This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.
For years I’ve been wanting to make Hungarian stuffed cabbage, just like my Auntie Rose and Nana used to make it. It’s a dish I grew up with and have missed for so long. I tried to make it once, when we first got married and it was an absolute failure, even with my Nana walking me through the steps. Trying to get the cabbage leaves off in one piece and then rolling them was a nightmare for me. They were tearing and I just remember getting so frustrated that I accepted the fact that I would never have stuffed cabbage (at least the way they made it), again.
About a month ago, I accidentally stumbled on a recipe for a slow cooker stuffed cabbage casserole. It seemed similar to our family recipe, at least from what I remembered and I was excited that I wouldn’t have to worry about the cabbage leaves, so I gave it a try. Y’all… the look on my family’s face spoke volumes. I could just tell that they didn’t love it. The rice was uncooked and crunchy (even though it had sat in the slow cooker for hours) and it had no flavor. It didn’t taste anything like the recipe I grew up with. It was so disappointing.
As frustrated as I was, I was more determined than ever to share those incredible flavors that I grew up with, with my kids. And a couple of weeks ago, I finally did it! That first bite brought tears to my eyes because it was exactly as I remembered it, just a deconstructed version. I didn’t have to struggle with the cabbage leaves and it was amazing.
Since Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, begins tonight, at sundown, I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me to share this recipe with you all. It would make such a great family meal.
Of course, you don’t have to be Jewish or celebrate Rosh Hashanah to enjoy this Hungarian stuffed cabbage casserole. In fact, it’s made it to the top of Super Dad’s favorite meals. He’s already planning the next batch and wants me to make it with ground pork next time. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Let’s talk equipment. This Hungarian stuffed cabbage casserole recipe will need at least a 6 quart slow cooker. If you have anything smaller, you’ll need to adjust the recipe accordingly. If you don’t have a slow cooker yet… well… what are you waiting for?!
We use our slow cooker at least 1-2 times a week. It’s super convenient and helps me to make sure I can get dinner on the table on those busy nights. Just some prep work in the morning or afternoon and then you let your slow cooker do the work. Plus you have the added bonus of the incredible aroma filling your house for hours. When it’s dinner time, you just uncover and serve.
I have the Crock-Pot 6qt Programmable Cook & Carry Slow Cooker. It’s actually my 2nd one. We had the first one for YEARRRSSSSS until I thought I was much stronger than I actually am and tried to pull it out of the cabinet with one hand. The ceramic part fell out and broke (as well as a tiny piece of my heart along with it). Thank goodness for Target delivery because we were able to get a new one delivered to the house in just a couple of hours. I love so much about it, especially how reasonably priced it is.
Ok, let’s talk about the ingredients.
You’ll want to core the cabbage. I tend to just cut around the core and then chop the top part off. Then you can chop the cabbage up into 1-2″ pieces.
For the meat, you can use turkey, beef or pork. I’ve even heard of people using a combination of beef and pork. My Nana always used ground turkey and I love that it’s a leaner option.
The Hungarian paprika was a little hard for me to find locally. I did find some sweet paprika on Amazon though and if you are a Prime member, it will arrive in 1-2 days. It has such a great flavor and would be a great addition to so many dishes.
Don’t completely drain the sauerkraut before adding it. Leaving about 1/4 of a cup and adding it to the slow cooker adds another layer of flavor.
The rice is totally optional, but traditional Hungarian stuffed cabbage does have rice in the mixture, so I included it. I found cooking it separately both ensures that it’s fully cooked and also gives you the option to add the amount you’d like.
Above you’ll find step by step photos of what you’re layers should look like.
- Cabbage
- Meat, onions and garlic
- Spices
- Diced Tomatoes
- Cabbage
- Meat, onions and garlic
- Spices
- Sauerkraut
- Tomato sauce/water
Now that you know a little about the dish, I’m excited to share the recipe with you. If you do make it, I’d love for you to share a photo and tag us on social media or comment below and let me know what you think. We love feedback from our readers!
Don’t forget to check out our other family friendly recipes.
Slow Cooker Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Print
Slow Cooker Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
If you love the classic Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage, you’ll love the casserole version. All of the flavor you love, without all the work!
Ingredients
- 2lbs ground turkey (you can also use beef or pork)
- 1/2 Vidalia onion, diced
- 4–5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp hungarian (sweet) paprika
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 head of cabbage, chopped
- 14oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 lbs sauerkraut, mostly drained
- (2) 14oz cans tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- In a skillet, over med-high heat, add meat, 1 tsp of salt, black pepper and garlic powder and brown until no longer pink.
- Add chopped onion and garlic, stir and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
- Core the cabbage and chop into 1 inch pieces. Add half of the cabbage to the bottom of your slow cooker, in an even layer.
- Add half of the meat on top of the cabbage, in an even layer.
- In a small dish, mix together the remaining spices (1 tsp each of salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Hungarian (sweet) paprika). Sprinkle half of the spice mixture on top of the meat, making sure to cover the whole layer of meat.
- Add diced tomatoes (with juice) on top of the spiced meat, in an even layer.
- Add the rest of the cabbage on top, in an even layer.
- Add the rest of the meat, in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the rest of the spice mix, making sure to cover the entire layer of meat.
- Add the sauerkraut in an even layer on top. I like to leave a little sauerkraut juice for added flavor.
- In a small bowl, mix together tomato sauce and water until combined. Pour mixture on top of the sauerkraut.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before the food is ready, cook the white rice as you normally would. Then stir the ingredients in the crock pot so that everything is mixed well, cover and continue cooking.
- Serve immediately, with a side of rice.
Notes
You’ll need at least a 6qt slow cooker for this recipe. If you have anything smaller, you may want to adjust the ingredients accordingly.
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Hungarian
Keywords: hungarian stuffed cabbage, slow cooker, casserole
*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on any of them and make a purchase, our family may receive a small commission. As always, we appreciate your support!

Karen
December 6, 2020I just made this for a cold December Sunday and I must say it was just as delish as you made it sound!
I followed the recipe except for a couple items: used vegan “hot Italian Sausage” because we like spicy dishes and are vegan. I only used ONE can of tomato sauce and one 15oz can of sauerkraut. I didn’t have the sweet hungarian paprika but had hot hungarian paprika so I used half the amount. The taste was REALLY good.
The only small issue is — it was very “liquidy”. I drained the sauerkraut before adding but otherwise all liquid added as written. It didn’t matter though, I just drained some of the liquid out.
And I wished that more people would only comment after they make it. I kept reading for the comments and no one had made it….
Thank you for the recipe.
I
★★★★★
Heather
December 6, 2020Hi Karen! Thank you so much for your feedback! I love that you made a vegan version! I’m sorry it seemed to have extra liquid. I’m not sure why that was. But glad you were able to drain it!
Marta
October 11, 2020That dish looks amazing. Putting it on my meal list for next week.
Emman Damian
September 20, 2020I love your slow cooker hungarian stuffed cabbage casserole recipe. It seems so yummy! It’s so easy to do too! Thanks for this recipe!
★★★★★
Lucy Clarke
September 20, 2020I was just looking for hearty meal recipes and I am so glad to have read this. This looks so perfect for this season.
★★★★★
Catherine
September 20, 2020This looks absolutely delicious! What a comforting meal for the whole family. I love stuffed cabbage…definitely need to give this a try!
★★★★★
kumamonjeng
September 20, 2020We love rice and this goes well with rice. I m going to give it a try and see how it goes.
★★★★★
Ayan
September 20, 2020What a delicious meal! I don’t have a slow cooker yet, but this just made me want to get one for sure now. Love how easy it is to just place all ingredients together and voila, a scrumptious dish ready in just a few hours! Glad you stuck to it and it worked out for you the next time around!
Cynthia
September 19, 2020I loved visiting Hungary! Your slow cooker stuffed cabbage casserole looks so good!
Jasmine Hewitt
September 19, 2020I’m usually not wild about cabbage. But this does look like good Fall food!
Ronnie
September 19, 2020You had me at Hungarian. I looove their cuisine and this one looks delish.
★★★★★
Garf
September 19, 2020Yum! This is making me hungry. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Shelley R Zurek
September 19, 2020oh You know I pinned this one!! My husband is Polish and he will enjoy this recipe so much.
★★★★★
Sara LaFountain
September 19, 2020I surprise my mom and made the stuffed cabbage for her. She loved it!
★★★★★
Katie
September 19, 2020This sounds like the perfect fall dish! Bookmarking to revisit when the weather cools off in San Diego a bit!
Gervin Khan
September 19, 2020I may say that this recipe looks incredible delicious and tasty. Plus the ingredients can easily be found, what I love about this recipe is that its a healthy meal that everybody will definitely crave for. Thanks for sharing such wonderful dish.
★★★★★
Toni Dash
September 19, 2020This is such a perfect meal for weeknight! So delish!
★★★★★
Nicole
September 19, 2020I can’t wait to try this for myself!
Catalina
September 19, 2020Seems so easy to make with your step by step recipe! My family loves cabbage so much!
★★★★★
Ana
September 19, 2020Hi! Congratulations for coming up with the meal that you really like. It is good that you did not give up on your first attempt. The food looks delicious and your family is so lucky to have someone like you who is good in cooking.
Marie Phillips
September 19, 2020Everything about this says perfection. I love the presentation and the rice and parsley. And I would be making mine with beef!
★★★★★
Helen Little
September 19, 2020I’m so glad you persevered and perfected the recipe! What a win! It looks and sounds so tasty and must bring back some lovely memories!
Kaitlyn
September 18, 2020Wow this looks delicious! I’d have to try it without the meat.
Marian
September 18, 2020Stuffed cabbage has been a part of our holiday meals outside of Chicago for so long. This is a great take on a favorite dish!
Fatima Torres
September 18, 2020My mom makes a similar dish this time of the year with cooked cabbage. It’s delicious. I can only imagine what this casserole would taste like!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
September 18, 2020What a great dish! It looks so rich and flavorful. Perfect when the evenings turn cool!
Sara | mshealthesteem.com
September 18, 2020Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Tara Pittman
September 18, 2020This casserole looks so easy to make. The flavors sound so delicious.
Celebrate Woman Today
September 18, 2020I was raised on the similar recipe. Right now, I am making it frequently enough for my family by using open cabbage leaves with the rest of the ingredients. Saves time not rolling all the stuffing into the leaf itself.
Heather
September 18, 2020That is a great idea too! Do you still cook it in a covered pot?
Ben
September 18, 2020Hoo boy, that looks awesome! I love the cabbage roll vibe without having to actually MAKE a cabbage roll.
★★★★★
Sara
September 18, 2020This looks delicious! And such a creative take on cabbage rolls without the hassle.
Talya Stone
September 18, 2020Oh my goodness this looks and sounds so tasty! I had a neighbour which made something similar for me once and it was mindblowingly good. Maybe time I tried making it myself with this recipe!