Golabki (Slow Cooker)
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Oct 26, 2024 
This homemade golabki (slow cooker) is old-world comfort food, and these cabbage rolls are a family favorite in my household. The best part is that this recipe makes the classic Polish stuffed cabbage rolls even easier by using the slow cooker!
Does anyone else feel almost like you are time traveling when making traditional family recipes? My hubby has Polish and Hungarian roots, so we like to experiment with recipes his grandparents passed down, like golabki and this haluski recipe. Anytime we need a family hug in food form, we turn to old world meals, and these classic stuffed Polish cabbage rolls are a staple. Known as golumpki or golabki, features savory beef and pork sausage blended and wrapped together in tender cabbage leaves, all smothered with a tangy-sweet homemade tomato sauce. Every bite is warm and satisfying, with incredible layers of both familiar and exciting flavors. And since cabbage rolls need to slowly cook to soften and stay moist, we figured – why not put them in the crockpot!? I think even great-grandma would be proud of our ingenuity that still honors the traditional basics of a beloved stuffed cabbage recipe!
Claudia – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I have never used the curly cabbage until now and it was fantastic I will never go back to the regular green and the look so much nicer! thanks.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Old World Comfort – This traditional Polish recipe is a family heirloom, and every bite reminds us of stories passed down and values that we hold near and dear. I think it’s important to keep recipes like these alive because they’re a part of our history. Be sure to check out this Hungarian chicken and rice dish too!
Hearty and Satisfying – From the tender and nutritious cabbage leaf to a protein-filled meat filling, every bite of these slow cooker cabbage rolls is hearty and filling. I love to make big batches and then keep them on hand in the freezer for whenever I’m craving a homemade comforting dish.
Easy Cleanup – I’ll be honest. Making these golabki is no walk in the park. It requires time and effort, but it’s all worth it. Not only is this dish incredibly delicious, but the clean up is a breeze since it’s all made in one pot!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Cabbage – For this traditional recipe, you’ll need one large savoy (or green) cabbage. Look for a cabbage that has fresh and perky leaves. Since they will be boiled and cooked for a long time you want sturdy leaves to work with, so try to avoid heads of cabbage that are on the verge of wilting.
- Ground pork sausage – For the base of that savory filling, I use a ground pork sausage because it’s rich in flavor and it adds just the right amount of fat, which keeps the filling juicy.
- Ground beef – I pair the pork with some lean ground beef which helps to balance out the richness of the pork.
- Cooked rice – A plain white rice works well. It makes the filling tender by soaking up all of that yummy tomato sauce!
- Egg – Egg is important because it keeps the filling together. Plus, it also helps the cabbage roll keeps its shape as it cooks.
- Worcestershire sauce – I use this in both the filling and the tomato sauce because it adds a delicious umami pop of flavor that’s also tangy.
- Italian seasoning – This is just a blend of staple Italian dried herbs that I again add to both the filling and the sauce. It gives an herby, earthy note and it compliments the cabbage really well.
- Canned crushed tomatoes and sauce – For the heart of that warm sauce, I use both canned crushed tomatoes and then a can of regular tomato sauce.
- Brown sugar – Just a pinch rounds out the tanginess from the tomatoes.
- Hot sauce – And of course, a drizzle of hot sauce always goes a long, long way! It adds just the right amount of warmth and heat without overpowering the rest of the flavors.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep the cabbage – The first and most important step in making golabki is to prep the cabbage. I boil a large pot of water and salt, and in the meantime, I remove the core from the cabbage. Then, I dip the entire cabbage into the pot, and I let it boil for a couple of minutes until the leaves are soft. Make sure to remove the head of cabbage using tongs here because it’s really easy to get burned. Finally, I very carefully remove all the leaves from the cabbage and I place them onto a cutting board. A few leaves will tear during this step, but don’t fret!
Make the filling – Next, I add the uncooked pork sausage, ground beef, chopped onion, cooked rice, egg, Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of Italian seasoning into a bowl and I mix it all together using my hands. The goal here is to make the filling very, very smooth.
Make the sauce – Once you’ve made the filing, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, minced garlic, sugar, more of that Worcestershire sauce, a splash of red wine vinegar, some hot sauce and Italian seasoning into a bowl. Mix that all up really well.
Prep the crock pot – Next, coat the bottom of the crock pot with about a cup of that homemade tomato sauce.
Roll and assemble – Now comes the fun and tricky part — rolling up the cabbage rolls! I always start off by scooping about a quarter cup of the meat filling onto the cabbage leaf. Then, I roll it up like a burrito making sure to tuck in the sides so that the filing doesn’t spill out. I place each cabbage roll into the slow cooker seam-side down.
Stack – Repeat with all of the remaining cabbage rolls, and stack them up high if you need to!
Cook – Now, pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls, cover the slow cooker and set on LOW for about 9 hours or HIGH for about 5 hours.
Recipe Variations
- Skip the pork – You can totally skip the pork sausage and use entirely ground beef for a leaner version of this classic dish.
- Ground poultry – Alternatively, you can use ground turkey or chicken for a lighter more waist-friendly version.
- Mushrooms – Feel free to add some chopped mushrooms into the filling for an earthier flavor profile.
- Cauliflower rice – Swap the rice for cauliflower rice. Just note that it doesn’t soak up the sauce as well.
Serving Suggestions
Traditionally, these Polish cabbage rolls are enjoyed over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. I love ladling some of that tangy tomato sauce over mashed potatoes…it’s kind of like a gravy. You can also serve these with some of my creamy cauliflower “mashed” potatoes, or a delicious homemade Lepinja bread to soak up all the juices. However you choose to serve it, I hope that you will love this family recipe as much as we do. Smacznego!
Storing
This dish is certainly best when enjoyed fresh and hot. The longer it sits, the yummy flavors will get stronger but the cabbage will not keep very well. Therefore I recommend storing leftovers in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
To reheat, transfer the stuffed cabbage to an oven-safe dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes, until just heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oh, I really don’t recommend freezing these. The cabbage gets soggy and the dish loses its flair and flavors!
You will know because the cabbage will be very tender. You can also use a meat thermometer to check that the filling has cooked through. It should reach at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit since we’re using pork, too.
Looking for More Satisfying Slow Cooker Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
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Golabki (Slow Cooker)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large savoy or green cabbage
For the Meat Filling –
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion peeled and chopped
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
For the Cabbage Roll Sauce –
- 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 3-5 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
Prep the Cabbage:
- Set a large pot of salted water over high heat. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, use a paring knife to remove the core from the cabbage. Once the water is boiling, carefully lower the cabbage into the boiling water. Boil for 2-3 minutes to soften the leaves. Then use tongs to carefully pull the cabbage out of the boiling water. Set the cabbage on a cutting board. Then gently pull the leaves off the cabbage and lay them flat on the cutting board.
For the Filling:
- Set out a large mixing bowl. Add the pork sausage, ground beef, chopped onion, cooked rice, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until very smooth.
For the Sauce:
- In another bowl, mix the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, hot sauce, and Italian seasoning.
To Assemble:
- Set out a large 6-8 quart slow cooker. Pour 1 cup of sauce into the crockpot.
- One at a time, scoop ¼ cup meat filling and place it on a cabbage leaf. Roll the cabbage leaf like a burrito, tucking the sides inward to enclose the filling. Place in the slow cooker, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining leaves and meat filling. Stack the cabbage rolls if needed.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover the slow cooker and set of LOW for 7-9 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. Serve warm, sprinkled with parsley.
Absolutely delicious! Loved this slow cooker recipe. My family loved it!
Can’t wait to make this! question- could I cook the meat FIRST, before stuffing into cabbage/adding to crock pot? Asking because I am very short on time and don’t want to risk raw meat. ( my oven is also broken, which is why I’m looking up crock pot versions!
Hi Jane,
Yes, you can do that. Let me know how they turn out!
This recipe sounds so good! Can you make the cabbage rolls a little bigger & will the cooking time need to be increased or is 7 to 9 hours on low okay?
I just made this for dinner tonight, and it was delicious! I made it as written except I used all ground beef. It was fantastic. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers. There is a lot of sauce left in the crock pot that I’m wondering how I can use it. Any suggestions? I don’t think it’ll go well with spaghetti. Thank you for such a good recipe.
To be honest I don’t come across anything online worth my time to review, but this is really good! I made it like the recipe states except I didn’t have tomato sauce so I did 1-1 with tomato paste and water. I’m absolutely keeping the sauce recipe for pasta. The meat was really good too. Did feel weird putting raw ground pork and beef but it up nicely. nicely. I didn’t really taste cabbage so might be a good choice for picky eaters.
They might be tasty but you can’t call them Polish golabki. Just Italian or American stuffed cabbage. Poles never use any sausage, nor Italian seasoning to make them.
You’re pretty rude. And also wrong. Many people that cook “traditional” recipes will experiment with ingredients and flavors. My polish grandmother used sausage in almost every ground meat dish she made. Perhaps next time you don’t try speaking for an entire nationality as if you’re the last word, hm?
If I had more ingredients, could I fill the whole pot full? Layer on layer?
Hi Walter,
Yes, you can fill up your crockpot. You may need to add 30 minutes up to a couple of hours to the time, depending on how full you fill it.
Made these in the slow cooker for the first time. They were amazing.
I have never used the curly cabbage until now and it was fantastic I will never go back to the regular green and the look so much nicer! thanks
Such a comforting weekend dinner, we loved it!
This was a huge hit at my house!! I will definitely make it again!
oh my gosh, that was an amazing recipe!