Turkey Taco Stuffed Cabbage

Eat your tacos without the carbs! Turkey Taco Stuffed Cabbage is a fun and delicious way to have tacos! Everything you love about tacos is there, without the corn or flour shell. This is so super versatile as well. Depending on what diet or lifestyle change you are trying to follow, you can easily swap out one ingredient for another and still have an amazing meal. Give it a try now!

The Diversity of Tacos

Tacos have been one of my favorites ever since I was a child. I remember in junior high they had these rectangular corn tortilla boats that the tacos came in. I loved that by the time you got down to the bottom, the tortilla soaked up all the juices and it was soooo yummy.

With so much ethnic diversity around where I grew up, I quickly learned that tacos are not limited to ground beef in a hard corn tortilla.

Taco Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed cabbage is a common European meal usually with ground beef or pork and rice with seasonings and sometimes vegetables. This is rolled in cabbage leaves, baked, and often served with a sauce.

The Russian side of my family has an amazing family recipe. My mother would make my grandmother’s version and it was awesome! But that’s another post, for another day…

These days with so many people being more health conscious and gravitating toward low-carb options, stuffed cabbage is a great way to make some of your favorite meals without the carbs.

Turkey Tacos

Ground turkey is a healthy lean meat that is readily accessible. It lacks flavor so you really need to add seasoning. And it’s perfect for tacos! My wife has come to prefer ground turkey over ground beef for tacos. We had some of our teenage friends over for tacos one night and they didn’t even notice we used turkey meat. Even after we told them it was turkey, they said they still couldn’t tell.

I’m sure some would argue that this might actually be a burrito since it’s rolled, however, I say no matter what you call it, it’s still delicious!

What Ingredients Are in Turkey Taco Stuffed Cabbage?

• Head of Green Cabbage
• Ground Turkey Meat
• Olive Oil
• Sweet Onion
• Water
• Taco Seasoning Packets
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Salsa
• Taco Sauce
• Sliced Black Olives
• Fresh Cilantro
• Lime
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Ground Turkey Meat – You can use ground chicken or diced eggplant and mushrooms for a vegan take.

Shredded Cheddar Cheese – You can also use vegan cheese if you choose to go that route.

Taco Sauce – taco sauce is often high in sugar, so you can top the rolls with more salsa.

How Are Turkey Taco Stuffed Cabbage Made?

Making the Filling 

1. First, cook the onions in a skillet with a touch of olive oil over medium heat. Once the onions are starting to turn translucent, add the ground turkey. Be sure to cook the turkey completely through. Once it’s cooked, lower the heat to simmer and add the taco seasoning and water. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Removing the Cabbage Leaves

• To remove the cabbage leaves, you need to boil the head of cabbage. Some tearing will happen, but if you try to remove the leaves raw, you are guaranteed to have lots of trouble. Boiling the cabbage will make them tender and easy to work with.
• Grab a large stock pot and fill it with enough water to cover the head of cabbage by 2 inches. Set it on the stove on high heat and bring it to a boil. Cut the stem out of the head by carefully inserting a knife in the bottom of the cabbage. Cut about 2-3 inches deep.
• Submerge the head of cabbage in the boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the head of cabbage and let it cool. This is when you cook the meat and get the other ingredients ready.
• Once the head is mostly cooled, starting from the stem end, carefully peel off all the leaves.

Assembling Turkey Taco Stuffed Cabbage

1. Heat the oven to 350º F.  Pour about 1/4 cup of salsa in a casserole pan and spread it around to cover the entire bottom.

2. Spoon about 1/4 cup of taco meat into a cabbage leaf and add some shredded cheese.

3. Fold the sides of the cabbage leaf over and roll the cabbage starting with the end closest to you. Place the roll in the pan. Continue making cabbage rolls until the pan is full or you have used up the leaves and/or filling.

4. Pour taco sauce on top of the cabbage rolls and use a spoon to spread it around until all the rolls are covered.

5. Sprinkle shredded cheese and sliced black olives over the top.

6. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

7. Remove the baking pan from the oven and top with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

8. Serve with your favorite toppings, like pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.

Useful Kitchen Tools

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Other Amazing Recipes That You’ll Love!

Slow Cooker Carnita Street Tacos

Easy Pickled Onions

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mexican Style Guacamole

Classic Chicken Fajitas

Crispy Fish Tacos

Pico de Gallo

5 from 3 votes

Print

Turkey Taco Stuffed Cabbage

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex Mex

Keyword keto, stuffed cabbage, taco, turkey

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1 large Head of Green Cabbage
• 2 pounds Ground Turkey Meat
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 cup Sweet Onion, diced small
• 3/4 cup Water
• 5 teaspoons Taco Seasoning (2 packages)
• 8 ounces Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 cup Salsa
• 1/4 cup Taco Sauce
• 1/4 cup Sliced Black Olives
• Fresh Cilantro, torn for garnish
• 1 Lime, sliced in wedges for garnish
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Cabbage Leaves

1. Fill a stock pot with enough water to cover the head of cabbage by 2 inches. Set it on the stove on high heat and bring it to a boil.

2. Cut the stem out of the head of cabbage by carefully inserting a knife in the bottom of the cabbage. Cut about 2-3 inches deep.

3. When the water begins to boil, submerge the head of cabbage in the boiling water and boil for 10-15 minutes. Remove the head of cabbage and let it cool.

   Note: This is when you cook the meat and get the other ingredients ready.

4. Once the head is mostly cooled, starting from the stem end carefully peel off all the leaves.

Turkey Taco Meat Filling

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Add the ground turkey. Using a wooden spoon, keep breaking up the meat and cook it until the meat is completely cooked, no pink showing.

3. Reduce the heat and add the taco seasoning and water. Stir until all the meat is coated with the seasoning. Simmer until most of the water is gone, stirring often to prevent burning.

   Note: use this time to peel off the cabbage leaves

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

1. 1. Heat the oven to 350º F. 

2. Pour about 1/4 cup of salsa in a baking pan and spread it around to cover the entire bottom.

3. Place a cabbage leaf on a cutting board and place about 1/4 cup of taco meat in it. Add a small amount of shredded cheese.

4. Fold the sides of the cabbage leaf over and roll the cabbage starting with the end closest to you. Place the roll in the pan. Continue making cabbage rolls until the pan is full or you have used up the leaves and/or filling.

   Note: the outer leaves will be bigger than the inner leaves, so the amount of filling will vary depending on the size of the leaf.

5. Pour taco sauce on top of the cabbage rolls and use a spoon to spread it around until all the rolls are covered.

6. Sprinkle shredded cheese and sliced black olives over the top.

7. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

8. Remove the baking pan from the oven and top with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

9. Serve with your favorite toppings, like pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.