Stuffed cabbage leaves, also known as holishkes or prokes, may just be the ultimate comfort food. A slowly cooked, savory cold-weather dish, stuffed cabbage is a classic, and many families seem to have their own way of making it. Today, I’m sharing a traditional Jewish stuffed cabbage recipe that’s a favorite for my family.
Stuffed cabbage is one of those nostalgic dishes that brings back memories of family, tradition, and comfort. While I didn’t grow up with a Jewish “bubbe” to teach me her version, I’ve spent years diving into the dish’s history and testing recipes from Polish and Israeli friends, classic cookbook authors like Joan Nathan, and even 2nd Avenue Deli. I’ve made it sweet with raisins and preserves, tangy with sauerkraut and tomato, and everything in between.
My favorite take? A savory, well-seasoned filling with a slightly tart sauce. It’s less sweet than some versions, but packed with flavor. This is the version my husband loves, and the one readers return to again and again.
Everyone’s bubbe has her own way, and that’s the beauty of Jewish cooking. Below, I’m sharing my version, along with a step-by-step video and all my tips and tricks. Perfect for cozy fall and winter meals, this dish is naturally gluten-free (when using certified GF products), high in protein, and full of fiber. For a quicker take, check out my Unstuffed Cabbage recipe.
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
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- Cabbage – I prefer to use green cabbage for this recipe. 1 large head of cabbage is typically enough, but you may want to grab a second just in case.
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- Protein – I like to use a mixture of ground beef and ground chicken, but you can choose one or the other, if preferred. Feel free to use ground pork if not following a kosher diet. I recommend using fairly lean meat to avoid soggy stuffed cabbage rolls.
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- Rice – Use long-grain, white, or brown rice. Just make sure it’s cooked ahead of time.
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- Onion and Garlic – This adds a sweet, pungent, slightly savory flavor. I recommend using white or yellow onions and whole garlic cloves, not pre-minced varieties.
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- Herbs and Spices – Fresh dill, paprika, allspice, kosher salt, and pepper add a savory, warm flavor with bright, herbaceous notes that create a well-balanced bite.
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- Large Egg – This acts as a binder, holding the filling together.
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- Sauerkraut – I often have homemade sauerkraut on hand, but any store-bought option will also work.
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- Tomatoes – A combination of tomato sauce, diced or crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste forms the base of the filling, creating the savory, slightly acidic taste we want in a stuffed cabbage roll recipe.
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- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best, but bottled varieties also work if you don’t have lemons on hand.
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- Brown Sugar – This helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes. I find that two tablespoons is plenty, but you can add more if you prefer a sweeter taste.
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- Stock – I use chicken stock for a slightly more savory flavor, but water will also work, if preferred.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Holishkes)
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- Soften the cabbage. Rinse the cabbage, and immerse it in a large pot of boiling water until the leaves are soft and pliable. Then, drain the cabbage in a colander and set it aside to cool.
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- Prepare the filling. Mix all the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Then, adjust the seasonings if needed.
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- Roll. Place whole cabbage leaves on a cutting board, and pat them dry with a paper towel. Use a paring knife to shave the tough, thick part of the stem. Then, place about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling, depending on the size of each leaf, in the center of the cabbage. Fold the base of the leaf up, covering the filing. Then, fold the edge inward and tuck the loose leaf inward, creating a pocket. Repeat, rolling all the leaves.
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- Heat. In a small saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, diced or crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, brown sugar, and spices. Warm over medium heat until bubbling and fragrant. Then, season to taste.
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- Combine. Add sauerkraut and chopped cabbage to the bottom of a pot, and spread the mixture out in an even layer. Pour broth on top, and place half of the stuffed cabbage leaves over the mixture, placing them seam side down. Next, layer the tomato sauce on top, and repeat with the remaining cabbage leaves and sauce.
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- Cook. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce the heat to a slow simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the cabbage leaves are tender.
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- Serve. Carefully remove the cabbage from the pot. I like to use tongs for this! Then, spoon some of the sauce on top, add a generous sprinkle of black pepper, and serve hot.
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Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
Ingredients
- 1 large green cabbage (3.5-4 lbs.)
- 1 pound ground beef, ground chicken, or a mixture (I use half and half)
- 1 cup cooked long grain rice, white or brown
- 1/3 cup finely minced onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced dill
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut divided
- 28 ounces tomato sauce, divided (2 cans)
- 14 ounces diced or crushed tomatoes (1 can)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
- Salt and pepper to taste
NOTES
Instructions
- Rinse the cabbage clean, then immerse it in a large pot of boiling water and cook it for 4-5 minutes until leaves are soft and pliable, but not overly soft.
- Drain the cabbage in a colander and let it sit until cool enough to handle.
- Alternatively, you can freeze the cabbage overnight (or up to 3 days). Defrost the cabbage for about three hours. This will make the leaves pliable in the same way that parboiling does.
- Prepare your filling. In a bowl, mix together ground meat, cooked rice, minced onion, minced dill, egg, ½ cup sauerkraut (drained of juice), 1/3 cup tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste. I use roughly 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp pepper—kosher meat needs less salt. To test the seasoning of the meat, you can fry up a small portion in a skillet or pop it in the microwave until it’s thoroughly cooked, then taste it. It’s easy to under-season the filling, so err on the side of adding seasoning. Alternatively, if watching your sodium, you can add much less salt during this step, and season the finished dish to taste.Tip: You can make this filling ahead and refrigerate a few hours to overnight; this will allow the flavors to marinate and make it firmer and easier to handle.
- Peel off the large cabbage leaves from the head of cabbage, keeping only the leaves that are whole/intact and big enough to stuff. Chop up the remaining smaller leaves along with the core of the cabbage. Reserve.
- Place your large leaves on a cutting board.
- Take a leaf and pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Shave down the tough, thick part of the stem at the base of each leaf using a paring knife, being careful not to cut through the leaf itself. Repeat process for the remaining leaves.Now it’s time to stuff the leaves. Place a leaf on the cutting board, stem end closest to you. The leaves tend to curl in one direction, so make sure that the curl is facing upward—in other words, it should have a bowl-like shape with edges that curl up, not down.
- Place 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling at the base of the leaf, centered, about 1/2 inch above the edge. Do not over-stuff the leaves; you want a substantial amount of filling, but a good amount of cabbage leaf around the edges makes for easier rolling.
- Fold the base of the leaf up and over the filling until it’s completely covered.
- Fold the left edge of the leaf inward. Leave the right side of the leaf open.
- Continue rolling the leaf until it’s completely rolled up (with the right end still loose/open).
- Tuck the loose end of the leaf inward, pushing it into the filled center of the leaf.
- This will create a neat package that has a better chance of holding together in the pot.
- Continue this process for the remaining leaves. Depending on how many useable leaves your cabbage has, you may find you have some leftover filling. Simply roll that filling into meatballs; you can place them into the pot along with the stuffed leaves, so you don’t waste anything.
- In a small saucepan, combine the rest of the tomato sauce with the diced or crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, brown sugar, tomato paste, paprika, garlic and allspice. Warm up over medium heat until bubbly and fragrant. Taste the sauce; season with salt and pepper and more brown sugar or lemon, if desired.
- Put remaining 1 cup of sauerkraut and the chopped cabbage leaves/core into the bottom of a pot. Spread the mixture out to create an even layer, then pour ½ cup of chicken broth or water over the top of the leaves.
- Place half of the stuffed cabbage leaves on top of the sauerkraut mixture.
- Pour 1/3 of the warmed tomato sauce over the first layer of stuffed cabbage leaves.
- Put another layer of stuffed leaves on top...
- ...and top with the rest of the sauce.
- Heat the pot over medium high and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cover the pot. Let the cabbage leaves cook for 2-2 ½ hours until the thickest parts of the leaves are tender. Check the pot periodically to make sure it’s not boiling too vigorously—this can make the leaves fall apart. A slow, even simmer works best.When finished cooking, remove the stuffed cabbage leaves from the pot carefully with tongs. Top the stuffed cabbage with some of the sauce and a very generous sprinkle of black pepper. Serve hot. Leaves can be refrigerated for 4-5 days or frozen and reheated before serving.
Nutrition
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FAQs
I like to serve Jewish stuffed cabbage leaves with a starchy side like olive oil mashed potatoes, classic potato latkes, or smoked paprika potatoes. They’re also great with Borscht or matzo ball soup. Or, for a light meal, I pair them with Israeli salad or a crunchy pickled salad.
Yes, I find that leftover stuffed cabbage leaves keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Or, you can also store them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, reheat in the oven, microwave, or in a large skillet over medium heat.
Can you bring to a boil in a cast iron dutch over and bake? What temp and how long. Looks yummy!!!
I just made these tonight and they were fantastic! I have been disappointed in ordering from restaurants as they had little flavor but this recipe is a keeper! Love the sauerkraut, and added some Greek seasoning in the meat/rice mixture, and upped the spices in the sauce b/c we like a lot of herbs Thank you for the recipe!!
Is there a way to make a vegetarian version of the this?
Great idea Tena! Now you have my wheels turning… will think on this!
I am too old to make this recipe, I’m 93, and it looks like too much work. My Aunt Rose made a stuffed Pepper dish like this, that was great. Do you think peppers instead of cabbage would work? I couldn’t find a stuffed Pepper recipe in your collection. My wife will be 89 on April 30, I thought I would do this for her birthday.
Hi Paul! Sorry I am replying too late for your wife’s birthday. I have developed a wonderful stuffed pepper recipe that I would love to share on the site, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. You may consider trying my Unstuffed Cabbage recipe, which is a very similar flavor to this recipe, without all the hard work involved!
I would like to know what you serve with stuffed cabbage. I love your recipe and use it all the time.I usually make a green salad, but I am making this for guests and would like other ideas. Thank you!
I love serving these with mashed potatoes on the side! https://toriavey.com/olive-oil-mashed-potatoes-garlic-rosemary And also maybe this salad? You can omit the parmesan if wanting to keep it kosher: https://toriavey.com/green-bean-salad-with-walnuts-parmesan-and-mint/
I want to make this recipe ahead of time and freeze it. What is the best way to do that? Should I freeze it after if has cooked in the sauce? Is it better to freeze the stuffed rolls before they are cooked in the sauce? Also if I make them in the oven how long do I bake them for?
Hi! Can I use cooked brown basmati rice instead of white rice? Thank u! Debbie
Yes, but make sure the rice is well cooked and very tender for best texture.
Would you use dark green outer leaves for this?
How long would you cook this in a slow cooker?
How many rolls is a serving?
I think one roll is plenty since we often makes sides and must leave room for dessert!
This was very tasty! I wanted to make this for Hanukkah, because my mom often made stuffed cabbage for Hanukkah. (It tastes good with latkes!) My mom didn’t have a recipe written down, but I knew her basic ingredients, which were fewer and more simple than this recipe (the sauce was basically just the tomato products, brown sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper, and the meat stuffing did not include sauerkraut). Not trusting myself to guess how my mom made her recipe, I thought I’d use this one instead. I did add a little vinegar and a couple extra spoons of brown sugar to achieve a stronger sweet and sour flavor. It wasn’t quite my mom’s, but it was delicious. Definitely tastes better the second (and third) day. The cabbage-rolling tips were also really helpful. That was always something my mom struggled with, but the technique described here produced rolls that held together really well.
Dear Tori .. just a quick comment on this recipe of Stuffed Cabbage. In fact, it is originally a Hungarian dish, called Cabbage Rolls … and if you are interested in the authentic recipe, I would be more than happy to share it with you 🙂
Mona
An excellent recipe similar to one that I have used with great success. Thanks for sharing
They turned out great . I’ll make them for my family again .
Thank you
Tracy Leen
I made this in a crockpot twice now. 40 minutes on high pressure. It has turned out amazing every time! I love love love this recipe! Thank you from this converts heart, now we have a recipe to pass down!
Did you mean a pressure cooker?
Do you mean pressure cooker?
We are going to try this this weekend! I’ve always cooked cabbage rolls in a single layer in the oven, am looking forward to trying this two-layer method. Could you please share what size pot you used? Thank you!
I believe this is my 4 quart pot you are seeing in the pictures… can’t remember exactly, it’s been several years since these photos were taken. But a 4 quart should work nicely.
This was my first time making stuffed cabbage and oh man! It is so tasty and easy to make with your instructions. We ate this in our sukkot last night. It was perfect. I used just beef and cooked it in the pressure cooker for 40 minutes since I was in a bit of a hurry and it was perfect.
There are lots of different flavors and brands of sauerkraut. I’m worried the German style kraut that I have is going to mess with the outcome. Can you please suggest the brand or style sauerkraut that you use in your 5-star recipe? Thank you!
I’ve used different brands… just go with your favorite. It will only enhance the flavor.