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Winter is the season for hearty Hungarian dishes. Cabbage is a favorite winter food that can be prepared in many delicious ways. Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls are one of the most popular classics and it usually makes the Christmas and New Year’s Eve menus in most homes. Preparation varies according to region and family, people prepare them not only on the stovetop, but also in the oven. Stuffed cabbage rolls come in many variations, the filling can be ground beef, pork, the sauce can be plain or tomato based and adding smoked meat and/or sausage will only enhance the flavor. It is even better reheated.
What Are Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?
True to their name, stuffed cabbage rolls are a dish of Eastern European origin, little bundles of cabbage leaves that have been stuffed and cooked with a mixture of ground meat (beef /pork), onions, paprika, rice, garlic and egg. They are typically cooked with sauerkraut and served with sour cream.
How to Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?
This recipe has several steps and seems complicated, but it is not so much and totally do-able, and worth it!
Traditionally, Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls are made with a pickled or fermented whole head of cabbage, which tastes like shredded sauerkraut, already soft and easy to work with. I know that it is not available in North America, and it is absolutely OK if you just boil the whole cabbage head by putting it in a large pot, and then take the leaves off.
Once the cabbage leaves are softened, stuff them with a mixture of minced meat, uncooked rice, eggs, onion, garlic, paprika, ground black pepper, salt, and roll them up into tight little packages.
Place the cabbage rolls between 2 layers of rinsed and drained sauerkraut, pour water over and bake for 1.5 – 2 hours. You can make it on the stove top over very low heat, then it takes much longer to cook it.
How to Season your Cabbage Rolls?
This dish tastes best with sweet Hungarian paprika, I do not use smoked or spicy paprika at all. You can make your dish spicy once you serve it.
Note: paprika can go flat if it’s old. Make sure you taste test your paprika before cooking with it in this recipe. Paprika, as it gets older, will lose its aroma and become less pungent. If your paprika doesn’t have a strong flavor or has no smell, it’s no longer good. Store your paprika in an airtight container in a cool, dark spot, either in a spice drawer or the refrigerator.
Also, make sure you do not burn your paprika, or it becomes bitter.
Another essential ingredient is the ground caraway seed.
Can I Make Ahead and Freeze Cabbage Rolls?
You can certainly make ahead and freeze the stuffed cabbage rolls together with the sauerkraut, I always freeze them once they are cooked. First I cool them in the refrigerator and then freezein covered airtight containers or heavy-dutyfreezer bags.
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Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Töltött Káposzta
Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls are one of the most popular classics and it usually makes the Christmas and New Year’s Eve menus in most homes. Preparation varies according to region and family, people prepare them not only on the stovetop, but also in the oven.
5 from 2 votes
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Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Hungarian
Servings 4 people
Equipment
Large pot
Medium pot
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Wooden spoon
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 small green cabbage head
- 1 kg sauerkraut 2.2 pounds
- 2 cups minced pork (or half pork, half beef)
- 1 whole egg
- 12-16 cabbage leaves boiled
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 1/2 cup uncooked rice long grain
- 3 tbsp sweet paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
- 2-6 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or pork lard
- salt to taste
- 4 tbsp sour cream
- 1.5 tbsp all purpose flour
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Put the cabbage head in the water and slowly boil for about 30-35 minutes. Take the cabbage out and cool it. With a sharp knife carefully cut of 12-16 leaves without breaking them.
In a medium pot, sauté the finely chopped onions in lard or vegetable oil over low heat, stirring frequently, until translucent. Do not let them burn. Salt lightly to help tenderize them. The onions should be cut into very, very small pieces. Add a small amount of water, if necessary, to prevent sticking to the pan.
Remove the pot from the heat, add 3 tablespoons of sweet Hungarian paprika, stir well. Go by the color, if it is pale, rather orange than red, add a bit more paprika. Do not burn the paprika or it will become bitter.
Combine the ground meat, egg, rice, garlic, half of the sautéed onions-paprika mixture, ground black pepper, and salt to taste. Form medium-sized balls.
Flatten the cabbage leaves or remove the thick stalks from the center. Place 1 ball on each leaf, and roll it up firmly, folding the edges under.
Place 1 ball on each leaf, and roll it up firmly, folding the edges under.
Rinse the sauerkraut under running water and mix it with the second half of the paprika-onion mixture, the ground caraway seeds, the bay leaf and the flour. Spread half of it on the bottom of your pot. Place the cabbage rolls on top and cover them with the remaining sauerkraut.
Pour water over. The water should not cover the sauerkraut, but when you press it with a wooden spoon, you should see the water.
Cover with a lid and put it in the preheated oven (180°C/350F) and cook for about 1.5 - 2 hours, until the sauerkraut is tender. You can also test the meat filling, if the rice is tender, then it it done.
Serve with sour cream.
Keyword cabbage rolls, hungarian cabbage rolls, stuffed cabbage, stuffed cabbage rolls
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10 Comments
ashok2021-06-23 at 06:17 - Reply
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
karenna2021-10-22 at 17:53 - Reply
When I make Beigli rolls the top splits and the filling swells out the sides. I will try this recipe and let you know how it goes. If you have any suggestions please email me.
Thanks and God bless,
karenna
barbara tokar wolbrink2023-03-17 at 21:18 - Reply
I discovered a better way to prepare the cabbage for this recipe. Freeze the head for at least 24 hours and then let it defrost in the fridge until completely thawed out. You can now core it and the leaves are already wilted and ready for stuffing. No more over a hot pot of boiling water to get the leaves limp.
Diane2023-03-21 at 22:33 - Reply
My dad’s family immigrated to the US from Hungary in about 1914 and I grew up watching my grandma make töltött káposzta. However, I misplaced her recipe. When my husband brought home a cabbage, it inspired me to make it for him; however, I needed to adapt it for two reasons:
1. My husband is diabetic so I did not want to add rice as it spikes his blood sugar..
2. We do not eat pork.
That said, this recipe was very close to Grandma’s recipe, so here is how I adapted it:
1. I used two onions. The first onion I chopped finely and sautéed in the hot pan with a little salt, but I added a two cups of riced cauliflower, sautéing until lightly browned. I then added 1 ½ tbsp of Hungarian paprika, some dried Parsley, garlic and 1 tsp. Marjoram.
The second onion I diced finely and sautéed seperately, adding the other 1 ½ tbsp of Paprika afterwards.
2. Since we don’t eat pork I used ½ lb of 88/12 hamburger and ½ lb of turkey sausage – the kind you buy in a chub. I added the onion/ riced cauliflower mix to the sausage and followed the rest of the directions for the filling.
The second sautéed onion mix was added to the sauerkraut as per the directions, although I added a teaspoon of Marjoram to the other spices.
3: I laid a bed of turkey bacon on the sauerkraut before laying in the first layer of cabbage rolls, and another bed of turkey bacon between the top layer of cabbage rolls and the top layer of sauerkraut.
4. Instead of water, I added 4 cups of ½ water and ½ tomato juice, which was just right for the number of cabbage rolls this made.
I covered it, cooked for two hours and served with generous helpings of Light Sour cream.
This turned out heavenly and we both had to have seconds. I should add that, being unfamiliar with Hungarian food, my husband was quite sure he wasn’t going to like this, until he smelled it coming out of the oven. It was so good he quite stuffed himself.Doreen. Freeman2023-04-18 at 17:30 - Reply
I was so happy to find this site. My father’s mother and my aunts made this and I haven’t had it in years. I am making it today!!! Lots of sweet memories. Thank you! (my grandma used heavy cream instead of sour cream and stirred it in at the end, after it cooled enough. Different area of Hungary, perhaps?)Barath Agnes2023-04-20 at 11:04 - Reply
Hello Doreen, Hope this recipe worked for you. Please let me know how it turned out! :)
Agnes
Berzsa2023-10-12 at 06:26 - Reply
I know it will turn out delicious but it will not look like anything on the picture because it has been impossible to get whole leaves off the cooked cabbage. All I have is rags of cabbage full of tears and holes. I will try again with another cabbage but please tell me if there is a secret to be able to pull off the perfect leaves shown in the instructions
Barath Agnes2023-11-19 at 21:11 - Reply
Hello berzsa,
Thank you so much for reaching out and sharing your experience with the cabbage leaves. I understand the frustration, and it can be challenging to achieve the perfect leaves sometimes.Getting whole leaves off the cooked cabbage can indeed be a bit tricky. One method to make it easier is to core the cabbage before boiling. After boiling, the leaves may come off more intact. Additionally, make sure to gently separate the leaves with a pair of kitchen tongs to avoid tearing.
If you’re still encountering difficulties, trying a different cabbage is a good idea. Each cabbage can have slightly different characteristics, and some might be more cooperative in providing intact leaves. Also, you can try to cook them for a shorter amount of time, it may be easier to remove if they half-cooked.
Remember, even if the appearance isn’t perfect, the taste is what truly matters. Your effort and care in preparing the dish will surely shine through, and I hope it turns out wonderfully. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.
Agnes
Lorrie2023-10-28 at 21:10 - Reply
My Mom uses tomato juice to cover the rolls instead of water and power, boils the rice, and does not put it in the mixture raw.
Barbara Campisi2023-11-15 at 21:14 - Reply
My grandmother made this with a brown sauce..
