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Hungarian

Töltött káposzta

Non-vegetarian

Cabbage leaves wrapped round paprika-seasoned pork and rice, slow-cooked on a bed of sauerkraut with smoked sausage and finished with sour cream. Hungarian Christmas and wedding food.

Töltött káposzta is a Hungarian main course from Hungary, ready in about 3 hours and made with cabbage, ground pork and sauerkraut. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Delicious homemade stuffed cabbage rolls served on a white plate.
Photo: Diana ✨ / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
40 min
Cook
2 h 20 min
Total
3 h
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
601

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cut out the cabbage (opens in a new tab) core and simmer the whole head in a large pot of water, peeling off leaves with tongs as they soften. Shave down the thick central rib of each leaf.

  2. Step 2

    Soften the onion (opens in a new tab) in the lard (opens in a new tab) and cool slightly. Mix with the pork, rice, egg (opens in a new tab), paprika (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab).

    • 10 min
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Put a heaped spoonful of filling at the base of each leaf, fold in the sides and roll up tightly, tucking in the end.

    • 15 min

  4. Step 4

    Spread half the sauerkraut (opens in a new tab) in a heavy pot, arrange the rolls and sausage on top, cover with the rest of the sauerkraut and chopped leftover cabbage (opens in a new tab), add the bay leaves (opens in a new tab) and pour in water to just cover.

  5. Step 5

    Cover and simmer very gently until the rice is fully cooked and the cabbage (opens in a new tab) tender.

    • 120 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: The pork filling must be cooked through (71 °C).

  6. Step 6

    Whisk the sour cream (opens in a new tab) with the flour and a ladle of the hot liquid, stir it gently into the pot and simmer 5 minutes more. Serve with extra sour cream and bread.

    • 5 min
    • low heat
    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Hungary · Commonly attributedStuffed cabbage is eaten across Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans; this paprika-and-sauerkraut version is Hungarian.More food from Hungary
Dish
Dinner · Lunch · Main courses
Cooking method
Boiled, Braised, Slow-cooked
Taste
sour, savoury, smoky, creamy
Diet
No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · High-protein · Carb-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Cabbage · Ground pork · Sauerkraut · Long-grain white rice · Onion · Lard
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Braising

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom sour cream
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
  • May contain: Mustardfrom kielbasa (smoked polish sausage)
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom kielbasa (smoked polish sausage)

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

601 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 601 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 18%
  • Carbohydrate 22%
  • Fat 60%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy601 kcal100 kcal
Protein27.5 g4.6 g
Carbohydrate32.8 g5.5 g
Net carbohydrate24.9 g4.1 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre7.9 g1.3 g
Fat40.5 g6.7 g
Saturated fat15.7 g2.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol149 mg25 mg
Sodium1346 mg224 mg
Salt equivalent3.4 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
923 mg
Calcium
175 mg
Iron
4.8 mg
Magnesium
71 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
107 µg
Vitamin C
72 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
1.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
174 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Like most cabbage dishes, it is best reheated the next day — or the day after.

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days in the fridge; freezes well.

Reheating

  • Reheat slowly, covered, adding water if needed.

Variations

  • Sarmale (Romania): Romania's smaller cabbage rolls, served with mămăligă.
  • Gołąbki (Poland): Polish cabbage rolls usually baked in tomato sauce.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 4, 6

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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