Finnish Cabbage Casserole in the Air Fryer is calm, warming everyday food: shredded white cabbage browned with dark syrup, minced beef, pudding rice and milk, baked together into one soft, gently sweet dish. In Finland it is called kaalilaatikko, and although it goes by kålgratin in Danish, there is no cheese on top. The dark golden top comes from syrup that is drizzled over before the dish finishes baking.
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The rice goes into the dish uncooked and cooks in the milk along the way, so the work is done at the pot before the air fryer takes over. The result is a dish where sweetness, marjoram and white pepper melt together, and where tart cranberry jam on the side makes everything fall into place.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love Finnish Cabbage Casserole in the Air Fryer
Kaalilaatikko is one of those dishes that taste of more than the ingredient list promises. The cabbage is browned in butter first and then gets dark syrup, and that is where the deep, lightly caramelised flavour comes from. Together with beef, marjoram and white pepper, it becomes something that reminds you of cabbage rolls, just without the bother of rolling them.
I like how straightforward the dish is. There is no sauce to thicken and no cheese to grate. The pudding rice releases starch and binds the milk, so the filling turns creamy all by itself while the dish sits in the basket.
The difference between an air fryer and an oven
The classic version bakes for a long time in a big oven. In the air fryer, the dish sits close to the heat and the fan, and that changes two things. The foil has to be pressed firmly around the rim, otherwise the airflow lifts it and the steam the rice is meant to cook in escapes. And once the foil is off, the browning goes quickly, because the hot air hits the syrup directly. At the same time, you avoid heating a whole oven for one dish.
My kitchen test of Finnish Cabbage Casserole
I made the dish in my Cosori Dual Blaze, where an oven-safe dish of about 2 litres and 18-20 cm can sit in the basket with a little air around it. The heating elements both above and below give even heat from both sides, and that helps the rice at the bottom of the dish. At 160 °C the dish got 40 minutes under foil and then 20 minutes without, after I had turned the filling over from the very bottom and drizzled syrup over the top.
After the first 40 minutes the rice was almost tender, and the filling was still creamy. When the foil came off, the top turned dark golden and lightly crisp at the edge. With preparation and 10 minutes of resting, the dish takes 105 minutes in total, but you are only at the pot for the first 35 minutes.
Lay a long, folded strip of aluminum foil under the dish before you put it in the basket. That gives you two handles to lift with when the hot dish has to come out again.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is too little liquid. The rice cooks in the milk, so the liquid has to come right up to the surface when the dish goes into the air fryer, and the filling has to be hot so the rice starts cooking straight away. If it looks dry when you turn the filling over after 40 minutes, stir in a small splash of extra milk. The next mistake is loose foil: the fan lifts it, the steam escapes and the rice ends up with a hard core. Press the foil firmly around the rim, and only fill the dish to a couple of centimetres short of the rim. The third mistake is rushing the cabbage. Brown it thoroughly before the syrup goes in, and keep an eye on the top for the last 5 minutes so the syrup does not get too dark.
How to serve Finnish Cabbage Casserole
In Finland, it is served with lingonberry jam. I use cranberry jam, which gives the same tart counterweight to the sweet cabbage. Feel free to put a few of these on the table:
- Cranberry jam – the tart counterpoint the dish needs
- Pickled cucumbers – crisp and sour against the soft filling
- Pickled beetroot – earthy sweetness and colour on the plate
- Finely grated carrot with a little lemon juice – a fresh and crisp touch
Storage and reheating
Finnish Cabbage Casserole tastes at least as good the next day. Store the leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them covered in an oven-safe dish in the air fryer at 160 °C for 10-12 minutes, until the dish is heated through. The dish can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw it in the fridge overnight before you heat it.
Finnish Cabbage Casserole is not a dish that shouts for attention, but it quickly becomes a regular guest once it turns cold outside. Give the cabbage time in the pot, seal the foil tightly, and let the air fryer do the rest.
FAQ
No. Kaalilaatikko is a Finnish casserole, and although it is called kålgratin in Danish, there is neither cheese nor breadcrumbs on top. The dark top comes from syrup that is drizzled over before the dish finishes baking without the foil.
No, the pudding rice goes into the filling uncooked and cooks in the milk while the dish bakes. If it still has a hard core at the end, put the foil back on and bake the dish for another 10 minutes at 160 °C.
Divide the filling between two smaller dishes, and make the dish in two batches. Keep the waiting dish covered in the fridge, and give it an extra 10 minutes under the foil.
Recipe
Finnish Cabbage Casserole in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Oven-safe dish - Approx. 2 litres and 18-20 cm, must fit in the basket
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chefs knife
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Aluminum foil
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 600 g white cabbage (About half a small head)
- 1 pcs onion
- 400 g minced beef (8-12% fat)
- 25 g butter
- 2 tbsp dark syrup (For browning the cabbage)
- 1 dl pudding rice (Uncooked)
- 5 dl whole milk
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp white pepper (Ground)
- 1 tbsp dark syrup (For the top)
- 1 dl cranberry jam (For serving)
How to make it
Preparation
- Cut out the core, and shred 600 g white cabbage into fine strips about half a centimetre wide.
- Peel and finely chop 1 pcs onion.
- Heat a large pot over a high heat. Brown 400 g minced beef together with the onion for 5-6 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces with the ladle, until it is cooked through and has taken on colour. The meat releases its own fat, so no extra fat is needed in the pot. Transfer the meat and onion to the oven-safe dish.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high, and melt 25 g butter in the same pot. Add the cabbage and fry it for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until it has collapsed and starts to turn golden.
- Return the meat and onion to the pot, and stir in 1 dl pudding rice, 1 tsp dried marjoram, 1 tsp salt and the white pepper. The rice does not need to be boiled first.
- Add 5 dl whole milk, and heat the mixture, stirring, until it just begins to simmer. Season the liquid with a little extra salt if it tastes flat – the rice dampens the seasoning.
- Pour the hot filling into the oven-safe dish, and press it down lightly with the ladle so the cabbage and rice lie under the liquid. The filling should stop a couple of centimetres short of the rim of the dish.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and press the foil firmly around the rim so the fan cannot lift it and the steam stays in the dish.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Place the dish in the basket, and bake it covered for 40 minutes at 160 °C, so the rice cooks in the milk.
- Pull out the basket, and carefully lift off the foil – watch out for the steam. Turn the filling over from the very bottom so the rice is distributed, and smooth the surface. The rice should be almost tender and the filling should still be creamy; stir in a small splash of extra milk if it looks dry.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp dark syrup in thin lines over the top.
- Continue baking the dish without the foil for 20 minutes at 160 °C, until the top is dark golden and lightly crisp at the edge. Keep an eye on it for the last 5 minutes so the syrup does not get too dark.
- Taste a couple of grains of rice from the middle of the dish. If they still have a hard core, put the foil back on and bake the dish for another 10 minutes at 160 °C.
- Let the Finnish Cabbage Casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving, so it settles and absorbs the last of the liquid.
Serving
- Serve the Finnish Cabbage Casserole warm with 1 dl cranberry jam on the side.
Our notes for the recipe
Brown the cabbage thoroughly before adding the syrup – this is where the dish gets its deep, lightly caramelised flavour. Put the filling into the dish while it is hot, so the rice starts cooking straight away, and seal the foil tightly around the rim. A long, folded strip of aluminum foil under the dish makes it easy to lift the hot dish out of the basket. Enough liquid for the rice:
The pudding rice cooks in the milk while the dish bakes, so the liquid must come right up to the surface when the dish goes into the air fryer. Use pudding rice – it releases starch and binds the milk, so the dish turns out creamy. If the filling looks dry when you turn it over after 40 minutes, stir in a little extra milk. About the name:
Kaalilaatikko is a Finnish casserole, and although it is called kålgratin in Danish, there is no cheese on top. The dark top comes from the syrup, not from cheese or breadcrumbs. Variation:
Minced veal and pork can be used instead of beef, and a pinch of ground allspice is another classic seasoning in the dish. If you want a meatier, less creamy version, half of the milk can be replaced with beef stock – then use a little less salt. Serving:
In Finland, it is traditionally served with lingonberry jam. Here it has been swapped for cranberry jam, which has the same tart bite against the sweet cabbage. Pickled cucumbers or beetroot also go well with it, and the dish tastes at least as good the next day. Portion size:
The dish must be able to sit in the basket with a little air around it. If your air fryer is smaller, you can divide the filling between two smaller dishes and cook the dish in two batches; keep the waiting dish covered in the fridge, and give it an extra 10 minutes under the foil.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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