls in and let it go. No more running back and forth to the kitchen. What a great idea. Thanks.

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