Slow Cooker Beef and Cabbage
Slow cooker beef and cabbage casserole is an easy way to make a delicious, healthy meal with very little effort. This recipe only takes about 15 minutes of prep time, and the slow cooker does all the work for you.
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Trying to eat more veggies but finding it a struggle? Casseroles like this are such a great way to eat healthy without a lot of hassle.
I love this recipe because even my kids who normally don’t care for cabbage will gobble this down. The flavor is just so good and the texture works well for people who don’t like super crunchy cabbage.
These kinds of meals for the slow cooker are my favorite to prepare, because once I drop everything in early in the day, I don’t have to touch it or stress about dinner the rest of the day. That really takes the mental load off cooking a healthy meal for my family.
Ingredients
ground beef – use a high quality, grass fed beef for best results. I like Butcher Box.
cabbage – choose a firm and heavy head of cabbage that isn’t too large
carrots – use regular carrots you peel for best flavor and results
tomato sauce – simple canned tomato sauce without any seasonings
spices – a variety of dried spices including garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper
sugar – just a bit of sugar to cut the acidity (optional)
How to make beef and cabbage
While you can absolutely make this in a skillet or dutch oven, I really like the hands off approach of using my slow cooker.
Here are my tips for making this quick and simple:
- make up several batches of ground beef in the skillet and keep them in your freezer for recipes like this
- chop the cabbage up in advance while you are prepping veggies for another meal and then store in fridge (can do this up to 1-2 days before)
- Toss everything in the slow cooker, stir it up, turn it on and walk away
Of course you can make it all the morning of as well, and it will only take you 15 minutes or so.
Common Questions
Can I add other veggies? Yes! Just make sure they are hearty veggies (like root veggies) that can stand up to hours of slow cooking
What should I do with leftovers? You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This meal reheats beautifully.
Can I make this on the stove instead? Yep!! Here is a similar recipe I have for the dutch oven on my other blog.
Slow Cooker Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 head cabbage
- 2 large carrots
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 24 oz tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Wash, dry and remove core from cabbage and shred into thin slices using sharp knife
- Peel and slice carrots into 1/4 inch thick rounds
- Brown beef in skillet over medium high heat until fully cooked
- Add beef and all remaining ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4
I made this tonight as is, with just a few minor tweaks….not because I was being rebellious lol. I used a small bag of shredded carrots because they really need to be used up and I also tossed in 6 little baby gold potatoes that I diced small, because they were on their last leg too and I figured it was a better option than rice. It was really, really good and I my husband raved about it….he rarely does that and not to brag, I’m a really good cook but I guess he’s used to all of my usual recipes. Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper!
That sounds amazing—and such a smart way to use up what you had on hand! The shredded carrots and baby gold potatoes actually sound like they added even more flavor and heartiness. And the fact that your husband raved about it (even as a seasoned cook) is the ultimate compliment!
Added rice and made a crockpot gulumpy! Delicious!
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Love this recipe! When my husband has two bowls of something I know it is a winner to make again. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I love easy and quick.
Thanks for your comment Marijane!
Loved this recipe the first time. I plan to add a small onion browned with the ground beef today instead of the onion powder.
Thanks for your comment. Sounds delicious!
I fixed this using bagged coleslaw and cut up some baby carrots. I halved the recipe and cooked it in my 2qt slow cooker. I ‘baked’ a potato in my Instant Pot and put this over the potato – very good!
Thank you for leaving this comment! Glad to hear it turned out well.
We “cheated” by skipping the browning step, using bagged coleslaw and bagged cut carrots. it was delicious and filling and an easy way for my son with special needs to cook dinner for our whole family.
Thank you for sharing your recipe with us!
Hello Jennifer,
Would love to try this! Looks delish! Also, would this casserole convert easily to a soup by adding broth?
You may ‘have addressed/answered this question above,..
I didn’t have time ,currently, to be read all of your entry. Sorry
Thanks,
Pam
I haven’t tested that out but it should like a great idea! Let me know if you try it!
Hello Jennifer,
We loved the be recipe as is! Thank you!
We did decide to make it a soup for the second night.
I added 2 cups organic beef broth and a can of fire roasted tomatoes, more of your spices (garlic and onion powder, and oregano same amts above) dash of Worcestershire sauce (cause we seem to add it to everything lol)
about teaspoon of smoked paprika
Served with dollop of sour cream and blue tortilla chips.
We loved it!!
Jennifer, We will use your Slow cooker beef and cabbage recipe often in the future for sure! ☺️
Thanks so much!
Pam
Awesome! So glad you loved it and thanks for letting me know!