German Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Kohlrouladen)
Serves 4
30 mins prep
40 mins cook
70 mins total
These German stuffed cabbage rolls are called Kohlrouladen (pronounced kohl-roo-lah-den) in German and are an iconic German staple recipe my grandma (Oma Sieghilde) always made growing up.
What makes these ground beef stuffed cabbage rolls extra delicious, is that they are cooked with bacon in a creamy broth-based sauce. And I am definitely in the boat of anything cooked with bacon is better, especially cabbage.
German cabbage rolls are cooked in a large pan with a lid on the cooktop or stove top. The broth is thickened with cream and corn starch before it's poured on top as a sauce.
Kohlrouladen are traditionally served with boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes, although Spätzle (German egg noodles) would be perfect for soaking up that velvety sauce, too.
In the mood for more Rouladen? Try my beef rouladen recipe, which is German stuffed flank steak and SO GOOD!
Ground Beef Mixture
Sauce
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Soak the roll in water and set aside.
½ crusty white rollStart by rinsing the cabbage, and picking off 8 nice leaves. The easiest way to do this is to cut the base of the leaf off, then carefully remove it. Some will tear, and that's okay.
½ head green cabbageBring a large pot of water to a boil, then toss in the cabbage leaves and let simmer for 2 minutes or until softened. This will make the leaves more flexible and easier to work with.
Wring out the roll and medium dice if necessary (it may just tear apart easily).
Prepare the ground beef filling by kneading together all of the filling ingredients. Knead with your hands until you’re left with a homogenous mixture.
½ pound ground beef½ yellow onion½ egg½ teaspoon sea salt¼ teaspoon ground black pepper½ teaspoon paprika powder½ teaspoon dried marjoramDivide the beef filling between the 8 cabbage leaves and start rolling up the leaves starting with the stem side first, then folding in the left and right ends and rolling it forward until the thin end of the leaf wraps around (it's probably helpful to watch the video for this step).
Tighten each cabbage roll with a piece of butcher’s twine wrapped around the cabbage roll (you can also use chives or green onion)
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a deep pan or pot, then add in the cabbage rolls, seam side down first, add in the chopped up bacon and sautée with the Rouladen.
50 grams baconBrown the cabbage rolls on all sides before adding in the beef broth. Cover with a lid, and let simmer at medium low heat for 30 minutes.
250 milliliters beef brothRemove the cabbage rolls from the broth and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Thicken the sauce by adding the cream and cornstarch until desired consistency is reached. To add cornstarch, whisk together with some of the sauce in a cup (1 teaspoon at a time), and then return to the pan.
cornstarch100 milliliters heavy creamSeason with salt, pepper, and paprika powder.
salt, pepper, paprika powderServe your Kohlrouladen with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes or Spätzle to help soak up all that delicious sauce. You can also sauté the leftover cabbage with some more bacon.