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!
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email it right to you, so you can come back to it later!
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:
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other qualifying programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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.
Amanda says
I was stuck with what to do with a cabbage… thank you, I’ve now found a perfect dish. I live in the U.K. So use tinned chopped tomatoes (half the amount) without any herbs and a beef oxo cube to add stock to lower the carbs. It turned out great! I will be making this again. Thank you for sharing!
Jean says
Delicious! Should I use lean or regular ground beef, and should I drain it? Thanks!
Karly Campbell says
Whatever you prefer is fine. I normally use a leaner ground beef and do not drain the fat as it adds to the flavor with the cabbage.
Lisa says
Made this for 2. Sauteed 1/2 lb chopped filet steak with 1 small onion adding 1 T chile powder, 1 t cumin, pinches cinnamon and allspice. Then added 1 small container Sassanos garden style tomato sauce and 1 small can plain tomato sauce with chopped 1/2 cabbage. It was delicious! Served over rice. Will definitely repeat.
Jennifer k says
Tastes like spaghetti and meatballs instead of Eastern Europe cabbage rolls. Rao’s is my favorite sauce but it doesn’t work in this recipe. Stuffed cabbage is supposed to have a sweet/sour sauce- usually it’s canned tomatoes and add sugar and vinegar. There is no Italian spices in stuffed cabbage like there is in the marinara sauce. I make this the rolled way all of the time.
Looks like I’ll be telling myself the cabbage is noodles and put parm on it bc I would hate to throw it out.
Kim Rossi says
OMG, this is SO good!!! Thank you for recommending the Rao sauce. I never really pay attention to the spaghetti sauces in the grocery store since my husband usually makes his own red gravy, but holy cow, this stuff was good! I got the bolognese style. It was 3 net carbs per serving. Really, really good stuff! Thank you!
KP says
This is a “Why didn’t I think of that?” dish. Very tasty. Thank you
Toni melk says
What is the nutrational facts on this dish t
Karly Campbell says
Nutrition info is located in the recipe card.
Mara says
What is a serving size?
Karly Campbell says
The nutrition is based on this making 6 servings, so 1/6th of the recipe.
Roy says
I added some red wine and a bit of sugar. Ok ok so there goes the low carb but dang the taste is awesome
Maureen Kmie says
Made it just as suggested and it was great. Kind of like Hamburger Helper without all the carbs. Making again today for lunches. Even though you said serve immediately it was great the next day.
Kristen says
LOVE THIS RECIPE. Works well with my keto diet. I doubled the recipe tonight and it seems to have A LOT of liquid…will this boil down eventually?
Karly Campbell says
It should reduce if you boil it long enough, but in the future, you probably don’t need to double the liquid. 🙂 Glad you enjoy the recipe!
Kristen says
I’ve been keto for 3 months and made this recipe a few times. IT IS SO GOOD!!! I doubled it tonight and it seems to have a lot of liquid; will this boil down? Either way so good!! Thanks for the recipe!
Ieva says
We have similar dish in Lithuania and we call it Lazy Cabbage Rolls 🙂
Jim O'Brien says
Delicious! You’re right about the Rao marinara. Tasty. No embellishments here. Straight up recipe. It takes hardly any time at all.
Karen says
Delicious and so easy! I used less beef and sauce. To make sure I didn’t lose flavor, I used Rao’s spicy sauce – Arrabbiata. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Claudia Holmes says
How long in instant pot.
Karly Campbell says
I haven’t made this in an Instant Pot before so I can’t say.
Suzi says
Do you have a specific program that can break down a recipe to carbs, sodium, protein etc.?
Karly Campbell says
I use My Fitness Pal to calculate nutrition.
Roberta says
I’d like to make it for a weekend I’m going on… it says “serve immediately” but do you think it would taste good a day or two later?
Karly Campbell says
Yes, I think so!
CATHY COPELAND says
I searched the grocery aisles awhile before I found Raos Marinade. It was with the spaghetti sauces not Salsas where I sometimes find it but this brand was more than 2 times the price of others at $6.94. I used Paul Newman Marinade which cost about $2.58. Great Dish!
Karly Campbell says
Hi Cathy! Yep, Rao’s is definitely in with the other Italian pasta sauces. It is pricier than most, but we love it so much. I’m sure Paul Newman’s was good too. 🙂
Eugene C. Caine says
Costco has a two pack of Rao’s for almost half the price and each bottle is larger than the grocery store 24oz.
Karly Campbell says
That’s where I’ve started buying mine too. So much more cost effective!
Traci says
Delicious! Thank you I have been wanting something different.