These Keto Cabbage Rolls bring back all the cozy memories of a classic family dinner. I swapped the traditional rice for riced cauliflower to keep things low-carb and light. And, each roll is filled with seasoned ground beef and topped with a rich sauce.
This recipe is a great, healthy comfort food for chilly weeknights at home. Whether you are strictly low-carb or just want a nutritious meal, these rolls hit the spot.
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Why You'll Love Keto Cabbage Rolls
Perfect texture: riced cauliflower replaces traditional rice while keeping the same volume and bite.
Bold flavor: these rolls are packed with savory ground beef and a small kick of jalapeno spice.
Meal prep friendly: you can easily double the batch and freeze leftovers for a quick weeknight dinner.
Key Ingredients for Low Carb Cabbage Rolls
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions.
- Olive oil: use a good extra virgin olive oil to saute your veggies.
- Cauliflower: one head of diced cauliflower takes the place of rice in this dish.
- Aromatics: fresh onion, garlic, and green bell add deep flavor to the filling.
- Ground beef: I use 80/20 ground beef, but any lean beef works well.
- Binder: cheddar cheese and eggs add flavor and hold the meat mixture together.
- Cabbage: you will need one large head of cabbage to wrap your rolls.
- Sauce: a simple blend of tomato sauce and Italian seasoning tops it all off.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Use a low carb pasta sauce instead of tomato sauce and Italian seasoning blend.
- Swap the ground venison, ground beef for ground chicken, turkey, or a mix of pork and beef.
- If you prefer, substitute different varieites of shredded cheese for the cheddar cheese to change the flavor profile.
Recipe Variations
- Unstuffed Cabbage Bowl: chop the cabbage and saute it with the filling ingredients for a quick deconstructed meal.
- Cabbage Roll Casserole: layer the leaves and meat mixture in a baking dish for an easy family-style bake.
- Spicy Beef Rolls: mix red pepper flakes or extra jalapenos into the meat for a heat-focused variation.
Tips for the Best Keto Cabbage Rolls
- Soften the leaves: steam the whole head of cabbage for a few minutes to make the leaves pliable and easy to roll.
- Cool the filling: let your sauteed cauliflower and veggie mixture cool before mixing it with the raw beef and egg.
- Seam side down: always place the assembled rolls in the baking dish with the seam facing down to prevent them from opening while baking.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover keto cabbage rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them up to 3 months.
To reheat, place in a 350°F oven until they are warmed through.
Serve With...
For a complete meal, serve these low carb cabbage rolls with a side of Garlic Mashed Cauliflower with Browned Butter and Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans.
More Keto Dinners You May Like
If you enjoyed these cabbage rolls, you might also like my Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup, Cabbage and Kielbasa Skillet Recipe, Cabbage Noodles with Bacon, and Instant Pot Ham and Cabbage.
When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Keto Cabbage Rolls
Equipment
- 9 x 13 glass baking dish
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Ingredients
For the cabbage roll filling
- 3 cups riced cauliflower
- ⅙ cup diced onion
- 3 large garlic cloves , minced
- ⅓ cup green bell pepper , diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1¼ pounds 80/20 ground beef
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese , shredded
- 1 large egg
For the topping
- 3½ cups tomato sauce
- 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 8 large cabbage leaves , from steamed head of cabbage
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside a large glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the cauliflower, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Let cool for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, cauliflower mixture, cheddar cheese, and egg.
- In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning and tomato sauce. Set aside.
To assemble cabbage rolls:
- Place 1 cabbage leaf flat on a hard work surface. Place ⅓ cup of meat mixture in the center of the cabbage leaf. Starting from the bottom edge of the cabbage leaf, roll the cabbage up and over the meat mixture. Fold in each side of the leaf and continue rolling to enclose the meat.
- Place the cabbage roll seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves and meat mixture.
- Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the cabbage rolls and bake for 1 hour.
Caissa says
Just made it. The bomb! I added a little fresh squeezed lime to the cauliflower dice. A nice contrast to the jalapeño. Thank you for the recipe!!
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Caissa, thank you so much for stopping by to let me know! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Shelby
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen says
All I can say is "GET IN MAH BELLY"!!
Shelby says
🙂 Bobbi, Thanks! This was really satisfying!
Lin says
I made this last night and it was fantastic! Thank you. The leftovers were even better! I added a 1/2 pound of mild Italian sausage to mine, otherwise I followed the recipe exactly!
Shelby says
Hi Lin, thank you so much for stopping by and letting me know! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and sausage sounds great!
Minaz says
Do you have recipe for the Low carb pasta sauce?
Shelby says
Hi Minaz, I used a prepared sauce I bought at the grocery. Rao's is an excellent brand for a sauce. I'm pretty sure you could google low carb pasta sauce recipes on the internet and find one also. Unfortunately, at this point in time, I don't have one on my blog. Thanks for bringing this up as I now will attempt to create a recipe for the blog!
Harmony says
Hi! Recipe looks great. I have never made before. What temperature should I set my oven to. Thanks.
Shelby says
Hi Harmony, you should bake at 350 degrees. Thanks!
Richa Gupta says
Wow these Cabbage Rolls looks incredibly delicious!
Hadia says
We at home make the Lebanese version of stuffed cabbage rolls, but never thought of using rice cauliflower instead of rice. That's genius! Low carb and still full of flavor!!
Debra C. says
I love stuffed cabbage! I've never made them though, your step-by-step pictures make it look so easy!!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
Cabbage rolls are my all time favorite comfort food, these are going on the menu this week, and I bet the angus beef puts them right over the top!
Shelby says
Thanks Sue! We are absolutely in love with cabbage rolls 🙂 I hope you will make this one!
David @ Spiced says
What a fun idea! I don't think I've ever made cabbage rolls at home, but that filling sounds absolutely delicious...in fact, I can't make any promises that the filling will even make it into the cabbage. I might just have to cook it and eat it with a spoon! 🙂 Thanks for the fun recipe idea, Shelby!
Shelby says
The filling is delicious! I was very pleased with the result using cauliflower rice 🙂