Exactly How To Reheat Cabbage Rolls – I Test 3 Methods [Pics]

Cabbage rolls are a great dish to serve guests who are up for something a little different. And because I love trying a bunch of different fillings, there are always leftovers.

Not one to let leftovers go to waste, I experimented to find the best way to reheat cabbage rolls.

The best way to reheat cabbage rolls is in a skillet. Heat a skillet on medium-low heat and add a little oil. Place the cabbage rolls in the pan along with any leftover sauce and some extra stock. Cover the pan with a lid and reheat the cabbage rolls for 4 minutes, turning once. Serve immediately.

How I Tested Reheating Cabbage Rolls

I  spent one fun Sunday afternoon prepping and baking cabbage rolls, ate some for my dinner, and put the leftovers in the fridge. The next day I tested reheating them in 3 different ways:

• On the stove: My favorite because the rolls had the best flavor.
• In the oven: Good but slow.
• In the microwave: Quick but watery sauce.

Reheating cabbage rolls in the oven

Time: 15-20 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Place the cabbage rolls in an oven-safe dish and pour over any leftover sauce. Add a few tablespoons of stock or water if the sauce seems dry.
3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until the filling is piping hot. Frozen cabbage rolls can take up to double the time.

Placing tin foil over the dish ensures that the cabbage rolls don’t dry out by keeping the moisture inside.

Results: The results from the oven were pretty good. The filling was moist and tasty, and although the cabbage was a tiny bit overcooked, it was nothing drastic. You can reheat lots of cabbage rolls at once, so this option is great for large portions. But it’s a bit slow if you’re only heating one portion.

Reheating cabbage rolls in the microwave

Time: 1-2 minutes
Rating: 6/10

1. Put 2-3 cabbage rolls in a microwave-safe dish. Any more, and they will start to heat unevenly.
2. Add any leftover sauce along with a sprinkling of water or stock.
3. Cover the dish with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap (with some steam holes).
4. Heat the rolls for 30 seconds at a time until hot.
5. Allow the rolls to rest for 30 seconds before serving.

Letting the cabbage rolls rest before serving will allow any trapped steam to escape. If you bite into the rolls straight away, you could be in for a nasty shock and burn your mouth.

Using short bursts of heating time gives you more control over the process and ensures you don’t overcook the cabbage rolls. 

Results: This issue I had with the microwave was that it thinned the sauce out, so the final result was a bit watery. However, the cabbage rolls were moist and tender and it was super quick. If I was in a hurry, I’d use the microwave again.

Reheating cabbage rolls on the stove

Time: 1-2 minutes
Rating: 6/10

1. Heat a skillet on medium-low heat with a bit of oil or butter.
2. Place the cabbage rolls in the skillet and pour over any leftover sauce and some extra stock or water to loosen the sauce. 
3. Cover the skillet with the lid and heat the rolls for a minimum of 2 minutes.
4. Turn the rolls over and heat for another 2 minutes. Repeat until heated through.

Cabbage rolls are pretty dense, so using a lower heat will help ensure they heat all the way through without burning on the outside. Using a lid also helps because it traps steam which will penetrate the cabbage rolls and heat the middle. 

You need to make sure you have enough liquid to create steam, so don’t hesitate to add more if the pan starts to dry out. If you notice the cabbage is starting to burn, turn the heat down. 

Results: This was a great method that left me with super tasty cabbage rolls. I liked the slight crisp on the outside of the cabbage, and the filling was nice and juicy.  The only downside is having to stand over the pan and flip the cabbage rolls, plus having to wash the pan up afterward.

How to store cabbage rolls

You can store cabbage rolls in the fridge for 3-4 days. I recommend keeping the sauce and the cabbage rolls in separate airtight containers. This stops the cabbage from getting too soggy, but don’t worry if you cant separate them. For longer-term storage, you can freeze the cabbage rolls. 

Don’t allow your cabbage rolls to stay out at room temperature for more than 2 hours to avoid the growth of harmful bacteria.

Tip: you can also store unbaked but assembled cabbage rolls in the fridge for up 8 hours.

Can you freeze cabbage rolls?

It’s best to freeze unbaked cabbage rolls. Fully cooked cabbage rolls tend to fall apart upon thawing and the cabbage can get really limp and mushy. Unbaked cabbage rolls will last around 3 months in the freezer, while baked ones will last up to 1 month. 

How to freeze cabbage rolls:

1. Chill the cabbage rolls in the fridge to get them cold. This will help them freeze faster.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly cover it with non-stick spray.
3. Spread the cabbage rolls out on the baking tray and place them uncovered in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
4. Once solid, remove them from the freezer.
5. Pack the frozen rolls inside a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn. 
6. Label and date the bags and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If you have lots of sauce, you can freeze it separately in an airtight container. 

Flash-freezing the cabbage rolls on the baking tray first means they won’t stick together in the freezer bag, so you can take out a few at a time. Individually wrapping the cabbage rolls in plastic wrap will achieve the same thing.

If you know you want to reheat all the cabbage rolls together, you can simply freeze them in their baking tray covered with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil.

How to thaw and reheat frozen cabbage rolls

It’s best to thaw cabbage rolls slowly in the fridge. You can also thaw them by holding the freezer bag under cold running water or in the microwave. If you use the microwave, be aware that the cabbage may end up mushy.

I would avoid heating cabbage rolls from frozen if you can because they will take a while to heat through, so the cabbage will overcook. 

But if you need to, here’s how:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Cover the bottom of a baking dish with some pasta sauce, tinned tomatoes, or stock. Place the frozen cabbage rolls on top and cover with any more sauce you have. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes.

How To Reheat Cabbage Rolls [Tested Methods]

In this short recipe, I show you the best way to revive and reheat your leftover cabbage rolls.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cabbage rolls, reheat cabbage rolls

Prep Time: 0 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes minutes

Total Time: 4 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 114kcal

Ingredients

• 1 portion cabbage rolls
• 1 portion sauce or stock optional

Instructions

• Heat a skillet on medium-low heat with a bit of oil or butter.
• Place the cabbage rolls in the skillet.
• Pour over any leftover sauce and some extra stock or water to loosen the sauce.
• Place the cabbage rolls in the skillet.
• Cover the skillet with the lid.
• Heat the rolls for a minimum of 2 minutes.
• Turn the rolls over and heat for another 2 minutes until they heat through completely.

Notes

Cabbage rolls are pretty dense, so using a lower heat will help ensure they heat all the way through without burning on the outside.

Using a lid also helps because it traps steam which will penetrate the cabbage rolls and heat the middle.

You need to make sure you have enough liquid to create steam, so don’t hesitate to add more if the pan starts to dry out.

If you notice the cabbage is starting to burn, turn the heat down.

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 114kcal