Instant Pot Lazy Cabbage Roll Dinner

Craving the comforting flavors of traditional cabbage rolls but short on time? This incredibly easy recipe for Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls delivers all the rich, savory taste you love, without any of the tedious rolling and prepping. It’s a healthy, veggie-packed, one-pot dinner solution that’s perfect for busy weeknights, making it a fantastic addition to your family meal rotation. Plus, it’s naturally low carb, gluten-free, and effortlessly adaptable to be keto or dairy-free, ensuring everyone at the table can enjoy this satisfying dish.

For anyone who has ever tackled the classic method of making cabbage rolls, you know it’s a labor of love that demands significant kitchen time and effort. The process involves par-boiling cabbage leaves, meticulously preparing a flavorful filling, and then carefully stuffing and rolling each individual leaf. While the end result is undeniably delicious, it’s not always practical for a busy schedule.

That’s where this Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe shines! It captures the essence of this beloved comfort food – tender cabbage, seasoned ground beef, and a rich tomato sauce – all cooked together in one pot, drastically cutting down on preparation and cleanup. Imagine enjoying those hearty, familiar flavors in a fraction of the time. This dish transforms a time-consuming classic into a quick, convenient, and incredibly satisfying meal, making it an ideal choice for a wholesome dinner when you need something delicious without the fuss.

Beyond its convenience, this recipe is designed with health and dietary flexibility in mind. It’s inherently low in carbohydrates and completely gluten-free, catering to common dietary needs. With just a couple of simple adjustments, it can also easily fit into a ketogenic or dairy-free lifestyle, making it a truly versatile meal that can be customized to suit various preferences without compromising on flavor. This versatility ensures that virtually everyone can gather around the table to enjoy this comforting, flavourful, and easy-to-make dinner.

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe

1. Effortless Comfort Food: Enjoy all the deeply satisfying flavors of traditional cabbage rolls without the time-consuming work of stuffing and rolling. This recipe simplifies the process into a single pot, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you crave a hearty, home-cooked meal without the extensive preparation.
2. Diet-Friendly and Versatile: This dish is naturally low-carb and gluten-free, fitting seamlessly into various dietary plans. With easy substitutions, it can also be made keto or dairy-free, ensuring it’s a meal that accommodates a wide range of nutritional needs and preferences.
3. Perfect for Pairing with Rice (Pot-in-Pot Method): If you love serving your cabbage rolls with rice, this recipe offers a brilliant solution. You can easily cook rice simultaneously using the Instant Pot’s convenient pot-in-pot method, creating a complete and balanced meal all at once, minimizing extra dishes and maximizing efficiency.
4. Budget-Friendly and Nutrient-Rich: Made with economical ingredients like ground beef and cabbage, this meal is incredibly kind to your wallet. Despite its low cost, it’s packed with vegetables and protein, providing a wholesome and filling dinner that nourishes your family without breaking the bank. It’s a smart choice for delicious and affordable healthy eating.

Key Ingredients for Flavorful Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

• Lean Ground Beef: The hearty foundation of this dish. Opting for lean ground beef (85/15 or 90/10) is recommended as it helps maintain volume and reduces the amount of excess grease you’ll need to drain, contributing to a cleaner, more flavorful end product.
• Green Cabbage: The star vegetable! You’ll need one small head of green cabbage, cored and roughly chopped. For ultimate convenience, especially on a busy day, you can substitute this with a few bags of pre-shredded coleslaw mix, which will save you prep time without sacrificing flavor.
• Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: These are a game-changer! Fire-roasted tomatoes bring a remarkable depth of smoky, savory flavor that elevates the entire dish, mimicking the rich complexity of slow-cooked ingredients. While highly recommended for their robust taste, regular diced tomatoes will also work well if fire-roasted are unavailable.
• Tomato Sauce: A touch of quality tomato sauce is essential for creating that authentic, comforting cabbage roll flavor profile and providing a smooth, rich base for the dish.
• Beef Broth: This liquid ingredient helps create the perfect saucy consistency and infuses the entire dish with a savory, meaty undertone. While beef broth is ideal, feel free to use chicken or vegetable broth if that’s what you have on hand.
• Fresh Garlic: About three cloves of fresh garlic, minced, are crucial for adding a pungent, aromatic warmth. Alternatively, three teaspoons of pre-minced garlic can be used for convenience.
• Onion: A small onion, finely chopped, provides a sweet and savory base. Sautéing it with garlic and butter (or oil) creates a fragrant aromatic blend that forms the foundation of the dish’s flavor.
• Butter: Used for sautéing the aromatics, butter adds a lovely richness and helps soften the onions and cabbage beautifully. If you need to make this recipe dairy-free, a neutral oil like avocado oil is an excellent substitute.
• Worcestershire Sauce: This is a powerful secret ingredient! Just a couple of teaspoons add an incredible umami depth and a subtle tangy complexity that makes all the difference, enhancing the savory notes without being overpowering. It’s famously difficult to pronounce but effortlessly delicious!
• Brown Sugar (Optional): A small amount of brown sugar helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out the overall flavor profile with a hint of sweetness. If you’re following a sugar-free or keto diet, you can easily omit it or use a keto-friendly brown sugar substitute.
• Essential Seasonings: A balanced blend of salt, black pepper, aromatic dried dill, vibrant paprika (smoked paprika is fantastic here for added depth), and two whole bay leaves are critical for building the classic, comforting flavors associated with traditional cabbage rolls.

How to Make Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls: Step-by-Step Guide

Get ready for a remarkably simple cooking experience that brings maximum flavor with minimal effort. Here’s how to create your delicious Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls:

First, plug in your Instant Pot and select the “Sauté” function. If your model prompts you to choose a time, set it for 30 minutes. This will give the pot ample time to heat up properly and ensure you have enough time for sautéing your vegetables without interruption.

Once the Instant Pot indicates it’s hot (many models will display “Hot” or “On”), add the butter (or avocado oil for dairy-free) into the inner pot. Swirl it around with a wooden spoon until it melts and coats the bottom. As soon as the butter begins to sizzle, add the chopped onion. Sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, until it becomes translucent and softens, which typically takes about 2-4 minutes. Next, add the minced garlic and cook for just about 1 minute, or until it becomes fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it can quickly turn bitter.

As soon as the garlic releases its wonderful aroma, add the chopped cabbage to the pot. Toss the cabbage thoroughly to ensure it’s well coated in the buttery onion and garlic mixture. Continue to sauté the cabbage for several minutes, stirring frequently, until it has softened slightly and you begin to see a few browned edges. This step is key for developing flavor and softening the cabbage before pressure cooking.

Once the cabbage is softened, carefully remove the cabbage, onion, and garlic mixture from the Instant Pot and transfer it to a separate bowl. Set this bowl aside for a moment; we’ll be adding it back to the pot shortly.

Browning the Ground Beef to Perfection

Now, add the ground beef directly into the still-hot Instant Pot. Using the bottom of your wooden spoon, break up any larger chunks of beef as it cooks. Continue to cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until the ground beef is completely browned throughout and no pink spots remain. This ensures proper texture and flavor for the dish.

After the ground beef is fully browned, it’s important to remove any excess grease. You can do this by carefully tilting the pot and spooning out the accumulated fat, or by transferring the beef to a colander over a bowl to drain it. Once drained, return the browned ground beef to the Instant Pot.

With the beef back in the pot, add the fire-roasted tomatoes (undrained for maximum flavor), tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar (if using), salt, black pepper, paprika, dried dill, and the bay leaves. Stir all these ingredients thoroughly to combine them. Critically, use your wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot, dislodging any browned bits that may have stuck. This not only prevents a potential “burn” notice from your Instant Pot but also reincorporates those flavorful bits back into the dish, adding depth to the sauce.

Finally, add the reserved sautéed cabbage, onions, and garlic back into the Instant Pot, on top of the beef and tomato mixture. Give everything a good, final stir to ensure all the components are well combined. At this point, press the “Cancel” button on your Instant Pot to turn off the sauté function.

If you’re planning to cook rice using the pot-in-pot method, now is the ideal time to prepare and insert it into the Instant Pot (refer to the “Can I Add Rice?” section below for detailed instructions).

Secure the lid onto your Instant Pot, making sure it’s properly sealed. Set the steam release valve to the “Sealing” position. Then, select the “Manual” (or “Pressure Cook”) function and set the cooking time for 6 to 7 minutes. Choose 7 minutes if you prefer your cabbage very soft and tender, or 6 minutes for a slightly firmer, al dente texture. Once cooking is complete, perform a quick pressure release by carefully turning the valve to “Venting,” allowing the steam to escape until the float valve drops.

Once all the pressure has been released and the float valve has dropped, carefully open the lid away from your face to avoid any lingering steam. Give the entire mixture a final good stir. Your Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls are now ready to be served and enjoyed! Garnish with fresh parsley for a pop of color and freshness, if desired.

Can I Add Rice to My Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls?

Absolutely! Serving your delicious unstuffed cabbage rolls with rice is a fantastic idea, and you have two convenient options. You can either cook the rice alongside the main dish using the “pot-in-pot” method, or prepare it separately and add it in later. For separately cooked rice, I highly recommend checking out my Instant Pot White Rice method for perfectly fluffy results every time.

If you prefer the efficiency of cooking rice simultaneously with your cabbage rolls, the pot-in-pot method is your best friend. To do this, you’ll need a pressure-safe pot or dish that fits inside your Instant Pot (like this one). In this smaller pot, combine 1 cup of uncooked rice with 1 cup of broth or water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of oil or butter and ½ teaspoon of salt for added flavor. Cover the smaller pot with a sheet of foil to prevent steam from getting in and making the rice mushy. Place this pot on a trivet above your cabbage roll mixture before securing the Instant Pot lid. Once the main dish is cooked, remember to perform a 10-minute natural pressure release for the rice before doing a quick release for the remaining pressure. This ensures the rice cooks perfectly without becoming too dry or sticky. After opening, fluff the cooked rice with a fork and either stir it directly into the unstuffed cabbage roll mixture or serve it on the side.

Top Tips for Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Success

• Embrace Mise en Place: “Mise en place” is a chef’s secret for a reason – it means having all your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. For this recipe, ensure all your vegetables, especially the cabbage (which can take a bit of time to chop), are cored and chopped in advance. This smooth workflow prevents any last-minute scrambling or potential mishaps during the cooking process, making your experience stress-free.
• Don’t Skip Scraping the Pot: After browning the ground beef, it’s absolutely crucial to scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Those browned bits stuck to the bottom are not just potential “burn notice” triggers; they are concentrated pockets of delicious flavor! Deglazing the pot by scraping them up once you add the liquid reintroduces all that savory goodness back into your dish, deepening its complexity and ensuring your pressure cooker operates flawlessly.
• Drain Excess Ground Beef Grease: Lean ground beef helps minimize this, but after browning, always take a moment to remove any accumulated excess grease from the ground beef. While a little fat can add flavor, too much will result in an unappetizingly greasy finished product. Whether you spoon it out carefully or drain the beef in a colander, this step contributes to a healthier and more enjoyable texture for your unstuffed cabbage rolls.
• Choose Fire-Roasted Tomatoes for Max Flavor: While regular diced tomatoes will certainly work, fire-roasted tomatoes are highly recommended for their superior flavor profile. They add a wonderful smokiness and depth that significantly enhances the overall taste of the dish, giving it a more complex and rich character. If you can find them, they are truly worth the slight splurge. However, don’t worry if they’re not available; the recipe will still be delicious with standard diced tomatoes.

Variations and Dietary Substitutions

One of the best aspects of this Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe is its inherent flexibility, allowing for easy modifications to suit various dietary needs and taste preferences:

• Dairy-Free Option: To make this recipe completely dairy-free, simply substitute the butter used for sautéing with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, olive oil, or any other neutral cooking oil of your choice. The flavor will remain just as rich and delicious.
• Gluten-Free Assurance: This recipe is already written to be entirely gluten-free! However, always take a moment to verify that your chosen brand of Worcestershire sauce is certified gluten-free, as some brands may contain hidden gluten ingredients.
• Keto/Low Carb/Sugar-Free Adaptation: Achieving a keto, low-carb, or sugar-free version of this dish is incredibly simple. You can either completely omit the brown sugar from the recipe, or if you prefer a touch of sweetness to balance the tomatoes, use a keto-friendly brown sugar substitute. This one is a great option for maintaining that classic flavor without the added carbs or sugar.

More Easy Instant Pot Dinner Ideas:

• Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
• Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
• 5 Ingredient Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
• Instant Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Instant Pot Hamburger Soup

Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

This easy recipe for Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls has all the flavor of traditional cabbage rolls, but without all the work!

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Course: Instant Pot Recipes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 301 kcal

Author: Dorothy Bigelow

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon butter or oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 small head green cabbage, cored and chopped
• 1 (28oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• ½ cup low sodium beef broth
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar (optional; or sugar free substitute)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika (smoked if possible)
• ½ teaspoon dried dill
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Plug in your Instant Pot and select the “sauté” function. If prompted to select a time, choose 30 minutes to allow ample time for preheating and sautéing vegetables.
2. Once the pot is hot, add the butter and swirl with a wooden spoon until melted.
3. As soon as the butter is melted and begins to sizzle, add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 2-4 minutes.
4. Once the onion is soft, add the minced garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. As soon as the garlic releases its scent, add the chopped cabbage and toss to coat it with the buttery onion and garlic mixture. Sauté, tossing frequently, until the cabbage is slightly softened and begins to brown on some edges.
6. Carefully remove the sautéed cabbage, onions, and garlic from the Instant Pot into a large bowl and set aside.
7. Add the ground beef to the still-hot Instant Pot. Use a wooden spoon to break it up into crumbles as it cooks.
8. Continue cooking until the ground beef is fully browned and no pink spots remain.
9. Once the ground beef is cooked, use a spoon to remove any excess grease. Alternatively, you can drain the beef in a colander and then return it to the pot.
10. After draining the grease, add the undrained can of fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar (if using), salt, black pepper, paprika, dill, and bay leaves. Stir well to combine and scrape the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon to remove any browned bits, which helps prevent a “burn” notice.
11. Return the reserved cabbage, onion, and garlic mixture to the Instant Pot and stir it thoroughly with the tomato and ground beef mixture. Press the “cancel” button to exit sauté mode.
12. Note for Rice: If you plan to cook rice with your Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls using the pot-in-pot method, this is the time to prepare and add it (refer to the “Can I Add Rice?” section for detailed instructions).
13. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, ensuring the valve is set to the “sealing” position.
14. Set the Instant Pot to manual pressure and cook for 6-7 minutes. Choose 7 minutes for very soft cabbage or 6 minutes for tender-crisp cabbage.
15. Once the cooking time is complete, perform a quick pressure release by carefully switching the valve to “venting”.
16. After all pressure has been released and the float valve has dropped, carefully open the lid away from your face to avoid steam.
17. Stir all ingredients together very well. Serve immediately and enjoy!
18. If serving with rice, you can either stir the hot cooked rice directly into the Instant Pot mixture or serve it individually, spooning the unstuffed cabbage rolls over mounds of rice.

Recipe Notes

With rice: If you’re going to cook alongside the rest of the meal, I recommend using the pot-in-pot method and placing 1 cup of rice with 1 cup of broth or water inside of a pressure-safe pot or dish (this one is safe to use for this method), along with 1 teaspoon of oil or butter and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cover with a sheet of foil. Make sure to do a 10-minute natural pressure release before doing a quick release. Then, open the rice, fluff it with a fork, and stir it into the rest of the dish (or serve on the side). If you prefer, you can cook your rice separately and add it back in or serve it on the side. I recommend my Instant Pot White Rice method.

Dairy Free: Substitute the butter for 1 tablespoon of avocado oil or your favorite neutral cooking oil.

Gluten-free: The recipe as written is entirely gluten-free. Verify your brand of Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free to be certain!

Keto/Low Carb/Sugar-Free: Omit the brown sugar or substitute it for a keto-friendly brown sugar substitute like this one.

Nutrition Information (per serving)

Serving: 1g | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 786mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g

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