This Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet is a great weeknight comfort food! The same lovely deep flavor as slow-cooked cabbage rolls but a lot faster, with fewer dishes to wash, and with a healthy dose of vegetables in every serving.
I love cabbage. I always have. Sauerkraut has been one of my favorite foods since I was a kid. I'm happy to eat cabbage in any dish but I loooove cabbage rolls. Ground beef, rich and tangy tomato flavor, the bite of the cabbage. Comfort food at its best! However, making cabbage rolls requires a lot of dishes and a lot of time. Knowing that meals with rice and ground beef (or turkey) are pretty easy to get into my family on a busy weeknight, taking the pain out of cabbage rolls and throwing it all into one pot was a no-brainer.
Ingredients
- Avocado oil - avocado oil is my go-to neutral oil. It's a good source of heart-healthy monosaturated fats and it has a high smoke point.
- Aromatics - red bell pepper, onion, garlic
- Ground beef - you could also use ground turkey or lamb
- Seasonings - dried oregano, dried thyme, dried paprika, salt & pepper
- Tomatoes - my favorite canned tomatoes are whole peeled. I crushed them, chunk them up with a spoon or puree them depending on my needs.
- Water
- Apple cider vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce - adds a nice depth of flavor to this quick-cooking meal.
- Brown sugar - a little boost for the tomato flavor
- Cabbage - roughly chopped into bigger pieces. I like some heft to the pieces of cabbage. I don't want them to disappear in the sauce.
- Jasmine rice - or substitute your favorite rice.
- Toppings - parsley, sour cream or Greek yogurt for serving - a nice tang and cool finish on top!
How To Make Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet
- Sauté - Add the ground beef, red bell pepper, onion, salt, and pepper to a heated skillet and sauté until the beef is browned. Add garlic and other seasonings and cook another minute.
- Add additional ingredients - Crush the tomatoes then add them and the remaining ingredients to the pan.
- Simmer - Cover the skillet or pot, bring it to a simmer, and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Serve - Add some fresh chopped parsley and a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream for a tangy cool finish. And, if like me you are a hot sauce lover, add a dash (or ten).
Tips & Options
- Storage- Refrigerate after allowing leftovers to cool completely and placing in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to two months in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove.
- Extra Veggies - Add grated zucchini to the pan when adding the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute to get another vegetable into the meal!
- Hot Sauce - I will add hot sauce wherever it seems even slightly reasonable. I like a healthy splash of hot sauce to garnish my bowl. My go-to not too hot hot sauce is Frank's RedHot.
Looking for more quick weeknight dinner ideas? Try this One Pan Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Rice!
Recipe
Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet
I love cabbage rolls but they are time consuming to roll and create more dishes than I want to deal with. This is a faster weeknight version of cabbage rolls, loaded with vegetables and a perfect comfort food!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 small head cabbage roughly chopped
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- sour cream or Greek yogurt for serving
Instructions
- Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When heated, add ground beef, red bell pepper, onions, salt and pepper. Break up the ground beef while it browns, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add garlic, oregano, thyme, and paprika, and sauté 1 minute.
- Crush the whole peeled tomatoes with your hands in a medium bowl. Pour into the skillet.
- Add water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and rice. Stir until combined. Stir in cabbage.
- Cover the skillet with a lid, bring to a simmer and let cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.
Notes
- Storage- Refrigerate after allowing leftovers to cool completely and placing in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to two months in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove.
- Extra Veggies - Add a grated zucchini to the pan when adding the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute to get another vegetable into the meal!
- Hot Sauce - I will add hot sauce wherever it seems even slightly reasonable. I like a healthy splash of hot sauce to garnish my bowl.
Nutrition
Calories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 21gFat: 13gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 2024mgPotassium: 762mgFiber: 10gSugar: 20g
Nutrition Facts
Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet
Amount per Serving
Calories
350
% Daily Value*
Fat
13
g
20
%
Cholesterol
48
mg
16
%
Sodium
2024
mg
88
%
Potassium
762
mg
22
%
Carbohydrates
42
g
14
%
Fiber
10
g
42
%
Sugar
20
g
22
%
Protein
21
g
42
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Andrea says
Love this!
Michael says
Cabbage is such a winner - such a delicious recipe
Mary says
Love! Love! Love! Reminds me of my mom’s cabbage rolls!