Gołąbki (Polish stuffed cabbage rolls) are a classic Polish comfort food made with tender cabbage leaves stuffed with a savory mixture of ground pork, rice, onions, and seasonings. This authentic Polish recipe, which I learned from my mom, is served with a rich, creamy tomato sauce.
Growing up in Poland, gołąbki were a staple at our home. I've been making them for years, and I'm excited to share my mom's version with you, along with all my tips for getting them just right. If you love traditional Polish comfort food, be sure to try my Polish chicken meatballs (klopsiki), łazanki, and Polish dill pickle soup, too!
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What are gołąbki?
Gołąbki (pronounced goh-WUMP-kee) are traditional Polish cabbage rolls made by wrapping softened cabbage leaves around a filling of ground meat, rice, onions, and seasonings. They're typically simmered or baked until tender and often served with a homemade tomato or mushroom sauce. The name gołąbki literally means "little pigeons" in Polish, although there's no pigeon in the recipe! You may also see them spelled golabki, golumpki, galumpki, or golabky, especially in Polish-American families. Regardless of the spelling, these hearty stuffed cabbage rolls are a beloved staple of Polish home cooking.
Ingredient notes
- Cabbage: Use a large head of green cabbage with leaves big enough to wrap around the filling. Savoy cabbage also works and has softer, more flexible leaves.
- Ground meat: I use ground pork, but a combination of pork and beef works just as well. Avoid extra-lean meat to keep the filling juicy.
- Rice: Regular white rice works best.
- Bacon: Adds extra flavor and richness to the filling. Regular or thick-cut bacon both work.
- Onions and garlic: Sautéed with the bacon to add flavor to the filling.
- Dill and marjoram: Classic Polish herbs that give gołąbki their distinctive flavor. Fresh dill is best!
- Chicken broth: Keeps the cabbage rolls moist while baking. You can use store-bought broth or mix reserved cabbage cooking water with bouillon.
- Tomato puree and paste: Form the base of the sauce. Tomato paste is optional but adds a deeper tomato flavor.
- Cream: Light or heavy cream makes the tomato sauce smooth and creamy.
- Honey: A little sweetness balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Sugar works as a substitute.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Polish Gołąbki (Step-by-Step)
- STEP 1: Cook the bacon and onions (Photos 1–2). In a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon until it starts releasing its fat. Add the onions and butter and sauté until softened. Set aside to cool slightly.
- STEP 2: Prepare the filling (Photos 3–4). Parboil the rice for about 5 minutes and drain well. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, rice, bacon and onion mixture, fresh dill, fresh garlic, salt, pepper and marjoram. Mix until well combined.
- STEP 3: Soften the cabbage (Photos 5–6). Cut out the tough core of the cabbage. Place it in a large pot of boiling water with vinegar, salt and a little sugar. Cook for about 10 minutes, carefully removing the outer leaves with tongs as they soften.
- STEP 4: Shape the filling (Photos 7–8). Divide the meat mixture into 12 portions and shape into cylinders (or more, if you want smaller cabbage rolls). Line the bottom of your baking dishes with leftover cabbage leaves to prevent sticking.
- STEP 5: Roll the gołąbki (Photos 9–12). Trim the thick center rib from each cabbage leaf. Place a portion of filling near the base, fold the sides inward and roll tightly, like a burrito.
- STEP 6: Arrange and bake (Photos 13–14). Place the cabbage rolls seam-side down in the prepared baking dishes. Pour in enough chicken broth to reach halfway up the rolls. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for about 55 minutes, until cooked through.
- STEP 7: Make tomato sauce (Photo 15). Melt butter in a saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the tomato paste and gradually whisk in the reserved cooking liquid. Stir in the tomato puree, honey, salt and pepper. Simmer until slightly thickened, then stir in the cream.
- STEP 8: Serve (Photo 16). Serve the warm gołąbki with plenty of creamy tomato sauce and a sprinkle of fresh dill.
Agnieszka's tip
For extra delicious gołąbki, after they are baked I remove them from the baking dish, reserve the cooking liquid for the tomato sauce, grease the dish with butter and place the cabbage rolls back in the oven with a little extra butter on top for another 5-15 minutes. This allows the cabbage to caramelize slightly. While they are browning, I make the sauce.
Tips for the best cabbage rolls
- Choose a large cabbage. Look for a head of green cabbage with big, loosely packed leaves. Larger leaves are easier to roll and less likely to tear. You may have some cabbage leftover - that's ok. You can use it for something else.
- Don't rush softening the cabbage. Remove the leaves from the boiling water as they become tender and flexible (use tongs!). If they're still stiff, give them another minute or two in the water.
- Trim the thick center ribs. This makes the leaves much easier to fold and helps prevent your gołąbki from tearing. You can shave down the thick part with a sharp knife rather than cutting it out completely.
- Don't fully cook the rice. Parboiling it for about 5 minutes is enough. The rice will finish cooking inside the cabbage rolls, absorbing all those delicious juices.
- Don't overstuff the leaves. Leave enough room to fold in the sides and roll the cabbage snugly around the filling. Remember, the rice will expand as it cooks!
- Save the cabbage cooking water. Use it with bouillon to make the broth for baking the rolls. Don't throw away the flavorful cooking liquid from the baking dishes either—it's the secret to a delicious tomato sauce!
- Gołąbki taste even better the next day! Like many traditional Polish dishes, the flavors develop as they sit, making these cabbage rolls perfect for preparing ahead of time.
How to serve Polish gołąbki?
Polish gołąbki are best served warm with plenty of creamy tomato sauce spooned over the top. In Poland, they're often enjoyed on their own or with a side of buttery mashed potatoes to soak up all that delicious sauce. Fresh dill on top is a chef's kiss. I would never skip it!
Some families serve gołąbki with creamy mushroom sauce but it's less common.
Storage and freezing tips
- Refrigerator: Store leftover gołąbki in an airtight container with the tomato sauce for up to 4 days. They taste even better the next day!
- Freezer: Gołąbki freeze beautifully! Let them cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers with some tomato sauce to keep them moist. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm the cabbage rolls in a covered baking dish at 350°F until heated through, adding a splash of broth or water if needed. You can also reheat individual portions in a skillet (with the sauce) on the stove.
- Thawing: For best results, thaw frozen gołąbki overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Ground pork is traditional but you can also use a pork-beef mix, or go with ground beef only. I would avoid extra lean meat though.
My mom always adds bacon for extra flavor but you can definitely skip it, if you'd rather not use it. It does make them extra delicious though!
Fresh dill is the quintessential Polish herb used in many traditional dishes. However, if you don't love it, you can swap it with fresh parsley.
There is no difference! Gołąbki is the traditional Polish spelling, while golumpki (also spelled galumpki or golabki) is an Americanized version of the name, commonly used by Polish-American families.
I don't recommend it. Parboiling the rice for about 5 minutes gives it a head start and ensures it cooks evenly inside the cabbage rolls. Uncooked rice absorbs more liquid and expands as it cooks, which can make the filling too firm or leave you with undercooked rice. For the best results, stick with partially cooked rice. Fully cooked also works though the filling may get mushy.
Absolutely! Traditional Polish gołąbki are often cooked on the stovetop. Simply line the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pot with leftover cabbage leaves, arrange the stuffed cabbage rolls seam-side down, and add enough broth to reach about halfway up the rolls. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 60–90 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender and the filling is fully cooked.
Yes! You can bake gołąbki directly in tomato sauce instead of broth. Just make sure the sauce is thinned with enough broth or water to keep the cabbage rolls moist as they cook. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for about 60–75 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender and the meat is fully cooked. Keep in mind that baking them in sauce will give you a slightly different result (and the cream may split a little), and you won't get the lightly browned cabbage that I love in my version.
More Polish recipe ideas
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Gołąbki (Polish stuffed cabbage rolls)
Ingredients
- 1 large green cabbage
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 lbs ground pork or 1 lb pork and 1 lb beef
- 1 cup white rice (before cooking)
- 5 oz bacon chopped
- 2 yellow onions chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon butter optional
- ⅓ cup fresh dill chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper ground
- ½ teaspoon marjoram
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth see note
Tomato sauce
- 18 oz tomato puree see note
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste optional
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light cream or heavy cream, or more
- 1 tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper to taste
- gołąbki cooking broth
Instructions
- Prepare the cabbage. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut out the tough core from the bottom of the cabbage. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar and 2 teaspoons each of salt and sugar, then carefully lower the cabbage into the water.
- Boil the cabbage for about 10 minutes, gently peeling off the outer leaves as they soften. Transfer the leaves to a plate or tray to cool. Continue until you have at least 12 large, intact leaves. You may not need the entire cabbage.
- Parboil the rice. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the rice and cook for about 5 minutes, until partially cooked but still firm. Drain well in a fine-mesh sieve and let cool slightly.
- Cook the bacon and onions. In a skillet, cook the chopped bacon until it starts to release its fat. If your bacon is on the lean side, add 1 tablespoon of butter, then add the chopped onions and cook until softened and lightly golden. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, parboiled rice, bacon and onion mixture, fresh dill, salt, pepper, minced garlic and marjoram. Mix until evenly combined.
- Prepare the baking dishes. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottoms of two 8x11-inch casserole dishes with leftover cabbage leaves.
- Prepare the leaves. Lay each cabbage leaf flat and carefully shave down or cut away the thick center rib to make it easier to roll without tearing.
- Fill and roll. Divide the meat mixture into 12 equal portions and shape each into a cylinder. Place one portion near the base of each cabbage leaf, fold in the sides and roll tightly, like a burrito.
- Arrange 6 cabbage rolls in each dish, seam-side down. You can also use one large casserole dish as long as it fits all 12 gołąbki.
- Add the broth. Mix 2½–3 cups of reserved cabbage cooking water with bouillon or Better Than Bouillon, or use prepared chicken broth. Pour the broth into the baking dishes until the liquid reaches about halfway up the cabbage rolls.
- Bake. Cover the dishes tightly with aluminum foil or lids and bake for about 55 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender and the meat filling is fully cooked.
- Optional step: Brown the cabbage rolls. Remove the dishes from the oven. Carefully transfer the gołąbki to a plate and pour the cooking liquid into a heatproof bowl or measuring jug. Discard the cabbage leaves lining the dishes. Grease the dishes with butter, return the cabbage rolls and lightly brush their tops with more butter. Bake uncovered for another 5–15 minutes, until lightly browned and caramelized to your liking.
Tomato sauce
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, if using, and cook together for another 1-2 minutes, stirring.
- Gradually whisk in the reserved cabbage roll cooking liquid, stirring to prevent lumps. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Stir in the tomato puree and honey. Simmer for a few minutes, then reduce the heat and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more cream if you prefer a creamier sauce.
- Serve gołąbki hot, drizzled with tomato sauce and sprinkled with fresh dill.
Notes
- Cabbage: Choose a large head of green cabbage. Soften the leaves in boiling water and trim the thick center ribs to make rolling easier. Savoy cabbage also works.
- Rice: Don't skip parboiling the rice for 5 minutes. It ensures the rice cooks evenly inside the cabbage rolls.
- Meat: Use ground pork or a combination of pork and beef. Avoid extra-lean meat for a juicier filling.
- Bacon and dill: if you don't want to use either or both of these ingredients, you can skip them.
- Broth: You can use store-bought chicken broth or cabbage cooking water mixed with bouillon. Save the flavorful liquid from the baking dishes to make the tomato sauce.
- Tomato puree: I like to use passata in a carton or glass bottle. You can also use crushed tomatoes or blend canned tomatoes.
- Stovetop method: Arrange the rolls in a large pot lined with cabbage leaves, add broth halfway up, cover, and simmer gently for 60–90 minutes, until fully cooked.
- Baking in sauce: You can bake gołąbki directly in tomato sauce thinned with broth. Cover and bake at 350°F for 60–75 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Meat to rice ratio: if you want less or more rice, adjust to your preferences. I have also used riced cauliflower (pre-cooked a little) for a low-carb version and it worked well.
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Mike says
These look great! The best stuffed cabbage I've ever had was in a rando truck stop in rural Mississippi. Go figure.