Enchilada Cabbage Rolls

January 20, 2024

Enchiladas are one of my all time favorite foods. I am a big sauce lover and when that sauce is covering meat and cheese, I am in. Every once in a while, I crave the flavors of an enchilada without the heaviness of the tortillas and these enchilada cabbage rolls are perfect for such occasions…

In addition to being a lighter version of a classic Latin comfort food, these cabbage rolls are also low carb and gluten free, so everyone can enjoy them!

They are delicious, healthy and give all of those comforting, hearty, satisfying enchilada vibes you are craving.

Let’s get started…

Today, I am making ground beef enchilada cabbage rolls, but any ground meat or shredded chicken will work great in this recipe.

In addition to 16 ounces of ground beef (or your protein of choice), you will need a small finely chopped yellow onion, 3 finely minced cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning, 4 ounces of diced green chilies, 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, 2 cups of red enchilada sauce, a small bunch of finely chopped fresh cilantro and about 10 large whole cabbage leaves.

Note: The easiest way to separate cabbage leaves is to gently lift the edges and let cool water pour between the leaf you are trying to loosen and the head. Raw cabbage leaves tear fairly easy when you try to pull them apart, but letting water make the leaves heavy will help them to pull away whole.

The first step is to quickly blanch the cabbage leaves to soften them enough to make rolling easy. To do this, bring a large pot of water to a boil and place a large bowl of ice water nearby.

Use tongs to place a leaf or two into the boiling water for about 60 seconds and then transfer them into the ice water. This method softens the cabbage just enough to be workable, but stops them from over cooking and becoming so soft that they tear when the filling it added.

Transfer the blanched and cooled cabbage leaves onto a towel and let them relax while we make the filling.

Start the filling by cooking a small finely chopped yellow onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add 3 cloves of finely minced garlic into the skillet and cook for another 60 seconds or so, stirring consistently.

Now add your ground beef and seasoning and cook until the beef is cooked through and browned. Stir in 4 ounces of diced green chilies and about 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro and then transfer the beef off of the heat.

Now that our cabbage has been blanched and the beef is ready to go, it is time to get rolling.

Start by setting a cabbage leaf out flat. I leave the stem in my rolls, but if you prefer to remove them, use a sharp knife to cut a small V around the stem and discard.

Add about 1/4 cup of the beef filling into the cabbage leaf along with some shredded cheddar and mozzarella and then roll the leaf like you would roll a burrito – pull the bottom end over the filling, tuck in the sides and roll until closed.

Place the cabbage rolls into a deep baking dish. Set them close enough together to keep them closed as they bake.

Now that the rolls are all tucked in, pour 2 cups of red enchilada sauce over them and top with any remaining (or additional) shredded cheese.

Bake your enchilada cabbage rolls for 20-22 minutes uncovered in a 375 degree oven until everything is all bubbly and melted.

Garnish your enchilada cabbage rolls with some diced tomatoes, crumbled queso fresco or cojita and more cilantro.

Now grab some sour cream and lime wedges and let’s dig into these rolls…

Now I happen to love cabbage, but even if you are not a huge fan of it, I still believe there is a good chance that you would love these rolls. The cabbage is filled with a flavorful beef mixture and melted cheese and then smothered in enchilada sauce and more cheese. Its really just a vessel and I think it does a super good job!

The filling is really just ground beef, some taco seasoning and green chilies, but when you add the cheese and then the enchilada sauce, it all comes together in a truly delicious way.

I love tortillas (like, I really love them), but these rolls are absolutely fantastic.

If you are a big fan of enchiladas, but want to keep things light, keto friendly or gluten-free (or all the above!), I would love for you to give these enchilada cabbage rolls a try! You are going to love them!

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