Crockpot Polish Cabbage Rolls Recipe (Golabki)
Crockpot Polish Cabbage Rolls – We’ve made a classic family-favorite stuffed cabbage rolls recipe even easier by using the slow cooker!
Classic Polish Cabbage Rolls
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. Anytime we need a family hug in food form we turn to meals, like Rustic Hungarian Goulash, that are inspired by our ancestors’ recipes. There is something so comforting about making these dishes, as if we are actually connecting to the past as we cook.
This classic stuffed Polish Cabbage Rolls recipe offers the same nostalgic comfort from the old country. It 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.
What Ingredients Are In Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
For this traditional Polish 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.
To make the Savory Meat Filling you need:
- Pork sausage
- Ground Beef
- Onion
- Cooked rice
- Egg
- Worcestershire sauce
- Italian seasoning
And for the Cabbage Rolls Tomato Sauce the following ingredients are needed:
- Canned crushed tomatoes
- Canned tomato sauce
- Garlic
- Brown sugar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Red wine vinegar
- Hot sauce – your choice, depending on whether you like your stuffed cabbage mild or spicy
- Italian seasoning
I also recommend garnishing the Crockpot-cooked Cabbage Rolls with a bit of fresh chopped parsley at the end.
How To Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls From Scratch
Making traditional Polish Cabbage Rolls is a labor of love, but is so worth every bit of effort. The result is a warm, comforting, zesty and savory dish that is rich with spice and deep earthy flavors.
Try this recipe for Sunday dinner or anytime the family is gathering around the table together for a hearty casual meal.
Of course, the best stuffed cabbage recipe starts with… Cabbage!
Step #1: Prep the Cabbage
Firstly, set a large pot of salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, use a paring knife to remove the core from the cabbage. Once the water is boiling, gently 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 and let it cool for a minute. Gently pull the leaves off the cabbage, being careful to not tear them, and lay each leaf flat on the cutting board.
Step #2: Make the Filling
Next, 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.
Step #3: Make the Sauce
In another medium bowl, mix together the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, hot sauce, and Italian seasoning.
Step #4: Assemble the Crockpot Cabbage Rolls
Now, set our your slow cooker and coat the bottom of the crock with 1 cup of the tomato sauce.
Then, follow these easy steps for stuffing and rolling the perfect Cabbage Rolls every time:
- Working one at a time, scoop ¼ cup of the 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.
Get the Complete (Printable) Crockpot Polish Cabbage Rolls Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Pour the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the cabbage rolls.
Cover the slow cooker and set on LOW for 7-9 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
Serve warm, sprinkled with parsley.
What Can I Serve With Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?
Traditionally Cabbage Rolls are enjoyed over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
For a lower-carb side dish, try serving stuffed cabbage with Creamy Cauliflower “Mashed” Potatoes.
However you choose to serve it, I hope that you will love this family recipe as much as we do. Smacznego!
How Long Will Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls Keep Well?
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 only a day or two.
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.
Polish Cabbage Rolls do not freeze well.
Looking for More Satisfying Slow Cooker Recipes?
- The Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
- Best Easy Swedish Meatballs (Crockpot and Instant Pot)
- Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew
- Retro Crockpot Roast Beef (Shredded Beef)
- Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with Potatoes and Onions
Crockpot Polish Cabbage Rolls Recipe (Golabki)
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.
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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.
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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!