Pressure Cooker Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage leaves stuffed with a ground beef, pork and rice filling pressure cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce until they’re tender. These delectable Pressure Cooker Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are ready to eat in minutes instead of hours.
Today’s post is a guest post from a loyal Pressure Cooking Today reader and a sweet, virtual friend. Carol’s been pressure cooking for years using a stove-top pressure cooker, and now loves pressure cooking with her electric pressure cooker.
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Stuffed cabbage rolls are something we love, but I don’t make them often because they take such a long time to bake–a good hour and a half to 2 hours. What if I could make them in the pressure cooker? That would save me a kaboodle of time. I grabbed my go-to recipe and gave it a try.
Making Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in an Instant Pot
One of the things I love about this recipe is that I can get a lot of the prep work done for these early in the day. It makes putting it all together to cook fast and easy.
I used a mixture of lean ground beef and ground pork in these, but I’ve also made them with just ground beef and they’re delicious. I use whatever rice I have in the cupboard. I’ve even used leftover rice rather than cook a new batch. The filling is VERY forgiving.
The original sauce that I’ve made in the past uses tomato soup. It’s good, but I wanted to make a sauce that would give me plenty of liquid for the pressure cooker. I found this sauce in one of my pressure cooker cookbooks and adapted it to suit our tastes.
I got 15 average size cabbage rolls out of this recipe. The amount you get will depend on how large the cabbage is that you use. Just make sure not to overfill the pressure cooker with the rolls. It’s better to cook them in 2 batches than run the risk of the pressure cooker not coming to pressure because it’s too full. Once I stack the rolls in the pressure cooker and pour the sauce over the top of them, I take a long handled spatula and gently press all along the outer edge of the rolls to allow the sauce to run down the sides of them. I also add some of the cooked chopped cabbage left from the head to the sauce.
Since we like our sauce on the thicker side, once the rolls were cooked, I removed them from the pressure cooker to a platter, selected “Sauté”, brought the sauce to a boil and thickened it with a little cornstarch and water. The sauce was then poured over the rolls and dinner was served.
All it took was 18 minutes of cook time and 15 minutes under natural pressure to give us the most AMAZING stuffed cabbage rolls I’ve ever made. They’re tender and flavorful and that touch of Worcestershire really adds a nice pop to the homemade tomato sauce. This is the ONLY way I’m going to be making stuffed cabbage rolls from now on.
If you love stuffed cabbage, but don’t like all the time it takes to cook them, let your pressure cooker do the work. You’ll be glad you did!
Thanks Carol!
Pressure Cooker Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown or long grain white rice
- 1 large head cabbage
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced then "pasted"
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
- 3/4 lb. ground pork*
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, then "pasted"
- 2 (14 1/2 oz. each) cans diced tomatoes with their juice
- 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 teaspoon low sodium instant beef bouillon
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or freshly ground black pepper
- 3-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon cold water
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the package directions. Fluff with a fork and set the pan aside.
- Fill a large deep pot half full of water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Remove the core from the cabbage and place it, core side down, in the boiling water. Cover and let the head of cabbage boil for 7-8 minutes. Remove the softened outer leaves and place them on a plate to cool. Cover the pan and cook the cabbage for 6-8 minutes, checking and removing the outer leaves as they soften, placing them on the plate to cool. When you get down to the center of the cabbage and the leaves are too small for rolls, cover the pan and cook the cabbage until crisp-tender. When done, remove the cabbage from the heat, coarsely chop it and set it aside.
- For the sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to turn light golden brown. Add the garlic and cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, vinegar, bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire (or black) pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well, taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat. Stir in some of the chopped cooked cabbage. Set the sauce aside.
- For the filling, in a large bowl, beat the egg, then stir in the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and cooked rice. Add the ground beef and pork and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Lay one of the cabbage leaves flat on a work surface with the stem end in front of you. Take 2 generous tablespoonfuls of the filling and place it at the bottom of the cabbage leaf. Fold the 2 sides in and roll away from you, making sure filling stays in the center and away from the top edge, until you reach the top of the leaf. You can secure the roll with a toothpick if you like-I don't find it necessary. They stay together quite well once rolled, and if they do start to unroll, they can be easily tucked back together.
- Repeat this with the remaining filling and cabbage leaves. I usually get 15 rolls out of the batch of filling.
- Place the rack in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Pour in 1 cup water. Place 7-8 cabbage rolls on the rack. Cover the rolls with about 1/3 of the sauce. Add a second layer of rolls to the pressure cooker, alternating the direction of the second layer. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the rolls. After adding the last bit of sauce, take a plastic spatula and gently go around the outer edge of the rolls to allow some of the sauce to drip down around the rolls. Make sure not to overfill the pressure cooker. It's easy enough to cook these in 2 batches, if necessary.
- Lock the lid in place, choose High pressure and set 18 minutes cooking time. When the beep sounds, turn off the pressure cooker, unplug it, wait for 15 minutes, then use Quick Pressure to release any remaining steam.
- Gently remove the cabbage rolls from the pressure cooker to a platter.
- Select "Sauté" and bring the sauce to a boil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth and the cornstarch is dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
- Serve the sauce over the cabbage rolls.
Notes
*You can substitute all ground beef for the pork if you prefer
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 228Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 459mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 19g
Update: There’s a modified version of this recipe in my cookbook, The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook, on page 216 with a streamlined process – cooking the cabbage and the sauce in the pressure cooker, and using uncooked rice. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions.
I’m not sure if you answered this already but if i use leftover cooked rice, then how much do I need?
Hi Kelly – you’ll use about 3 cups of cooked rice. Enjoy!
I’m a newby to cooking with my IP. My husband enjoys gabbage rolls and I thought I’d see if I could not only find a recipe for them to be made in the IP, but try and make them for him. I’ve never made them before.
I also got 15 cabbage rolls from my attempt. I had to do them in 2 batches. The entire 15 wouldn’t go in my pot all at once without going over the max line.
They turned out great and were a huge hit. I had way more sauce than necessary so when I divided up all the leftovers for lunch and freezer I used my hand held blending unit and turned it into some of the yummiest tomato soup I’ve ever tasted!
Thanks to whom ever wrote this recipe! I will be using it again!
Thanks for sharing your experience Lorie! I’m glad you loved the recipe.
I have been making stuffed cabbage for 30 years and I have to admit that this recipe is by far the best tasting one!! The homemade sauce is the key!
That’s great to hear – thanks Kristen!
Making it right now. Hope its as delicious as you all say. This recipe is still pretty labor intensive in my eyes.
You may have answered this question before but I want to make sure. Is the section called “ingredients” everything that goes into the stuffing and the section called “Sauce” everything that goes into the sauce. For example, I would need 1 cup of chopped onion (raw) for the stuffing and 1 cub of onion (cooked) for the sauce. Sorry!! Thanks for your patience!
Hi Janet – that’s correct – 1 cup of onions for the filling in the cabbage rolls and 1 cup for the sauce, etc.
Does the meat go in raw? Or do you brown it first?
Hi Angela – it does go in raw, you do not brown it first.
Do I put the whole cabbage in the instant pot for 6-8 minutes? Or pull leaves off and then put in pot? Do I cook the whole cabbage in batches to get the inside leaves softened?
I always use a savoy cabbage and now steam it in my instant pot for about 6-8 minutes on high pressure natural release when i do cabbage rolls. So much easier than boiling or freezing which i haven’t had much success with. Great recipe!
Thanks for sharing your tip Donna! Glad you love the recipe.
Could you use cauliflower rice instead of reg rice ? Would it need less time? Or less water?
Hi Rhianna – I haven’t tried it, but since the rice in this recipe is pre-cooked, I think you could substitute cauliflower rice without making any changes. Let me know if you try it.
HI, the 1st ingredient is 1 c brown rice. Is that 1 c cooked rice or 1 c dry (which makes 2 c)
Hi Andy – it is your choice of 1 cup dry brown or white rice – then in step 1 – Cook the rice according to the package directions.
I have made stuffed cabbage for years. I found the cabbage to be on the tough side, So I cooked them for another 5 min. The meat turned out great but not so happy with the cabbage.
Hi Connie – some people sweat by freezing the cabbage before using.
Sheles84@att.net– I’m wondering why the need to prepare the rice- why bant we use it raw?wont it cook within the meat mixture?
Also,I’m going to try it using ground TURKEY.
Hi Shelly – you can use raw rice if you prefer. I’ve changed the recipe slightly for my cookbook version and it uses raw rice.
I like to blanched leaves in microwave. Takes no ti.e. will have to try frozen head above
What would you recommend in place of the rice if I’m trying to make this low carb? Would cauliflower rice work? Looking forward to trying this recipe!
I think cauliflower rice would be a great substitution! I’ve never made it that way, but since the recipe calls for cooked rice, I don’t think using cooked cauliflower rice in it’s place would change anything. I’d love to know how it works!
Konjac rice is low carb.
Buckwheat
Can they be frozen? I am a household of one adult. Thank you
Yes, they should freeze and reheat very well.
If I have them frozen, how would you recommend reheating in the instant pot? (How long, and setting)? Thank you!
Hi Nola – yes, reheating in the Instant Pot is a great choice. I like to reheat pot in pot so there’s less risk of burning or watering down the sauce. https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/how-to-use-the-pot-in-pot-method-in-your-pressure-cooker-instant-pot/
I would brown the cabbage rolls first in the pressure cooker on the Saute/Brown setting, then I would not place the rack in nor would I add the water. I think that will enhance the flavor of the rolls. I would also sometimes make a mushroom gravy. My mother always browned them and served them with the mushroom gravy
I am making this now . It’s cooking In the instant pot now . I seen another recipe to use the meat setting , which I haven’t used yet . Do you know the difference . We can’t wait till there done .I also added more seasoning to meat , I like alot if flavor. I am going to have to do two batches . I rolled more meat in mine so added couple extra minutes onto time also .
Hi Jessica – here’s a post that explains the different buttons https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/instant-pot-duo-and-smartcooker/ Enjoy!
Hi, delicious but challenging recipe to follow. Which ingredients are for the sauce and which are for the cabbage? I must have guessed ok, because it tasted good, but please create two lists of ingredients, one for the sauce, and one for the stuffed cabbage. Also you might want to tell people to remove the rack when they remove the stuffed cabbage and before thickening the sauce. Also, made my clean-up easier to make the sauce in the Instant Pot, pour it into a bowl while i added the rack, cabbage rolls, water and layered with sauce. Was worried the cup of water would over dilute the sauce but it did not. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for the suggestion Kate. I updated the recipe. Glad it was a hit.
I had the same issue. The ingredients are similar to one my Grandmother used to make.
The recipe seemed confusing and after mixing the meat mixture first, I had to improvise when making the sauce because I had put the onions, garlic , salt and pepper into the meat.. I’ll try to stop by in an hour and update how this tastes. Thanks.
I love stuffed cabbage. I blanch my cabbage in my pressure cooker. Saves some time. Steam the cabbage, QR, run under cold water, core and your good to go.
Great! Thanks for sharing Lola.
How long did you put the cabbage in the pot? What setting?
In my cookbook recipe, I use the saute setting and bring a half pot full of water to a boil. Cook the cabbage head for 5 minutes, turning until the outer leaves are softened.
I really want to skip the blanching part of this! I might hate myself, but it really seems to me that these rolls should cook/ steam through once in the pressure pot. Going to give it a try. I also made tge version where one part has red wine or port and the other has white wine vinegar…..
I pre- cooked my meat and rice so Im going in to give it a non- blanched try.
Hi Melodie – they’re much easier to roll after blanching, but you’re right they will cook through once in the pot.
I made this last year, 2017 shortly after I got my IP. Just had the last of them from the freezer, still delicious. Making it again now, with a couple of changes. I made the filling and put it in the fridge overnight. Then for the sauce, I used a 50-50 mix of dry red wine and apple cider vinegar along with 1/8-cup brown sugar. We’ll see how it comes out tomorrow. Report to follow…
Great – I’ll look forward to hearing how you like the changes.
These remind me of the cabbage rolls my grandmother used to make.
My family really enjoyed this! A great meal for weeknights!
So similar to my mom’s recipe. These cabbage rolls are simply perfection.
Beautiful flavors in this recipe!!
Is this Pot in Pot?
Hi Nichole – no, you cook them right in the inner pressure cooking pot.
Can you freeze the cabbage rolls?
Hi Benni – yes, you can freeze them before or after cooking.
Thank you!
I always freeze my cabbage heads whole when I can get a good price on them when they are in season. Take out and defrost cut core out and they are pliable so no need to boil, just fill. Faster and does not affect taste. I used to make 150 at a time.
Thanks for the tip Barbra!
New to making cabbage rolls. When you say “remove the core” do you mean to just slice of the bottom, or to remove the whole core somehow?
Remove the whole core – here’s a picture that will help http://www.dlc.fi/~marian1/gourmet/7_3.htm
I was going to make this recipe for dinner tonight, but I’m just wondering… Is the pork & ground beef supposed to be cooked before it’s rolled into the cabbage?
Hi Diana – no, the meat will cook inside the cabbage.
Made this tonight. Easy. Added a little more seasoning to meat but other then that followed recipe as written. Excellent. Thank you for sharing.
Do i Brown the ground meat/pork mixture before adding to the leaves?
Hi Joelle – no, the meat will cook inside the cabbage.
How do you adapt to a. cooktop pressure cooker (i have a Fagor 8 qt). Will you still bring to high pressure and cook for 18 minutes, or should time be adjusted?
Hi Candace – since your 8 quart stove top pressure cooker cooks at a higher psi, I would reduce the cook time to about 15 minutes.
Hello! I’d like to find out if I could use 1 cup of low sodium beef broth in stead of 2 teaspoon low sodium instant beef bouillon?
You can but your sauce will be much thinner and you may want to simmer it to reduce the liquid or use more thickener.
Cooking this recipe now! Excited to try it. I think I would leave out the vinegar next time. It is a bit bitter for my sweet taste. 🙂 Why is it necessary to unplug the instant pot? Are you able to do the natural release on keep warm for 15 min or definitely unplug it, wait 15 minutes, and then do quick release? Thank you!!
Hi Heidi – yes, you can leave it on the Keep Warm setting if you prefer. I prefer to unplug or turn off the Instant Pot because I’ve often left the Keep Warm setting on with no inner pot in the Instant Pot.
Thank you!! These came out AMAZING! I take back what I thought about the vinegar. Once it’s done, it was so delicious and didn’t taste the vinegar. I thickened the sauce after and it’s so delicious. My husband said that these are the best cabbage rolls he’s ever eaten. Thank you!
Great! Thanks for the follow up 🙂
I’ll have to try this recipe! For easier peeling of the cabbage I freeze my head of cabbage and take it out the morning that I want to make them. The leaves fall right off! So much easier than boiling
Thanks for sharing that tip Melanie!
Melanie,
Are you supposed to let the cabbage thaw first? Someone told me to freeze it and let it thaw, but I didn’t find it easier. What’d I do wrong?
Thank You for posting this! I am new to instant pot recipes but this one is at the top of my New List!! Yummy! We Loved it!! XOXO
Thanks Kathryn! Have fun 🙂
Excellent recipe! The whole family loved it! Turned out awesome!
I have a fiberware psi cooker what setting do o use to cook stuffed cabbage ?
Most of the settings cook on high pressure, so just use one of the pressure cooker settings with the closest time. Enjoy!
Hi, this looks amazing but I want to use a crockpot as I don’t have an pressure cooker pot. How long would your recommend cooking for via crockpot? Thanks!
Hi Jami – I haven’t tried it, but other recipes cook them for 8 -10 hours on low.
My mother used to make stuffed peppers with cabbage. The peppers were stuffed with meatballs made with ground beef and rice. She used a tomato soup base and always had mashed potatoes with the meal. We would call the meatballs, Porcupine meatballs.
Hi Larry – similar to this recipe https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/porcupine-meatballs-and-orange-gravy/ only with cabbage?
Can you clarify the ingredient list…looks like Worcestershire is in there twice, inserted maybe into the black pepper line?
Hi Beth – the recipes has been updated. Thanks!
Have you ever “softened” the cabbage by doing it in the IP rather than in a pot of hot boiling water?
Hi Sharla – in the version in my cookbook, I did use the IP to soften the cabbage.
Hi always cook in a croak pot. I never cook the rice and cabbbage before. Would it be the same time as above or should I cook for a few more mins
Hi Becky – if you prefer not to cook the rice and cabbage before, that’s fine. You shouldn’t need any more time.
I love this recipe!! Thank you. I made it once according to the directions, and it was delicious. I do prefer a sweet and tangy sauce, so the next time I added brown sugar, catsup and a little bit of cider vinegar. I used more rice and added a pouch of meatloaf spices. (I prefer spiced or flavored meat). Wowza!!!
My mother taught me this. Pound the head, core down on a strong flat surface like a counter top, Loosen the core. but keep it and freeze the head of cabbage whole ahead of time. When ready to use, let it thaw in a colander over a bowl. The leaves will be softened and peel off nicely and no boiling is involved. You can add the core and juice to the pot.
I also like to use tomato juice blended in a blender with the onion and garlic and whatever other seasonings are used. Some people do not like pieces of onion and garlic so this gets all the flavors for even picky people.
Thanks so much for the recipe.
Thanks for sharing your tips!
Is this freezable after?
Hi Ann – it should freeze well.
The vinegar ruined the recipe. Don’t use that. Add some Italian herbs.
Hi Jill – the recipe gets great reviews. Sorry it didn’t suit your tastes.
Thanks for the recipe! The only thing I did was add about 1/4 cup of brown sugar to the sauce. I tasted it and the vinegar didn’t seem to be balancing out. Hope I didn’t ruin it. ?It smells amazing as it’s cooking!
Hi Shianne – sounds like a good addition to me. I always encourage people to change recipes to suit their tastes. Enjoy!
Thanks for this recipe! Seems like both the rice and the cabbage could also be done in the pressure cooker. Put that thing to work!
Hi Andrea – others have made this change as well. Definitely do what works best for you. Enjoy!
This recipe looks great! I can’t wait to try it.
One question- what kind of rack am I to place the cabbage rolls on?
Hi Theresa – I added a link at the bottom of the post to the rack I use the most in the pressure cooker.
Thanks so much, Barbara!
I use a large can of tomato juice and mix in half a cup of brown sugar with the juice of one lemon. I always cook the rice first I don’t want any hard uncooked rice in my stuffed cabbage rolls. The brown sugar and lemon give them a nice sweet and sour taste. I make 2 pots about 25-30 rolls cooking in same tomato juice.
I have never commented on a recipe…ever! These were amazing. Both the filling and sauce were full of flavour. Not the typical tomato soup type that I often find lacking. I did use all pork though as I don’t use ground beef. Like others I used raw rice. The texture was absolutely perfect. 3 generations for Sunday dinner and RAVE reviews. The leftovers were just as good. Thanks for sharing, his will be a go to recipe at our house
Thanks for the rave review! I frozen some recently and they reheated great too.
This looks delicious but I’m just curious could this be cooked in an airfryer or slow cooker or does it have to be cooked in a pressure cooker?
Hi Cathy – you could probably cook them in a slow cooker, but I don’t have any experience doing that.
So do you not brown your meat first?
Hi Chantelle – no, you cook them meat in the cabbage.
I am interested in knowing why you boil the cabbage leaves, and would you get the same result if you steamed 1/2 cabbage in the pressure cooker? Just wondering if there is a reason. I want to make them in a few days and if I could steam the 1/2 head in the pressure cooker, how long would you do it. Thanks. Mary
Hi Mary – you could definitely steam the cabbage in the pressure cooker and just pull off the outer leaves as they got tender. Or, do you mean pressure cook them?
I learned a tip from an old Ukrainian farm woman. Freeze the heads of cabbage. In the winter they used to put them in a snow bank outside in the winter. Then let them unthaw in fridge or on the counter. They get nice & soft. Just cut around the heart when they’re completely thawed. Easy & no more fuss with hot water & burnt fingers.
I’ve never pressure cooked mine before. I love that idea. I’m trying it today. I just got an electric power cooker pressure. Love it! I put a small can of tomatoe paste, parsley & dill in my filling for extra flavour.
Put your whole head of cabbage in the freezer. When your ready to make the rolls, get the cabbage out two days before and let thaw in fridge. No fuss way, and it’s just like par boiled.
I have even done a quick defrost in hot tap water. No fear of burning yourself, which has happened to me doing the boil method.
Thanks for sharing this tip Chris 🙂
I made this tonight and it was delish. I’ll be making it again. I used Brown minute rice and did not precooked it. Turned out great.
When I oven cook cabbage rolls I use raw rice in my meat mix. Do you think that would work in the IP?
Hi Linda – yes, I think it would work just fine.
Thanks. We love cabbage rolls with sauerkraut in the sauce
Hi Barbara,
I love the idea of doing it in the pressure cooker! I have a recipe that is done in a slow cooker with raw rice. I’m wondering if you can adapt this recipe to be done that way? It’s so much easier than boiling the rice first but you’d need more liquid in the PC of course since the rice is going to absorb it more. I also do what Donna does and freeze the cabbage instead of boiling it. Another good method is to put it in a plastic bag or covered bowl in the microwave with the core cut out and keep peeling off a leaf at a time as it cooks.
Hi Sue – I think that would work well. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Very good.
Labor intensive
I’ve never cooked cabbage rolls before last night. Oh my goodness, so good! We will definitely make them again and again. The used quinoa instead of rice because I already had it cooked and in the refrigerator. I even want to try some enchilada type cabbage rolls. I think that would be wonderful. Thanks for your recipe.
Sounds like a fun idea. Thanks Shannon!
Forgot LOL steam it in the microwave
I cut the core out and place the cabbage, core end up, in a large bowl with a little water, cover with saran and poke a few holes to let steam out, steam it on high and keep taking it out to remove leaves gently, repeat until all leaves are off. I also use the cabbage I don’t need to line the bottom of cooker to keep from sticking.
Thanks for sharing your tip Cathy 🙂
Hi, Question on the rice for this recipe. It states one cup. Is that already cooked rice to go into the recipe? Or is one cup dry rice, cook it and than add to meat mixture? I made them today using one cup of dry rice, cooked the rice and than added to meat mixture and it just seemed like a lot of rice. Even so, they turned out really really good, but want to clear this up for myself to which I was to use. Thanks Barbara……… Claudia
Hi Claudia – so glad you enjoyed it. It is one cup uncooked rice, but definitely reduce it next time if that’s your preference 🙂
thank you for your receipts
Barbara: I love stuffed cabbage rolls too. To save even more time, freeze the head of cabbage and then let thaw a bit. This allows you to use all the leaves and they peel of beautifully and you can cut the spine out easily off each one so easy too. I like this way because then there is no chance of steam burning yourself trying to get each leaf out of the pot. Try it, you will really like this tip.
Thanks for sharing your tip!
How am I supposed which setting I the “High” setting? I have a Power Pro electric pressure cooker. I love this recipe. I Iooked & looked for a stuffed cabbage recipe several months ago and could not find one. Ended up cooking them in a crock pot all day & then an extra hour the pressure cooker. They finally were done~too done!
I am so disappointed in the recipes that I was able to find, we don’t eat that way! Most of the recipes I found would say~bring the unit up to 8 bls. pressure~my cooker does not have lbs. listings, it has settings! I like these recipes, but how do I know which one is high, med, etc?
Hi Linda – all your settings should cook on high pressure if you don’t have a low pressure button. Just change the time to match the time in the recipe and you’ll be good to go. If a recipe says 8 lb. pressure, then it’s a stove top pressure cooker recipe.
Delicious!
I’m going to try cabbage roll my last chance. I can do it
Hi Sharon – you can definitely do it.
I just got a cooker and my meet is always dry I know I’m doing something wrong
Generally if your meat is dry, you’re cooking it too long or using a lean cut of meat that isn’t the best choice for pressure cooking.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. When I was growing up, my mom would make stuffed cabbage instead of stuffed green peppers. I just bought a pressure cooker.
Hi Joe – have fun with your new pressure cooker! It’s always fun to make the foods you grew up with.
Why would you not speed up the process by boiling and softening the cabbage first in the pressure cooker. Then you can remove the core. Would that work? Seems this would avoid the routine boiling of the cabbage and soften up the cabbage enough for the core to be easily removed?
Hi Yolanda – you could certainly do that. Or, I really like this suggestion that Donna gave earlier – “I do one thing differently that is unique and easy. The night before core your cabbage deeply and then place in freezer overnight, no need to wrap. When ready to make rolls run cabbage under hot water or let sit in large pot hot water. Remove leaves gently. Leaves will defrost and are so much easier to work with then boiling & dealing with a hot head of cabbage, just remember to core & freeze night before.”
I don’t know how to set my pro electric pressure cooker for specific minutes and not just for the settings given. Can you help ?
Hi Janet – I found this manual online. Is this your model? http://www.manualslib.com/manual/20655/Bravetti-Euro-Pro-Pc107ha.html?page=8#manual
I just got a pressure cooker and have not used it yet (stove top, not electric) I have been making cabbage rolls, (or halupki as my Slovak family called them) forever in an electric roaster. (We also always add kielbasa and sauerkraut). I have found that cooking the rice completely before stuffing the rolls seems to make it too mushy for my liking. We have always par-boiled the rice and then mixed it with the meat, (10 min for white rice, 30 min for brown rice), and it seems to finish cooking as the rolls cook. Do you think this method would work ok in a pressure cooker?
I have been cooking my whole life (I’m 53) and somehow never had a pressure cooker. My mother said I need to get one, so I am exploring recipes.
thanks
Hi Chuck – if it works for a stove top or oven method, I assume it would work just fine in the pressure cooker. The key with a stove top pressure cooker is learning how to regulate the heat to maintain pressure. I’d practice a few times with just water, until you figure out the sweet spot for your stove setting. If you have the heat too high, you’ll run out of liquid, so for the first few recipes pick something that uses plenty of liquid. You might need to add more liquid to this recipe, especially if you’re using parboiled rice. Have fun!
Thanks for the tips. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
I always add uncooked rice to my recipe.what I do is add tomato sauce sauce or juice to the meat mixture either a half to full cup per pound of meat. Hope that helps.
Tried this in new electric pressure cooker. Worked wonderfully. I did make my own “sauce” version to mimic my grandmother’s and mother’s recipe. Not having to watch & wait for 2-3 hours was fabulous – and the rolls were tender and moist. Only enough for one meal but soooo convenient not to have to spend the entire day as mom used to do. Thank you!!
when making the stuffed cabbage, freeze the head of cabbagge for a day or two. Take it out and let it defrost. The leaves come off beautifully and are soft and pliable. You can easily cut out the core and use all the leaves. I just rinsed them as I peeled them off, then trimmed the hard spine and filled the leaf. You will not believe how easy freezing the cabbage is. No more steam burns and time to cook the head of cabbage to prep your leaves. Try it! This tip made me dance in my kitchen because it made it so easy to make the stuffed cabbage.
The beef bouillon is that like stock or you make stock with a bouillon cube??
Hi Rebecca – the instant beef bouillon is a granular form of a bouillon cube. You could just break up a bouillon cube or dissolve it in a small amount of water if you don’t have it.
Barb, I tried your cabbage rolls this week end. Wow, did they turn out great!. My mother in law came over to help me make them. Took us about 45 min. to put them all together. I was just tickled to open the top of my cooker and see how pretty they turned out, we both just started laughing. Thank you. Love your site.
I put the cabbage in the PC for a few minutes! Perfect! Peeled leaves right off!
I just got around to making these today for the first time! Oh my goodness, they are delicious! We have a HUGE batch of perfect cabbage rolls. The cabbage is tender, yet firm enough to hold the hearty filling. Fantastic recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. I will make this in our home for years to come.
Hi Nancy – so glad you loved it!
I received a pressure cooker for Christmas and appreciate the recipe and good tips. For those of you who are familiar with using a pressure cooker, could I add potatoes and carrots in with cabbage rolls? This is definitely one of the first recipes I will try with my cooker. Thank You
Hi Skay-as far as adding carrots and potatoes-there really isn’t enough room to add them along with the cabbage rolls-they take up quite a bit of room in the pressure cooker.
I always have extra sauce that won’t fit in the pressure cooker with the rolls-I add it to the batch after cooking them. You could always “braise” the potatoes and carrots in that extra sauce on the stove top while the cabbage rolls are cooking in the pressure cooker-that would give them the same flavor as the cabbage rolls. You won’t have enough sauce to submerge the vegetables in though. I think I’d do them in a large covered skillet and just cook them until tender.
Give it a try and come back to share how it worked.
Have lots of fun with your new pressure cooker! 🙂
Carol
Any suggestions for an alternative to the beef bouillon? Can’t wait to try!
Hi Liz – I don’t know of any substitutes. I’d just omit it. Enjoy!
You might try a little Vegeta. It’s a seasoning you can find at most European markets.
I I’m going to try the stuffed cabbage rolls this weekend they sound delicious I’ve never made them in the pressure cooker but going to give it a try thank you very much
Hi Joann – sounds like the perfect meal for the weekend.
I had never made cabbage rolls before. I cant imagine having to cook them the traditional way. I have only recently invested in a pressure cooker and am really blown away with how much time is freed up without sacrificing flavor. I would prefer more flavor in the filling (but that can easily be modified :-)) but we loved them and I am definitely going to check out other recipes on this site! I also love the tips on freezing the cabbage head instead of boiling it, and freezing the rolls uncooked for future use.
I didn’t catch what to do with the rice? Is that added in with the filling?
Hi Robin – you add it to the filling:
For the filling, in a large bowl, beat the egg, then stir in the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and cooked rice. Add the ground beef and pork and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until all the ingredients are well combined.
Enjoy!
CAROL THANK-YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE. IT LOOKS AMAZING. I HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS TO MAKE IT FOR SUPPER TONIGHT. I LOVED ALL THE GREAT TIPS AND TRICKS EVERYONE POSTED. I THINK I WILL FREEZE HALF OF THEM FOR ANOTHER MEAL.
Stuffed cabbage is one of the first meals I learned to make, from my Mutti. Love them! I haven’t made them in many years, but this is about to change. Because we’re empty nesters, I’ll have to cut the recipe in half. Great recipe, Barbara!
Quick question. I appears you use the ground beef and ground pork uncooked. Is that right? Does it not make the final dish too greasy? I have always browned the ground beef and/or pork when I have made cabbage rolls in the oven. I am anxious to try this recipe. Thank you!!!!
Hi Tina-I’ve always used uncooked meat in cabbage rolls when I’ve made them in the past. I didn’t find these greasy at all….I used very lean ground beef and the pork added just enough fat to add the moisture that they needed without making them greasy. I may have gotten lucky and the ground pork I got didn’t have as much fat as some does? You can always cut back on the pork amount a little more or just use all ground beef and leave the pork out-it really does add a nice flavor though. I hope you enjoy them if you give them a try!
I’m excited to try this and Donna tip regarding the cabbage. My question is about the second batch; do you use the sauce from the first batch to pour over second?
Hi Jennifer-that’s a great tip that Donna gave about the cabbage-I’m looking forward to trying that one too.
If your rolls are big and only one layer fits at a time in the cooker, then yes, you would use the same sauce to cook batch #2. If you’re worried that you won’t have enough sauce, it’s easy enough to make another half batch or even a full one while the first rolls are cooking……I found there was plenty to cover all the rolls though.
Hope that helps-and that you enjoy these as much as we did!
Doesn’t adding the 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pressure cooker water down the flavor of the sauce you prepare with the tomatoe products? I wondered if you couldn’t use v-8 or tomato juice instead, or possible an additional can of tomatoes. I can’t imagine this being flavorful with the extra water and no where for it to release (as in steam). Your thoughts and comments would be appreciated.
Hi Kim-no, the 1 cup of water that you add to the bottom of the pressure cooker doesn’t water down the sauce at all. The recipe as is makes a good amount of sauce that’s quite hearty. You could add a little V-8 or tomato juice rather than water to the bottom of the cooker if you prefer.
The addition of Worcestershire sauce ,onion, garlic and the other spices adds a lot of flavor to the sauce-at least it did for our taste.
Thank you for your reply. I’m headed to the kitchen!
My stuffed cabbage is very similar to yours. But did you know that you can make ahead and freeze the cabbage rolls. DO NOT cook first before freezing. I make about 60 rolls at a time. I then freeze the cabbage rolls. I freeze them on a cookie sheet until hard. I then pack them into freezer bags. I seal the bags and freeze until I need them. When I need them, I remove what I need and make the sauce and then cook. I then cook mine in the oven. I will try your pressure cooker method the next time I cook some cabbage rolls. I also do this with meat loaf. I make about 5 and freeze them on a cookie sheet and when I am ready for meat loaf, I pull as many as needed from the freezer and cook in the oven. Probably could do the same in the pressure cooker. I will try it the next time I make meat loaf.
That would sure save some time-having a marathon cabbage rolling day and tucking them in the freezer.
What a fantastic idea, Connie-thanks so much for sharing it. 🙂
I was hoping somebody would have advice about freezing! I just got my electric pressure cooker, I found some recipes on Pinterest to prepare ahead and freeze, would it be necessary to thaw the cabbage rolls or could I put them in the pressure cooker frozen?
Hi Tracie – as long as they’re not frozen together in a solid mass, you should be able to cook them from frozen without any changes.
I’m Hungarian & have made cabbage rolls forever. Will surely try these in the pressure cooker, wonderful timesaver.
I do one thing differently that is unique and easy. The night before core your cabbage deeply and then place in freezer overnight, no need to wrap.When ready to make rolls run cabbage under hot water or let sit in large pot hot water. Remove leaves gently. Leaves will defrost and are so much easier to work with then boiling & dealing with a hot head of cabbage, just remember to core & freeze night before. This works like a charm.
Thanks for the tip Donna!
Thank you Donna-what a great idea! And a time saver too….I’ll be trying your method the next time I make these rolls. 🙂
Freezing the head worked great! Thanks for the tip.
We love cabbage rolls and usually have them once a month all year around. And I do cook them in the pressure cooker. No other way to do it! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I hope you enjoy it Peggy. I agree with you-once we had them cooked in the pressure cooker-no way am I going back to the “old way”…this is DEFINITELY the way to go.
If we freeze the rolls how much time do we add to cooking,?