Turkish Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Turkish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls filled with ground lamb, pine nuts, and fragrant spices, bathed in a delicious Turkish tomato sauce. This can be made ahead and reheated for your special gathering.
How to Make the Best Turkish Cabbage Rolls
These Turkish cabbage rolls are a comforting and aromatic dish that showcases the beautiful flavors of Turkish cuisine. Tender blanched cabbage leaves are wrapped around a fragrant filling of ground lamb mixed with bulgur wheat, pine nuts, and warm spices like cumin, cinnamon, and allspice. The rolls are then bathed in a rich, slightly sweet tomato sauce that infuses every bite with incredible depth of flavor.
What makes this recipe special is the combination of textures and tastes—the slight crunch of pine nuts, the sweetness of dried apricots, and the earthy warmth of the spice blend all come together harmoniously. The dish is perfect for make-ahead entertaining since the flavors actually improve overnight, making it an ideal choice for holiday gatherings or dinner parties.
Serve these cabbage rolls with a generous dollop of thick, creamy yogurt on the side to balance the rich tomato sauce. A simple cucumber salad and warm flatbread make excellent accompaniments. Whether you’re new to Turkish cooking or a longtime fan, this dish is sure to become a favorite in your recipe rotation.
Turkish Cabbage Rolls
Turkish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls filled with ground lamb, pine nuts, and fragrant spices, bathed in a delicious Turkish tomato sauce. This can be made ahead and reheated for your special gathering.
Ingredients
Turkish Tomato Sauce
Lamb Filling
Cabbage
Instructions
Prepare the Cabbage
- Soak the bulgur wheat in a bowl of cool water for 20 minutes.
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cabbage and blanch until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Cool. Alternatively, peel off the cabbage leaves and blanch in batches for 1-2 minutes. You can also microwave the whole cabbage, covered tightly, in a bowl with 1 cup water for 10 minutes, or freeze the whole cabbage then thaw.
Make the Turkish Tomato Sauce
- In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons oil until tender, 3-4 minutes.
- Lower heat to medium, add garlic, and sauté 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add crushed tomatoes (with all the juices), sugar, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and broth. Stir, bring to a simmer for 2 minutes, then turn heat off.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch baking dish or 11-12-inch round braiser.
Make the Filling and Assemble
- In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, drained bulgur wheat, garlic, 1/2 cup Turkish tomato sauce, salt, cumin, dried mint, coriander, sumac, chili flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg, pine nuts, and dried apricots. Mix with a clean, damp hand until well combined.
- Place a blanched cabbage leaf on the counter. Cut 2 inches of the thick vein out of the bottom end. Fill with 1/3 cup lamb filling and roll up like a burrito, tucking edges in. Place seam side down in the sauced baking dish. Repeat with all leaves—you should have 10-12 rolls.
- Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top. Give the pan a good shake to distribute.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cover with parchment, then tightly with foil (or a lid). Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. If baking in a sauté pan, heat gently on the stovetop (covered) before placing in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven. Garnish with fresh parsley, mint, or dill and a few pine nuts. Serve with thick creamy yogurt if desired.
Notes
- If cabbage leaves break, overlap torn pieces to create a sturdy wrapper.
- For a low-carb version, substitute cauliflower rice for the bulgur wheat.
- These rolls can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld.
