Grandma's Golumpki - Stuffed Polish Cabbage (Gołąbki) (2025)

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:

1. First, boil the cabbage, let it cool, separate the leaves, and cut out the hard stem.
2. Stir together the filling and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
3. Then, make the Sauce and spread some on the bottom of the baking dishes.
4. Next, stuff and roll the cabbage leaves.
5. 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).
6. Then, bake the cabbage rolls for 50-60 minutes.
7. 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:

• Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Broccoli
• Thanksgiving Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
• Spinach Salad

More Polish Recipes that are Family-Favorites:

• Polish Beet Soup
• Kielbasa Kapusta

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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1. The best Golumpki recipe I’ve found in a long time. Outstanding!

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2. tastes very delicious! i had difficulty getting the cabbage to soften enough to roll. i baked it for the required time and the cabbage was extremely difficult to cut and eat and the whole thing would just fall apart i am not sure if that is normal? i like the flavor but would enjoy if its not as messy to eat. 🙂

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3. If you want it faster, put a few leaves of cabbage to boiling water at a time, not the whole thing.

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4. These were good but next time I make them I will add more spice to the meat mixture because it was pretty dull and double up on the sauce. Maybe even triple. Thank you for sharing.

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5. Very good dish. Would make it again.

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6. Tried these and they came out so good. The only thing I added was 1/4 cup brown sugar

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