By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 12, 2026
Serves 4
686 cal · 75 min
Pork Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Recipe GLPRa6161bfddc8cf3
Tender cabbage leaves stuffed with a seasoned ground pork and rice filling, layered with tangy sauerkraut, and simmered in a savory tomato-sour cream sauce. This hearty Central European-inspired main course delivers rich, comforting flavors in every roll.
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Ingredients
1 large head green cabbage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 pound ground lean pork
3/4 cup cooked rice
2 lightly beaten eggs
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1/8 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds sauerkraut
1 cup water
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup sour cream
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Core the cabbage and carefully remove whole leaves by placing the head stem-side down in the boiling water for 2–3 minutes until leaves soften and peel away easily. Remove with tongs and set aside to cool on a clean towel. Select the largest, most intact leaves for rolling.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onions until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the ground pork to the skillet and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until no longer pink and internal temperature reaches 160°F, approximately 6–8 minutes. Drain any excess fat if needed.
Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the cooked rice, lightly beaten eggs, paprika, marjoram, salt, and freshly ground black pepper until well combined.
Lay one cabbage leaf flat on a work surface. Place about 3–4 tablespoons of the pork filling in the center of the leaf. Fold the sides inward and roll tightly from the bottom to create a compact bundle. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spread half of the sauerkraut across the bottom of a large baking dish. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam-side down on top of the sauerkraut in a single or double layer.
Cover the rolls with the remaining sauerkraut. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and tomato puree. Pour this mixture evenly over the rolls and sauerkraut.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40–45 minutes until the rolls are heated through and the liquid is gently simmering.
Remove from the oven and carefully stir in the sour cream until it is evenly distributed throughout the sauce. If needed, return to the oven uncovered for 2–3 minutes to warm through, but do not boil the sour cream.
Serve the cabbage rolls warm with the tomato-sour cream sauce spooned over top.
Comments
This is a solid weeknight-to-weekend dish that plays well in Charlotte given the sauerkraut and sour cream flavors, though the 75-minute claim is optimistic—blanching and stuffing cabbage leaves adds 20 minutes easily, pushing closer to 95 minutes. Every ingredient is standard stock at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, or ALDI; cabbage is cheap year-round, ground pork is usually under $4 per pound, and rice, eggs, and dairy are pantry basics, landing the cost per serving around $2–2.50, which is reasonable. The dish reheats beautifully, making it ideal for leftovers, and it's forgiving enough for a family dinner without fussy plating or constant stirring—the oven does most of the work. The only real friction is that blanching cabbage takes longer than recipe writers like to admit, and it's a one-pan bake that doesn't scream "I'm from the Carolinas," though the sauerkraut nod and sour cream are regional enough to not feel out of place.
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