Hungarian stuffed cabbage ( Töltött káposzta ) 🥬
Hearty, cozy, and very traditional—especially in winter.
What it’s like
- Cabbage leaves stuffed with meat + rice
- Cooked slowly in paprika-seasoned sauerkraut
- Rich, tangy, and comforting
Traditional Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Recipe
Ingredients
Cabbage
- 1 large head green cabbage
- (or jarred sour cabbage leaves if you can find them)
Filling
- 500 g (1 lb) ground meat (pork, beef, or mix)
- ½ cup uncooked rice
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- Salt & black pepper
Sauerkraut base
- 500 g (about 1 lb) sauerkraut
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1–2 bay leaves
- Water or broth
Optional
- Smoked sausage pieces (very traditional)
- Sour cream for serving
How to make it
- Prepare cabbage:
Boil the whole cabbage until leaves soften. Gently separate leaves. - Make filling:
Mix meat, rice, onion, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. - Stuff:
Place filling on each leaf, fold sides in, and roll tightly. - Build the pot:
- Oil + onion + paprika on bottom
- Add half the sauerkraut
- Arrange stuffed rolls
- Add sausage (if using)
- Top with remaining sauerkraut and bay leaves
- Cook:
Add water/broth just to cover.
Simmer gently 1½–2 hours. - Serve:
Hot, with sour cream and bread.
Hungarian tips 🇭🇺
- Sweet paprika is essential—don’t substitute chili powder
- It tastes even better the next day
- Often served at Christmas and holidays
- Can be baked in the oven instead of stovetop
If you want, I can:
- Make it vegetarian
- Adjust for slow cooker
- Explain differences between Hungarian, Polish, and Romanian versions
- Help scale it for a crowd
Just tell me!
