Unstuffed Cabbage Recipe (Low Carb)

Get dinner on the table with ease with this one pan unstuffed cabbage meal. 

It’s no secret that I love stuffed cabbage. Last year I shared my recipe for low carb stuffed cabbage. It quickly became one of the most popular recipes on the blog. And my whole family loves it too.

Today I was yearning for those tasty cabbage rolls, but when I looked at the clock I knew there wasn’t enough time to make them.

Now, since I’m not one to give up on a craving, I created this quicker variation and called it unstuffed cabbage! It takes just 30 minutes and is a super easy to make dinner.

This savory one-pan meal is for those days when you don’t have a lot of time or just don’t want to fuss.

I think you’ll love the way caramelized cabbage and onions add depth to the flavor of this dish. And it’s low-carb, paleo, and gluten-free.

If you’re staying low carb, but don’t want to compromise on taste, explore our low-carb hub. It’s brimming with recipes and tips to keep you satisfied and on track.

Is cabbage good for you?

You bet it is. In addition to being a good source of potassium, folate, and vitamin K, it can also boost your body’s natural defenses against disease. Read more here.

Ready to whip up this quick easy meal? Let’s go.

Ingredients

This dish comes together in a snap with only 10 simple and inexpensive ingredients if you don’t count oil, salt, and pepper. But don’t be fooled by its simplicity. It still packs all the comforting flavor of my stuffed cabbage recipe.

Here’s the list of ingredients you’ll need:

Meat

• Ground beef cooked in a bit of oil

Herbs and Spices

• Oregano
• Paprika
• Parsley
• Garlic powder, salt and pepper

Vegetables

• Onions, sliced and caramelized in butter
• Cabbage, cored and cut in strips

Flavorful sauce

• Marinara sauce: store-bought or homemade
• Gluten free broth: I like the flavor of chicken broth. You can choose beef or vegetable broth if you prefer.

Instructions with step by step images

*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.

First, brown your ground beef in a deep skillet, breaking it up into chunks with a spatula. Then drain your meat. I like to reserve a tablespoon of the fat. This way the meat maintains a pleasant texture and flavor.

Now, season with salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and parsley.

Next add some marinara sauce. You can use jar sauce or homemade. You can get my recipe for marinara sauce in the form below.

Then stir and transfer to a large bowl. Now wipe the skillet clean so it will be ready for your onion and cabbage slices.

Slice your onion into thin strips and set aside. Next, slice your cabbage into thin strips. I like to use the slicing blade of my food processor to do this. Zip, zip, and it’s done.

Now caramelize your onion in butter. This will take about ten minutes to get a nice caramelization over a medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Ooh, look at that nice caramelization in the bottom of the skillet. Scrape that up with your spatula and mix it in. That’s where the flavor is. It will come into our sauce and make it very scrumptious.

Then add your cabbage slices. It might look like they’re overflowing, but you can cover the pan for a minute or two, and they’ll cook down pretty quickly. Mix in the sweet onion and cabbage continuing to sauté.

Now add your meat mixture and chicken broth. Gently stir and simmer for about 12 more minutes while the cabbage lends its sweet flavor to the sauce.

And that’s it!

Serving suggestions

Now, want to know how to take it to the next level?

Additionally, serve with a dollop of sour cream on top. Yum. It’s so good.

Then chop up some fresh dill. Mmm. Dill smells wonderful when you chop it up and the taste — wow. Sprinkle that on top. When you stir it all up, it makes a beautiful creamy sauce.

Pro tips and recipe notes

Links are affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission if you buy the item at no extra cost to you.

• If you’re making homemade sauce, I recommend starting it an hour before you begin and simmer it on the back burner.
• How to core your cabbage: First, remove the thick outer leaves of your cabbage. Then, with a chef’s knife, cut your cabbage in half lengthwise, all the way through the core. Next, you’ll need to remove the triangular core. To do this, cut into the core at an angle where the stem meets the leaves of the cabbage and remove it. Now you’re ready to slice it.
• Store the extra half: You can wrap the unused half tightly in plastic wrap or in a plastic bag, making sure to push all the air out. Store it in your fridge in the crisper drawer.
• Don’t have a food processor or just don’t feel like taking it out? This mandoline also works for slicing thin strips. Or just slice your onion and cabbage by hand with a sharp chef’s knife into thin strips.
• In this recipe, I like to keep the meat chunky. You can watch how to do that in the video right above the recipe card. It’s best to use room temperature meat so it will cook evenly. Pat your meat dry with a paper towel so that it browns rather than steams. Place it in your hot oiled pan and let it sit for about a minute. When you flip it over, it will be easy to break up into flavorful bite-size chunks.
• Serve each dish with a dollop of sour cream on top and garnished with chopped fresh dill. When you mix in the sour cream, the result is a beautiful creamy sauce. Yum.
• If beef isn’t your thing, you can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, ground sausage, or ground lamb.
• You can store your unstuffed cabbage stir fry in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Just heat it up in the microwave or a hot skillet.

Altogether, this makes a fast warm lunch or dinner. I can’t wait for you to taste this.

And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email, and I’ll respond ASAP!

Love cabbage? Try these recipes

Keto low carb fried cabbage and knockwurst: This is a quick weeknight dinner or an easy meal to prep for grab-and-go lunches.

Gluten free cabbage and noodles: The recipe is also known as Kaposztás tészta (pronounced: kah-poe-stash tey-stah)⁠. That’s Hungarian for cabbage & noodles.⁠ Or kraut pletzlach in Yiddish. And my Polish friends might call it haluski. No matter what you call it, I call it delicious comfort food.

Keto low carb coleslaw: Want to know what makes this coleslaw special? Sugar-free avocado mayo. It’s delicious.

How to make sauerkraut: Discover many important sauerkraut benefits and a step-by-step tutorial with beautiful photos showing how to make sauerkraut and restore gut health. There’s nothing like the taste of homemade. 

Surówka: This is a Polish sauerkraut, carrot and apple salad that’s healthy and delicious. Enjoy! 

Watch how to make it

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4.80 from 5 votes

Unstuffed Cabbage (Low Carb)

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Unstuffed cabbage is a quicker variation on classic stuffed cabbage. It takes just 30 minutes and is super easy to make. It's a one-pan meal for those days when you don't have a lot of time or just don't want to fuss.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 422kcal

Author Barbara Bianchi

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon of salt divided between meat and cabbage mixture
• 1/2 cup of marinara sauce store bought or homemade
• 1 pound of cabbage cut in strips
• 1 large onion cut in strips
• 8 tablespoons (one stick) of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper divided between meat and cabbage mixture
• 1/4 cup of gluten free chicken broth

Instructions

• Add oil to a deep skillet. Cook & drain meat.
  1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 pound of ground beef
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and parsley
  1 teaspoon of oregano, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon of parsley
• Add sauce and stir.
  1/2 cup of marinara sauce store bought or homemade
• Transfer to a bowl
• Wipe skillet clean.
• Caramelize onions in butter 10 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and a dash of pepper.
  1 large onion, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 8 tablespoons (one stick) of butter
• Add cabbage and cook down 2 minutes
  1 pound of cabbage
• Add beef mixture and chicken broth.
  1/4 cup of gluten free chicken broth
• Simmer 12 minutes more. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• If you’re making homemade sauce, I recommend starting it an hour before you begin and simmer it on the back burner.
• How to core your cabbage: First, remove the thick outer leaves of your cabbage. Then, with a chef’s knife, cut your cabbage in half lengthwise, all the way through the core. Next, you’ll need to remove the triangular core. To do this, cut into the core at an angle where the stem meets the leaves of the cabbage and remove it. Now you’re ready to slice it.
• Store the extra half: You can wrap the unused half tightly in plastic wrap or in a plastic bag, making sure to push all the air out. Store it in your fridge in the crisper drawer.
• Don’t have a food processor or just don’t feel like taking it out? This mandoline also works for slicing thin strips. Or just slice your onion and cabbage by hand with a sharp chef’s knife into thin strips.
• In this recipe, I like to keep the meat chunky. You can watch how to do that in the video right above the recipe card. It’s best to use room temperature meat so it will cook evenly. Pat your meat dry with a paper towel so that it browns rather than steams. Place it in your hot oiled pan and let it sit for about a minute. When you flip it over, it will be easy to break up into flavorful bite-size chunks.
• Serve each dish with a dollop of sour cream on top and garnished with chopped fresh dill. When you mix in the sour cream, the result is a beautiful creamy sauce. Yum.
• If beef isn’t your thing, you can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, ground sausage, or ground lamb.
• You can store your unstuffed cabbage stir fry in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Just heat it up in the microwave or a hot skillet.

Nutrition

Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.7g

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