Cabbage Pigs in Blanket (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

Made with ground pork, sautéed vegetables, and enveloped in crisp cabbage leaves, our Cabbage Pigs in Blanket recipe transforms traditional Hungarian comfort food into a straightforward, budget-friendly meal. Savor it as is or pair it with your preferred sides for a complete, flavorsome experience.

I grew up loving these stuffed cabbage rolls we call cabbage pigs in the blanket. It’s ground pork mixed with sautéed veggies, all wrapped up in cabbage leaves. They’re huge in Hungary, where they go by Toltottkaposzta.

You’ll find something similar in Romania and Moldova called “Sarmale,” though those are tinier than what we have in Hungary. Actually, I’m convinced that you’ll find something similar in a lot of countries because that combination of ingredients is irresistible.

Comparing them, Hungarian versions are mostly meat and veggies with just a bit of rice or bulgur, like 90% to 10%. Romanian sarmale flips that, with way more rice than meat and veggies.

Making them does take some effort, but trust me, it’s straightforward. I’ve laid it all out clearly, so you shouldn’t hit any snags.

Seriously, you should try making them. Let’s get started!

🥰 Why You Will Love This Recipe?

• This recipe is my go-to when the weather gets cold and I’m craving that cozy comfort food vibe, the kind my grandma used to make.
• If you’re tired of the same old ground meat dishes, this will shake things up for you.
• Plus, it stays good in the fridge for 3-5 days, so I often make a big batch on the weekend and then have it sorted for meals throughout the week.

🥘 Ingredients and Substitutes

• Ground Pork. I went with minced pork shoulder. You could use pork loin for less fat, but then you might want to throw in more veggies to keep things from drying out. If you’re into richer flavors, pork neck is great too. Aim for meat with about 20-25% fat.
• Carrot. I tossed in a large carrot, but feel free to mix in other root veggies like parsnip or celery for extra flavor.
• Cabbage. I used regular cabbage, but if you’re in a rush, Chinese cabbage cooks faster and is a great substitute.
• Onions. I stuck with white ones, but honestly, any type you’ve got works.
• Garlic. I’m all about fresh garlic, but if you’re out, dried granulated garlic will do the trick.
• Tomatoes. We need to use fresh tomatoes for additional acidity in this recipe.
• Bulgur. If you don’t have it on hand, you could replace it with rice in the same proportions. If you want a recipe completely without carbohydrates, you can remove the bulgur from the recipe, but in this case, you will risk that the contents inside will be drier. In that case, consider adding more vegetables.
• Tomato Paste helps thicken the sauce for the cabbage rolls, but if you’ve got fresh tomatoes, grating them into the sauce can really amp up the flavor.
• Dill. No fresh dill? Dry works, or skip it if it’s not your thing.
• Seasonings. I kept it simple with black pepper, but throw in some chili flakes if you like it hot.

👩‍🍳 Step-by-step Directions

Let’s dive straight into making these cabbage rolls. Start by finely chopping onions and garlic, then heat a bit of oil in a large saucepan. Toss in the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook them on medium heat until the onions start to look a bit see-through.

Then, add grated carrot to the mix and cook until it softens up, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Once the carrots are tender, mix in grated fresh tomatoes and cook everything for another 3 minutes. Then, take the pan off the heat and set it aside to cool.

In the meantime, we will prepare the cabbage leaves.

For this, take a large saucepan in which you can fit the whole cabbage. Half fill it with water and put the pan on the heat to boil the water.

In the meantime, wash the cabbage well and remove the stem.

When the water starts to boil, put the cabbage in the pan of water and turn it with the stem down. When you see that the leaves start to soften, start to separate them one by one.

Quick Note: There is no need to boil the cabbage entirely. All we will need is to soften the cabbage layers so that they come off and you can roll them afterward.

Put all the leaves aside on a plate to cool. In the meantime, we’ll get to work on the cabbage filling.

Quick Note: Hang onto the cabbage water if you’re using tomato paste; you’ll need it later.

In a big bowl, mix the pan-fried veggies, minced meat, bulgur, and dill. Season it with salt and pepper, and mix until everything’s evenly distributed.

Now we are ready to roll the cabbage leaves together with the filling we just made.

Quick Note: If you picked a large cabbage, then cut the leaves in half. If the cabbage you used is medium or small, then you should only cut the thick part of the leaf to be easier for you to roll the cabbage leaf.

After this, carefully arrange the cabbage leaf on the work surface and put the meat composition on the cabbage roll.

I used about 2 tablespoons of the filling for each roll. But it all depends on how large you plan to make the cabbage rolls and how large is your cabbage leaves.

Quick Note: It is important to put a sufficient amount of meat in such a way that will be easy for you to roll it in the cabbage but at the same time not too little stuffing mixture because you will have the wrong balance between the cabbage and meat.

Pro Tip: Place the meat on the cabbage leaf so that there is a little space on the sides so that you can seal the ends well at the end.

Follow the steps as you see in the collage below:

If you’re using sauerkraut or pickled cucumbers, lay them in the bottom of your baking pan. Then, place your rolls in the pan, ready for the sauce.

After you have arranged the stuffed cabbage in the pan, it is time to prepare the tomato sauce that we will pour over the cabbage.

Quick Note: If you decided to use fresh tomatoes, then you need 1 1/2 cups of grated fresh tomatoes.

If you decided to use tomato paste, then put the tomato paste in the frying pan in which you sauteed the vegetables and fry it for about 30 seconds until it starts to emit a pleasant smell.

After this, gradually add 1 1/2 cups of water in which the cabbage was boiled and mix until the tomato paste is completely dissolved.

After this, pour the obtained sauce over the cabbage rolls. If you used fresh tomatoes, then just pour the grated tomatoes on over the rolled cabbage.

Preheat the roll to 350°F (175°C) and cook for approximately 90 minutes.

Pro Tip: Position the tray in the oven at the 2nd level from the bottom to avoid burning the top layer above and to help the sauce evaporate. By doing that, the sauce will have a creamier texture.

In the end, you will get some juicy rolls with a rich golden color. And the leftover sauce that will leak in the oven tray will be perfect to be served on top of the rolls when you put them on the serving plate.

For more color and taste on your plate, I recommend you add a tablespoon of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Quick Note: Average portion per person is 2-3 rolls per person.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Serve with yogurt or sour cream base sauce. You could also serve them with some pickled vegetables or near a green salad.

🏆 Expert Tips. What to Pay Attention To?

For the best flavor balance, I like to add a bit of tang. Sauerkraut works great—it’s that German pickled cabbage that doesn’t use vinegar—or some pickled cucumbers do the trick too. If you’re not into tomato paste, swapping it out for fresh tomatoes can add the acidity you’re looking for.

♻️ Make Ahead, Storage and Heating:

📋 Recipe Card: