Golumpki Recipe (Polish Stuffed Cabbage)
Updated Jul 17, 2025
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If you’re looking for a traditional golumpki recipe that’s full of flavor and history, you’ve come to the right place. Also known as gołąbki (pronounced go-WUMP-kee), these traditional Polish stuffed cabbage rolls are packed with seasoned ground meat, rice, and onions. They are then baked in a tangy tomato sauce until tender.
Best of all, this delicious gołąbki recipe makes a ton of food to feed your family or guests for less than $2.00 per serving.
Featured Comment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This golumpki recipe is the best version of Golumpki that I have tried. We love them! My husband and I are both Italian and Polish so the Italian sausage is a must. -Donna V.
🔍 Polish Golumpki Recipe – Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Cook Time: 1 to 1½ hours (oven or slow cooker)
- 🍽️ Total Time: 2 hours
- 👪 Servings: About 12 cabbage rolls
- 🔥 Method: Boiled cabbage leaves filled with ground pork and beef, rice, sautéed onions, then baked in a tomato-based sauce
- 🧊 Freezer-Friendly: This golumpki recipe freezes beautifully. You can wrap individually for quick reheat meals or freeze in a tray for family dinners later on.
- 🍽️ Meal Prep Win: Make the golumki a day ahead, refrigerate overnight, and bake when you’re ready. The flavor only gets better.
- ✅ Variation: This golumpki recipe easily converts to golumpki soup or as “lazy golumpki” casserole
- 🥄 Serving Tip: When making this golupki recipe, we like to serve it with creamy homemade mashed potatoes or artisan crusty bread. Both are perfect for soaking up all that tomato-y goodness.
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Table of Contents
What is Golumpki?
Golumpki are traditional Polish cabbage rolls that are a staple in Eastern European cuisine. The name “golumpki” is a term of endearment in Polish, derived from “gołąb,” meaning little pigeon. Oddly, it refers to the shape and size of the rolls rather than any ingredient.
This golumpki recipe has been passed down through generations in our family, starting with my great-grandmother, who fled war-torn Europe and brought her cooking traditions to America. Over the years, this Polish stuffed cabbage has become one of our most treasured family meals. Like many of our other featured family recipes, we are now proud to share my great-grandmother’s golumpki recipe with you.
Ingredients for Polish Stuffed Cabbage
- Cabbage: 1 medium head of green cabbage.
- I prefer using smaller heads of cabbage for this golumpki recipe as they cook faster than the bigger ones.
- Meats: 1 lb ground chuck and 1 lb. ground sausage.
- (I like to use lean ground beef (85% lean and 15% fat) for this golumpki recipe. This reduces the amount of grease that mixes into the tomato sauce as the golumpki bakes in the oven.)
- You can also use veal when making golumpki. Just make sure you end up with 2 lbs of ground meat.
- (I like to use lean ground beef (85% lean and 15% fat) for this golumpki recipe. This reduces the amount of grease that mixes into the tomato sauce as the golumpki bakes in the oven.)
- Binding Agents: Egg/Rice/Breadcrumbs.
- I use instant rice to save time.
- Sauce: This golumpki recipe uses a combination of tomato sauce, tomato paste, and Campbell’s tomato soup for a little extra zing.
- You can add about a half a soup can of water to this, just to thin it out. Sometimes I forget to do this, and this golumpki recipe turns out just as good.
- Vinegar: 3 cups white vinegar (for boiling the cabbage; optional, per family tradition.)
- My mom taught me to do this. It helps take away some of the bitterness from this golumpki recipe and adds brightness to the cabbage leaves!
Recipe Tip
Traditional golumpki recipes usually mix ground beef and pork for a balanced, juicy filling. In our kitchen, we sometimes use Italian sausage for added flavor, especially when cooking for our kids, although some purists may not always like it. Whether you stick with the classic golumpki recipe or experiment a little, the key is to use a protein mix with enough fat to keep the dish from drying out while baking.
Substitutions and Variations
Some of our variations for this golumpki recipe (like the Campell’s Tomato Soup) drive some of our readers wild, but they are also the key to making this the best golumpki you’ll ever eat!
- Italian breadcrumbs are optional for making this golumpki recipe. You can also use plain breadcrumbs. Either way, they make a good binder in addition to the egg.
- For the meat mixture, you can combine a pound of ground beef with a half pound of ground pork and a half pound of ground veal for this golumpki recipe. We usually use a mixture of beef and Italian sausage because we love the extra flavor the Italian flavoring brings.
- Fresh parsley (or dried parsley) is often used. If you don’t like the Italian season in this golumpki recipe, leave it out!
- If I use lean beef for this golumpki recipe, I like to use bacon as well . This adds a little fat and a load of flavor to the golumpki.
- Swap the rice out for other grains, like barley, which is often used in Eastern European cooking. This adds a rustic spine and chewier texture to this golumpki recipe. Buckwheat (Kasha) is a common grain used in Polish and Ukranian dishes and will add a nutty flavor to this golumpki recipe.
- Slow Cooker Golumpki. You can make this golumpki recipe in a slow cooker. This can make the process easier and allows the flavors to meld beautifully as they cook gently over several hours.
- Slow cookers add moisture to this golumpki recipe as it cooks, so you don’t need to thin the sauce as much as we suggest in the oven-baked golumpki recipe.
How to Make This Golumpki Recipe
This golumpki recipe is designed to make 12 servings and can be made ahead of time and frozen.
Prepare the Cabbage:
- Place the whole cabbage along with the vinegar in a large pot of boiling water until the leaves are pliable and al dente. Cool and separate leaves, trimming the tough central vein with a paring knife.
Make the Meat Filling:
- In a large bowl, combine the meats, diced onion, egg, rice, and breadcrumbs. Season well.
- Combine it all together until well combined.
Make the Sauce:
- Combine the soup, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and sugar. Add a little water to thin it out.
- Mix it together using a wire whisk.
Form the Cabbage Rolls:
- Place a portion of filling on each cabbage leaf, for the golumpki filling.
- Fold and roll each portion of golumpki.
If you have remaining cabbage leaves, line the bottom of the pan and spread some tomato sauce over those leaves.
- Place the cabbage rolls seam side down in a casserole dish, a roaster or a Dutch oven. If you run out space, you can stack the rolls on top of each other.
- Add the sauce on top of the rolled golumpki.
- If you have extra cabbage leaves, layer them over the top of the stuffed cabbage in the roaster. Then, pour the remaining tomato soup mixture over the cabbage layer. This will help steam the golumpki underneath, keeping them tender and juicy.
- Pour the remaining tomato soup mixture over the cabbage layer covering the stuffed cabbage. This step will create steam to keep the golumpki beneath soft and moist.
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- Cover the roaster with a lid or your casserole dish with foil and bake this golumpki recipe for about 1 1/2 hours at 350° F.
What to Serve with Golumpki
These Polish cabbage rolls can be served as a main dish, or even as a fun and delicious appetizer (use small cabbage leaves for bite-size cabbage rolls.)
Traditionally, we serve this with some homemade bacon potato salad and authentic Polish dumplings on the side.
More Tips for Perfect Golumpki
- Flavor Tip: Adding bacon to the meat mixture of this golumpki recipe introduces a depth of flavor that complements the lean beef and sausage.
- Make-Ahead: The hardest part about making this golumpki recipe is the time that each step takes. You can save some time and prepare these the day before. Simply refrigerate them overnight, and then bake as directed the next day.
- When Cooking the Cabbage: The outer leaves will cook before the inner leaves. Start to pull off some of the outter leaves as they cook, so the whole cabbage head is cooked layer-by-layer.
- Cabbage Size: For this golumpki recipe, I prefer using a medium-sized cabbage to boil.
- Smaller heads of cabbage will cook faster because they are not as dense, and we don’t waste as much of the unused cabbage leaves. Additionally, smaller heads of cabbage will yield smaller cabbage rolls in this golumpki recipe, which I prefer over the larger ones.
Common Questions
For making this Polish stuffed cabbage recipe, you can use a traditional roasting pan or a Dutch oven. You can even use a sealed casserole dish with foil. The baking dish should be covered and sealed to allow the savory golumpki to roast and steam.
Allow the leftover golumpki to cool, and keep them refrigerated in an airtight container. They’ll stay good for up to 5 days.
Yes, to freeze leftover golumpki, place them in a single layer in a zip-lock bag. Remove all air. This is a good method for meal planning and portion control.
To reheat golumpki, take them out of the freezer the night before. Once they are defrosted, reheat them in the microwave until they are heated through.
Yes, absolutely! To make this golumpki recipe vegetarian, you can replace the meat with one or a combination of the following:
Cooked lentils (green or brown)
Chopped mushrooms (for umami and texture)
Grated carrots or zucchini (adds bulk and moisture)
Cooked rice or grain of choice
Crumbled tempeh or tofu (optional)
Season with onion, garlic, paprika, and parsley
👨🍳 Use an egg (or flax egg) and breadcrumbs to help bind the mixture. Wrap and cook just like the traditional version of this golumpki recipe.
More Savory Cabbage Recipes
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Fried Cabbage Recipe with Bacon
Common Side Dishes
Savory Cabbage and Bacon with Onion
Keto Recipes
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Golumpki Recipe (Polish Stuffed Cabbage)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- Cabbage head
- 1 lb Ground Chuck
- 1 lb Ground sausage
- White onion , large, chopped
- An egg
- 1 cup Cooked rice
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 Family size can Tomato Soup, I prefer Campbell's brand. You can add about half a can of water to thin it out, although it will turn out just as good without this.
- 8 oz Tomato sauce
- 3 oz Tomato paste
- pinch Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt, adjust to taste
- 1 tbs Pepper, adjust to taste
- 3 cups White Vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Put cabbage head in a large stock pot, add water to cover and then add white vinegar to the water.
- Place on stove on high heat and cover, bringing to a boil.
- Gently boil cabbage until leaves of cabbage soften and become pliable.
- Remove from stove and drain water from the pot. Set aside and allow cabbage head to cool.
- Once cabbage is cooled, remove the leafs from the cabbage head. Take a paring knife and cut the lower portion of the “vein” from the leaf. This vein is very tough and needs to be removed. It will make it much easier to roll the meat mixture in the cabbage leaf. Continue to do this until you remove as many leaves from the cabbage as you can.
- In a large mixing bowl combine ground chuck, sausage, chopped onion, egg, rice, bread crumbs and finally add the salt and pepper. Make certain to thoroughly combine the ingredients together. The "meat" mixture will be a similar consistency to meatloaf. It should be nice and moist. If it seems dry, add an additional egg.
- Lay a cabbage leaf flat on a surface, allowing you to roll it more easily. Take some of the meat mixture and form it into a large meatball. You may make the golumpki as large or as small as you prefer; therefore, choose the size of your preference. Place the meatball in the center of the cabbage leaf. Wrap the cabbage leaf around the meat mixture (see video above).
- Place the stuffed cabbage in a roaster with the wrapped edges down, in the roaster. Repeat this process, placing the golumpki next to each other, until all of the meat mixture is used up.
- Use a kitchen whisk and mix tomato soup, tomato sauce, tomato paste and also a pinch of sugar.
- Pour the tomato soup mixture over the top of the golumpki and reserve a small amount to be used in the next step.
- If you have cabbage leaves remaining, cover the entire top of the stuffed cabbage in the roaster.
- Pour remaining tomato soup mixture on top of the cabbage that you lined the tops of the stuffed cabbage. This step will help steam the Golumpki that lies below and therefore will keep them nice and moist.
- Put a lid on top of the roaster and bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours.
Notes
- Make as much of the sauce as you want for this golumpki recipe; if you like yours a little saucier.
- Be sure to fully cover the cabbage rolls with the sauce.
- If you have any remaining cabbage leaves, place a layer of them over the sauce-covered golumpki. This will help keep them from drying out and allow them steam during the baking process.
- Pour some of the remaining sauce on the top layer of cabbage leaves and add some black pepper. When these are done, they are great to eat.
- Cooking Time: If you have the time to go low and slow, drop the oven temperature down to 325° and cook for an additional couple of hours. This allows the flavors in this golumpki recipe to be better absorbed during the cooking process.
- As long as the golumpki are covered by a layer of cabbage leaves, they should not dry out. You can check the cabbage rolls throughout the cooking process to make sure the sauce isn’t cooking down (or reducing.) Add additional sauce t throughout if you think that is necessary.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published on November 7, 2013. This golumpki recipe has been updated with new photos and information meant to help you learn how to make golumpki. It will live on for generations.
Instead of boiling the cabbage in vinager, I boiled them in bouillion-cubed beef broth & water. I also made half pound measurement of 90% fat ground beef & Jimmy Dean’s ground pork sausage; hot variety! The pork gave the meal an additionally slight kick! Delicious! My family loved the meal!
The tomato soup ruins the recipe Did not like
Dave, I wouldn’t use tomato juice/sauce myself, dangerously high in sodium for me. Do you object to the texture, or the tomato flavor. I find tomato juice/soup too liquid and and runny. I would use a well seasoned (no salt for me) homemade tomato juice or sauce well thickened and spray the pan with Olive Oil, then spread a little sauce on the bottom, to prevent the rolls from sticking. I would add lots of onions, garlic, and minced celery to the meat, plus some Bell’s Seasoning. But that’s my Canadian blood talking. I find that the sturdier Dutch Savoy cabbage is sturdier, and holds together better after rolling and cooking. Experiment! There are a slew of recipes out their for Galumpkis, as we always called them. My Mother got her recipe from a European lady in her nineties. The dish spans several borders in Europe, so there are myriad recipes for making it to your taste.
I put the pieces of rib i cut from leaf an3s leaves too small to roll in pot before putting galumpki in. Then add whole potates and cover with stewed tomatoes and simmer on stovetop.
I am from Michigan, too and recipe passed down from Grandma.
Baking suggestion. Please help. This recipe reminds me of my grandmother’s, but kicked up a notch especially with the bacon. I am helping make lunch for 40 people and have assembled 2 food service trays with 50 Golumpki. They are covered and waiting to go in the oven tomorrow morning. I’m planing on baking for the 1 1/2 hours at 350 as suggested. Do I need to make any adjustments to the time or…, especially since I will not be using a Dutch oven? Thank you 😊
90 mins should work well; can’t wait to hear how these golumpki go over!!
Thank your sharing this wonderful recipe. Rave reviews. One friend even told me she was brought to tears as the flavor brought back a flood of fond childhood memories. Definitely will be making again. Since some of my friends are gluten intolerant, I did omit the bread crumbs. All in all, FABULOUS 🥰😋💜👍🏼
Also thank you too for responding so quickly. I really do appreciate your time and input.
I remember my mother making this and she did on top of the stove little bit of bacon on bottom of pot she covered hers with water and added ketchup Being Polish myself I am still trying to master this delicious dish Oh so yummy!!!!
Thanks for the great comments, Judy! We hope you love this golabki!
The way my mom made it (she is Polish) was with pork and veal instead of beef. Really really good.
I use “meatloaf mix” (pork,beef,veal) and similar other ingredients as above recipe . My sauce is tomato sauce mixed with beef broth. I just made some yesterday!
Deb, Thanks for the comments, and your combo of “the holy trinity” sounds nothing less than divine!
Love your recipe!!! Can you tell me why vinegar is added with the cabbage water?
Hi Stephen. According to Scott’s mom, a little bit of vinegar will help remove any of the bitter taste from the cabbage. Is this a game-changer? Probably not. But with a recipe like this golumpki, we try to make it every bit as tasty as hers! Thanks so much for the question and for reaching out to us.
Because time I am thinking of boiling the cabbage the day before. Will I still be able to roll the cabbage
Yes, that is not an issue. Just separate the cabbage leaves and store them in the refrigerator until ready to use!
Tomato soup is the best with this!
Using the meatloaf mix and rice with onion sautéed in bacon grease is the way my Polish grandmother would make it. No bread crumbs are used. Egg only if the meat and rice mixture seems to be dry.
The extra “gravy” over mashed potatoes is a real treat!!
Amen,Linda!
Get rid of the Campbell’s soup ,unhealthy , has preservative and other additives. Replace with any organic tomato sauce ie puree , passata.
Hi Roy. We enjoy this golabki 3 or 4 times a year, almost the only time we eat “unhealthy” Campbell’s soup. Life’s too short not to indulge on occasion. Thanks for your comments and your concern.
My Dad was Polish and we always used Campbell’s soup, his Mom’s recipe. Over the years I’ve had many versions that others made I feel the soup version taste much sweeter than tomato sauce ! More delish as well! I am a health nut and I indulge on occasion as well! Would never consider any thing other than the soup version!
Joanne, Thanks for the great feedback. I hope all of the naysayers will read your comments!
I’ve never made stuffed cabbage myself; just had it from Polish or Jewish restaurants, or from deli takeout. I don’t know these places make theirs, but for me the taste of nostalgia always includes sugar and a spice like nutmeg. NEVER the kind of tomato sauce that comes out of a can marked Hunt’s or Redpack; restaurateurs who use that kind of sauce are just being lazy.
The sauce I like has a from-scratch mouthfeel so it’s probably not Campbell’s soup, but its flavor profile is more like Campbell’s than Hunt’s.
In Polish restaurants, I’m sure there’s pork in the filling. In kosher and kosher-style delis, pork is an absolute no-no.
I have been working my own version of my grandmothers and great aunts stuffed cabbage/golumpki recipes for a number of years. Very similar to everyone’s great receipts posted on this site . A few variants I would like to share with everyone.
I use 80/20 on the beef – helps with the consistency and no need for the eggs.
For the rice I use medium Italian or sushi rice, yes sushi rice. Cook it about 1/2 way , cool then mix into the beef. The rice will finish cooking in the oven.
Cabbage prep- trick from my cousin- core the cabbage , put in large bowl with some water and prep in the microwave for about 20 mins on high. A lot easier than boiling.
I also found that if I also did not use enough salt while cooking it was very bland and adding salt afterwards just didn’t do the trick so what I do – after mixing the meat and rice – season then cook a bit of the mixture in a frying pan -repeat until it’s seasoned to your liking. Removes the guessing
In addition to USING tomatoes in between the layers in my Dutch oven I add sour kraut in and around the rolls . Really adds a great flavor with the cabbage and tomatoes.
Lastly- I let mine cook for about 2 1/2-3 hours, basically until the whole house smells like cabbage (my Dutch oven holds about 3-4 layers of the rolls) I always make extra and freeze them
Dan, your version of Golabki sounds perfect and delicious. I love your use of sauerkraut with this golumpki recipe, thanks for sharing!
I looked at this version to compare with my own family version. I’m always tweaking the recipe each time. I try to keep the fat content down so I wouldn’t add the bacon or Italian sausage. Ground turkey did not work at all with the beef! I found the beef and pork work best in equal proportions. What I love about my mom’s recipe is the sauce. She puts the vinegar in the sauce.
I use 1.5 lbs of beef and 1.5 lbs ground pork, 1 cup of minute rice cooked in V8 juice, 2 scallions chopped, and salt and pepper to taste for the filling. No egg or milk as other recipes suggested. For the sauce I chop 1 onion, sauted in 2 tbs of butter until translucent, then add 2 cans of Campbell’s tomatoe soup without water, 1/4 cup of vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. (Yes, mom specified Campbell’s.) Pour that over the rolled cabbage that I put into a Dutch oven. Bake covered for 3hrs at 325. If the sauce gets too thick, I use more V8 juice to augment it after it’s done.
Thanks so much for this comment, Mary Lou. Your mom’s recipe for gołąbki sounds mouthwatering!
Turned out great!
I’ve had several variations of this dish. I’ve either made it following other recipes or had had already prepare by several experts. This is by far the most flavorful! It does have quite a bit of prep, just plan ahead. So worth the effort.
Thanks for the great feedback, Rick! We’re happy you enjoy our version of Gołąbki!
Can you freeze these for later? If so would you freeze before they go in the oven or after?
Hi Terry, that’s a great question! I would suggest cooking the golumpki first and then freezing later. This will make it more convenient for when reheating at a later time because it’s already cooked.