Authentic Polish Golabki – stuffed cabbage with meat and rice 🇵🇱

A traditional Polish dish made with cabbage leaves stuffed with minced pork and beef, rice, bacon, onions, and spices, baked in tomato sauce.

Featured image by Karolina Kołodziejczak on Unsplash.

Recipe Intro

Stuffed cabbage leaves are popular in many European regions, especially in Eastern and Central Europe. They typically consist of cabbage leaves stuffed with minced meat, rice, vegetables, and seasoning, simmered in a flavourful broth.

Golabki translates to “little pigeons” in Polish, reflecting the shape of the stuffed cabbage rolls.
While some recipes call for cooking in a pot, this is the oven-baked version. Give it a try! It takes some time to prepare, but it’s not difficult, it is delicious! It makes a fantastic meal for the whole family.

Essential Ingredients for Golabki

• cabbage – Purchase a large white cabbage, the leaves will be big enough for wrapping the filling.

Note: I prepared with one standard-sized cabbage and managed to separate 14 large enough leaves for stuffing (14 golabki). Keep in mind, this really depends on the type of cabbage you buy and whether many outer leaves need to be discarded, as this can affect the final number.

• minced meat – Use a mixture of half pork and half beef mince.
• rice – Use plain long-grain white rice.
• bacon – You can use either pancetta, smoked, or unsmoked bacon. If you prefer a richer flavour, opt for smoked bacon.
• onion & garlic – Avoid onion or garlic powders or paste. Instead, use fresh onions and garlic in your golabki
• butter – Any butter will work, but if you use salted, be cautious when adding salt to the dish.
• beef stock – You can make your own beef stock, buy ready-made beef stock, or simply use beef stock powder or a cube.
• herbs and spices – marjoram, paprika, bay leaf
• tomato passata and concentrate

I used one standard-sized cabbage and managed to separate 14 large enough leaves for stuffing, which gave me 14 gołąbki. Keep in mind, this really depends on the type of cabbage you buy and whether many outer leaves need to be discarded, as this can affect the final number.

Try something different

• cabbage: Use savoy cabbage for tenderness or kale for added flavour. Napa cabbage is also a lighter option.
• vegetarian version: Stuff with mashed root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, parsnips) and grains like quinoa or farro.
• herbs & spices: Experiment with smoked paprika, fresh basil, parsley, or spices like cumin and coriander.
• international inspirations: For an Asian twist, add ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. For a Latin American version, use black beans, corn, and spices like cumin and chilli powder.

Check out some other yummy oven-baked dishes from around the world:

Canadian Rappie Pie 🍗🥧
Texan Spicy Baked Beans 🌶️
French Hunter’s Chicken 🍗🥘

How to make Golabki – Polish stuffed cabbage rolls

Rice

Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package. The time will vary depending on the type of white rice you’re using. Wash the rice once to remove excess starch; it’s important not to rinse it completely. A small amount of starch helps the rice bind with the meat, creating a cohesive filling that holds together during cooking. Cook it for slightly less time than what’s stated on the package, as it will finish cooking in the oven.

Prepare the stuffing

While some family recipes may call for frying the minced meat before stuffing the leaves, the traditional and authentic Golabki recipe uses raw minced meat.

• In a pan, heat the butter and fry finely chopped onions and bacon for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, it must not brown. Remove from the heat.

• In a large bowl, combine the minced meat with cooled fried onions, bacon and garlic. Add the cooked rice, sweet paprika, marjoram, salt, and black pepper, and mix well until thoroughly combined.

⚠️ Note: Be careful not to over-mix the minced meat, as doing so can make it too firm and tough once cooked. Excessive mixing can break down the proteins in the meat, resulting in a denser texture rather than a tender filling.

Cook the cabbage

• Remove the outer cabbage leaves, as they are usually damaged and not suitable for stuffing.
• Core the cabbage: Take a small sharp knife and carefully cut around the core at the base of the cabbage to loosen it up. Once the core is out, it is easier to peel off the leaves.

• Soften the leaves: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding a splash of oil to help with easy peeling. Place the cabbage in the water with the core side facing down. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. This position helps the leaves loosen up more easily. As they start to soften, gently peel them off one by one with tongs or a fork and place them on a large plate to cool. Reserve the cooking water, you will need it for later.

• Shave the thick parts: After peeling off the leaves, lay them flat and use a small knife to trim the thick central vein (the rib) on each leaf. You don’t need to remove it completely; just trim it so it’s thinner. This will make the leaves easier to roll.
• Your leaves are now ready to stuff with rice and meat

Note:
Not all cabbage leaves are suitable for stuffing, the inner ones are too small. However, the leftover leaves are used to line the bottom of the baking dish to prevent golabki from sticking, as well as for covering them during baking.
I cut the leftover leaves thinly instead of using them whole, as I prefer this method, and I’ve noticed that some recipes suggest it as well.

Prepare baking dish

• Preheat your oven to 200 C
• Drizzle some oil into the baking dish and spread it evenly across the bottom.
• Layer the bottom with leftover cabbage leaves, whole or thinly sliced. This prepares the dish for the golabki helping to prevent sticking and adding flavour.

Prepare tomato sauce for Golabki

To prepare the tomato sauce, start by melting butter in a saucepan. Once the butter is melted, add flour and sweet paprika, cooking for a minute to create a roux, which helps thicken the sauce and adds depth of flavour. Next, gradually stir in broth, passata, tomato concentrate, followed by salt, pepper and sugar to season the sauce to your taste.

Stuff the cabbage leaves with meat and rice mixture

• Place a spoonful of the meat and rice mixture at the base of the leaf (the thickets part)
• Starting from the base, carefully roll the leaf upwards towards the tip, keeping the filling secure as you go.
• Tuck in the sides to prevent the filling from spilling out, ensuring the stuffed leaf is tight but not overly packed.

Note: You can also make it by first folding the sides of the leaf and then rolling it up.

• Add the golabki to the prepared baking dish with the edge of the leaf facing down, arranging them in a single layer. Ensure the dish is large enough to accommodate the golabki without stacking.
• Continue the process with the remaining leaves and filling until all are stuffed.

Oven-bake Polish stuffed cabbage – Golabki

• Once all the golabki are in the baking dish, tuck a few bay leaves between the golabki for added flavour and cover with leftover whole or shredded cabbage leaves.
• Combine 2 cups of the reserved cabbage cooking water with 1-2 cups of homemade beef broth. If you haven’t made broth, prepare beef stock using a cube or powder mixed with water. There’s no strict measurement here – just add enough liquid to reach the level of the golabki without fully submerging them.

Note: If you don’t have enough cabbage leftovers to cover golabki, it doesn’t matter; simply cover the dish loosely with aluminium foil to allow steam to escape during cooking.

• Place the dish in a preheated oven at 200°C and set the timer for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, remove the dish from the oven and pour the tomato sauce over the golabki. Return the dish to the oven and continue baking at 200°C for an additional 30 minutes.
• If you’ve covered the dish with foil, remove it for the last 30 minutes of baking to allow the top to brown slightly.
• Once baked, allow golabki to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Smacznego!

How to serve Golabki – Polish Stuffed Cabbage?

Recipe Card