Keto Cabbage Rolls are delicious and are dairy & gluten free! Tons of flavor, so easy to make; the whole family will love this healthy dish!
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This is a story about the time that I almost flooded my house.
That might be dramatic but I got water EVERYWHERE….
…from making these cabbage rolls.
Note to self: use a stock pot to boil the cabbage instead of a too-small-pot that the cabbage doesn’t actually fit in and boils EVERYWHERE.
Aside from that snafu, these little veggie stuffed gems are almost impossible easy and fool proof to make!
They’re kind of like the filling for instant pot stuffed peppers or some low-carb-ified deconstructed beef and cabbage pasta bowls rolled up in some healthy greenery that is gonna make your tummy SO happy about dinner tonight.
Ingredients Needed
I love a dinner recipe that is cozy and comforting and really sticks to my bones, keeping my belly full and satisfied! I ALSO love meals that are healthy and nourish my body with good food to fuel it. This keto cabbage rolls recipe is, without a doubt, the best of both worlds! It uses good-for-you ingredients but also has that home cooked, comfort food goodness you want at the end of a long day. Here’s what you’ll need to round up before you get cooking:
- Green Cabbage
- Cauliflower Rice
- Olive Oil
- Onions
- Fresh Garlic
- 90% Lean Ground Beef
- Fresh Parsley
- Italian Seasoning
- Salt
- Ground Nutmeg
- Egg
- Marinara Sauce
How to make Keto Cabbage Rolls
Prepare
Turn on the oven so it can start to preheat. Pour almost half of the tomato sauce into a large baking pan and set aside.
Boil
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the head of cabbage into the water and cook until the leaves turn bright green and are tender. Drain the cabbage and set it aside to cool.
Cook
Add the oil to a large pan and heat it up. Add in the onions, garlic and cauliflower and cook until everything is lightly golden brown. Add all remaining ingredients along with ½ of a cup of the remaining tomato sauce and stir to combine.
Assemble
Remove the hard part of the cabbage ridge from each of the cooked leaves. Place a bit of the filling onto the cabbage leaf and wrap it up like a burrito. Place the finished rolls into the prepared baking pan. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the finished cabbage rolls.
Bake
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Bake until the beef is cooked completely and everything is hot and bubbly!
Top Tips for making Cabbage Rolls Keto
- Use a BIG Pot to cook the Cabbage: Make sure there is enough room for the entire head of cabbage to be submerged in the boiling salt water!
- Cook the Cauliflower Rice First: Before assembling your keto stuffed cabbage rolls, be sure to cook the cauliflower rice. This way, you’ll avoid your rolls getting watery.
- Wrap them tightly: I recommend tucking in two ends of the cabbage leaf tightly and then rolling it up, similar to a burrito. The tighter, the better!
How to Store
These cabbage rolls make delicious leftovers! I recommend storing them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days, then reheating when you’re ready to enjoy them again. To freeze these cabbage rolls, I recommend cooking them completely, cooling them, then dividing them into serving sizes and placing them in freezer safe containers or freezer style zip lock bags. Pop them in the freezer and they will keep for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
These cabbage rolls are a full meal deal ALL on their own, but if you want to add a side dish, I recommend a fresh salad! Serve these rolls with a generous serving of fresh corn feta salad or maybe some low carb keto cucumber salad to keep the keto theme strong!
Keto Cabbage Rolls FAQ
Traditional Cabbage Rolls are typically not low carb, as they often include regular white rice as a prominent ingredient. THESE rolls, however, ARE low carb as we swapped out the white rice for cauliflower rice which is keto friendly.
Absolutely! Just assemble everything in a baking dish, cover it, and bake it the next day if that suits you better!
If the rolls are tough, it likely means that the cabbage leaves were not cooked quite long enough. To soften them, just bake them in the oven a little longer.
I recommend using a head of green cabbage for your rolls!
more healthy dinner recipes
Ingredients
- 1 Large head of green cabbage
- 1/2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 2 Cups Cauliflower rice
- 1/4 cup Onions, diced
- 1 tsp Fresh garlic
- 1 Lb 90% lean ground beef
- 1/4 Cup Fresh parsley, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Salt
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 Egg, whisked
- 2 Cups Marinara sauce, divided *
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees and pour 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce in a 9×13 inch pan
- Bring a VERY large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, gently slide in the head of cabbage so its fully submerged and cook until the leaves are bright green and pliable – about 4-6 minutes. Drain and let cool while you mix the filling. OR my favorite way is to core the cabbage and freeze the whole head the night before. The next day take it out and let it thaw. Voila – perfect cabbage leaves without boiling!
- Heat the oil up in a large pan on medium heat. Add the cauliflower, onion and garlic and cook until everything is light brown and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, including the cauliflower mix and only 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce and stir until well mixed.
- Gently peel 12 leaves off the cabbage and place one flat in front of you. Cut a v shape on the bottom so you remove the hard part of the cabbage ridge.
- Form 1/12 of the mixture into a log and place in the center of the cabbage and roll up like a burrito – tuck the sides in and then roll it up from bottom to top. Place the roll seam-side down in the bottom of the prepared pan and repeat with remaining leaves.
- Pour the remaining 3/4 cup of tomato sauce over the rolls.
- Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour, or until the beef is done.
- DEVOUR!
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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I’ve made this twice now… following your well laid out, step by step instructions. I LOVE it! This time, I tripled up the ingredients because a couple of these rolls pulled from the freezer when I’m pressed for time is perfect! Protein, potassium and fiber bomb!
SO happy you like it Martin 🥬🥬🥬