Golumpki or Gołąbki are Polish cabbage rolls stuffed with a mixture of beef, pork, rice, and seasoning.
This recipe serves 12 and costs about $11.32 to make or $0.95 per serving!
Do you ever feel like handwritten family recipes are a lost art? With technology these days, there is no need to write out your recipes when you can print one off quickly.
However, I have a few framed handwritten recipes from my grandmother hanging in my kitchen that I adore. The recipe cards have a few stains on them, which give me warm thoughts of seeing them cooking these recipes with all their love.
I am so grateful they took the time to write some of their recipes to benefit from them and carry on their traditional cooking.
Grandma’s Golumpki – Cabbage Rolls Recipe
This brings me to this recipe I am sharing with you today. I am passing on the tradition of Golumpki from my paternal Grandmother, who was 100% Polish. My dad says, “These are the best thing on the planet Earth!”
Thanks to my Aunt Nancie, who wrote this recipe down one day while watching my Grandma make it, future generations will enjoy my Grandma’s Golumpki recipe!
He remembers going nuts when his mom would make them. He and his brother would say, “Mmmmm Golumpki night,” when she would tell them what was for dinner.
She always served Mashed Potatoes with them. But he was even more excited to eat them the next night as they are always better the second day.
Throughout the world, some might call this stuffed cabbage. But in Poland, this dish is known as Golumpki. This recipe is packed full of fresh flavors and even more special with it being a family recipe.
I would love to hear what your favorite family recipe is in the comments below!
What does Golumpki mean?
It is the plural of Golabek, which derives from Golab, which means “pigeon.” It’s called pigeon because the cabbage rolls resemble the shape of a pigeon’s chest.
How do you pronounce Golumpki?
You pronounce it by saying guh-WOOMP-key.
Can you freeze Golumpki?
Yes, you can freeze them! After baking them, let them cool completely before putting them in an airtight Ziploc bag. Add a little tomato sauce to each bag and then freeze.
When you are ready to use them, place the frozen rolls and sauce in a saucepan and simmer until you have heated them all the way through.
How to make Golumpki:
This recipe has a lot of moving parts, but it’s broken down in simple steps by:
- First, boil the cabbage, let it cool, separate the leaves, and cut out the hard stem.
- Stir together the filling and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
- Then, make the Sauce and spread some on the bottom of the baking dishes.
- Next, stuff and roll the cabbage leaves.
- Cover the cabbage rolls with the remaining sauce. (At this point, you can cover them and place them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or bake them).
- Then, bake the cabbage rolls for 50-60 minutes.
- Finally, let the Golumpki cool for 10 minutes and then serve with chopped fresh dill (optional).
See the recipe card below for complete instructions and step-by-step photos!
What to serve with Cabbage Rolls:
More Polish Recipes that are Family-Favorites:
RECIPE VARIATIONS:
- The sauce recipe for this dish is my own. My grandma did something a little different, which is an excellent option if you’re short on time.
- Mix one 10.75-ounce can of Campbell’s condensed tomato soup and one 15-ounce can of Hunt’s tomato sauce. And that’s it, no cooking needed. Use this sauce in place of the sauce in the recipe below.
Cook’s Note:
- You can prepare these ahead of time by making the recipe right until baking the cabbage rolls. Cover the rolls and place them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Then, cook as directed in the recipe below.
- The Golumpki taste even better the second day!
- This recipe makes a ton! You can freeze cooked leftovers. Just place them in air-tight freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3-4 months.
- TO REHEAT: Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Then transfer the cabbage rolls to a baking dish, cover with foil, and heat in a 325-degree Fahrenheit oven until warmed through, about 20-30 minutes.
Cook’s Tools:
- Cutting board
- Paring knife
- Large pot
- Medium bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Medium pot
- Wire cooling racks
Ingredients and Cost
RECIPE COST: $11.32
PER SERVING COST: $0.95
NOTE: The recipe prices are used calculating name brand products from grocery store websites.
- 1 large green cabbage – $2.34
- 1 pound lean ground beef – $3.60
- ½ pound ground pork – $1.53
- 1 small yellow onion – $0.48
- 7 large garlic cloves – $0.35
- 1 lemon – $0.48
- 1 large egg – $0.10
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes – $1.64
- 2 cups cooked rice – $0.39
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil – $0.14
- ½ cup water – $0
- 1 teaspoon salt – $0.01
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper – $0.01
- Chopped fresh dill – $0.25
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Golumpki - Stuffed Polish Cabbage (Gołąbki)
Equipment
- cutting board
- paring knife
- large pot
- Medium bowl
- wooden spoon
- Medium pot
- Wire baking racks
Ingredients
- 1 large green cabbage
GOLUMPKI FILLING:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ small yellow onion grated
- 4 large garlic cloves grated
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel from 1 lemon
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 cups cooked rice
TOMATO SAUCE:
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ small yellow onion grated
- 3 large garlic cloves grated
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
FOR SERVING:
- Chopped fresh dill optional
Instructions
BOIL CABBAGE:
- Remove the stalk from the bottom of the cabbage head.
- Place the cabbage in a large pot filled with 12 cups of water. Cover and place over high heat.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook until the cabbage leaves become bright green and pliable, about 3-5 minutes. The leaves should not be limp, they should hold their shape.
- Remove cabbage from water and place on a cutting board until it’s cool enough to handle.
MAKE FILLING:
- In a large bowl combine ground beef, pork, onion, garlic, grated lemon peel, egg, and rice. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.
MAKE TOMATO SAUCE:
- In a medium pot over medium heat add oil. Once simmering, stir in grated onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Then, add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Pour in crushed tomatoes, water, salt, and pepper and increase heat to high. Once bubbling, reduce heat to low and simmer tomatoes for 15 minutes.
PREPARE CABBAGE LEAVES:
- Once the cabbage has cooled, remove the leaves from the cabbage head.
- Using a paring knife, cut the thick stem or membrane from the back of each leaf. Be careful not to cut through the leaf.
PREP OVEN AND BAKING DISHES:
- Move oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- You will need a 9x13-inch baking dish and a smaller, 2-quart baking dish for this recipe. Spread ¾ cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch dish and ½ cup sauce in the bottom of the 2-quart baking dish.
STUFF & ROLL CABBAGE LEAVES:
- Place 2 tablespoons of filling on the bottom half of a cabbage leaf.
- Fold up the bottom part of the cabbage leaf.
- Then, fold in the sides.
- Next, roll forward until the cabbage leaf completely covers the filling. Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves and filling.
- Place the stuffed cabbage leaves into prepared pans in neat rows. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the cabbage rolls.
BAKE:
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking.
- Place pans on a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill (optional) and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi! Polish native here—the “ł” is a letter that is pronounced like a “w.” I saw another commenter named Cheryl who also mentioned this. She is correct: “guh-WOOMP-ki” is a more correct pronunciation. (still not 100% accurate pronunciation, but it’s the closest we can translate it since it’s kind of hard to describe the pronunciation of “Ą” lol) And as a note, the letter “L” (without the line across it) does exist in the Polish language and it’s pronounced the same way it is in English. Thought you’d like to know! : )
Thanks, Alexandra. I know very little Polish.
I studied at the Jagiellonian during Communist times. One day, I met my language teacher on the steps, after lunch. As the consummate teacher, he asked, in Polish, what I ate for lunch. I was eager to try our recently learned vocabulary and I proudly told him that I had Gomułka for lunch. He laughed, hysterically! Gamułka was a controversial Polish Communist leader. I never made THAT mistake again!
Glad you corrected the pronunciation, I was just going to comment on the same thing!
I came here to say the exact same thing. Lithuanian jere, not polish, but yes, it is pronounced like a w not an l.
My background is Polish too. My mothers parents came over to the US in the early 1900’s. I make them just like my grandmother did. Almost exactly like this but she covered hers with sauerkraut first then added the tomato sauce. I’m 67 now and still find myself in my grandmothers kitchen every time I make them.
My folks also made these, even tho not Polish. They came from a small mining town in western Pa, and hade many Polish neighbors. As kids playing at each others homes, which by the way, were company houses, they would be given a pig from the pot perpetually on the back of the stove! They always fixed it with sauerkraut tho, and was soupier. Served with mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut on top of them!
My mom would make pork spare ribs like this with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. Heaven!
Tasty! My mom made something similar for our family when we were growing up. So I made these for my Mom last night and she gave them a thumbs up. She is 100% Polish. Instead of a tomato topping, she said she often poured a little water over the cabbage rolls and topped each with a little brown sugar before baking. We loved the tomato topping and served them with sour cream.
I am in the process of making these now and are a little different than my mother made. She never served them with a sauce, only butter was put on filling once cut into. I hope remind me of mom’s. She took pride in everything she cooked
I have always loved stuffed cabbage!
Your recipe is similar to mine with one exception.
My mother’s twist, adding sauerkraut to the tomato sauce. This adds an another flavor level which is absolutely scrumptious !
I have left over rice and needed a recipe. This is the one I’m making tonight.
As a child, I watched my Mother cook Galumpki which she leaned from the Czechoslovakian side of the Family. First of all, she always made two sauces, one a clear Salt/Vinegar broth that she boiled the cabbage in, and then added a tomato sauce to the Cabbage. She never cooked the Cabbage in the oven, it was always cooked on top of the stove.
That’s how my dad used to cook them – on the stove, in a water vinegar mixture but he died and I don’t have that recipe. Do you know the proportions of the water, vinegar, and salt? I’d greatly appreciate it – I thought my dad’s were the best.
Father came from Poland, insisted to buy sour cabbage, mom said too expensive..so dad would give her five dollars, as years went by that sum was increased up to twentfive dollars..I only FOUND out she was hoarding the money all along and told me she just put sauerkraut on top with canned tomatoes. I have added to mom’s recipe…I used cooked bacon, lots of onions, precooked rice AND GRATED GARLIC SAUSAGE.then sauerkraut and canned diced tomatoes with a little tomatoes sauce. sooooooo good
This recipe is phenomenal and full of flavor! I made it exactly as written (with the exception of the pork). My grocery store didn’t have ground pork so I used 1/2 lb ground Italian sausage in its place, and mixed with the 1 lb ground beef. My very picky daughter loved it! Only stuffed cabbage I will ever make. Thank you for sharing!
Although I am Italian, I grew up in an area where these were served regularly at special occasion. This is a good recipe, but the lemon zest threw me. I don’t ever remember that flavor. I think there needs to be some oregano, or maybe some Greek seasoning. Missing something, but not lemon.
I LOVE GALUMPKI (GAWOOMPKI). MY MOTHER FIXED THESE AS I WAS GROWING UP. I’M 85 NOW, STILL LOVE THEM AND STILL MAKE THEM. MY KIDS LIKE THEM AND SOME OF THEM MAKE THEM.. I’VE INVITED FRIENDS OVER WHEN I MAKE A BIG POT OF THEM. I COOK THEM ON TOP OF THE STOVE ALSO AND I PUT UNCOOKED RICE IN THE MEAT MIXTURE. FOR THE SAUCE I PUT IN A STICK OF BUTTER (CUT INTO CHUNKS) AND USE TWO OR 3 REGULAR CANS OF TOMATO SOUP AND THEN A CAN OF WATER. I COOK THEM ON STOVE TOP 1 1/2 HOURS. AFTER THEY COME TO A BOIL TURN STOVE DOWN TO MED. LOW OR LOW. I SERVE WITH MASHED POTATOES AND THE TOMATO GRAVY ON THEM IS WONDERFUL. THEY DO FREEZE WELL. GLAD TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE ENJOY THEM.
Good job on the recipe. Pronunciation of the word golumpki is off. The L is pronounced as a w.
Thanks for letting me know. I corrected the pronunciation in the post.
This is very similar to my recipe. We call them halupkis. sometimes I slow cook them in the crock pot or even simmer them on the stove.
My 89-year-old dad got Covid and is staying with me while he recuperates. I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it knocked our socks off! That’s saying A LOT since both his parents were from Poland. Thank you for helping me bring a giant smile to my sweet daddy’s face!
Kathy, your comment made my night. 🙂 I’m so glad you and your dad enjoyed the recipe! I hope your dad has a swift recovery from Covid.
I’d like to point out that it’s actually easier to stuff the leaves if you cut a small v at the bottom (where the white bit is). I also cook a few pieces of chopped bacon, then cook the onions in the grease. I also add mushrooms to mine. Good basic recipe though
Cassandra,
That’s a great tip about cutting a small V. I’m going to ad mushrooms to mine the next time I make them, yum!
66 years ago, I do so remember my Mom making the recipe. It was lost in time. Thank you for the memories.
Aw, you’re so welcome. 🙂
I was so happy to see this recipe. Takes me back to my childhood. My polish grandma lives with my mom and dad when they were first married and taught her all the old recipes. This was one of the few mu mom actually liked and made it for us once a week.
Yummy
I make mine with beef chunks instead of the ground beef.and cook them stove top without red sauce.The beef makes it’s own broth.also put rice in the mixture not cooked..so good.I am not polish but my mother n grandmother had always made them this way..
Polish and proud!
Made this dish but made my own sauce of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and sauerkraut! Yes… sauerkraut! With a little salt, pepper, marjoram and sugar.
Delicious!