Crockpot Cabbage Rolls Recipe is so easy to make! These Stuffed cabbage rolls are a delicious family dinner! This slow cooker recipe combines cabbage, kielbasa, bacon, and more for a great meal! These are the perfect family dinner that is so easy to prepare.
Crockpot Cabbage Rolls Recipe
This CrockPot Cabbage Rolls Recipe is so easy to make! These stuffed cabbage rolls are a delicious family dinner! This slow cooker recipe combines cabbage, kielbasa, bacon, and more for a great meal that comes together in no time!
Life is wildly busy right now, so anytime we can shave off time in the kitchen, we are all in. I love that you can prep these easy slow cooker cabbage rolls before you head out for a game or practice and come home to dinner, ready to go.
Do you need more time to take a deep breath and not stress? I know I do.
Ingredients to make Cabbage Rolls in the Crock-Pot
Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make epic CrockPot Cabbage Rolls! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- Kielbasa
- Bacon
- Celery
- Onion
- Sour Cabbage (see notes below for using regular cabbage)
- Rice
- Dry Dill
- Minced Garlic
- Salt and Pepper
- Chicken Stock
Equipment Needed
- CrockPot
- Frying Pan
- Kitchen Spoon/Spatula
- Paring Knife
You can use a large bowl to mix everything together if you prefer over the frying pan.
How to Make CrockPot Cabbage Rolls
I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.
- In a frying pan, sauté garlic, kielbasa, bacon, celery, and onion until soft.
- Add rice, dill, salt, and pepper.
- Mix well. Set aside to cool.
- Open the package of sour cabbage, and drain the excess liquid.
- Peel off the leaves carefully and give them a rinse.
- In the larger leaves' center is a large and tough “rib.” Using a knife, cut along the sides of the rib to remove it, and then continue to slice the leaf in half.
- For the smaller leaves: if the rib is still tender, break it by pushing it to halve the leaf lying flat.
- Grease the slow cooker bowl and lay strips of bacon on the bottom. Set aside.
- When the filling is cooled, spoon approximately filling on the center of the leaf, with the leaf laying lengthwise. Fold from the bottom to cover the filling, and then fold in the sides, much like an envelope. Continue to roll upwards, keeping the leaf tight around the filling. Similar to rolling a burrito.
- Lay these rolls seam-side down in the slow cooker bowl.
- Continue rolling and placing the cabbage in the bowl on one level, and then start to stack them, still putting them seam side down until you run out of filling or leaves to make a complete roll.
- Cover the cabbage rolls with the remaining bacon and slowly pour chicken stock.
- Cover with the lid and cook on low.
- After two hours, remove the lid and check liquid levels. Add more stock if it’s running low.
- Garnish with bacon and onions, if desired.
Preparation and Storage
Make Ahead + Storage: Prepared cabbage rolls keep in the fridge for up to three days when stored in an airtight container. You can also assemble the cabbage rolls the day before and cook them in your CrockPot when ready to serve.
Freezing/How to Freeze: Transfer freezer-bound cabbage rolls to an airtight container or freezer bags and enjoy them within three months. Be sure that they’ve cooled enough to firm up before freezing them.
How to Reheat: Reheat your cabbage rolls using the microwave, stovetop, or CrockPot, depending on how many portions you plan to prepare. Thaw frozen leftovers overnight in the fridge to ensure they reheat evenly.
Recipe Variations
Substitutions:
Kielbasa is essential to the authenticity of this recipe, and we like the flavorful addition of bacon. However, you can use seasoned and sauteed lean ground beef or ground pork if you can’t find kielbasa.
You can use vegetable or beef stock if you don’t have chicken stock, though the taste will be slightly different.
We use chicken stock but you can use beef broth if that is what you have available.
Vegetarian + Vegan Option: This recipe is vegetarian and vegan-friendly if you replace the kielbasa, bacon, and chicken stock with plant-based alternatives.
Gluten-Free: The ingredients in this CrockPot Cabbage Roll recipe are naturally gluten-free, but check for a gluten-free label on the chicken stock since some brands contain gluten-unsafe ingredients.
Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: This recipe makes six servings. Scale it up or down to your desired yield, keeping in mind that you may need to work in batches.
Make it Spicy: This recipe isn’t traditionally made spicy. However, you can add Worcestershire sauce to the beef for more flavor.
Sugar-Free: This recipe contains 7 grams of sugar per serving, with no single ingredient containing a significant amount of sugar. Choose substitutes labeled sugar-free to lower it as much as possible.
Recipe Tips
- If you use a regular head of cabbage instead of sauerkraut, freeze the whole head of cabbage for a few days and then let it thaw overnight in a bowl. This technique will soften the cabbage leaves and make them more pliable.
- Alternatively, you can boil the whole head of cabbage in salted boiling water, removing the outer leaves as they become soft and pliable.
- In both cases, you must remove the core to remove the leaves quickly. Use a paring knife to remove this part from the cabbage, releasing it from the leaves. Freezing is much easier; it just takes time to freeze and thaw.
- Printable recipe card instructions are below.
- Nutrition information, including calories, protein, calcium, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin c, potassium, cholesterol, sodium, trans fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and more, will vary depending on the products used.
Check out all of our favorite crockpot side dishes.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls
Here are some of our favorite ideas if you wonder what goes with sauerkraut and sausage.
Sauces/Garnish: Mustard, Sour Cream
Bread: Beer Bread, 7-Up Biscuits, Sweet Bread Rolls, Knot Rolls
Side Dishes: Pierogies, Cracker Barrel Carrots, Green Bean Casserole, Air Fryer Mixed Vegetables, Broccoli, Potato Wedges, Asparagus, Broccoli Salad, Mashed Potatoes, Funeral Potatoes, Mashed Cauliflower
Desserts: Apple Cobbler, Ambrosia Salad, Apple Pie Dumplings, Apple Dump Cake, Fried Apples
When to Serve Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls
- New Year's Day: This dish is associated with good luck in the New Year.
- Family Dinner
- Oktoberfest
Great CrockPot Recipes
Check out these other easy CrockPot dinner recipes that save you time, energy, and stress!
Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.
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Crockpot Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz. Kielbasa diced
- ½ Cup Bacon diced + about 6 raw bacon
- 3 ribs Celery diced
- ½ Onion diced
- 1 head Sour cabbage see notes below for using regular cabbage
- 4 Cups Rice cooked, cooled
- 1 Teaspoon Dill Weed dry
- 2 Teaspoon Garlic minced
- Black Pepper as desired. same with salt only if you use regular cabbage. If you use sour cabbage, do not salt.
- 1– 2 Cups Chicken Stock
Instructions
- In a frying pan, sauté garlic, Kielbasa, ½ C bacon, celery, and onion until soft.
- Add rice and dill, salt and pepper.
- Mix well. Set aside to cool.
- Open the package of sour cabbage, drain excess liquid.
- Peel off the leaves carefully and give them a rinse.
- In the center of the larger leaves, there is a large “rib”. It’s tough and needs to be removed. Using a knife, cut along the sides of the rib to remove it, and then continue to slice the leaf in half.
- For the smaller leaves, if the rib is still tender, break it by pushing on it to have the leaf lie flat.
- Grease the slow cooker bowl and lay 3 – 4 strips of bacon on the bottom. Set aside.
- When the filling is cooled, spoon approximately 2 – 3 tbsp. of the filling and lay it on the center of the leaf, with the leaf laying lengthwise. Fold from the bottom to cover the filling, and then fold in the sides, much like an envelope. Continue to roll upwards, keeping the leaf tight around the filling.
- Lay these rolls seam side down in the slow cooker bowl.
- Continue rolling and placing the cabbage in the bowl on one level, and then start to stack them, still placing them seam side down, until you run out of filling and or leaves.
- Cover the cabbage rolls with the remaining bacon and slowly pour in 1 – 2 cups of chicken stock.
- Cover with the lid and cool on low for approximately 4 -5 hours.
- After two hours, remove the lid and check liquid levels. Add adding more stock if it’s running low.
- Garnish with bacon and onions if desired.
Kitchen Tools
- Slow cooker
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe originally shared on August 6, 2016. Updated January 2021.
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