Delicious Beef Rouladen is rolls of tender, braised beef wrapped around bacon and match-sticked carrots, onions and pickles, smothered in delicious gravy. It is traditional German comfort food perfect for a cozy meal on a cold, gray day!
I’m so excited to add this simple Rouladen recipe to compliation of my favorite International foods. I can thank my Dad (who lived in Germany as a young adult), and some good German friends of ours from growing up, for my love of good German food!
In Germany, Rouladen are often served as Sunday dinner, the way the Brits do a post roast. Both the mustard and the slower, longer cook time with moist heat (braising) make for fall-apart tenderness in the meat. Getting the right meat cut to the right thickness 1/8″-1/4″ and dimensions 8-10″ long and 4-5″ wide is important so it’s best to have your butcher do it for you. Particularly in Pennsylvania and other parts of the Northeast and Midwest traditionally settled by Germans, this dish is popular and butchers know exactly what you need.
As a point of interest, “roulade” is actually French for something that is rolled up and this dish is also popular in neighboring areas that share a culinary history, particularly Poland and Hungary. If you like this kind of cooking you should definitely check out our Porkolt (Hungarian Stew) recipe.
Ingredients for German Rouladen:
- 2-3 lb. Round Roast (sliced length-wise to an 1/8″ thickness)
- Bacon, if desired.
- 1 onion (thinly sliced).
- 2 carrots (match sticked).
- 2 dill pickles (match sticked).
- Mustard: German style if available, or Dijon.
- Salt and Pepper.
- Toothpicks.
How to make German Rouladen:
Lay out each slice of beef, pound lightly with a meat tenderizer (optional), schmear generously with mustard and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add fillings: Place a slice of bacon (optional) on each slice of beef and distribute the match-sticked veggies (pickles, carrots and onions).
Roll up tightly and secure with a toothpick or two.
Brown the rouladen on each side in a hot Dutch oven. Add a little water or broth and simmer for 2 hours.
Make gravy from the juices. Remove Rouladen and bring juices to a boil. Thicken with cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water.
Serve covered in gravy. Reserve some gravy for the Spaetzle or potatoes.
Alternate Slow Cooker method:
To have dinner almost ready when you get home and for rouladen that are particularly tender, place the browned rouladen in the slow cooker on low and allow to cook while you are at work!
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead:
Raw rouladen can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for the next day. Cooked rouladen can be stored in the fridge for several days. Ideally, leave out for half an hour to an hour prior to reheating at 250 degrees for 25 minutes, covered.
To Freeze:
Rouladen can be frozen raw or cooked. Freeze on a cookie sheet or in a roasting pan, then transfer to a freezer bag or other freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight.
What to serve with Rouladen:
Treat your family to an authentic German meal by serving Beef rouladen with Spaetzle and Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)! Germans also serve Rouladen with peeled, halved, boiled yellow potatoes, mashed potatoes or rice. All are exquisite when drenched in the from scratch beef gravy that is a side product of the recipe.
Recipe
Rouladen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs Round Roast* (have butcher slice thinly- length wise @ ⅛ “ thick)
- 8-12 slices bacon , optional
- 1 onion very thinly sliced
- 2 carrots very thinly sliced, julienne
- 2 whole dill pickles thinly sliced,
- 1/2 cup German mustard* or dijon
- Salt and Pepper
- toothpicks
- 2 Tablespoons butter or oil , or a combination
- 1 cup water or beef broth
Instructions
- Cut the onion, carrot and pickle in match-stick style pieces.
- Lay out the thin slices of meat and each spread generously with mustard and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place bacon on top (if using) and then pickle, carrot and onion along the meat. Roll up tightly and secure with toothpicks.
- Heat a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add butter or oil. Add cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides.
- Add 1 cup water or beef broth to the pot and scape up any browned bits from the pan. Cover pot and simmer on low for 2 hours.
- Remove Rouladen to a plate and bring juices in the pot to a boil. Thicken with cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tablespoon of water. Taste gravy and add additional salt, pepper, or beef bouillon granules, if desired.
- Remove toothpicks from the Rouladen and serve with gravy spooned on top.
Notes
Nutrition
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Growing up in Germany I had this a lot. This might be a variation of the original recipe but we don’t normally use carrots. In the typical German Rouladen we use: Mustard, Salt & Pepper, slice of pickle (German pickle), a few slices of onion and some good uncooked bacon. To make the meat nice and soft, I use our pressure cooker. Sear the rouladen first, then add beef broth and let it cook under pressure.
I’m sure using carrots was still yummy, it looks yummy.
My grandmother was German. She made this a few times when I was a kid. I have been looking for a recipe that is comparable to hers. I am definitely trying this one!
Recipe from my grandmother. Perfect except: forget the toothpicks and tie the rolanden wit butchers twine. You can’t properly brown the roladen with toothpicks sticking out!
My Mother, who is from Germany and came here in 1965, cooked this a lot growing up. I absolutely love this dish! (As does everyone in my family)… So I usually cook 2~4 a piece, I feed 6 of us. I’ve been making it in my electric skillet for years that is until I got my Instant Pot!!! I braise them and then I put in the trivet and cook them for 30-40 min and natural release for 20-30 minutes!! They come out so tender and juicy and the gravy is the best!! So much easier and quicker!!
Wow! I’m from Goa in India. Beef roulade is a well loved dish. Our version is similar yet different. Mainly because of the spices. I love cooking our version. Perhaps I will try out yours. It looks delicious
What recommendations would you make for cooking for 16 people in advance (Christmas)? Would an electric pan work or putting them in the oven (temperature?)? How many roladen for each person?
I made this for dinner yesterday. It was easy and quite delicious! I will definitely make it again.
Oma wouldn’t let my parents marry until she prepared this correctly ,it was Dad’s favorite,I grew up on this.I now make it and get better each time.This recipe is spot on.
I made this and it came out amazing! I did however make a few changes as my husband dislikes pickles. I fine chopped mushrooms as a filling along with the thin sliced onion and matchstick carrots. I also used about 2 tbls balsamic vinegar with beef stock. I browned them in bacon fat and a tsp of butter and pressure cooked them for 20 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. Oh mylanta! It was better than I hoped. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
I’m missing my stepmom & Oma who’s full German &my sister who’s half American & half German. Her Mom passed away last year on 02/08. Now our Daddy is about to pass away & there’s no way that my baby sister is able to fly home to be with her Daddy. I lost my husband 7yrs ago on 02/17 & my b-day will be 02/14 & now I’m already starting to eat through my emotions, just like I did when I lost my husband, 2mths later, my first cousin & best friend, 2wks later my Grandaddy. A year later, my Daddy had his massive brain stroke & I sold my house, packed up whatever me & my daughters could get, & we moved to be closer to him!! I wouldn’t trade these last 6.5yrs for NOTHING in this world, but I’m not looking forward to seeing the days of when I do not have my Daddy. So, I feel like Oma, who’s been gone for a VERY long time, visited with me for a VERY special reason. She has always known that I wanted to open up a family restaurant, cooking American & German food. I think after my Daddy passed on, this is going to be my time!!
I love Rouladen and this recipe is fantastic! I had never made it with pickles before but I loved the added flavor/crunch. I especially loved the gravy. It will be hard to beat this recipe for me – it’s a keeper.