Golumpki Recipe (Polish Cabbage Rolls)
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This authentic Golumpki recipe brings one of Poland’s most beloved comfort foods to your table! Tender cabbage leaves wrap a savory meat-and-rice filling, then bake in a buttery tomato sauce until perfectly tender. Hearty, comforting, and made with simple ingredients, these traditional Polish Cabbage Rolls are old-fashioned home cooking at its best. Serve with my Garlic Green Beans and Salt-Roasted Potatoes for a hearty, satisfying meal with Eastern European flair!
For a completely different spin on this comfort-food classic, try my Italian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with a zesty tomato sauce and plenty of Italian flavor.
QUICK TAKE: Polish Cabbage Rolls
- What It Is: Traditional Golumpki, or Polish cabbage rolls filled with a savory mixture of meat and rice and baked in a rich, silky tomato sauce.
- Ingredient Highlights: Green cabbage, ground meats, rice, and buttery tomato sauce.
- Time to Make: 40 minutes prep, 1 hour and 20 minutes cooking, approximately 2 hours total.
- Chef’s Top Tip: Cook the rice only until al dente. It will finish cooking inside the rolls, where it absorbs the savory meat juices without becoming mushy.
- Why Make THIS Version? Inspired by the authentic Golumpki I recently enjoyed in Gdańsk, Poland, my version recreates that comforting combination of tender cabbage, savory filling, and rich tomato sauce at home.
Table of Contents
What is Golumpki (Gołąbki)?
Golumpki, or Gołąbki (meaning little pigeons), is the Polish name for a stuffed cabbage dish with variations found throughout Central and Eastern Europe. A savory filling of ground meat and rice is wrapped in cabbage leaves, then slowly braised. According to legend, Polish King Kazimierz IV served cabbage rolls to his troops before a battle in the 15th century, and their eventual victory was attributed to the hearty dish. To this day, Golumpki remains beloved and is especially popular during the Christmas season.
Cabbage rolls lend themselves beautifully to other flavor profiles, too, like these Asian Cabbage Rolls filled with ginger, garlic, and savory seasonings.
Why This Golumpki Recipe is a Keeper!
After enjoying authentic Golumpki in Gdańsk, Poland, earlier this year—and in Kraków several years ago—I became obsessed with recreating the perfect Golumpki recipe at home. I gathered what information I could in bits and pieces from our very busy waitress—who eventually told me to “Google it”—polled my Polish family, and tested various versions. The cabbage rolls I enjoyed at a milk bar in Kraków, Poland, had a thin, buttery tomato sauce similar to thinned-out canned tomato soup.
The biggest challenge? Recreating that creamy tomato sauce without cream or canned tomato soup, an ingredient many online recipes use but traditional Gołąbki don’t.
Then, an email from a website I subscribe to landed in my inbox, featuring Polish Classic Recipes by Peter Zaranski. In it was the answer:
Butter!
That simple addition gave the tomato sauce the richness and velvety texture I had been trying to recreate. It reminded me of Marcella Hazan’s famous (and brilliant) tomato butter sauce, which proves how a little butter can transform a simple tomato sauce into something extraordinary.
This Polish Cabbage Rolls recipe is:
- Tested and perfected! As a personal chef who has made stuffed cabbage many times, I drew on that experience to perfect the filling, sauce, and technique.
- Authentic Polish inspiration: My version is based on the authentic Golumpki I enjoyed in Gdańsk and Kraków.
- Made with simple, humble ingredients: True to old-world cooking, this recipe transforms everyday ingredients into something hearty, comforting, and satisfying.
- Make ahead! Assemble 1 day in advance, then refrigerate until ready to bake. Or, bake and reheat for delicious meal-prep readiness!
- Freezer-friendly!
After all that searching, I’m thrilled to finally share the Golumpki recipe that brought me back to those memorable meals in Poland. I hope these tender, savory Polish Cabbage Rolls bring the same old-world comfort to your table!
How to Make Golumpki (Polish Cabbage Rolls):
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Golumpki recipe. The exact quantities are on the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Cabbage: Green cabbage is traditional in Golumpki, but you can also use Savoy cabbage. Green cabbage has a slight “peppery” flavor, while Savoy is mild and sweet. Try to buy a nice, leafy head so you have plenty of beautiful, deep green leaves, plus some left over for my Creamed Cabbage Casserole.
- Butter: You’ll need 10 tablespoons of butter. You can use salted or unsalted. If you use salted butter, be mindful of where else you add salt so the dish isn’t overly salty.
- Converted Rice: I like to use converted rice in this golumpki recipe, which is also called “parboiled” rice. The texture remains firmer, and the grains are less likely to stick together and become mushy. It is also more nutritious than regular white rice because it’s prepared from brown rice.
- Ground Beef: I like to use ground chuck in a Golumpki recipe, which is 80% lean and 20% fat. The higher fat content helps keep the Polish cabbage rolls tender and flavorful. You can substitute ground sirloin for the ground chuck to reduce the fat content.
- Ground Pork: Use all beef if you don’t eat pork. The beef-and-pork mix also works beautifully in my Italian Meatloaf recipe, where the pork adds richness and helps keep the meatloaf tender and flavorful.
- Canned Whole Tomatoes: Use the best whole canned tomatoes you can find, without basil. Mutti is a reliable brand and available at most grocery stores. I debated using crushed tomatoes for ease, but I wanted the best possible flavor.
- Beef Broth / Stock: Either works well and adds savory depth to the tomato sauce. Use low-sodium so you can control the salt level.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Remove as much of the core of the cabbage as possible.
- Place the cabbage in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until you can easily remove 12 cabbage leaves with tongs. (You may need to help the cabbage leaves off using a knife.)
- Place the cabbage leaves on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
- When cool to the touch, cut out the large center rib, creating a V-shape and flaps to fold over the filling. Set aside. Remove the remaining cabbage from the pot and set aside to cool for another use, like this Polish-inspired Cabbage Potato Kielbasa Soup.
- Using the same water used to blanch the cabbage leaves, add the uncooked white rice. Bring back to a boil and cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until the rice is cooked al dente (to the tooth). (You should be able to bite down on a rice kernel, but there should be resistance. You don’t want it cooked entirely or too soft. Drain the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold tap water to cool. Drain again. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened.
- Transfer HALF of the onion to a large bowl, leaving half in the saucepan for the sauce.
- Add the whole tomatoes, the water from rinsing the can, and the butter. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon.
- Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, or until thickened.
- Puree until smooth in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender.
- To the bowl with the onions, add the rice, beef, pork, and egg. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and half the parsley. Mix well.
- Divide the filling into 12 even portions.
- Place a cabbage leaf on a flat work surface. Place 1/12th of the filling on the cabbage leaf right above the V-cut. Fold the flaps over the filling, then roll up.
- Place the cabbage roll in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 11 leaves.
- Pour the beef broth over the cabbage rolls. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls. (You don’t need to mix the sauce at this point.) Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees in the center of each cabbage roll.
- Let the Golumpki rest for 10 minutes. Flip each cabbage roll to gently blend the sauce and coat the cabbage rolls. Or transfer the rolls to a serving platter, stir the sauce to blend, then pour it over the rolls. Garnish with remaining chopped fresh parsley.
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Tongs help remove the cabbage leaves after or while boiling since the cabbage will be very hot. You may also need to use a knife to help remove the leaves.
- Use all the large outer leaves for good-looking cabbage rolls that can hold enough filling. However, you can use two smaller leaves by piecing them together and rolling them carefully.
- You’ll have a blanched partial head of cabbage left over after pulling off the leaves you’ll need. I recommend using it within a few days to avoid fermentation, which can happen because of that moisture. Use it in my hearty cabbage, beans, and sausage recipe or this old-world inspired Braised Cabbage.
- Cook the rice until al dente because it will continue to cook while baking in the rolls. If you overcook the rice at first, or use leftover cooked rice, it may become mushy. Not cooking the rice all the way through will also help it soak up the meat flavor as it finishes cooking in the rolls.
- Cutting the center rib out of the blanched cabbage leaves makes them easier to roll and helps them lay flat.
- This cabbage prep suggestion for the Polish cabbage rolls recipe comes from a friend! Another way to cook and soften the leaves for rolling is to microwave them. Remove the core, put the head in a casserole dish with 1/2 cup water, and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 9 minutes, turning halfway through. Let stand covered for 15 minutes, then remove the leaves you’ll need.
- Don’t skip the initial high-heat bake with just the broth! It gives the cabbage rolls a head start, allows the cabbage and partially cooked rice to absorb savory broth, and keeps the tomato-butter sauce rich rather than watered down.
Golumpki Recipe FAQs:
Converted (parboiled) rice retains its texture better for these stuffed Polish cabbage rolls. However, regular white rice works too. You will still want to cook the rice until it is just al dente before adding it to the cabbage roll filling. Brown rice is another option.
Although canned tomato soup is popular in U.S. Polish cabbage roll recipes, it isn’t traditionally used for stuffed Polish cabbage rolls. Canned tomato soup didn’t even exist until just before the 1900s, and Golumpki has been around for centuries. Poles who emigrated to the U.S. or are second- or third-generation often enjoyed its convenience in Golumpki recipes. Convenience foods were rare in pre-World War II Poland, and for another 40 years or so, Poland was under communist rule.
Yes, absolutely! Replace the meat with chopped mushrooms and grains like barley, farro, quinoa, or buckwheat, which are traditional in Polish cooking.
The initial broth bake serves two purposes. Beef broth complements the traditional beef-and-pork filling, infusing the rice and neutral cabbage leaves with a rich, meaty flavor. It also keeps the broth from diluting the rich tomato-butter sauce, which you add afterward so it stays thick and velvety.
Yes! But don’t leave the ground meats uncooked for more than 24 hours. Ground meats are extremely perishable. If you plan to bake them any later, freeze the golumpki after assembling, then thaw in the refrigerator and bake promptly. If you bake the golumpki, you’re good to go! Cool and refrigerate until ready to reheat. To refresh the sauce, carefully move the golumpki aside, stir the sauce, then spoon it back over the golumpki. Reheat in a 350-degree oven until heated through, then garnish with fresh parsley and dill as desired.
Yes! You can freeze this cabbage roll dish before baking. I would suggest freezing the unbaked cabbage rolls without either the beef broth or the tomato sauce. Freeze the sauce separately, then add the beef broth when you’re ready to bake. This prevents the cabbage rolls from sitting in excess liquid as they freeze and thaw. When you’re ready to bake, thaw the cabbage rolls overnight in the refrigerator, pour the beef broth over them, and follow the recipe’s baking instructions. Add the tomato sauce when the recipe directs. Don’t use frozen/thawed ground beef; use fresh. Thaw them in the fridge and bake promptly as instructed. If you freeze after baking, divide the rolls into smaller containers. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave before reheating.
Favorites From My Kitchen:
- Don’t let the remaining cabbage go to waste; use it in this hearty Cabbage and Bean Soup recipe.
- Love cabbage rolls but don’t have time to roll them? My unstuffed cabbage and chorizo skillet delivers that same comforting combination in an easy one-pan dinner.
- For more comforting meals like these Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls made for gathering around the table, browse these Sunday dinner ideas for your family.
More ways to crush on cabbage!
If you tried my Golumpki recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments!
Golumpki Recipe (Polish Stuffed Cabbage)
Equipment
Ingredients
- Cooking spray, for the baking dish
FILLING
- Salt
- 1 large leafy head green cabbage, (or Savoy cabbage)
- 1/2 cup uncooked white rice, preferably converted (also called parboiled)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
- 2 large onions, chopped (4 cups)
- 1 pound ground beef, such as chuck or sirloin
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
SAUCE
- 1 can (28-ounce) whole tomatoes in puree
- 1/2 cup water, to rinse out tomato can
- 1 stick butter, (8 tablespoons)
- 1 cup beef broth, or stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pinch of sugar, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
PREPARE THE CABBAGE:
- Remove as much of the core of the cabbage as possible. Place the cabbage in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until you can easily remove 12 cabbage leaves with tongs. (You may need to help the cabbage leaves off using a knife.)
- Place the cabbage leaves on a rimmed baking sheet to cool. When cool to the touch, cut out the large center rib, creating a V-shape and flaps to fold over the filling. Set aside. Remove the remaining cabbage from the pot and set aside to cool for another use.
COOK THE RICE:
- Using the same water used to blanch the cabbage leaves, add the uncooked white rice. Bring back to a boil and cook for 6-7 minutes or until the rice is cooked al dente (to the tooth). (You should be able to bite down on a rice kernel, but there should be resistance. You don't want it cooked entirely or too soft.
- Drain the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold tap water to cool. Drain again. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
PREPARE THE SAUCE:
- Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until it softens. Transfer HALF of the onion to a large bowl, leaving half in the saucepan for the sauce.
- Add the whole tomatoes, the water from rinsing the can, and the butter. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes, or until thickened.
- Puree until smooth in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender.
FINISH PREPARING THE FILLING:
- To the bowl with the onions, add the rice, beef, pork, and egg. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and half the parsley. Mix well.
- Divide the filling into 12 even portions.
MAKE THE CABBAGE ROLLS:
- Place a cabbage leaf on a flat work surface. Place 1/12th of the filling on the cabbage leaf right above the V-cut. Fold the flaps over the filling, then roll up. Place the cabbage roll in the baking dish.
- Repeat with the remaining 11 leaves.
- Pour the beef broth over the cabbage rolls.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls. (You don’t need to mix the sauce at this point.)
- Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees in the center of each cabbage roll.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees in the center of each cabbage roll.
- Let the dish rest for 10 minutes.
- Flip each cabbage roll to gently blend the sauce and coat the cabbage rolls. Or transfer the rolls to a serving platter, stir the sauce to blend, then pour it over the rolls.Garnish with remaining chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- Can also use Savoy cabbage.
- Use tongs to remove the softened leaves, along with a knife if needed to help release them.
- Choose large outer leaves. They’re easiest to fill and roll. If necessary, overlap two smaller leaves and roll carefully.
- Use the leftover cabbage. Refrigerate the remaining blanched cabbage and use it within a few days.
- Cook the rice only until al dente. It will finish cooking inside the rolls, absorbing savory juices without becoming mushy.
- Cutting the thick center rib from each blanched leaf makes the cabbage easier to roll and helps the rolls lie flat.
- Try the microwave method. Remove the core, place the cabbage in a casserole dish with 1/2 cup water, and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 9 minutes, turning halfway through. Let stand, covered, for 15 minutes before removing the leaves.
- Don’t skip the initial broth bake. It gives the cabbage and rice a head start, lets them absorb savory broth, and keeps the tomato-butter sauce from becoming diluted.
- If the ground meats are super fresh or the packages were just opened, assemble them 24 hours in advance.
- If you plan to bake it any later, freeze it after assembling the golumpki, then thaw it in the refrigerator and bake it promptly.
- If you bake the golumpki before your event, cool them, then refrigerate until ready to reheat. Refresh the sauce by carefully moving the golumpki aside, stirring the sauce, and then spooning it back over the golumpki.
- Reheat in a 350-degree oven until heated through to 165 degrees in the center of each cabbage roll, then garnish with fresh parsley.
- BEFORE BEING BAKED (MEAT STILL RAW): Once the cabbage rolls have been assembled and the sauce is added, you can freeze this dish before baking. If you freeze the assembled cabbage rolls before baking, thaw them in the refrigerator and bake promptly.
- You can also start baking if it is still partially frozen. Place the cabbage rolls in the oven, THEN turn it on so the baking dish heats slowly.
- AFTER BAKING (MEAT IS COOKED): If freezing after baking, you can divide the rolls into smaller containers and thaw them in the refrigerator or microwave before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
If I plan to freeze before baking, should I pour the beef broth over the raw cabbage rolls prior to freezing or pour both the beef broth and the sauce over them before freezing?
Hi, Janice, Thanks so much for your question. I would suggest freezing the unbaked cabbage rolls without either the beef broth or the tomato sauce. Freeze the sauce separately, then add the beef broth when you’re ready to bake. This prevents the cabbage rolls from sitting in excess liquid as they freeze and thaw. When you’re ready to bake, thaw the cabbage rolls overnight in the refrigerator, pour the beef broth over them, and follow the recipe’s baking instructions. Add the tomato sauce at the stage the recipe directs. I’ll add this information to the post. Also, don’t use frozen/thawed ground beef; use fresh. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy!
I made these per directions instead of the recipe that If have used for 60 years from my Ukranian landlady. I have to say, I was very disappointed with these. I didn’t like the taste from adding the beef broth and cooking that way first. I make them by cooking them low and slow in a tomato sauce with sauerkraut on the bottom of the pan. The cabbage rolls soak up the flavor of the sauerkraut and are much more tender. I appreciate your recipes, though, and thank you.
Hi, Patricia, Thank you for giving my recipe a try and for sharing your experience. Eastern Europe has so many versions of cabbage rolls, each with its own ingredients and traditions. This recipe is a Polish version of what I enjoyed IN Poland so I can’t speak to a Ukrainian version. I completely understand that it would be different from the Ukrainian-style cabbage rolls you’ve enjoyed for so many years. I appreciate your kind words about my recipes!
Great base recipe. Two things you may want to try…1. -Instead of boiling the cabbage, cut out the core and freeze. After the cabbage has thawed, the leaves come off just as well as boiling and no big pot of hot water. 2.- Try barley. That’s my favorite. I pre-cook it and then add to meat mixture.
Hi, Sandy, Thanks so much for the great tip! Love barley, too, and I’ll have to give that a try! Thanks again!
Hi! Love your recipes! Could I sub quinoa for the rice? It is friendlier to me than rice! Thanks!
Hi, Tommi, Thanks so much and I appreciate hearing that! Yes, you certainly can do that. I would probably undercook the quinoa just a little bit like the rice as indicated, otherwise, you won’t have much texture. Thanks again and let me know how you liked it!
Thank you! Will do!
Thank you for sharing the step-by-step instructions, this is fantastic. I’m a new home cook and really appreciate it.
Hi, Bianca, Thanks so very much and so happy you appreciate my format. I do try to make it easy, especially for new cooks. Thanks again!
You say above that you use ground chuck that is 80% FAT and only 20% lean. Why is it necessary for such a high fat content? is it for flavour or to keep the pork moist? I don’t think we can get ground beef with such a high percentage of fat in the UK, I think 25% is about the highest our butchers will do. Would using suet in the recipe to get the fat content up work? How much would you recommend to add?
Thanks so much for your question. The fat content is nice to have for flavor and moisture, but you absolutely don’t have to use anything with a high fat content. You can use lower-fat ground beef if you like. Thanks again and let me know how it goes.