This one-skillet ground beef cabbage recipe tastes like a cabbage roll in a bowl! It’s quick, healthy, full of protein and veggies, and only requires 10 minutes of prep.
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Delicious recipe Blair, thank you for sharing! I would say this is even better than stuffed cabbages, it’s easier to make and isn’t dry, like stuffed cabbages can sometimes be…
– Lisa
This Cabbage Ground Beef Recipe is like a Cabbage Roll in a Bowl
Forget about steaming or blanching the cabbage leaves and tediously wrapping each individual portion! There’s almost no prep work necessary for this 10-minute dinner idea. It’s a shortcut twist on my Polish grandmother’s famous stuffed cabbage rolls!
We all have those comfort food meals that remind us of our childhood, and “Golumpki” is definitely one of mine. My updated version of my grandmother’s recipe is more like a stir-fry, which cooks in one pot and won’t weigh you down! The chopped cabbage and meat simmer in a tomato-based sauce for a hearty and satisfying meal — without rice. I’ve obviously shown ground beef here, but it’s equally delicious with ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or ground sausage. Pick your favorite!
How to Make Cabbage Roll in a Bowl
This ground beef cabbage recipe is full of flavor, nourishing, and quick to pull together. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- First, start by chopping or shredding half of a large head of green cabbage. You’ll need a total of about 8 cups of chopped cabbage, which looks like a lot — but it cooks down!
- Next, cook the ground beef and chopped onion in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Drain off the fat, and return the meat to the pan.
- Stir the cabbage, diced tomatoes, condensed tomato soup, beef broth, salt, garlic powder, and pepper into the beef mixture.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 25-30 minutes (or until the cabbage is tender). If it looks like there’s too much liquid in the pan, remove the lid during the final 5-10 minutes of cooking.
Serving Suggestions
For a light, grain-free meal, this one skillet dinner is perfect on its own. If you want a supper that’s more filling, ground beef and cabbage recipes are delicious alongside crusty no-knead Dutch oven bread, this easy French baguette recipe, white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or pasta.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: for convenient meal-prep, cook this recipe in advance and keep it stored in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings for quick lunches or dinners throughout the week.
- How to Reheat: individual portions of can be reheated in microwave-safe bowls in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes, or until warmed through. To reheat a larger portion, place the leftovers in a skillet or large saucepan and warm (uncovered) over low heat.
- You can freeze the leftover cooked ground beef and cabbage mixture; however, the cabbage will be more watery and mushy when thawed, so it’s not my preference.
I will start by saying great flavor and easy to make, this is the second recipe I have tried out and so far they are awesome…
– Pete
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Ground Beef and Cabbage Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ of a large head of cabbage, roughly shredded or chopped (about 8 cups total)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup (I use Campbell’s Heart Healthy)
- ¼ cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onions
- Optional, for serving: hot cooked rice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and the onion, and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off the excess grease; return the meat and onion to the skillet.
- Add the cabbage, diced tomatoes, condensed tomato soup, beef broth, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil; cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally. If it looks like there is too much liquid in the pot, remove the lid and allow the cabbage to simmer uncovered for the final 10-15 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper.
- Serve with cooked rice, if desired. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Ground Beef Cabbage Recipe Variations
- Swap out the ground beef and instead use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or ground sausage. It’s an easy dinner that you can adapt based on what you have in your refrigerator!
- Give it some salty, umami flavor with a splash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce.
- Add spicy kick with crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Mix in some other veggies, such as grated carrots, red bell pepper, or zucchini. It’s basically a cabbage stir fry recipe, so anything goes!
- Use chicken broth instead of beef broth if that’s what’s available.
More Ground Beef and Cabbage Recipes
Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup with Hamburger
6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Ground Beef Stir Fry with Cabbage
25 minutes mins
Cabbage Roll Casserole
1 hour hr
This recipe was originally published in June, 2019. It was updated in January, 2025.
I will start by saying great flavor and easy to make, this is the second recipe I have tried out and so far they are awesome, Now I did have a bit of trouble with it due to the fact it took a lot longer than the time listed to cook down on simmer than listed, but it is a matter of preference of done-ness and the stove I would guess.
Next up either the Chile or a chicken dish. Great site glad I found it.
Thanks, Pete! I appreciate that you take the time to leave a note. Enjoy the recipes! 🙂
I just made this recipe! Delicious i added alittle dill seeds and baked it in the oven for an hour . My mom is the Golumpki Queen and she commented on how delicious this is!! So glad I came across your site.
That’s amazing — such an honor that even your mom approved, Stacey. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Delicious recipe Blair, thank you for sharing! I would say this is even better than stuffed cabbages, it’s easier to make and isn’t dry, like stuffed cabbages can sometimes be. For anyone looking to tweak this a little “unhealthy,” I love frying the cabbage in a little bacon grease to whatever doneness you like before combining it with the rest of the ingredients, gives it really nice flavor!
Thank you, Lisa! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. And yes — frying the cabbage in bacon grease is a delicious suggestion!
Any low sodium , low potassium for ckd diets
Hi Carol! We’re not super familiar with that diet, but you can always adjust recipes to suit your needs.
Love your recipes. Made many of delicious things.
Thank you, Susan!