Crockpot Cabbage Rolls

4.54 from 32 votes

Crockpot Cabbage Rolls

Crockpot Cabbage Rolls are traditional Romanian stuffed cabbage leaves filled with seasoned ground pork and rice, slowly cooked to tender perfection. Easy to make in the crockpot, they're a comforting meal that's sure to please!

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Total Time8 30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Romanian

Keyword: cabbage rolls, crockpot cabbage rolls, crockpot recipes

Servings:

Calories: 136kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

Ingredients

2 pounds sour cabbage leaves
2 pounds ground pork
½ cup rice long grain, uncooked, such as basmati or jasmine
1 large onion chopped or grated
¼ cup fresh dill chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces bacon or other smoked meats such as smoked sausage or hock
4 cups tomato juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the sour cabbage leaves to a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Let the leaves soak in the water for few minutes. This will wash out some of the saltiness from the leaves. Drain the water. If some of the leaves are too big, cut them in half, if making smaller cabbage rolls.
In a large bowl mix together the ground pork, rice, chopped onion, dill, parsley, salt and pepper. Use your hands to incorporate everything well together. Be careful with the salt, not too much is needed because the sour cabbage is already salty.
Fill each leaf with about a couple tablespoon of the meat mixture and roll, tucking in the ends. Repeat with all the remaining meat and cabbage.
If you have any cabbage left over, chop it up and spread it over the bottom of the crockpot. Arrange all the cabbage rolls in the crockpot. If adding smoked meat, add it now over the cabbage rolls.
Pour all the tomato juice over the cabbage rolls. Cover the crockpot.
Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve with polenta or mashed potatoes and a dollop of sour cream on top.

Video

Notes

I usually find sour cabbage leaves at my local grocery store like Sobey's or Safeway, but you can also find them at European markets.
You can use fresh cabbage instead of sour cabbage, but more work is required. You first have to blanch the cabbage. To do so, core the cabbage first, one large cabbage should be enough for this recipe. In a large pot of boiling salted water, add the cabbage and blanch it for 5 to 8 minutes or until leaves are softened. Remove from the pot and chill under cold water.
Another alternative to softening the cabbage leaves is to wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for a couple days. Remove the cabbage from the freezer and thaw it out at room temperature. Once the cabbage has thawed out, the leaves should be softened.
Adjust Seasoning Carefully: Sour cabbage leaves are salty, so be cautious with the salt in your filling.
Rice Choice: Long-grain rice works best as it holds its shape during cooking.
Tomato Juice Substitute: If you don't have tomato juice, use diluted tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes.

Nutrition