Easy Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet

This unstuffed cabbage roll skillet is an easy, delicious one-pot dish consisting of cabbage, meat and rice cooked in a simple tomato sauce. Unlike classic cabbage rolls, it requires minimal preparation and is ready in about 40 minutes! Perfect any day of the week.

See also lazy Polish cabbage rolls!

My unstuffed cabbage roll skillet is a speedy, delicious and healthy meal, and a simplified version of classic Polish gołąbki-cabbage rolls. This recipe is about deconstructing traditional stuffed cabbage and creating a dish that offers the same delicious flavours using a much easier and quicker preparation method.

There is no need to cook the cabbage, separate the leaves and make the cabbage rolls one by one. You won't need to boil the rice separately, either. Simply chop the cabbage and cook along with the rest of the ingredients (see Instructions below).

What I also love about this easy unstuffed cabbage skillet is how flexible it is. You can use a variety of herbs, as well as additional ingredients, depending on personal preference and what you have on hand (see Variations at the bottom of the post).

Unstuffed cabbage roll skillet ingredients and substitutions

• Cabbage: I used pointed cabbage (also called sweetheart or hispi cabbage) as it's sweeter and cooks quicker than white cabbage. A good alternative is savoy cabbage.
• Ground meat: you can use either ground pork, turkey (versatile and my personal favourite) or beef (though bear in mind the beef won't be as tender as the other meats). For best results I recommend using meat with around 8-10% fat (i.e. not extra lean).
• Rice: use any long-grain rice.
• Bacon: for me a small amount of smoked bacon really lifts the flavour of this simple dish.
• Onion and garlic.
• Stock: either vegetable or chicken are fine to use.
• Passata.
• Tomato paste: intensifies the tomato flavour.
• Herbs: I used a selection of dried herbs, which included thyme, marjoram, savory, chervil and paprika, but you can use herbes de Provence instead if preferred or a different herb mix.
• Soy sauce: adds depth of flavour and helps brown the meat.
• Olive oil.
• Salt and pepper: add to taste. I recommend using freshly ground multicolour peppercorns for added flavour.

How to prepare the cabbage

Preparing cabbage for this deconstructed gołąbki skillet is easy. Simply cut the cabbage in half and remove the core with a V shaped cut (cabbage core is tougher than cabbage leaves and will need more time to cook). You can use it to make cabbage juice.

I recommend cutting the cabbage into about 1-inch pieces. This will give your dish more texture while still allowing the cabbage to cook through.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Prepare rice: Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Set aside.

2. Cook bacon: To the skillet add 1 tablespoon of oil, chopped bacon and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until lightly browned and crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan (without the fat) and set aside.

3. Brown meat: To the skillet add the meat and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until the moisture disappears breaking up any larger lumps with a fork. Add the herbs and soy sauce, stir and continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes until the meat starts browning.

4. Add onion: Lower the heat and move the meat to one side then add 1 tablespoon of oil along with the onion and cook gently for 3 minutes until the onion softens stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic.

5. Add stock: Return the bacon to the pan, add the rice, stock, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.

6. Add cabbage: Add the passata, tomato paste and stir. Add the cabbage, pepper to taste and about ⅓ teaspoon of sea salt. Stir thoroughly, cover and cook gently for 10-12 minutes until the cabbage is tender (be careful not to overcook it).

7. Serve: Remove from the heat, adjust the seasoning if needed and serve.

Serving suggestions

I love this easy unstuffed cabbage roll skillet garnished with a generous amount of fresh dill (it's the perfect accompaniment to cabbage), but you can use parsley instead. This dish is delicious on its own, but you can also serve it with mashed potatoes or rutabaga (swede). Alternatively enjoy it with crusty bread or simple roasted or steamed vegetables.

Variations

• If you want the bacon to remain crispy add it at serving rather than during cooking (but still use the bacon fat as in Steps 3-4). The drawback of this method is that your cabbage-rice-and-meat skillet won't be infused with as much smoky flavour.
• Add pan fried mushrooms (cooked separately).
• Add a small amount of finely chopped Polish smoked kiełbasa along with (or instead of) the bacon.
• You can also use a combination of cabbage and sauerkraut (finely chopped and precooked for 30 minutes until softened) as I have done in my sauerkraut stuffed cabbage rolls.

Top tips

• I recommend using either pointed/hispi cabbage or savoy, as these are sweeter and cook faster than ordinary white cabbage.
• Remove the cabbage core with a V shaped cut and use just the leaves.
• Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear.
• Cooking times may vary according to the kind of cabbage you use, how finely you chop it as well as personal preference.
• Best served immediately. Leftover cabbage roll skillet with tomato sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. If the mixture thickens add a little water/stock to loosen it.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.

Related recipes to try next

• Vegan Mushroom Cabbage Rolls
• Turkey Cabbage Rolls (No Rice)
• Easy Sausage and Bean Skillet

You might also like these other easy meal ideas as well as more Polish recipes!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this speedy unstuffed cabbage roll skillet recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. What herbs did you use? Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

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