| | |

Instant Pot Stuffed Cabbage

Take all the guesswork out of cooking the perfect stuffed cabbage with my super simple Instant Pot[method.  Full of tender rice, melt in your mouth meat and a savory sauce, my ridiculously easy method will forever change how you make stuffed cabbage!

Classic Swedish I have been making my signature stuffed cabbage for years. However, lately… I have had loads of time experimenting with my Instant Pot and one of the recipes that got me super excited was stuffed cabbage.
Classic Swedish I have been making my signature stuffed cabbage for years. However, lately… I have had loads of time experimenting with my Instant Pot and one of the recipes that got me super excited was stuffed cabbage.

[wprm-recipe-jump]

I have been making my signature stuffed cabbage for years.  However, lately… I have had loads of time experimenting with my Instant Pot and one of the recipes that got me super excited was stuffed cabbage.  My classic stuffed cabbage is always delicious BUT it does take some time…usually anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours in the oven renders delicious and tender results.

But sometimes I am just too hungry and too anxious to wait.

So the Instant Pot made this THAT much more appealing.

Take all the guesswork out of cooking the perfect stuffed cabbage with my super simple Instant Pot method. Full of tender rice, melt in your mouth meat and a savory sauce, my ridiculously easy method will forever change how you make stuffed cabbage!

Look at that!!! Just look at all that tender deliciousness.  I was honestly skeptical about what results the Instant Pot would render.  And I am beyond happy to say that it did NOT disappoint.

Best of all everything came together quite simply RIGHT in the Instant Pot.  I sautéed the veggies right in the Instant Pot and then just layered all the cabbage rolls in.  It was then covered with a delicious and savory sauce and sealed to pressure cook for 17 minutes!

And out came…this gorgeousness … all begging to be sliced into and devoured with copious servings of sour cream.  And naturally I did.

Take all the guesswork out of cooking the perfect stuffed cabbage with my super simple Instant Pot method. Full of tender rice, melt in your mouth meat and a savory sauce, my ridiculously easy method will forever change how you make stuffed cabbage!

THE TECHNIQUE

  1. The Cabbage: I used to place the cabbage in the freezer the night before and then the day of making the actual stuffed cabbage I would defrost the cabbage and the leaves would peel off super easily.  However, while this is a very easy method it does take a bit of planning and remembering.  So instead I learned a neat little tip to speed things up from one of my cooking class students.  Simply cut a bit of the core off and place the cabbage into a microwave safe bowl completely submerged in water.  Place into the microwave for 15 minutes and voila, super soft and pliable leaves.  In order to make them easier to roll, just cut out the center vein. Your other option actually involves your Instant Pot.  Just place your whole head of cabbage into the Instant pot with 1.5 cups of water.  Set it to manual on high pressure for 7 minutes.  And you will have perfect cabbage leaves.  Of course this also will depend on the size of your cabbage.  Make sure that a knife can go all the way to the center easily and smoothly.  That’s when you know it’s perfectly cooked.Take all the guesswork out of cooking the perfect stuffed cabbage with my super simple Instant Pot method. Full of tender rice, melt in your mouth meat and a savory sauce, my ridiculously easy method will forever change how you make stuffed cabbage!
  2. Sautéing Veggies: I turned the Instant Pot to the “sautee” option and sweated the onions and shredded carrots in some olive oil.  These veggies will serve as flavor for the actual stuffed cabbage as well the sauce, aka the braising liquid.
  3. The Sauce: There are many variations for a sauce used for stuffed cabbage.  There is a sweet and sour sauce that is typically used, but I have always liked the one that my father in law taught me.  It is a simple combination of crushed tomatoes and the aforementioned sautéed carrots and onions.  Naturally, I have a secret ingredient that makes this sauce…perfection: sour cream gives this sauce that little extra something that makes it ridiculously delicious!
  4. Using the Instant Pot: After I create the sauce and saute the veggies, I start to layer in the stuffed cabbage rolls.  The “steam release valve is then set to “sealing” and the Instant pot is set to “stew/meat” for 17 minutes.  Afterwards it is quick released and perfection is achieved.

Take all the guesswork out of cooking the perfect stuffed cabbage with my super simple Instant Pot method. Full of tender rice, melt in your mouth meat and a savory sauce, my ridiculously easy method will forever change how you make stuffed cabbage!

My in-laws and my husband are used to the original recipe…including the 2 hour cooking time.  However, when I served it to the hubby and my in-laws they were all VERY pleasantly surprised.  Because the stuffed cabbage was indeed tender and ridiculously delicious.  But most importantly, everything was cooked perfectly even, the rice was not overcooked and the meat was not overly dry.

Instant Pot…you have done it again.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Instantpot Stuffed Cabbage (4 of 5)

Instant Pot Stuffed Cabbage


  • Author: Mila
  • Total Time: 37 minutes
  • Yield: 8 people 1x

Description

Take all the guesswork out of cooking the perfect stuffed cabbage with my super simple Instant Pot method. Full of tender rice, melt in your mouth meat and a savory sauce, my ridiculously easy method will forever change how you make stuffed cabbage!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pounds ground turkey
  • 1 pounds ground chicken (not chicken breast)
  • .75 cup rice ((uncooked) basmati or white rice is perfect)
  • 7 each carrots (large)
  • 3 each onions (large)
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (pureed is fine as well)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp dill (chopped finely)
  • 1 each cabbage (large)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • sour cream (to garnish)

Instructions

  1. Remove a bit of the core from the cabbage and place into a microwave safe bowl and then into the microwave for 15 minutes.   Your other option actually involves your Instant Pot.  Just place your whole head of cabbage into the Instant pot with 1.5 cups of water.  Set it to manual on high pressure for 7 minutes.  And you will have perfect cabbage leaves.
  2. I use my Vitamix for the carrot and onions. You can also use your shredder attachment on a food processor or grate them on a box grater. If using a Vitamix you are going to want to do the wet chop method:
    Throw all your carrots and onions in the Vitamix and fill up with water until all veggies are covered. Pulse on high until everything is shredded nicely. Now pour into a strainer to get rid of the water
  3. Place a tablespoon of olive in the Instant Pot and set it to the “sautee” option.  Add in the veggies and sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Sweat them out for about 15 minutes. You do not want them to brown you just want them to get aromatic and soft.
  4. In the meantime, separate your cabbage leaves one from the other. If you end up having some leftover in the end, you will just use them on top as a blanket for the rolls. You are going to want to cut out the stem at the bottom where it is the toughest in a V shape. 
  5. After the veggies have sweated out for a bit, add in your dill, tomato puree and sour cream; stir to combine. See how creamy it’s getting? That’s what you want. That will help hold the mix together as well as add killer flavor.  Remove and set aside.
  6. Place the meat and rice into a bowl.  Add in HALF of the sautéed veggie mix.  Mix everything together so it is well mixed. Take a small piece and fry on a small pan to taste for seasoning. Add in salt and pepper as necessary.
  7. Take one cabbage leave and place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture in the middle. If the leaves are smaller, you can place 1 tablespoon.  Fold in the sides of the cabbage on top of the filling first.  Take the middle part of the leaf and cover up the meat with it.  And now just roll it up like a burrito.
  8. Place 1/3 of the remaining sauce sauce on the bottom of the Instant Pot.  Start layering the stuffed cabbage rolls, making sure that they are not overlapping but placed in the Instant Pot tightly.
  9. Once the first layer is done, place another 1/3 of the sauce on top and continue layering until finished with all the stuffed cabbage rolls.
  10. Add in the half a cup of water. Turn the sealing valve to the “seal” position and lock the lid.  Press the “stew/meat” button and place for 17 minutes.
  11. Allow the stuffed cabbage to stand for 2 minutes after the cooking time is over.  Turn the sealing valve to the “venting” position.  Once the steam has released, feel free to enjoy!

Notes

  1. Make sure to check out my original Easy Russian Cabbage Rolls recipe for a step by step tutorial on how to fold the cabbage rolls up.
  2. Some people have experienced the “Burn” error in their Instant pots with this recipe.  After testing this recipe over 20 times in 3 different Instant Pots, I received this error only once. You may need to just add a bit more water to the sauce to thin it out.
  3. How long you cook the head of cabbage in the IP also will depend on the size of your cabbage.  Make sure that a knife can go all the way to the center easily and smoothly.  That’s when you know it’s perfectly cooked.
  4. Nutritional information should only be used as a guide.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 17 minutes
  • Category: Main Course, Main Entree
  • Cuisine: American, Russian

Similar Posts

44 Comments

  1. Hello, I love your recipes. I was just wondering, what would the cooking time be, if you do not have one of these pressure cookers? I actually have a HUGE pressure cooking that I use for canning, but I think I would prefer to use the oven.
    Aslo, do like your live Facebook shows!!

    Thanks you,
    Roni

  2. Is the rice cooked before you add it or does it cook in the mix? I’m making this for Sunday dinner so hopefully I find out quick! Thanks!

    1. Hi Kelly! I am SO SORRY! All my comments have been going to spam and I did not see this question!!! My sincerest apologies to you!!!! The rice was uncooked just an FYI. Again so very sorry! In the future you can always contact me at: milaATgirlandthekitchendotcom

      1. Might be a good idea to add “uncooked” to the rice section, same for the meat. I just guessed and it made me nervous the entire time. But My family and I loved it! Thanks for sharing.

  3. This was way too much for the pressure cooker. The Instant Pot will not come to pressure because it is too full. I would recommend halfing this recipe if you are going to cook in the IP. I still have about 1/2 the meat mixture leftover and my IP still wouldn’t come to pressure because it was too full.

  4. I tried doing this 4 times and my pot does not come to pressure. I am unsure what the problem is. Too much liquid? Not enough? I was really excited about the recipe and disappointed all this went to waste. Any thoughts?

    1. It didn’t come to pressure because you need a trivet. Place some sliced onions and cabbage on the bottom of the Instant Pot with the liquid then place the trivet on top of them. Then you place your cabbage rolls on the trivet.

      1. Hi!!! Just an FYI i think it depends on the Instant Pot. I never actually used a trivet and mine always went up to pressure.

        1. We are having the same issue – tried 3 times and it won’t get up to pressure. Meat has cooked enough after several (unsuccessful) tries, but rice remains uncooked/crunchy.

          1. Hmmm not sure what happened 🙁 I just made this recipe this weekend and it turned out great! Would you be able to tell me what rice you were using? That might be making all the difference!

  5. My husband super hates carrots with everything he has. Is there anything I could replace them with since it’s such a large part of the recipe?

  6. Hello, are the two meats cooked prior to mixture or uncooked like the rice? First timer with this recipe and excited to try it!

  7. I just got my first burn notice, so bummed. As I searched for reasons why, I realized this recipe has more than one elements listed in burn warnings: tomato sauce, sour cream, no thin liquid on the bottom. I just put my expensive mess in a crock pot with hopes I can save my expensive mistake 🙁 It smells so good and I’m starving…

    1. That’s very strange! I know people had this issue but in the 20 or so times I made them in the Instant pot I never once had this issue 🙁 next time just reset it and add a bit of water 🙂

  8. I’m wondering what it means when you say: 1 EACH cabbage large? What does the “each” refer to? Also, it says 1 cup water in the ingredient list, but 1/2 cup water in the instructions. Is the other 1/2 cup meant to go in the sauce ? That’s what I guessed based on the Burn comments, so after mixing in half the sauce with the meat and rice, I added water to the other half of the sauce (that lines the pot). I halved the recipe because I only have a 6 quart pot (so added 1/4 c water to the sauce & 1/4 c water poured over). I still had quite a lot. It turned out amazing! It took 1-1/2 hours total time

  9. How many ounces was your can of tomatoes? I saw your oven version used 1 cup tomato purée but the other ingredients were for a larger batch so I expect 14 oz would suffice.

  10. I struggled with this recipe. No 1 i have a 6 qt IP and it filled it to the brim. After a few burn notices i repacked with the cabbage rolls on an insert, water in the bottom. It made sooo much filling i had to make it into a separate loaf pan. I followed the cabbage part to the tee, and the outside of the head was too soft and the inside fairly raw. In general the taste was ok, good( i am Eastern European and have had halupkis since i was a babe) but the cooking/techinical directions are weird. I baked some of the rolls in the oven and some in the instant pot after repacking. hmmm …i followed recipe to a tee and it did not work for me so i had to make adjustments, thanks to my knowledge of the instant pot

    1. Anna, I am so sorry you had difficulty. The Instant Pot can sometimes be tricky. If you read the notes, I did mention that in the tens of times that I made these in the IP, I only received the “BURN” notice once. I have found it really depends on the IP. Additionally, you may have had an older cabbage, if that is the case, it may have needed more time to cook all the way through. Again, I do hope you try it again because this recipe is tried and true in my house. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  11. Hey Mila,

    Thank you for recipe! I got IP for Chrystmas and still learning how to use. Used to making Golubtsi in the oven or on the stove. Really liked your tips! I have 6gt IP, and I didn’t really follow the measurements, I never do 🙂 Just made sure it’s not overfilled. They turned out
    AMAZING. Keep up the good work!

    1. Thank YOU!!!!! The real sign of a true cook is being able to look at the recipe as inspiration instead of a step by step! Well done my dear ! XX

  12. This is my first IP fail in 9 months. It didn’t get to pressure and the meat cooked a bit, but the rice did not. I took the whole mess out, put the trivet in the bottom, and I’m trying again. No bueno.

    1. Emily that is awful!!! I have made this recipe several times and I never had an issue! Especially not the meat and rice not cooking. BUT I am going to try it again in a new Instant Pot this week. Please let me know how it turned out with the trivet.

Leave a Reply