These Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls have all the flavor of a traditional cabbage roll and call for just 5 ingredients! This low carb cabbage rolls recipe is super filling and totally easy for busy nights!
My family and I went on a cruise around the British Isles a few years ago and it was a seriously amazing trip. We stopped at 11 different ports and I absolutely loved trying the different foods in each port.
But what I loved even more was watching my son get excited seeking out local restaurants to get an authentic taste of each country.
One of our ports had a little Russian restaurant that he insisted on trying.
We were in Scotland at the time, but he’d had enough shepherd’s pie and wasn’t interested in trying haggis, so we got a little taste of Russia. He ordered cabbage rolls and I was super skeptical over whether or not he’d like them.
Y’all, the kid LOVES cabbage. I’ve been making all kinds of low carb cabbage recipes for him since then. This unstuffed cabbage casserole might just be his new favorite.
This is a meal all on it’s own, cooked in one pot, but if you want to add a side, we highly recommend serving these unstuffed cabbage rolls with some cauliflower breadsticks.
Ingredient Notes:
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Cabbage – Obviously you’re going to need some cabbage when making unstuffed cabbage rolls! One large chopped head of cabbage should do the trick. While cabbage does have a fair amount of carbs, it’s also full of fiber, which makes it a good low carb choice in moderation.
Ground Beef – I used lean ground beef in this recipe, but other types of ground meat will work too! Try chicken or turkey, if you’d like.
Marinara Sauce – I really love this Rao’s Marinara Sauce. It tastes great and doesn’t have any added sugars. You can use whichever brand you like, just be sure to check the label.
My family of 10 all gave 2 thumbs up!! I have some cabbage haters here, but they loved this! – Kris W.
How To:
Prepare the Beef – First up you’re going to need to brown some beef. Add it to a Dutch oven and cook over medium heat, crumbling as it cooks. You shouldn’t need to drain the fat unless you are using some extra fatty ground beef. I would recommend using lean ground beef but it should be okay if you don’t have it. Once the meat has partially cooked you can add in the onions and garlic and cook for a couple more minutes, stirring often, before moving to the next step.
Add the Sauce – Next up is the tasty marinara sauce! Start by stirring in the marinara sauce and water. Mix the sauce, beef, and onions up well and then move on to the final step!
Add the Cabbage – Now all that’s left is to chop up a head of cabbage and add that to the pot. Just stuff it all in there and stir carefully! The cabbage will cook down some and the pot won’t be quite so full. Once the cabbage has cooked down until it is nice and tender, you’re all done! It’s so quick and easy and you can enjoy this recipe in just 30 minutes.
What Readers Are Saying:
Made this as is and it is great!! We love it!!
I’ll be making this on a regular basis especially since it’s now getting quite cold here.
Thank You ☺️ – Susan
This was so delicious! I made it exactly to your recipe as I didn’t want to think any further and was pressed for time. It was so easy, tasty and the ratio of cabbage to meat was perfect. I don’t see any need to change anything and will certainly make again. Thank you for developing this recipe to please your followers. – Diana
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made this on Saturday but it was so good I made it again tonight. The only thing I did differently was to add fire roasted tomatoes and a cup of rice. – Sandra
FAQ’s:
Nope! Just about any type of ground meat should work in this. A few readers have suggested that ground lamb works really well in this recipe, and another mentioned using smoked sausage. Ground pork, chicken, and turkey would be great too.
These unstuffed cabbage rolls should store well in the fridge for a few days if you seal it tightly. I have not tried freezing this recipe, but I think it would freeze well and reheat perfectly.
More Keto Cabbage Recipes:
- Cheesy Cabbage Casserole
- Cheesy Keto Cabbage Soup
- Crockpot Cabbage Soup with Beef
- Smoked Sausage and Fried Cabbage
More low carb favorites:
Sausage Egg Roll in a Bowl: The most popular recipe on my other blog!
Avocado Egg Salad: This one is for the avocado lovers out there!
Cauliflower Potato Salad: You won’t miss the potatoes, promise!
Brussel Sprouts and Bacon: Who would have guessed Brussels sprouts cold be so tasty?
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/2 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large head of cabbage chopped
- 24 ounces marinara sauce such as Rao’s
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the beef to a 5 quart dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the meat, crumbling as it cooks.
- When meat is partially cooked, add the onion and garlic to the pan and continue cooking, stirring often.
- Add the cabbage, marinara, water, and salt to the pan and stir to cover the cabbage in the marinara and beef.
- Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the cabbage is as tender as you’d like.
- Serve immediately.
Barbara See says
What about using a slow cooker…..just adding more time…..? I am trying it this way…
Karly Campbell says
I haven’t tried it, but would love to hear how it goes!
Bertha Hansen says
Sounds like a winner n i’m gonna make ..Have a lot of cabbage from garden to use…my kids love cabbage..thank you..
Craig says
Would it be good with cauliflower rice added?
Karly Campbell says
Sure! You might serve over cauliflower rice instead though, as the rice might get a bit mushy if it sets in the sauce for too long.
Suzanne says
I had a few questions:
1. Do I have to use marinara or can I use tomato soup or spagetti sauce?
2. Can I make this in a frying pan or do I need a dutch oven?
3. Sounds delish!
Karly Campbell says
Spaghetti sauce is fine, but I haven’t tried this with tomato soup.
You’d need a really large frying pan to fit all of the cabbage in, but otherwise that should be fine.
Sharon says
I would like to add some rice, suggestions as to when & how much extra water to add
Karly Campbell says
I’ve never added rice to this before, so I’m just guessing here, but I’d add a cup of rice and an additional 2 cups of liquid (water or broth). It’ll probably take about 15 minutes to finish up, so I’d add with the marinara. Can’t guarantee that will work though.
Jane E Sample says
7you could add riced cauliflower to keep the carbs down!
Ms Joanne says
Frozen riced cauliflower (Birds-Eye is good) holds its shape so it’s really much more like rice than making your own in a food processor. I use it in recipes like this and jambalaya all the time.
If you ever look up the amount of carbs in a little bit of rice you’ll never eat it again. It’s insanely high in carbs.
For this recipe I’d use a large can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes instead of marinara, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and 3 heaping tablespoons of fake sugar. This will give it a true cabbage roll taste.
Holly says
I bought some of this and was thinking about adding it to this recipe. I used 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes and sugar substitute for the reasons you stated! Thanks for the tip about jambalaya, too! I’ll add the riced cauliflower last.
Holly says
I also added some ground cayenne pepper just because I like a bit of that in almost everything! And some yellow peppers I had leftover. YUM.
Gloria Reese says
The unstuffed cabbage roll was great….I don’t even have to watch my carbs, but it’s a great meal and something different!!!! Thanks
Karly Campbell says
So glad you enjoyed!
Autumn Heir says
Is it important to cover while the cabbage is tenderizing?
Karly Campbell says
It should speed things up if you do cover it. 🙂
Kris W. says
My family of 10 all gave 2 thumbs up!! I have some cabbage haters here, but they loved this!
Heather says
What is the serving size?
Karly Campbell says
The nutrition info is calculated based on this recipe making 6 servings.
JG says
Looks very good and I plan to make it very soon yum
JG says
Looks very good and I plan to make it very soon
Tammy Vogelgesang says
I add cooked white rice!
Karen Joslin says
Not Low carb if you add white rice.
Terri says
Or the garlic toast someone mentioned earlier
Heaven Marie says
Should have used cauliflower and made rice. It’s tasty and you don’t even realize it’s not rice. The rice totally blew the low carb (kept) and used most of your daily carbs, if not more
Danielle James says
When do you add the rice in?
John says
Never no info on cholesterol or sodium or sugar. That’s why I never make these recipes
Karly Campbell says
You’re welcome to plug the info into a nutrition calculator yourself, if those values are important to you.
Rita Englebry says
Iove, love, LOVE this recipe!! I suck at rolling cabbage rolls even tho I love to eat them. So quick of a meal to make on a cool day or when so busy!! Programming on a busy out of the house day is perfect!!! Thank you so much!!!
Crystal Vargas says
Just bought all the ingredients today to make tomorrow the only thing that I’m doing a little differently is I’m using veggie meat
Eva says
When do you add the sour salt?
Karly Campbell says
I don’t add sour salt.
Shelia Pike says
What is sour salt??
Sandy says
I will make this with ground turkey. Sounds delicious and will be a good break from chicken. Thanks.
Susan says
This is a keeper. Very easy to make and the family loved it. I did add some paprika to taste and a little more salt. The cabbage soaks it up. Served it with garlic toast.
Karly Campbell says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Paprika was a great addition!
Barbara says
I had this for dinner last night it was wonderful.
Ivory says
For sure will be making this tasty looking dish tomorrow. Thank you so much. Yum!
Anna says
Love your receipts, thanks for so for all the wonderful ideas.
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Anna!
Leslie says
Hi there! How would you alter the directions if you wanted to instant pot this lovely recipe?
Karly Campbell says
I can’t offer any advice as I haven’t tried this one in an Instant Pot.
Cindy says
I made it for the first time and in my Instant Pot. It was great! I started making it on the stove, but when it became time to cook it with the cabbage & marinara, I looked over and my IP was sitting empty. So I dumped it all out of the Dutch oven and into the IP. I added a bit more water (approximately about another 1/2 cup) and cooked it on high pressure for 10 minutes. It was great! I’ll definitely do it again and next time I’ll brown my meat in the IP.
Cheryl Ortiz says
OM!! This was delicious. I didn’t have Marinara sauce so I use 10oz can of rotel and 14oz of V8 juice. I turned so good that my friend took a lot home with her and the recipe. Even my daughter loved it and she won’t eat cabbage. So yea Yummy!!!!!