Maple Glazed Cabbage Rolls

Maple glazed cabbage rolls are tender leaves wrapped around a savory ground beef and rice filling, then baked in a sweet and tangy maple sauce. The maple glaze caramelizes as it cooks, creating a rich sauce that clings to the rolls and softens the cabbage leaves until they yield to a fork.

Ingredients for Maple Glazed Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage provides the tender wrapper that softens and becomes silky when baked. Ground beef and white rice form the savory, filling core. Onion adds sweetness and depth to the filling. Maple syrup and ketchup make the glaze sweet and tangy, while apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce bring balance and umami. Beef broth keeps the rolls moist as they cook. Salt, black pepper, and garlic powder season the filling throughout.

Why This Maple Glazed Cabbage Rolls Works

Blanching the cabbage head softens the leaves just enough that they peel away cleanly without tearing, making them easy to wrap around the filling. The leaves don’t break during handling and they cook evenly in the oven because they start already tender.

The filling is a mix of raw ground beef and cooked rice, which means the beef cooks through in the time it takes the cabbage to become fully tender. The rice absorbs the cooking juices and helps bind the filling so it stays packed inside the leaf.

The maple-based sauce is poured around the rolls before baking, not over them, so the tops brown and caramelize slightly while the sauce underneath stays moist and flavorful. This gives you both texture contrast and sauce to spoon over the plate.

Mistakes To Avoid

Overcooking the cabbage before wrapping makes the leaves fall apart when you try to fill and roll them. Test the leaves after 8 minutes of blanching by peeling back the outer one with a fork; it should feel soft enough to bend without cracking.

Using raw rice in the filling results in hard, gritty bits inside the rolls because the rice won’t absorb enough liquid during the baking time. Cooking the rice first to full tenderness ensures it softens the filling and holds moisture.

Crowding the rolls too tightly in the pan prevents the sauce from flowing underneath them, leaving dry spots on the bottom and uneven cooking. Arrange them in a single layer with a little space between each one so heat and sauce reach all sides.

Baking uncovered at high heat browns the tops too much before the filling cooks through, leaving the beef undercooked at the center. Covering the pan with foil and baking at 350°F allows the filling to cook gently and evenly while the sauce simmers.

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Ingredients

• 1 head green cabbage, about 2 pounds
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup white rice, cooked
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Place the whole cabbage head in the water and boil for 10 to 12 minutes until the outer leaves are soft enough to bend without cracking. Remove the cabbage with tongs and set it on a cutting board to cool slightly.
2. Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel away the softened leaves and set them aside on a clean surface. You need 12 to 16 whole leaves for rolling. Discard any that are torn.
3. While the cabbage cooks, cook the white rice according to package directions until fully tender. Set aside to cool.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked rice, diced onion, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Do not overwork it or the rolls will be dense.
5. Place one cabbage leaf on a flat surface, vein side up. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the filling into the center of the leaf. Fold the sides in and roll tightly away from you, tucking the ends under to seal. Place seam side down in a 9×13 baking pan. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the beef broth, maple syrup, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour this mixture around the rolls in the pan, not over the tops.
7. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40 to 50 minutes. Check the filling by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center of one roll. It should read 160°F (71°C). If not yet done, cover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
8. Remove the foil and let the rolls rest in the pan for 5 minutes before serving so the sauce sets slightly.