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Healthy Cabbage Rolls are a high-protein, family-friendly casserole that’s both wholesome and satisfying. Made with ground beef and simple ingredients, it’s easy to prepare and doesn’t sacrifice flavor compared to traditional cabbage rolls!
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When the cooler weather rolls in, I love turning to family-style meals and healthy casseroles are always a go-to. What do I love so much about them? Every bite is packed with simple, nutritious ingredients – like these healthy cabbage rolls.
Rolled in hearty green cabbage leaves with lean ground beef, cauliflower rice, onion, and garlic and dressed with rich marinara sauce, this is the perfect meal to prep for busy weeknights. Plus, eating the leftovers is even better! It’s low-carb, low-calorie, gluten-free, and Paleo-friendly, so great for a variety of diets.
If you love the meat and cabbage combo, like me, try these Ground Beef Cabbage bowls or Cabbage Soup next!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple and Easy: It may seem daunting, but this healthy stuffed cabbage dish has just 6 easy steps and 9 everyday ingredients. Just cook, roll, and bake—it’s that simple!
- Guilt-Free and Nutritious: Made with wholesome ingredients and lower in sodium than your typical casserole, this healthy stuffed cabbage recipe is packed with protein and fiber.
- Diet Approved: Loaded with protein and vegetables, this dish is gluten-free, as well as Paleo and Whole30-friendly.
- Meal Prep Friendly: While it may take a little longer to prepare than your average meal, it pays off with its generous portion size and easy reheating. A low-calorie meal prep win for the whole week!
Healthy Cabbage Rolls Ingredients
- Beef: Lean ground beef provides a flavorful, protein-rich filling, minimizing excess fat and contributing to a less greasy, low-calorie cabbage roll. I prefer 90% grass-fed, grass-finished beef from ButcherBox. If beef doesn’t work for you, swap it for ground pork, chicken, turkey, beans, plant-based meat, or tofu.
- Cabbage: Green cabbage leaves act as the wrapper or container for the filling. No cabbage on hand? Swap it for zucchini or eggplant. Instead of making individual rolls, create a deconstructed version by following this easy beef cabbage recipe.
- Avocado Oil: A neutral oil with a high smoke point that allows for high-heat cooking when sautéing the vegetables in these healthy stuffed cabbage rolls, without overpowering the dish. If you don’t have avocado oil, you can substitute with any neutral oil of your choice.
- Cauliflower Rice: Fresh or frozen cauliflower is a low-carb alternative to traditional rice, providing a similar texture and bulk. Broccoli rice works too!
- Aromatics: Onion, garlic, and fresh or dried parsley bring overall flavor, depth, and complexity to this healthy cabbage roll recipe.
- Egg: A whisked egg acts as the “glue” for the meat mixture, adding moisture to the rolls and helping the filling stay together to prevent dryness. Feel free to omit it if preferred.
- Marinara: Serves as both a binder for the filling and a flavorful topping that helps keep the rolls moist while baking, preventing them from burning.
- Italian Seasoning: Blends herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary, enhancing the flavor in the rolls. If you don’t have it on hand, one teaspoon each of oregano and basil will do!
- Other Seasoning: Nutmeg adds a warm, subtle nutty flavor, and salt draws out excess moisture from the cabbage leaves and gives the dish additional flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Asian-Inspired: Swap the marinara, Italian seasoning, and nutmeg for a mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, chili paste or sriracha, and hoisin sauce. Layer and mix this into the rolls as directed for a delicious Asian-flavored version!
- BBQ-Style: Instead of the marinara, Italian seasoning, and nutmeg, prepare the rolls with this keto bbq sauce recipe. Layer and bake as directed for fun, smoky, and tangy rolls.
- Low-Sodium Option: Reduce the sodium even further by using a low-sodium or homemade marinara sauce, and increase the fresh herbs in the filling to make it just as satisfying.
- Looking for Carbs?: If you’re craving more carbs, swap in an equal amount of cooked white or brown rice, or even quinoa. These options will not only add more bulk to the filling but also act as a binder, similar to cauliflower rice.
How To Make Healthy Cabbage Rolls
Now that you know why this recipe is so effortless, versatile, and perfect for any home kitchen, let’s dive into how easy it is to make. To start, preheat your oven to 350°F, grab a large pot of water, a casserole dish like this one, a sauté pan, and gather all your ingredients.
Step 1: Prep the Dish. Pour a 3/4 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish, spreading it to coat the bottom evenly.
Step 2: Cook the Cabbage. Bring the large pot of water to a boil and cook the head of cabbage for about 5 minutes. Then, drain the cabbage and set it aside to cool.
Step 3: Sauté the Veggies. Heat the avocado oil in a sauté pan and cook the cauliflower rice, onion, and garlic until the onion is translucent and the garlic is aromatic.
Step 4: Finish the Filling. Stir in the parsley, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, salt, and egg, along with a 1/2 cup of marinara sauce. Break up the ground beef into bite-sized pieces and combine everything together.
Step 5: Peel and Roll. Peel 12 large leaves from the cabbage head and slice a ‘V’ at the bottom of each leaf to remove the tough ridge. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the meat mixture to each cabbage leaf, then roll it over once. Then, tuck in the sides and roll it up from the bottom like a burrito. Repeat for each leaf and place the rolls in the casserole dish.
Step 6: Top and Bake. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the prepped rolls and bake for 1 hour, covered tightly. Then, enjoy!
Storage Directions
- Storing: Leftovers for this recipe keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. While I haven’t tried freezing this keto cabbage roll casserole dish, I don’t recommend it as the cabbage may become soggy after freezing and thawing.
- Reheating: To reheat, you can use the stovetop, air fryer, toaster oven, oven, or microwave. For the best results, cover with foil and reheat in the oven at 350°F until heated through.
- Make Ahead: Prep this healthy cabbage recipe the night before, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake, let the casserole sit on the counter to come to room temperature while the oven preheats to prevent the dish from cracking in the oven. Bake as directed and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Looking for ideas on how to serve this wholesome cabbage roll casserole? Whether you have it as a complete meal or pair it with nutritious sides, there are plenty of tasty ways to enjoy it:
- Garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or basil, and a squeeze of lemon just before serving to add freshness to the dish. For a cheesy touch, sprinkle fresh mozzarella or parmesan over the top right out of the oven.
- Make some room on your plate for sides like honey oat bread, a toasted English muffin like this gluten free English muffin bread recipe, or this almond biscuit recipe to help soak up all the delicious sauce.
- Finish the meal with a light and easy dessert like strawberry shortcake, brownie recipe with greek yogurt, or apple cinnamon crumb bars.
Expert Tips
- Blanch Properly: When boiling the cabbage, cook the leaves until they’re just pliable, about 5 minutes. Overcooking them will make them too soft and harder to work with.
- Don’t Overstuff: While it’s tempting to add extra filling, stick to 2-3 tablespoons per roll. Overstuffing can cause the rolls to tear or burst open while baking.
- Let it Rest: After baking, let the casserole sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the rolls to set and makes it easier to cut and serve.
More Delicious Casserole Recipes
If you tried this healthy cabbage rolls casserole recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Cabbage Rolls Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups Marinara Sauce, divided
- 1 head Green Cabbage
- ½ tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 2 cups Cauliflower Rice
- ¼ cup White Onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
- ½ tablespoon Parsley
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Egg, whisked
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 F. Pour 3/4 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish to cover the bottom of it.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the head of cabbage to it for about 5 minutes. Drain the cabbage and let it cool while you prepare the filling.
- Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the cauliflower rice, onion and garlic.
- Add the remaining ingredients along with 1/2 cup of a marinara sauce except for the cabbage. Stir while breaking up the ground beef.
- Peel 12 large leaves from the cabbage head. Slice a V at the bottom of the cabbage leaves to remove the hard ridge.
- Prepare the cabbage rolls by adding 2-3 tablespoons of the meat mixture to a cabbage roll then roll it up. Tuck the side in then roll it up from the bottom like a burrito.
- Repeat step six for the remaining cabbage leaves and place in the casserole dish. Pour the remaining marinara sauce on top.
- Bake 1 hour covered tightly then remove and enjoy!
Notes
- See the substitutions section of the post for recommendations.
- 1/4 of the recipe = one serving.
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- When boiling the cabbage, cook the leaves until they’re just pliable, about 5 minutes. Overcooking them will make them too soft and harder to work with.
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- While it’s tempting to add extra filling, stick to 2-3 tablespoons per roll. Overstuffing can cause the rolls to tear or burst open while baking.
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- After baking, let the casserole sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the rolls to set and makes it easier to cut and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So 3 rolls of 301 calories? Just trying to track it correctly
Yes. The recipe has 4 servings so one serving would be 1/4 of the recipe or approximately 3 rolls.
Should the beaten egg be added to the ground beef first, before adding to the saute pan, or won’t the egg be scrambled?
Yes, the beaten egg should be added in step 4 where it says add the remaining ingredients along with the marinara sauce. The sauce will prevent it from scrambling.
Hi Megan! I love your recipes and make them all the time! I was looking forward to making your low calorie cabbage rolls but it seems the wrong recipe card is posted (cabbage bowls are posted instead of cabbage rolls!) Is there another link to the cabbage rolls recipe that has the amounts for each ingredient?
Thanks for letting me know. There was a technical problem on the back-end causing this. It’s been updated now so you should be able to see the recipe!