Easy Russian Chicken and Cabbage Rolls

Name: Easy Russian Chicken and Cabbage Rolls with Fresh Veggies (Golubtsi)
Total time: 140 min
Ingredients: 2 lb chicken, (ground); ¼ cup white rice, (cooked); 1 onion, (chopped); 2 tsp tomato paste; 1 red bell pepper, (chopped); 1 large head cabbage; 2 carrots, (grated); 1 onion, (chopped); 2 Tbsp tomato paste; salt, (to taste); pepper, (to taste); 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

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These Russian cabbage rolls combine savory rice and chicken with fresh vegetables for the ultimate meal.

Halved cabbage rolls and vegetable sauce on a brown plate ready to serve.

What are you planning to do this weekend? Making incredibly delicious Russian cabbage rolls is on my to-do list. I’m rarely this excited to be in the kitchen.

They require patience and a little bit of technique when it comes to wrapping the cabbage leaves. But they’re so worth it.

Cabbage rolls with vegetable sauce on a plate.

These are not like any other cabbage rolls you’ve had. Nope. They’re packed with so much flavor and are several stones thrown away from those boring ones we’re all too familiar with.

Every bite gets better and better. Just a fair warning though. If you’re serving these to guests, they’ll request these cabbage rolls over and over again. They’re so uniquely good.

And don’t even get me started on the sauce. I can sip it by the jug.

Table of Contents

Key Ingredients

Chicken cabbage rolls ingredients- cabbage, olive oil, pepper, salt, tomato paste, red pepper, onion, rice, ground chicken, and carrots.

Ground chicken. I like to use ground chicken thighs because thighs are full of flavor that will enhance any dish. Some people use different meats, such as ground beef or turkey. They are also popular choices, but I love the taste of chicken in this recipe.

Boiled white rice. It’s the perfect texture that complements the ground chicken. It brings the whole dish together.

Onions. You can’t skip this. It gives the dish a unique flavor profile.

Tomato paste. You know, for that perfectly acidic taste that you don’t get from the other ingredients.

For the vegetable sauce:

Chopped/grated veggies. I’ve used chopped onions, chopped bell peppers, and grated carrots. The perfect combination.

Tomato paste. Remember when we talked about acidity? The tomato paste brings acidity here too but its thickness also helps transform the ingredients from bland water to sauce.

Add your cabbage rolls to the sauce and then cook on low for an hour. Voila! You just made deliciously perfect Russian cabbage rolls.

More stuffing than cabbage leaves? No problem. Use up every bit of your stuffing by rolling them into meatballs and plopping them into the sauce sans the cabbage leaves. No wastes here.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to make Chicken and Cabbage Rolls at Home

Steps 1 & 2: Make the chicken filling

In a mixing bowl, add ground chicken thighs.

Grate 1 onion into the bowl with chicken. Add sea salt, black pepper, tomato paste, and boiled rice to the bowl. Mix well together.

ground-meat-rice-tomato-paste-salt-pepper-and-onion-in-a-white-bowl

Step 3: Boil cabbage

In a pot filled with water, boil a head of cabbage for 1 hour (make sure to carve the core out before boiling). The cabbage will be soft.

Step 4: Prep the leaves

Carefully take each leaf from the cabbage. (If a leaf is too large, you can cut it in half.) Also, cut the harder part off.

Step 5: Add the meat filling

In the center of each leaf add 1 Tablespoon of the meat mixture. Fold the sides and then roll the long way, like an egg roll. Stack in a Dutch oven-pot or a regular pot. If you don’t have enough cabbage leaves, you could just make meat into meatballs and add to the pot.

cabbage-with-filling-inside-on-a-wooden-board-with-cabbage-in-a-white-plate-on-the-side

cabbage-rolls-on-a-wooden-board-with-cabbage-on-a-white-plate-on-the-side

For the sauce:

Steps 1 & 2: Prep water and veggies

Boil water in a kettle.

Chop up 1 onion, grate the carrots, and chop the red bell pepper.

ingredients-for-cabbage-rolls-in-white-bowls-chopped-onion-chopped-carrot-chopped-red-bell-pepper

Steps 3 & 4: Sauté onions

In a pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

olive-oil-in-a-skillet-with-olive-oil-container-on-the-side

First sauté the onions for 2 minutes.

onion-frying-in-a-skillet-with-a-wooden-spoon

Step 5: Add carrots

Add to the onions chopped carrots, then sauté for another 2 minutes.

carrots-and-onion-in-a-skillet-with-a-wooden-spoon

Step 6: Add pepper and tomato paste

Add to the onions and carrots the red bell pepper and 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste.

bell-peppers-carrots-onion-tomato-paste-in-a-skillet-with-a-wooden-spoon

Step 7: Sauté

Sauté for another 3-4 minutes.

Step 8: Add sautéed veggies to the rolls

Add the sautéed vegetables over the cabbage rolls and add boiled water from the kettle, just enough to cover everything. Add salt and pepper to taste.

cabbage-rolls-ingredients-in-a-pot-with-a-kettle

Step 9: Boil, cook, and enjoy

Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to the lowest and cook for 1 hour. Serve hot!

Cook cabbage rolls and veggie sauce in a pot.

Expert Tips

When layering the cabbage rolls, make sure to evenly distribute the ground chicken and rice mixture. This creates consistent flavor in each roll.
Cooking the rolls on low heat for an hour allows the flavors to meld and intensify, resulting in a more delicious dish.

Recipe FAQs

Can I serve the cabbage rolls with a side dish?

Yes, these rolls pair well with a side of mashed potatoes, salad, or crusty bread. This combination makes an amazing comfort food meal!

Why cook on low heat for an hour?

In this recipe, slow cooking allows the flavors to develop and intensify, resulting in a richer taste.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground chicken?

Yes, ground turkey is a suitable alternative, offering a similar texture and flavor.

Other authentic Russian recipes:

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If you tried these Russian Chicken and Cabbage Rolls or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!