German cabbage rolls aka Kohlrouladen or Krautwickel are a classic German comfort food that perhaps makes you remember Sunday dinners of your childhood. I have always been a huge fan of German cabbage rolls, even I must admit, the process of making them is a bit time consuming. But the end result is always worth it, in my opinion.
The combination of the flavors of the cabbage, ground beef, and spices is so unique and delicious. I love not only the taste but also the way they look like cute little packages from Oma. I think this presentation of the dish is part of its charm – don´t we all just love to unwrap gifts?
These savory and satisfying rolls are packed with a flavorful mixture of ground beef, onions and spices, all wrapped up in tender cabbage leaves.
I you are a fan of easy but tasty comfort food you should check out my recipes for this Pfannkuchen recipe. German Pfannkuchen are so versatile and can be filled with sweet and savory fillings. A German comfort food staple that you should not miss in your monthly dinner rotation. Your family will love it and your budget too!
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Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a crowd, these German cabbage rolls are sure to be very popular! Trust me, once you try these German cabbage rolls, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. So, why not give these Kohlrouladen a try and add some comfort and flavor to your kitchen? Let's get rolling!
Cabbage Roll History
Even in antiquity, the Byzantines discovered that they could use leaves to fill with small delicacies. They would use the leaves of different plants.
In the Medieval Ages, the stuffed cabbage came to mid- and east-Europe. Because cabbage could be cultivated in colder areas and was also an important vitamin source during the colder months, the vegetable grew quickly there.
Today, stuffed cabbage is one of the national dishes of many European countries and is a beloved winter comfort food in many families.
This traditional recipe with brown gravy from Oma’s cookbook is a staple in classic German cuisine, but you can also find a version with tomato sauce that is very popular in European home-cooking.
There are also a multitude of other recipes for this simple dish, many of which put modern twists on its traditional flavors.
What are cabbage rolls called in German?
How to pronounce "Krautwickel" in German?
Listen to this audio file to hear how to say "Krautwickel". Der Krautwickel (m/singular) and die Krautwickel (f/plural).
How to pronounce "Kohlroulade" in German?
Listen to this audio file to hear how to say "Kohlrouladen". Die Kohlroulade (f/singular) and die Kohlrouladen (f/plural).
Ingredients & Substitutions
It is a bit time-consuming but easy to make German cabbage rolls from scratch; you only need a few ingredients.
White Cabbage - use a fresh, crisp cabbage for the best results and flavor.
Ground Beef - 80/20 percent ground beef is a great choice, but you can choose a leaner version too, or use half ground beef and half ground pork if you like it a bit heartier.
Onion & Garlic - I prefer to use fresh onions and garlic in my recipes, but feel free to substitute powder. For convenience, I love to use homemade garlic paste. It is so easy to make, handy, and saves a lot of money over time.
Bacon - Does not everything taste better with bacon? But if you want to save calories, just leave it out.
Bread & Bread Crumbs - milk-soaked bread (you can also use water to soak the bread) and bread crumbs will guarantee that your beef patties will be soft and tasty. with bacon? But if you want to save calories, just leave it out.
Eggs - help the meat patties to stay together and not fall apart in the cabbage roll.
Seasonings - the flavor mix of marjoram, salt, pepper, garlic paste, paprika powder, and mustard gives the meat filling an amazing flavor. The sauce is simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and caraway seeds. Use whole caraway seeds or ground ones; they don´t only add flavor but also help you to digest the cabbage easier.
Clarified Butter - clarified butter adds a beautiful flavor to the dish. If you don´t have clarified butter on hand, use butter plus a neutral vegetable oil to brown the cabbage rolls.
Corn Starch - the sauce thickens with a corn starch slurry (corn starch dissolved in cold water). This results in a finer, lighter sauce. If you prefer a thicker gravy, you can use flour instead.
Beef Broth - I am using rich, flavorful beef broth for this recipe, but you can also substitute vegetable or chicken broth.
Heavy Whipping Cream - gives this dish a creamy, rich texture, but you can leave it out.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
Cabbage rolls are incredibly versatile! Plus, they can also be made very budget-friendly. Just add some leftover cooked white rice or pre-cooked carrots to the meat mix, and voila, you will have way more food for less money.
In some parts of Germany, cabbage rolls are served with a light tomato sauce instead of the brown gravy in this recipe. Send me an email, and I am happy to send you the recipe for it.
Try this recipe with savoy cabbage instead of white cabbage for another delicious variation.
How to Remove Cabbage Leaves for Cabbage Rolls?
Method 1 - Blanching Method
- Fill a large pot with water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and bring to a simmer.
- In the meantime, cut the core out of the cabbage, pull off any wilted leaves, and carefully put the cabbage head into the simmering water.
- Cook for about 2-5 minutes. Remove the cabbage head carefully from the hot water and pull the desired amount of leaves off. Repeat the simmering process if the leaves get too difficult to remove in one piece.
- Spread the leaves on a clean kitchen towel to cool.
- If the veins of the cabbage leaves are very thick, cut the thick part out; this will make rolling easier.
Method 2 - Microwave Method
- Cut the core out of the cabbage, pull off any wilted leaves.
- Wrap a clean, wet kitchen towel around the cabbage head.
- Microwave the wrapped cabbage for 3-5 minutes on high power.
- Pull the desired amount of leaves off and repeat the microwaving if it gets too difficult to pull off the leaves.
- If the veins of the cabbage leaves are very thick, cut the thick part out; this will make rolling easier.
Instructions
Making cabbage rolls from scratch sounds for many people daunting. But I promise, it is way easier than you think. Especially if you follow my microwave tip to pull off the leaves. That make the process a bliss.
STEP 1 - PREPARING THE CABBAGE: First, let's prep our cabbage. Cut out the core and remove the outer layer of leaves. We won't be needing those.
Now, carefully peel off 16 to 18 large leaves. To make this easier, you can use the blanching or microwave method - check out the blog post for all the details!
STEP 2 - SOAKING THE BREAD: Grab a small bowl and break up your bread slices into it. Pour warm milk over the bread, making sure it's completely covered. We'll let it soak while we move on to the next step.
STEP 3 - PREPPING THE ONION AND BACON: Now, peel and cube the onion, and slice the bacon into fine pieces. Set both aside for later.
STEP 4 - MAKING THE MEAT MIXTURE: In a large bowl, add the ground meat, eggs, pepper, salt, ground marjoram, paprika powder, mustard, garlic paste, and the onion cubes. Squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add it to the mix. You can discard the milk or save it for another dish.
Give everything a quick mix, then add the bread crumbs and knead with your hands until well combined. Shape the mixture into small oblong patties.
STEP 5 - WRAPPING THE PATTIES: It's time to wrap our meat patties in the cabbage leaves! Grab a soft leaf and wrap it around a patty, securing the ends with a toothpick. Repeat this process for all the patties.
STEP 6 - BROWNING THE BACON AND CABBAGE ROLLS: Heat up some clarified butter or a mix of butter and oil on medium-high heat. Add the bacon and let it brown for a couple of minutes. Then, add the cabbage rolls to the pan, browning them on all sides.
STEP 7 - SIMMERING THE ROLLS: Pour in the broth and sprinkle in the caraway seeds. Let the cabbage rolls simmer, covered, for about 10 to 20 minutes. When they're done, remove the rolls from the pot and set them aside.
STEP 8: MAKING THE SAUCE: In a small bowl, mix cold water with corn starch. Add this mixture to the pot, along with the heavy cream. Bring it to a light simmer, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
STEP 9 - FINISHING TOUCHES: Place the cabbage rolls back into the pot and let them simmer, covered, in the sauce for another 10 minutes.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl with kneading hook
- Measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale
- Large pot
- Steamer basket or heat proof colander
- Slotted spoon or two tablespoons to place and remove the dumplings
Leftovers
They easily keep in the fridge for 2-3 days and are still very tasty when warmed up (even in the microwave).
You can easily freeze these German cabbage rolls. You can do this whether they're raw and already wrapped up or if they've been cooked. Just make sure to add some sauce to your cooked cabbage rolls and let them cool down before you pop them into the freezer.
Tip
German cabbage rolls also perfect for meal prepping, so you can enjoy them throughout the week.
How to Serve
German cabbage rolls are great for any occasion. For a cozy family dinner, serve them with mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. They're comforting and delicious. If you're hosting a party, make mini cabbage rolls as appetizers. They're perfect finger food, and your guests will love them with a dipping sauce. Enjoy these versatile and tasty rolls however you like!
Recipe
Traditional German Cabbage Rolls in Brown Gravy
Equipment
- 1 large pot with lid
- 16 toothpicks or small skewers
- kitchen tongues or two forks
- cooking spoon or spatula
Ingredients
Shell
- 1 large head of white cabbage
- 1 tbsp. salt
Filling
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 onion
- 4 oz. bacon
- 2 slices bread
- ½ cup warm milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp. coarse Kosher salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 2 tbsp. mustard
- 1 tbsp. garlic paste
- 1 tsp. paprika powder
- 1 tsp. marjoram
- ½ cup bread crumbs
Sauce
- 2 tbsp. clarified butter or 1 tbsp. butter plus 1 tbsp. neutral vegetable oil
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp. caraway seeds
- 2 tbsp. corn starch
- 4 tbsp. water
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the core out of the cabbage, remove the outer layer of leaves, and discard. Peel off 16–18 large leaves. (Use the blanching or microwave method; see blog post for an in-depth description.)
- Break the bread slices into a small bowl and cover them with warm milk.
- Then peel and cube the onion, and slice the bacon finely. Set both aside.
- Add the ground meat to a large bowl, and then add the eggs, pepper, salt, ground marjoram, paprika powder, mustard, garlic paste, and the onion cubes.
- Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the bread to the other ingredients. Discard the milk or use it for other dishes.
- Mix everything briefly, then add the bread crumbs and knead with your hands until everything is well combined. Then shape small oblong patties.
- Wrap each meat patty into a soft cabbage leaf and secure the ends with a toothpick.
- Heat the clarified butter or the butter plus oil on medium-high heat. Add the bacon and brown for a couple of minutes.
- Add the cabbage rolls and brown on all sides.
- Add broth and caraway seeds, and simmer covered for about 10-20 minutes. Remove the cabbage rolls from the pot and set them aside.
- Mix cold water with corn starch and add it to the pot along with the heavy cream. Bring to a light simmer, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the cabbage rolls back into the pot and allow them to simmer, covered, in the sauce for 10 additional minutes.
E says
This recipe looks amazing! I am so glad I found this web page!
Angela says
Thank you. I hope you will give it a try and let us know how it turned out.
Erin says
I tried this recipe just this evening, it was just as amazing as I thought! I was familiar with Polish and Russian stuffed cabbage, and I love both of those stuffed cabbage recipes, when I found the recipe for German stuffed cabbage I knew I had to try it! This is entirely different then the Russian and Polish stuffed cabbage but equally delicious! I definitely want to make this often, and I made a bunch so I can freeze the rest, I enjoy stuffed cabbage for lunch, supper and even as a snack from time to time!
Thank you for the recipes, and step by step videos! God bless you and your family!
Angela says
Erin, I am so excited you gave this recipe a try and liked our cabbage rolls. Thank you so much for the feedback, it means a lot to us. God bless you and your family!
Lorraine says
Hi Angela, My name is Lorraine.I have a question: im planning to bring this for work tomorroe for our potluck. Im not sure if its a good idea to cook the cabbage tonight and my concern is if it will be soggy by tomorrow morning? Will you give me a suggestion when should i make this? Is it easier if i make the beef mixture tonight and put them together tomorrow early morning?
Angela Schofield says
Hi Lorraine, what a great idea for a potluck. I personally think cabbage rolls are even better if you re-heat them. I would prepare everything and place the ready made cabbage rolls into the sauce. Then shut the heat off. The rest heat of the sauce will cook the meat enough to be safe, but will not make the dish soggy. And then tomorrow you just need to cook it on medium-low until they are ready. Hope that helps and Guten Appetit! 🙂
William says
Thank you for this old-world recipe. I loved it, especially it’s authenticity and flavorful gravy. Made it for my wife’s birthday, so knowing it would take extra time to make was no problem. I must have done something wrong because I wound up with 14 cabbage rolls (though I feel lucky we have leftovers and enough for my parents too). Thank you. My next challenge is an authentic Sauerbraten.
Angela says
Hi William, wow, I am super impressed, your wife must have been very happy. I don´t know many husbands who cook such an amazing birthday dinner. The amount of cabbage rolls always varies depending on the size of the cabbage leaves, I am sure you did nothing wrong and I agree leftovers are always soo good. I am sure you will have no problem to make authentic Sauerbraten, as this recipe is easier and way less work than the cabbage rolls.
Mike says
Hi Angela, my dad introduced me to cabbage rolls but he only made the Polish kind I didn't know there was any other but I guess reason would say that different cultures have their own recipes for basically the same dish. I can't wait to try your recipe, my grandparents were German and I didn't want to tell my dad but I was getting a little tired of the watery tomato bath version. Anything with bacon in it has got to be better! ; )
Angela Schofield says
Hi Mike, thank you so much for your comment, I am really excited that you want to give my recipe a try. It´s true different cultures have different recipes and even the different regions in Germany have a lot of different recipes. I have about ten recipes that I cook alternating. The one that I posted is one of my favorites, you are absolutely right - anything with bacon is really good 🙂
Bryan Harp says
I love the German cabbage roll recipe in fact I like every recipe that I have seen and tried so far. It reminds me of Germany real food from Deutschland. I lived in Germany 4 years I was an Army dependent in high school. I can make my own Baueren Brot. I would like to find the recipe that uses the potato Baueren Brot.
have a blessed day
Bis Spater von Tennessee
Angela Schofield says
Thank you so much for this amazing comment. It made my day knowing that you like the recipes and that they remind you to your time in Germany. I hope you will continue to visit our blog and find many recipes you like. Liebe Grüße nach Tennessee
Gina says
Do you freeze them before or after you cook them?
Angela Schofield says
It is best to freeze them after you cook them.
Cathy Penner says
I am wondering if the recipe is supposed to read 2 tsp. salt and not 2 Tbsp salt. Wouldn't that be too salty?
Angela Schofield says
I used coarse Kosher salt, if you are using fine salt, you probably would need 1-2 tsp. depending on your taste.
Bob Krause says
Absolutely amazing!! Best stuffed cabbage recipe ever. The savory sauce is the star and pairs perfectly with the stuffed cabbage. Highly recommended.
Angela Schofield says
Thank you so much! That makes me incredibly happy to hear. 😊