Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Polish Golabki)

Traditional Polish stuffed cabbage rolls, or gołąbki, are tender leaves wrapped around a hearty filling of ground beef, pork, and rice, baked in a sweet and tangy tomato sauce made from scratch.

Why You’ll Love These Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Mary stayed with us after each of my first three babies was born, and we’d roll gołąbki together in my kitchen while she was here. She’s gone now, and I only ever scribbled rough amounts as we worked, so it took me a long time to get her recipe back. Each roll holds tender cabbage wrapped around a savory filling of ground beef, pork, and rice, baked soft under a sweet and tangy tomato sauce. These finally taste like hers.

I made them over and over from those rough notes and got close. Then we moved to Houston, ate at a Polish restaurant called Polonia, and I talked cabbage rolls with the chef before coming home to experiment again. The sauce turned out to be the whole thing. I make it from scratch with diced tomatoes, white wine vinegar, and a spoonful of sugar, cook it down until it’s sweet and tangy, then stir some of it into a sautéed onion base with tomato paste and red wine before the filling comes together, so the meat tastes like the sauce it bakes in.

They’re made for a crowd, and they’re easy to make ahead. Roll the pan a day ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake, and any extras freeze well for up to three months, so you’ve always got a homemade dinner ready to go.

Looking for another Eastern European classic? My Borscht is the beet soup traditionally served before cabbage rolls, and Vegetarian Moussaka is another old-world baked dish worth making.

What Are Golabki?

Gołąbki are Polish stuffed cabbage rolls, blanched cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling of ground meat and rice, then baked in tomato sauce. The name is Polish for “little pigeons,” and you’ll see the dish spelled golabki, golumpki, or galumpki depending on who’s writing it down.

In Poland, gołąbki are a home-cooked meal often made for family gatherings and holidays. Other countries have their own versions: Czechs and Slovaks call them holubky, and across the Balkans a similar cabbage roll is known as sarma.

This recipe is the traditional Polish version, ground beef, pork, and rice in a sweet and tangy tomato sauce.

Ingredient Notes

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make gołąbki, these Polish stuffed cabbage rolls, with a note on why each one matters and what you can swap. For exact amounts, see the recipe card below.

Green cabbage: One large head gives you the big, flexible leaves you need for wrapping. Look for a loose head with leaves you can peel off whole, or grab two small heads if you can’t find one large one.

Ground beef and pork: I use a pound of each because the blend is what makes the filling taste right. The beef brings the meaty flavor and the pork keeps everything moist. Ground turkey works if you’d rather go lighter, though you’ll give up some of that richness.

Cooked rice: White rice binds the filling and soaks up the sauce as the rolls bake. I use white, but any short-grain white or brown rice works. Cook it first, and leftover rice from another meal is perfect here.

Egg: One egg holds the meat and rice together so the filling stays put when you roll and slice.

Onion and garlic: Sautéed together, they build the savory base that flavors the whole filling.

Diced tomatoes: Two 28-ounce cans are the backbone of the sauce. I use diced so the sauce keeps a little texture.

White wine vinegar and sugar: This pair is what makes the sauce sweet and tangy. The vinegar brings the tang and the sugar softens the acidity so the sauce tastes balanced. Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar stand in fine, and honey or brown sugar work in place of the sugar.

Tomato paste and red wine: Both go into the onion base and deepen the flavor of the filling before it goes in the oven. You only need a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, so freeze the rest of the can in spoonfuls for next time.

How to Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Here’s how to make golabki step by step. You’ll soften the cabbage, make the sauce, mix the filling, then roll and bake. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.

Prepare the cabbage leaves

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pull off and discard any large, damaged outer leaves. Carefully peel the big leaves off the head one at a time, keeping them as whole as you can, and set aside the ones large enough to stuff. Some will tear, and those are still fine to use.

Blanch the leaves in the boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft and bendable. Drain them in a colander, run them under cold water, and pat each one dry.

Make the golabki sauce

Coat a large saucepan with olive oil and set it over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Pour in both cans of diced tomatoes with their juices, stir, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and sugar, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper and take it off the heat.

Make the onion base

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the tomato paste, red wine, and 3/4 cup of the golabki sauce you just made, and cook for 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly. Take it off the heat.

Mix the filling

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, egg, cooked rice, and the onion base. Season with salt and pepper and mix with your hands until just combined.

Assemble and bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup of the golabki sauce across the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish. Put 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling in the center of a cabbage leaf, fold the base up over the filling, fold in the sides, and roll it up.

Set the roll seam side down in the dish and repeat, arranging the rolls in rows.

Pour the remaining sauce over the top, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 1 hour, until the filling reaches 165°F inside the rolls.

Troubleshooting

A few common problems people run into with golabki, and how to fix each one.

Why are my cabbage rolls tough?

Tough cabbage rolls usually mean the leaves were undercooked before rolling. Blanch them until they bend easily without cracking, about 4 to 5 minutes. If the baked rolls are still firm, cover them and return them to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes to soften the cabbage.

Why did my cabbage rolls fall apart?

Set each roll seam side down in the dish so it can’t unroll as it bakes. Let the baked rolls rest about 10 minutes before serving, which helps them firm up and hold together when you lift them out.

Why isn’t the filling cooked through?

If the filling is still pink, the rolls need more time. Keep them covered and bake until the center reaches 165°F. Check a roll from the middle of the dish, since those cook slowest.

Frequently Asked Questions