Hungarian stuffed cabbage

Name: Hungarian stuffed cabbage
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 200 min
Yield: 8 plates
Cuisine: Hungarian
Ingredients: 1 head Cabbage, whole soured cabbage from a Hungarian or Balkan shop, or a large white cabbage, cored and blanched leaf by leaf; 700 g Pork, minced shoulder, not too lean; 100 g Rice, short grain, rinsed, raw; 2 medium Onion, finely chopped, softened in the lard; 3 clove Garlic, crushed; 40 g Lard; 2 tbsp Paprika, sweet Hungarian; 1 piece Egg; 2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Black pepper; 0.5 tsp Caraway seed; 600 g Sauerkraut, drained; 300 g Smoked ham, smoked hock, ribs or a thick piece of smoked bacon; 200 g Kielbasa, or any smoked paprika sausage, in chunks; 200 g Passata; 700 ml Water; 250 g Sour cream, 150 g for the sauce, the rest at the table; 1 tbsp Wheat flour

Töltött káposzta

Soured cabbage leaves rolled around paprika pork and rice, simmered over sauerkraut with smoked pork, finished with sour cream.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Töltött káposzta.

Start cooking

Prep: 50 min
Cook: 2 hr 30 min
Rest: None
Total: 3 hr 20 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild
Cost: A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Whole leaves of soured cabbage, or blanched white cabbage if that is what you have, are wrapped round a filling of minced pork, rice, onion, garlic, paprika and egg. The rolls are layered in a pot over sauerkraut with a piece of smoked pork, covered with water and a little passata, and simmered for two hours. The sauce is finished with sour cream and flour, and more sour cream goes on at the table. It feeds eight and tastes better on the second day, which is why it is cooked the day before every feast it appears at.

What you'll need

18 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 18 ready

8 servings

Ingredients
Filling
Pot
Finish

Ingredients

Servings

Ingredients

Cabbage, whole soured cabbage from a Hungarian or Balkan shop, or a large white cabbage, cored and blanched leaf by leaf1 head

Filling

Pork, minced shoulder, not too lean700 g
Rice, short grain, rinsed, raw100 g
Onion, finely chopped, softened in the lard2 medium
Garlic, crushed3 clove
Lard40 g
Paprika, sweet Hungarian30 ml
Egg1
Salt9.9 ml
Black pepper4.9 ml
Caraway seed2½ ml

Pot

Sauerkraut, drained600 g
Smoked ham, smoked hock, ribs or a thick piece of smoked bacon300 g
Kielbasa, or any smoked paprika sausage, in chunks (optional)200 g
Passata200 g
Water700 ml

Finish

Sour cream, 150 g for the sauce, the rest at the table250 g
Wheat flour15 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
If using fresh cabbage, cut out the core and lower the head into a big pot of boiling salted water. Peel off the leaves as they soften, 2 to 3 minutes each, and drain. Shave down the thick rib of each leaf with a knife so it rolls. Soured leaves need only rinsing and trimming.
20 min
Step 2
Soften the onion in the lard 8 minutes, take off the heat and stir in the paprika. Mix with the pork, rice, garlic, egg, salt, pepper and caraway in a bowl until well combined. Shred any torn or small leaves and mix them with the sauerkraut.
15 min
Step 3
Put a heaped tablespoon of filling at the base of each leaf, fold the sides in and roll up firmly. Tuck the end in with a finger. You should get 16 to 20 rolls.
20 min
Tip: Do not overfill. The rice swells and will burst a tight roll.
Step 4
Spread half the sauerkraut in a heavy pot. Lay the rolls on it seam side down with the smoked meat and sausage among them, cover with the rest of the sauerkraut, and pour over the passata mixed with the water. The liquid should just cover.
10 min
Step 5
Bring to a simmer, cover and cook on the lowest heat or in a 150°C oven for 2 to 2.5 hours. Do not stir; shake the pot gently if you must.
150 min150°C
Watch: Stirring breaks the rolls. Leave them alone.
Step 6
Whisk 150 g sour cream with the flour and a ladle of the hot liquid, pour back in and shake the pot to distribute. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve the rolls with sauerkraut, a piece of the smoked meat, bread and more sour cream.
12 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 572 kcal
Protein: 43.2 g
Carbs: 35.1 g
Fat: 28.7 g
Saturated fat: 11.3 g
Fibre: 7.9 g
Sugar: 11.5 g
Sodium: 846 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Milk
Wheat
Eggs

Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Minced pork → Half pork, half beef
Common in Transylvania and the diaspora. Slightly firmer filling.

Tips

Make it the day before. The flavour deepens and the rolls firm up so they lift out whole.
Whole soured cabbage heads are sold in brine in Hungarian, Romanian, Serbian and Polish shops, often in the autumn. They are worth seeking out.
Pork ribs or a smoked trotter in the pot are both traditional and make the sauce richer.

History & culture

Christmas, New Year, weddings, funerals and the day after a pig-killing: the pot that feeds twenty. Szeged and Transylvania layer in more sauerkraut and smoked meat; other regions keep it simpler. The Hungarian proverb says only stuffed cabbage is good reheated, and it is used about marriages as well as dinner.

Stuffed cabbage rolls spread with Ottoman rule across the Balkans and Hungary as sarma. The Hungarian version became distinct by the 19th century through paprika, layered sauerkraut and smoked pork. Rice replaced millet and barley as the filler once it was affordable.

Traditional — Blanched fresh cabbage stands in where whole soured cabbage leaves are not sold; the rolls are a little sweeter for it, and the sauerkraut layer makes up most of the difference.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Hungarian stuffed cabbage take?

3 hr 20 min all in — 50 min prep, 2 hr 30 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 8 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Milk, Wheat, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Nut-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Stockpot, Dutch oven, Mixing bowl, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.

What can I use instead?

Minced pork → Half pork, half beef. Common in Transylvania and the diaspora. Slightly firmer filling.

What should I watch for?

Stirring breaks the rolls. Leave them alone.

Any tips from this recipe?

Make it the day before. The flavour deepens and the rolls firm up so they lift out whole. Whole soured cabbage heads are sold in brine in Hungarian, Romanian, Serbian and Polish shops, often in the autumn. They are worth seeking out. Pork ribs or a smoked trotter in the pot are both traditional and make the sauce richer.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.