Lenivye Golubtsy — Lazy Cabbage Rolls with Sauerkraut and Chicken Fillet

- 1070

Welcome to a delightful twist on a beloved Eastern European classic! If you love the comforting taste of cabbage rolls but not the time-consuming process of wrapping them, then these 'lazy' cabbage rolls, or Lenivye Golubtsy, are for you. This recipe takes convenience a step further by using tangy kvashenaya kapusta (sauerkraut) mixed right into the tender chicken filling. Baked in a creamy tomato sauce, this dish is hearty, flavorful, and perfect for a cozy family dinner.

A white plate with baked lazy cabbage rolls in a creamy tomato sauce, garnished with fresh herbs.

Lazy Cabbage Rolls with Sauerkraut and Chicken Fillet

Cooking: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Quantity: 6 Servings
Per serving
Calories: 343 kcal
Proteins: 29.5 g
Fats: 11.8 g
Carbohydrates: 27.5 g

Ingredients for Lazy Cabbage Rolls with Sauerkraut and Chicken Fillet

  • 700 g chicken breast fillet
  • 160 g rice
  • 250 g kvashenaya kapusta (sauerkraut)
  • 120 g onion
  • 80 g carrot
  • 200 g smetana (a type of sour cream)
  • 150 g tomato puree
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • salt, olive oil
  • asafoetida, optional

How to Make Lazy Cabbage Rolls

Wash and pat dry the chicken fillet, then cut it into small cubes. You can easily turn the fillet into ground meat for the lazy golubtsy (cabbage rolls) without a meat grinder or blender; just chop it with a meat cleaver for a few minutes, and it will turn into mince. If this method seems too difficult, you can pass the meat through a meat grinder (using the coarse plate).

Raw chicken breast fillet being cut into small cubes on a cutting board.

Wash, pat dry, and cut the chicken fillet into small cubes

Finely chop the onion and grate the carrot on a coarse vegetable grater. Pour olive oil into a skillet, add the vegetables, and sauté over medium heat for 15 minutes.

First, thoroughly rinse the kvashenaya kapusta (sauerkraut) with cold water. Then, pour boiling water over it, bring to a boil, drain the first water, pour boiling water over it again, and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Wash the rice, pour it into a saucepan, and add a glass of cold water. After it boils, reduce the heat to a minimum, cover tightly with a lid, and cook for 12 minutes.

Chopped onions and grated carrots being sautéed in a black skillet.

Sauté the onion and carrot over medium heat for 15 minutes

Sauerkraut boiling in a pot of water on the stove.

Boil the sauerkraut

Cooked white rice in a stainless steel saucepan.

Cook the rice


For the sauce, mix smetana (a type of sour cream) and tomato puree in a bowl, add ground sweet paprika, and salt to taste. Homemade preserves work great for this sauce; in my recipe, I use a tomato puree with sweet peppers and onions, which is delicious!

A white bowl with a mixture of sour cream and tomato puree for the sauce.

Make the sauce for the cabbage rolls

Now, prepare the filling for the lazy cabbage rolls. In a large bowl, combine all the prepared ingredients—the minced chicken fillet, cooked rice, sautéed vegetables, and boiled sauerkraut. If the sauerkraut was coarsely chopped, I recommend chopping it finer. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to your taste. I also suggest adding a pinch of asafoetida. This Eastern spice is made from the milky sap of the Ferula foetida plant and has a pungent, garlic-onion aroma. Add it carefully, just a small amount, as the scent is unusual and may not be to everyone’s liking—it’s not for nothing that asafoetida is also known as devil’s dung or stinking gum.

A large bowl containing minced chicken, rice, sauerkraut, and vegetables for the filling.

For the filling, combine all prepared ingredients and season

Mix the filling thoroughly so that the ingredients are evenly combined.

Hands mixing the meat and vegetable filling for lazy cabbage rolls in a bowl.

Mix the filling thoroughly

With wet hands, form oval-shaped cabbage rolls and place them in a greased baking dish, leaving a small space between them.

Uncooked oval-shaped lazy cabbage rolls arranged in a white ceramic baking dish.

Form the cabbage rolls and place them in a greased baking dish

Pour the smetana-tomato sauce into the dish, drizzle the lazy cabbage rolls with olive oil, and place them in a preheated oven.

Pouring smetana-tomato sauce over the lazy cabbage rolls in the baking dish.

Pour the sauce into the dish, drizzle with olive oil, and place in the oven

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 40 minutes. Serve the lazy cabbage rolls with sauerkraut and chicken fillet hot.

Baked lazy cabbage rolls with sauerkraut and chicken in a baking dish, fresh from the oven.

Bake the lazy cabbage rolls with sauerkraut and chicken fillet for about 40 minutes

And there you have it—a wonderfully satisfying dish that brings the rustic flavors of Eastern Europe to your table with minimal fuss. These Lazy Cabbage Rolls are best served hot, perhaps with an extra dollop of smetana (a type of sour cream) and a sprinkle of fresh dill. It's a meal that warms the soul and is sure to become a new family favorite. Enjoy the delicious results of this simple yet brilliant culinary shortcut!