Name: Cabbage and Ground Beef
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil - divided; 1 pound (16-ounces) ground beef; 2 garlic cloves - diced; 1 medium onion - chopped; 1/3 cup red wine; 1 + 1/2 cups beef broth; 8 to 10 cups (1 small or medium head) of green cabbage - coarsely chopped; 28 ounce can of peeled tomatoes (San Marzano peeled tomatoes); 2 tsp. salt; fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Jump to Recipe

Cabbage and Ground Beef recipe is a deliciously comforting and hearty stew, and it’s packed with flavor. If you love stuffed cabbage rolls but want to avoid the time and effort it takes to make them, then this recipe is for you. It’s quick to prepare and requires just one pot, for easy clean-up.

Cabbage

We love stuffed cabbage, the kind our grandmothers used to make. But we never make them simply because – either they’re too much work, or we often feel too lazy.

While this recipe isn’t exactly stuffed cabbage, it includes all the savory flavors and textures we enjoy, and it’s delicious! Serve it over steamed rice or cooked quinoa for a satisfying meal. (It’s the best!)

This Recipe for Cabbage and Ground Beef

The savory flavor of tender cabbage is enhanced by a rich tomato broth. This dish is so incredibly delicious and full of flavor, everyone will come back for seconds and more!

Best of all? This recipe will give you at least 6 servings, enough to feed a family and some to freeze. Plus, it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, low-calorie, and high in protein. And it’s budget-friendly – a win-win.

Tips for Cabbage and Ground Beef Recipe

Choose Fresh over Packaged: It’s best to buy a fresh head of cabbage, rather than a pre-shredded packed one. Package vegetables can be chemically altered to keep them fresh longer in bags. Plus, it takes only a few seconds to chop the fresh cabbage, practically effortless. And, it’s worth it.
How To Serve It: Cabbage and ground beef can be served alone, or over a bed of cooked quinoa (as we did in our photo below) or on a bowl of steamed rice for a cozy, satisfying meal.
Tools Recommended: We recommend using a 5-Quart Saucepan, or 5-Qt Dutch oven, for this recipe. When the cabbage is chopped, it looks like it’s a lot of it, but when you place it into the pot, it shrinks down while simmering.
Storing and Freezing: Store any leftovers in a sealed container, and keep it chilled in your refrigerator. It is best to consume leftovers within 3 days. Reheat in a small saucepan for best results. Also, this recipe is great to freeze.

Overview of Ingredients You’ll Need:

Green Cabbage: Choose fresh green cabbage. When you take it home. If the outer leaves are green and wilted (or dirty), peel those off and discard them until you get a tight ball of the cabbage.

Ground Beef: For this recipe, choose any of your favorite brand of ground beef. You will only need about one pound for 6 servings.

Beef Broth: Use any brand of beef broth you may have on hand. It gives a rich, deep flavor to this dish.

Onion and Garlic: One onion and two garlic cloves will give a nice flavor to the beef and cabbage.

Red Wine: We use a little red wine to flavor the ground beef and to glaze the bottom of the pan. And any good “drinking” wine will do the job, or you can use white wine if you prefer.

Tomatoes: For the best tasting and sweet flavors of tomatoes, choose the San Marzano brand of tomatoes. Choose peeled or crushed tomatoes for this recipe. Also, if you have on hand some tomato sauce, or marinara sauce, you can use it with this recipe. You will need 3+1/2 cups of tomato sauce.

Olive Oil: It goes without saying. It’s how we start most (if not all) of our recipes, and we prefer to use only extra virgin olive oil, of course, for best flavor.

Seasonings: You will only need some salt and black pepper for this recipe.

Optional: This is for serving: You can serve our cabbage and ground beef alone, or over some quinoa or cooked rice for a hearty-filling meal. We love it!

How To Make this Recipe for Cabbage and Ground Beef:

Our full printable recipe is located at the bottom. But let’s go over the steps so you can understand what’s involved before you start.

Cook the Ground Beef: Add olive oil to a Dutch oven, add the ground beef and cook until fully cooked. Add the red wine and simmer until fully evaporated.

2. Add the Onions, Garlic & Broth: Meanwhile, chop the onion and dice the garlic cloves. Toss in the onions and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Next, pour in the beef broth.

In a white Dutch oven cooking ground beef, a wood board with chopped onion and garlic, and broth poured into the pot.

3. Add the Cabbage & Peeled Tomatoes.

4. Cover and Simmer: Simmer on low-heat until the cabbage is tender.

A white Dutch oven filled with chopped cabbage, then tomatoes are added, a spoon stirring the mixture and covered with a lid.

Variations for Serving

We love making this dish and serving it a little different each time. Try any of these variations for serving.

Enjoy this recipe served over quinoa (as we did here below in the photo), or over rice for a hearty meal.
You can also serve it with egg noodles too.
Of serve it with a simple green salad on the side.

A white plate with cooked quinoa served with cabbage and ground beef on top.

A One Pot Meal Recipe

This recipe is ideal for an easy meal for the whole family to love. Plus, it’s made in one pot, and we love that because it makes for an easy cleanup.

Try this recipe – you love it as much as we do!

Enjoy!

In case you missed it…

Cabbage and Ground Beef

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This Cabbage and Ground Beef recipe is a deliciously comforting and hearty stew, that's packed with flavor. If you love stuffed cabbage rolls but want to avoid the time and effort it takes to make them, then this recipe is for you. It is quick to prepare and requires just one pot.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil - divided
1 pound (16-ounces) ground beef
2 garlic cloves - diced
1 medium onion - chopped
1/3 cup red wine
1 + 1/2 cups beef broth
8 to 10 cups (1 small or medium head) of green cabbage - coarsely chopped
28 ounce can of peeled tomatoes (San Marzano peeled tomatoes)
2 tsp. salt
fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a 5 Qt Dutch oven pot, pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and turn on medium heat. Add the ground beef, and as it cooks, use a wooden spoon to break it up. Cook the beef until no pink is visible, and all the liquid (or fat) has been evaporated.
Add the garlic, onion, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pan while stirring. Simmer until the wine is absorbed, about 1 minute.
Pour in the beef broth. In the meantime, chop the cabbage (discard the end, and core in the center). Add the cabbage to the pot that's been simmering. Next, open the can of peeled tomatoes, and pour that on top of the cabbage. Scatter with the salt and some black pepper. And, cover with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes.
Open the cover and slowly stir the mixture to combine everything. Cover again, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Then serve alone or over a plate of quinoa or steamed rice.

Notes

Freezing: This recipe is great to freeze. Store any leftovers in a sealed container and consume within 3 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 203Total Fat: 5.2gSaturated Fat: 1.4gCholesterol: 12mgCarbohydrates: 32.5gFiber: 13.6gSugar: 12.3gProtein: 12.3g

Have a Delicious Day! 🙂

thanks for stopping by…

xo anna and liz

Welcome! From Anna and Liz

We believe the kitchen is the center and the heart of the home. It is where we cook, eat, and unwind with family and friends, creating memorable traditions! Read more…

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