This hearty braised rice and cabbage is a filling dish that is made in one pan. It makes for a perfectly healthy lunch or dinner and it reheats amazingly!

If you’re looking for a comforting, hearty weeknight meal you’ve come to the right place. This braised rice and cabbage comes straight out of my mom’s cookbook and will surely warm your soul. What’s better? It’s made in just one pan and requires minimal clean up for maximum flavor.
Cutting Cabbage 101
There’s two different ways you can cut your cabbage – with a standard sharp knife or with a mandoline slicer. Either way works great, but a mandoline will make the process much easier.
- Slice the Cabbage: First, slice the cabbage in half.
- Remove the Core: Using a sharp knife, slice the rough core out of the cabbage
- Shred the Cabbage: With a sharp knife or mandoline slicer, shred the cabbage into thin strips.

Making this Simple Rice and Cabbage Dish
Whipping up this rice and cabbage dish requires some simple prep and “setting it and forgetting it” in a covered pan.
- Prepare the Chicken: First, preheat a deep pan or Dutch oven with some olive oil over medium heat. Slice the chicken and cook it until golden brown.
- Sauté the Onions and Carrots: Next, add the diced onions and carrots into the pan. Sauté the veggies for about 10 minutes.
- Add in the Other Veggies: Add in the shredded cabbage, rice, tomatoes, and ketchup. Season the cabbage to taste with salt and pepper.
- Braise the Chicken & Cabbage: Next, reduce the temperature down to medium low and cook the rice and cabbage for 30 minutes. Scoop the rice and cabbage into big bowls, dig in and enjoy!




Tips for the Tastiest Braised Rice and Cabbage
A handful of helpful tips will help you make this dish just as tasty as my mom did for us growing up.
- Cook all the ingredients on medium-heat. Once you add the rice, lower the heat so it has time to cook properly without drying the chicken out.
- Substitute the chicken with your favorite protein. Swap the chicken with beef, lamb or pork if you so please. Just make sure to pick leaner cuts so your dish isn’t too greasy.
- Swap in your favorite vegetables. This dish is super versatile, so feel free to add in some of your favorite ingredients into the mix. Fresh tomato, green peas, scallions, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, and green beans are all great additions.
Trying to go low-carb? Omit the rice and double up the shredded cabbage!
Ideas for Serving
This braised rice and cabbage dish is more than filling enough to be served as a meal all on its own. If you’d like to add a bit more protein, fry a couple large eggs and pop them on top. You can also serve the dish alongside some creamy mashed potatoes for some extra decadence.
Storage Best Practices
To keep the braised rice and cabbage on hand for up to a week, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Avoid freezing the dish, as the cooked veggies don’t tend to thaw super well.
Reheating Tip: To reheat the dish, pop it back in a skillet or wok preheated with olive oil or butter until warmed through.
FAQ
What kind of rice should you use for braised rice and cabbage?
Standard short grain white rice is perfect for braised rice and cabbage. That said, you can also use a long grain rice like basmati rice if it suits you better.
Can you use brown rice in braised rice and cabbage?
Brown rice is is a great substitute for white rice in braised rice and cabbage. It will add more fiber and nuttiness to the dish. That said, you’ll likely need to cook the dish for 10-15 minutes longer to ensure the rice cooks through.
Can you cook braised rice and cabbage in a slow cooker?
A slow cooker is a great tool to cook braised rice and cabbage. To do so, pop all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and set the temperature to high. Cook the dish for 2-4 hours.
Can you use pre-cooked rice for braised rice and cabbage?
It’s best to use raw rice instead of pre-cooked rice for braised rice and cabbage. Cooked rice is prone to getting really mushy. That said, if it’s all you got, add it in with just 5-10 minutes of cooking time left.
Can you use frozen cabbage for braised rice and cabbage?
You can absolutely use frozen cabbage for braised rice and cabbage. Just know that it will release it’s own liquid, so you’ll want to thaw it beforehand or drain the liquid from the pan mid-way through cooking.
More Quick & Easy Rice Recipes
- Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs – Juicy chicken thighs stuffed with rice
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup (Easy One Pot) – Creamy soup with chicken and rice
- Cilantro Lime Rice (Chipotle’s Copycat) – Citrusy, herby rice
- Creamy Cauliflower Rice with Chicken – Low-carb, gluten-free fried rice with chicken
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a deep pan with a lid or a Dutch oven, preheat the olive oil. Add in the sliced chicken and cook it over medium heat until it turns golden brown.
- Add the onions and carrots to the pan and sauté the veggies for about 10 minutes.
- Add in the shredded cabbage, rice, tomatoes, and ketchup. Season the cabbage to taste with salt and pepper.
- Reduce the temperature to medium-low. Cover the pan with a lid and let the cabbage and rice cook for 30 minutes, stirring it every 10 minutes (if the rice absorbs a ton of water, feel free to add a bit more to prevent sticking). Give the rice a taste test to make sure it's cooked all the way through before serving. Enjoy!
A bit too bland for my taste. I added a half teaspoon or cumin and it was delicious.
Melanie, thank you for sharing your feedback. I think it will be helpful to others. We love hearing the feedback.
Loved it. Added a touch of vegeta seasoning, mushroom. Delicious as always!
Hi Lora, I love how you put your own spin on the recipe! Thank you for sharing your process. Enjoy!
If I want to use pickled cabbage should I omit ketchup and tomatoes? Thanks
Hi Jessica, Thank you for that question! I have not tried this recipe with pickled cabbage. If you give it a try, I am very interested in the result. I would suggest trying it without ketchup. The tomatoes would probably be just fine.
Is this a Ukrainian dish?
Hey Jenna- Yes, it's my Ukrainian mom's recipe. So, braised cabbage itself is a common Ukrainian comfort food, the rice is something she would add on as her own special twist. Enjoy 🙂
Any tips for substituting red cabbage? Thank you!
Hey Jake- generally speaking it should be fine to use red cabbage in place of green cabbage for most recipes, however I haven't personally tried this substitution in this recipe. It will most likely change the color of your dish to a blue-ish color (per a quick online search). I wish I could be of more help! If you do try it, let us know how it went!
I tried it with red cabbage (and purple carrots), and I found that it was quite dry. I wouldn't repeat it unless I had to. Green cabbage and regular carrots have more moisture and this dish tastes better with the original.
Diced cured sausage is a nice addition if you have no chicken, by the way!
Hi K, Thanks for sharing this! I agree - green cabbage and regular carrots work best!
I made this tonight & it was delicious. But when I make it again, I will make it with these changes: I will add a little bit more chicken (I added 4 boneless chicken thighs, so I will go to 5-6). I will add about a quarter cup water or bone broth to make sure the rice cooks. When I made it tonight, I had to cook it much longer because the rice didn't cook well so I added a bit of water near the end. I cooked it on low for 15 more minutes to perfection!
Good tip, Mare! Glad it came out well for you in the end. It's definitely one of those recipes you can tweak and play around with.
Always cooked cabbage the German way, but I shall try this recipe with rice - it sounds like a very good idea.
Yay! Can't wait to hear how it turns out and if you end up liking the addition of rice. This is one of my fam's go-to comfort dinners. Let us know how it goes.
Have you tried this with leftover rice?
Hey Wendy, I haven’t tried using day old rice. I’m not sure how it would affect the cook time & overall outcome. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
In the comments you said to add more water if the rice absorbs alot of it but you don't have any water or broth in the ingredients. Was just curious as to how much water or broth to add. Thank you!
Hi Mykhaylo- so this recipe doesn't call for water initially because the cabbage and other veggies release liquid. This is why I mentioned adding water if it is needed, say 1/2 a cup or however much seems necessary to keep the rice cooking. Hope this helps!
Very helpful, thank you very much. We will be trying this today!
Great, glad that cleared things up. Hope you love the dish, Mykhaylo!
Has anyone made this with riced cauliflower instead for a whole 30 option? Just curious how it was/what would need to be adjusted. TIA.
Isn’t this a Pilau / Pilaff dish, if you sauté the long grain Basmati before, to make it stay separated and fluffy?
Hey Steve, this is not a Pilaff recipe. We do have one on the blog.
CAN YOU USE BROWN RICE WITH THIS DISH?
Yes, for sure. That sounds delish!
Can I put it in slow cooker instead?
Hey Tiffany, yes you definitely can. Just adjust the cooking time!
What would I change if I use cooked rice instead of uncooked rice?
Hey Eric, The rice can get a bit too mushy if you use cooked rice.
Hi! Do you put the lid on the pot after you put the rice in?
You don't have to put a lid but it does cook quicker if you put a lid on.
Did you use chicken thigh in this recipe?
Hey Olga, yes you can. Enjoy
Love this recipe, reminds me of a dish my grandma used to make with pickled cabbage
Yes, mine did too. In the winter months, she used pickled cabbage, so good!
Did you try using the instant pot for this recipe?
Hey Tanya, I haven't, I think cabbage will get mushy in an instant pot.
Canola oil is one of leading causes of various cancers. Use organic olive or avocado oil instead.
Hey Tatyana, thanks for sharing that tip. Enjoy!
Hello Natalya,
Just wanted to leave a comment and say this dish is so good! Also my 1 year old loves it! This will definitely be on repeat for me! Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe!
Ilona, wow, 1-year-old loving it is a huge WIN! It makes me so happy to hear this. Thank you so much for sharing.
How big is the cabbage in weight
This part is very flexible, often I load it up with a lot more cabbage because it does shrink. But 2 lb is a good size.
Hi
Can this be made with brown rice?
Thanks!
Hey Mags, for sure! I love the idea of brown rice, it will be even healthier. It may require a bit of water because brown rice absorbs more liquid. Keep an eye on it, add a bit of water at a time.
I loved this dish, easy and quick to prepare, thanks so much, will definitely be making it again and again, I am sure 🙂
Hey Karyn, I am so happy you loved the recipe!
Hi Natalie,
I made this dish with beef, I braised it with a little bit of water for 20 min before adding vegetables. I also added 3/4cup of rice instead of 1/2. I had to add some water for the rice to cook up, but needless to say it turned out very delicious. I was surprised how much my kids loved it. They usually don’t eat cabbage rolls or thing with cooked cabbage. It made me so happy. I will make it again for sure. I’ll try it with chicken next time. Thank you 😊🤗
Yelena, this literally made my day. I totally can relate to feeding picky eaters and I am glad your kids loved this dish. Beef sounds delicious, my mom also made it with pork. Pork makes it a bit more fatty but still delicious.
hi Natalya, quick question: you fry everything for 40 minutes? with no water or anything?
As mentioned in the last step, you may need to add a little bit of water as the dish cooks. As you continue stirring every 10 minutes, you can see if it would need any water.
thanks:)
Made if for dinner tonight. I didn't have tomatoes so I substituted canned petite dicied tomatoes. And I added some other spices. (parsley, dill & garlic). Yummy will make it again.
Hey! Thank you so much! I am glad you enjoy it. This is my go to dish when ever I am busy. 🙂
Can you use ground meat (pork or chicken)?
I haven't tried using ground meat but if you cook it on a skillet prior to adding cabbage, I beleive it would work.
hi do you cook your rice first? or you add it raw to cabbage?
I add rice raw to the cabbage.