Instant Pot Cabbage Roll In A Bowl Recipe

When I first made Cabbage Roll in a Bowl I was shocked at not only how easy it was, but how delicious it was as well!

I have always loved traditional cabbage rolls. When I was a child, my parents would make them when the weather began to turn cooler.

I can remember them standing in the kitchen over a hot boiling pot of water. They would peel off the outer layers of a head of cabbage and submerge them in the hot liquid until they became pliable.

Then came the task of laying the leaves out, one at a time, and adding the filling.

But the hardest part was rolling the leaves. There would always be a few that just ripped apartment when folded and rolled.

Then back to the drawing board it was! More leaves went in the hot water bath and process started all over again.

Finally, after several attempts, our 9 x 13 baking dish would be filled with cabbage rolls that were ready to go into the oven.

And when it was time to eat, we would slice into a cabbage roll and watch the beef and rice filling ooze out onto our plate.

Even back then I wondered why they spent so much time rolling up individual cabbage leaves when in the end, we cut them up anyway.

Cabbage Roll in a Bowl

So why not skip the tedious process of rolling the cabbage and make Cabbage Roll in a Bowl?

Instead of soaking cabbage leaves in boiling water, simply slice a head of cabbage into 2 inch sections.

Then add the remaining cabbage roll ingredients and mix everything together.

Once it has been cooked, grab spoon and a bowl and dinner is served!

You get all the flavors of traditional cabbage rolls. However, it is much easier and much faster!

Instant Pot Cabbage Roll In a Bowl

And the best part is that you can make it right in your Instant Pot!

Start by turning on your Instant Pot to the Saute mode. Once the display reads HOT add in the ground beef.

It is important to wait until the display reads HOT. Otherwise, your beef will tend to stick to the bottom of the pan.

NOTE – If you are using low fat ground beef, it may be best to add a little olive oil to the pan before browning the meat.

Next, add the diced onions while the beef is browning. Once the meat is no longer pink, add in the garlic and bay leaves and continue to saute for 1 minute.

Next add in the spices and liquid. We use beef broth as the main liquid in this recipe. However, if you are using ground chicken or turkey, I would suggest using chicken broth instead.

Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in rinsed white rice. It is important to rinse the rice under cold water before adding it the the cabbage roll in a bowl.

This helps to remove some of the starches that sits on the rice and prevents it from becoming sticky when cooked.

Now the most critical part of making Instant Pot Cabbage Roll in a Bowl, adding the tomato products.

Just like when we make Cajun Chicken, the tomato products are added at the end of the recipe. And they are added to the top of the mixture.

But the most important step: DO NOT STIR!!

If the tomatoes are stirred in, they can reach the bottom of the pot and cause the dreaded BURN notice to occur.

Just open the can and pour it on top.

Now all that is left is to cook the Cabbage Roll in a Bowl!

Natural Release, Then Controlled Quick Release

Once the cook time has ended, allow the Instant Pot to Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for 10 minutes.

Most likely, the pin will not have dropped after the 10 minutes have gone by.

Therefore, you will need to release the remaining pressure. However, this must be done carefully!

When turning the knob to the venting position, it must be done slowly and in small spurts.

Otherwise, the liquid inside of the pot will come shooting out of the top of the valve.

We use a wooden spoon to slowly move the valve until most of the steam has escaped.

Then you can safely lock it in the venting position.

Carefully open the lid and stir the mixture. Serve the Cabbage Roll in a bowl and dinner is ready!

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