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Home » Recipes » Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls Recipe (Polish Galumpkis)

Published: May 18, 2023 Last Updated: May 18, 2023 by Marye 1934 words. | About 10 minutes to read this article.

8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Polish stuffed cabbage rolls are filled with rice and beef, and simmered all day in a slow cooker with a tomato and sour cream sauce. You'll need a can of tomato soup for this one. It just isn't the same without it.
Jump to Recipe
Cut cabbage rolls on a plate showing the filling.

This easy, Polish comfort food is a family favorite! The baked version of the recipe was given to my mom by her best friend way back in the 1930s.

And - if you are of Polish descent... Is it Galumpki or Golumpki?

Don't want to scroll through the page to get to the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on the section you want to go to.

Finished cabbage roll being spooned out of the slow cooker.
Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why you'll love it
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 📖 Variations
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🥬 How do you blanch cabbage?
  • 🥫 Storage
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Serve with...
  • 🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

  • Traditional cabbage rolls are a classic comfort food dish that the whole family will love.
  • They are filled with a delicious beef and rice mixture and smothered in a creamy tomato sauce.
  • The best part is that they can be made in a crock pot, so you can come home to a delicious meal all ready to eat.

Homemade galumpkis (stuffed cabbage or cabbage rolls depending on where you are from) are so easy to make in a crock pot!

Tender leaves of steamed cabbage are rolled around a tomato-y rice and beef mixture, then covered in a creamy tomato sauce and slow cooked to perfection.

Since it's a slow cooker recipe it's perfect for busy weeknights. Just assemble the night before and let cook all the next day!

Easy on the budget and family friendly!

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

Overhead view of labeled ingredients.

📖 Variations

  • Ground turkey or ground pork can be used in place of ground beef.
  • For a vegetarian version, use cooked lentils or quinoa in place of the ground beef.
  • Add 2 cups of your favorite chopped veggies to the beef mixture (e.g. mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers).
  • If you want a sweeter sauce add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the tomato soup.
  • A dash of Worcestershire sauce added to the beef mixture will give a deep rich flavor.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Step by step images showing how to make cabbage rolls.
  1. Steam the whole head of cabbage in a large covered pot of boiling water.
  2. Cook the ground beef and onions until cooked all the way through, then add in all the other ingredients to the ground meat mixture.
  3. Fill the steamed cabbage leaves with the meat mixture and roll.
  4. Place cabbage rolls to the bottom of the slow cooker and top with sauce.

🥬 How do you blanch cabbage?

You'll need to blanch the cabbage for these slow cooker cabbage rolls so that the leaves are soft and pliable.

  1. First, you'll want to choose a cabbage that is relatively loose rather than solid and tight.
  2. Next cut the heart out where the stem was. and cut up into the cabbage in a circle - like removing a cork or a plug.
  3. Bring about 3 inches of salted water to a boil in a large (tall) pot.
  4. Place the cabbage in the boiling water with the cut side down. Cover.
  5. Boil for 5 minutes or so.
  6. Run the cabbage leaves under cool water and lay them out, ready to be filled and rolled.

🥫 Storage

Leftover cabbage rolls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's best not to freeze them.

Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or in a covered pot on the stove until warm all the way through.

Overhead view of cabbage rolls on a serving platter.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: To make in the oven put the stuffed cabbage rolls in a casserole dish and cover with the sauce as directed in recipe. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350F.

  • To help with rolling the cabbage leaves cut a "v" out of the bottom of the leaf where it's thick.
  • Add a little water or V8 juice to the bottom of the crock pot to prevent sticking and burning.
  • When rolling the cabbage leaves wrap them like a burrito and tuck the leaves under to prevent them from unraveling.
  • Garnish plates with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for a beautiful color.
  • When rolling the cabbage leaves wrap them like a burrito and tuck the leaves under to prevent them from unraveling.
  • Cabbage rolls can be assembled up to 3 days ahead of time and cooked when desired.
  • Make this into an easy 30 minute cabbage roll casserole by chopping the cabbage up and mixing in the remaining ingredients - bake in a 13x9 in pan at 375F for 20 minutes or until heated through.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

What is the best type of cabbage for cabbage rolls?

A savoy or green cabbage is the best cabbage to use.

Why are my cabbage rolls tough?

One reason your cabbage rolls may not have turned out as expected is because they were overcooked. Another possibility is that you didn't add enough filling. The rolls should be tightly packed but not so full that they can't roll closed.

How do you soften cabbage leaves to roll?

The easiest way to soften cabbage leaves is to place them in boiling water and remove them from the head of cabbage as they soften.

Do you put eggs in cabbage rolls?

There is no need to add eggs to this recipe. The rice and beef mixture will hold everything together.

Cut cabbage rolls on a plate showing the filling.

📚 Related recipes

  • Slow Cooker Sausage and Potatoes is a hearty comfort food that the entire family will enjoy.
  • Burrito Casserole recipe is a creamy, easy, weeknight dinner with lots of Tex-Mex flavor. Layers of tortillas, beef, beans, and cheese in a creamy sauce is an absolute dream. It’s make ahead easy and your grocery budget is going to love it, too!
  • Chicken Tetrazzini is one of those comforting casseroles that was a fixture in many of our childhoods. It was creamy, savory, and filling – I loved it as a kid and as a Mom! Let’s face it – you can take a little chicken and use more pasta and create a filling, delicious dinner for the whole family. 
  • Stuffed peppers are high on my list of comfort food. A tomato-y beef and rice mixture is stuffed into green peppers and baked in the oven until the house smells like you want to chew on the walls and your stomach is turning somersaults in anticipation. It’s a gloriously easy meal that your wallet will thank you for.
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🍽️ Serve with...

  • Maple roasted carrots are sweet with a hint of caramelization. So good with this meal.
  • Southern Green Beans is an easy recipe that is fresh and pairs well with this comforting meal.
  • If you are looking for a great recipe to make for dessert with this dish, look no further than this Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake recipe.

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  • cabbage
  • white rice
  • ground beef
  • onion
  • Campbells condensed tomato soup
  • sour cream
  • paprika
  • slow cooker
  • large skillet

📞 The last word

Mom used to put cabbage rolls in a big Dutch oven and cook in a slow oven for several hours... that is until she got her first crockpot. 🙂

This is slow cooked for about six to eight hours to reach yummy perfection. The sauce is tangy and sweet, the cabbage is delicate and tender, and the rice and beef mixture is... unbelievably good.

Make it stretch further by using more rice and less meat. You can also add chopped mushrooms to help stretch it more.

Making this cabbage roll recipe doesn't take that long at all and the house will smell amazing.

And if you love cabbage try this pork and red cabbage in the slow cooker.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Closeup of a cabbage roll on a serving spoon.
4.67 from 12 votes

Easy Cabbage Rolls (Galumpkis) Recipe

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Polish stuffed cabbage rolls are filled with rice and beef, and simmered all day in a slow cooker with a tomato and sour cream sauce. You'll need a can of tomato soup for this one. It just isn't the same without it.
Course Main Dish - Ground Beef
Cuisine American - Vintage,German/Eastern European,Polish
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours hours
Total Time: 8 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Servings:8 servings
Calories:536
Author:Marye Audet-White
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 cabbage, remove core
  • 2 cups rice, cooked
  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped fine - optional
  • 32.25 ounces Campbells condensed tomato soup, 3 10.75-ounce cans
  • ¼ cup sour cream, more if desired
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

  • Place the cabbage head core side down in a pot with about 3 inches water.
  • Cover and steam over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  • Check the cabbage, the top few leaves should be very transparent and pliable. Peel them off.
  • Continue to steam the cabbage and peel off the outer leaves as they get done. The leaves should be VERY pliable. You may be able to use all of the leaves, although the cabbage rolls will get smaller in size.
  • Chop up any remaining cabbage.
  • Saute the beef and onion until thoroughly cooked.
  • Mix the rice and ground beef mixture. Add about ¼ cup condensed tomato soup, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well.
  • Prepare the crock pot by spraying with cooking spray. Pour about ½ cup of tomato soup on the bottom of the crock pot. Spread the chopped cabbage over it.
  • Place a heaping spoonful of the meat mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf.
  • Fold in the ends and roll up.
  • Place seam side down in the crock pot.
  • Repeat until you have a layer of cabbage rolls in the bottom.
  • Pour more tomato soup (about ½ cup) over the first layer and add a second layer of cabbage rolls over it.
  • Continue until the cabbage leaves are all used up.
  • Pour about ⅓ cup water or V-8 juice in the crockpot.
  • Mix the remaining tomato soup and the sour cream and pour over the top.
  • Slow cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
  • Serve with more sour cream if desired.

Notes

Storage:
Leftover cabbage rolls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's best not to freeze them.
Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or in a covered pot on the stove until warm all the way through.
Tips:
Expert Tip: To make in the oven put the stuffed cabbage rolls in a casserole dish and cover with the sauce as directed in recipe. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350F.
  • To help with rolling the cabbage leaves cut a "v" out of the bottom of the leaf where it's thick.
  • Add a little water or V8 juice to the bottom of the crock pot to prevent sticking and burning.
  • When rolling the cabbage leaves wrap them like a burrito and tuck the leaves under to prevent them from unraveling.
  • Garnish plates with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for a beautiful color.
  • When rolling the cabbage leaves wrap them like a burrito and tuck the leaves under to prevent them from unraveling.
  • Cabbage rolls can be assembled up to 3 days ahead of time and cooked when desired.
  • Make this into an easy 30 minute cabbage roll casserole by chopping the cabbage up and mixing in the remaining ingredients - bake in a 13x9 in pan at 375F for 20 minutes or until heated through.
You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 674mg | Potassium: 1388mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 890IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    First published December 2010. Last updated May 18, 2023 for better used experience.

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    About Marye

    With a 40 year focus on the importance of family and a passion for southern comfort food, Marye Audet-White is an expert in melding the two together effortlessly. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.

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      Love it? Give it 5 stars!




    1. susan

      September 19, 2022 at 9:49 am

      5 stars
      Being Polish and having a Hungarian husband, I make stuffed cabbage frequently. I usually bake it the oven, but decided to try the crock pot recipe. It came out better than I thought it would. However, I did make a few changes to your recipe. I used 1 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb of ground pork. I added in some garlic powder, dried italian seasoning and sauteed the onions (translucent) before adding to the meat/rice filling mixture (I also added in (1) packet of Goya Sazon with annatto to kick up the flavor. (Not a Polish thing, but I find that this seasoning just adds more flavor). To the tomato soup I mixed in some san marzano crushed tomatoes (undrained) as well as V-8 juice (for a thinner sauce) and omitted the sour cream. These are better freshly made but do freeze rather well. Put in an airtight ziplock plastic freezer bag covered with sauce. Do not thaw, just put frozen cabbage rolls in a saucepan covered with sauce and simmer gently until heated through. I found when I did it this way the cabbage was tender and did not get tough and chewy. Even though I changed your recipe I gave it 5 stars for the idea of preparing it in a crock pot. So happy to hear that you daughter has been coming along well.

      Reply
    2. Louise

      May 10, 2022 at 3:09 pm

      Sorry for this question,but are you suppose to add any water to the water to the tomato soup and sour?

      Reply
      • Marye

        May 10, 2022 at 3:29 pm

        🙂 no you use it straight from the can.

        Reply
    3. Lori

      April 17, 2022 at 7:34 am

      4 stars
      Really good except my tomato soup burnt around the edge of the crock pot.

      Reply
    4. William J Yurgen

      April 12, 2022 at 1:52 pm

      5 stars
      God bless you. You and your daughter will be in my prayers. I cook for a hobby and out of necessity since over the years the women in my life were either too pushed for time or they were clueless about the process. So, I tried simple Taste of Home type comfort recipes and later graduated to books from all the top chefs with more sophistication. Now towards the autumn of my cooking journey I came across your blog. What a perfect mid-point. Relatively easy but not too simple. Things I can serve to my snooty friends without being too ostentatious for family. Thank you for the goodness you bring to our tables.

      Reply
    5. Dolores (Matakas) Schwartz

      March 20, 2022 at 1:36 pm

      5 stars
      Don't know why but it's been ages since I've made this. Grew up with this as a kid (100% Lithuanian). Exact same recipe except for the sour cream. Married an English/German and he likes it--just not as much as me (I've even been known to eat it cold). When I worked full time, I'd make it as the casserole (chopped cabbage) to save time. Thanks for reminding me that I need to make it ASAP. I'm new to your site but I love it.

      Reply
    6. Dee K

      December 31, 2010 at 7:54 am

      Daisy is the only sour cream I ever use because it's just plain better!

      Reply
    7. Dee K

      December 31, 2010 at 7:48 am

      I love Cabbage rolls but haven't found a good recipe like my mom made and she used Campbell's tomato soup, too! I'm so psyched to make this! THANK YOU!

      Reply
      • maryeaudet

        December 31, 2010 at 8:45 am

        Let me know if it is the same, Dee. 🙂

        Reply
    8. bellini

      December 31, 2010 at 5:46 am

      Cabbage rolls are such comfort food Marye. I have enjoyed following you on your journey in 2010 and look forward to all the the new year promises. Happy New year!!

      Reply
    9. Mary Beth Adomaitis

      December 30, 2010 at 10:44 pm

      Forgot to add that it was served with sauerkraut...

      Reply
    10. Mary Beth Adomaitis

      December 30, 2010 at 10:42 pm

      Oh my mom made this a lot growing up (Polish/Hungarian background) although she nevered used tomato soup or sauce.. Just plain... I still make it every once in awhile and now I have the taste for it. Thanks, Marye!

      Reply
    11. Carla

      December 30, 2010 at 8:55 pm

      This sounds yummy and my hubby has often talked of Cabbage Rolls that his mom used to make years ago. I am definitely gonna try this one out. Where do you use the Tomato Soup?
      Carla

      Reply
      • maryeaudet

        December 30, 2010 at 9:07 pm

        You mix it with the sour cream and pour it over the top.

        Reply

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