Have you made or heard of Rouladen before? This is a traditional German dish and one that I have made many times but not for years! This Traditional Beef Rouladen Recipe is pure comfort food and until the really warm weather hits, we are still wanting dishes like this.
Served up with some creamy mashed potatoes, creamy polenta, potato dumplings, or spaetzle and steamed veggies or red cabbage this is a great dinner for any weeknight (but you do need time for it to cook) or this recipe would be perfect for a Sunday supper. Another great beef meal is our Perfect Beef Wellington, a real show stopper.
This dish can be served with a dollop of sour cream and is fantastic all year round as it is a beloved dish for special occasions that will be welcomed at the supper table.
Ingredients
Rouladen
Large inside round rouladen
Dijon mustard
Onion, finely chopped
Chopped parsley and more for garnish
Bacon
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour
Butter
Low-sodium soy sauce
Worcestershire
Mushrooms, sliced
Gravy
Flour
Butter
How Do You Make Beef Rouladen?
Your beef slices should be no more than 1/2 an inch thick. Lay your beef out flat on a butcher block or large cutting board and brush on the mustard. Place a bacon strip in the middle and sprinkle with onions and parsley, salt, and pepper. This is also where you would add the pickle if using.
Roll up the steak and secure with toothpicks, repeat with the other steaks. Dredge the rolls in flour and fry the rolls with butter on medium-high heat until they are browned on all sides but not cooked through.
Place them in a casserole dish or dutch oven, leaving a little space in between each beef roll. Add water or beef broth to the frypan and scrape up the drippings, pour over the rouladen. Then add in the soy sauce (not traditional but delicious), Worcestershire sauce, and additional water or beef broth to come halfway up the rouladen.
Add the mushrooms and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake it in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
The gravy is simple and just needs a little thickening at the end, you could also add some red wine to the gravy for some additional depth of flavor. The meat is so flavorful being slowly cooked and with the wonderful ingredients stuffed inside and out.
Expert Tips
You can use cooking twine to hold the rolls together if you are having an issue keeping them rolled up but I have never needed that.
You can use beef stock instead of water in the recipe but make sure it is low sodium.
Recipe Pro Tips!
What Cut of Beef Is Used for Rouladen?
In Canada, we can buy meat that is actually called inside round rouladen, which is thinly sliced and meant for this dish. You could also use round steak, which may also be known as a rump steak.
The dish consists of slices of beef, bacon strip, onions, mustard, and sometimes a pickle rolled up inside.
This time I omitted the dill pickle, but in discussion with my girlfriend, Cheryl, she now chops hers up finely and adds it to the middle of the beef roll. What a great idea! Let’s dive into this recipe!!
What Is Rouladen?
Rouladen is a German entree that is made by rolling up a thin slice of beef around filling ingredients and then braising in a rich brown gravy.
Can I Use A Different Type Of Meat For Rouladen?
Yes, you can use different types of beef such as top round, bottom round, eye of round, flank steak, or sirloin. All need to be very thinly cut.
Some people prefer to use pork or chicken and this can be done in the very same way.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Can I make rouladen ahead of time? The short answer here is yes, of course, you can. In fact, making it a day ahead will not only free up your time before serving the rouladen for dinner, but it will also enhance the flavors. Make the rouladen as you normally would and after it is done simply allow it to cool, cover and refrigerate for the next day. Make sure you take it out of the refrigerator a half-hour to an hour before reheating it, to allow it to come to room temperature.
Reheat it low and slow in your oven. You and your family or guests will love it!
Because this dish has German origins it is often served during Oktoberfest, a fall celebration featuring great food, singing, dancing and of course beer… a lot of beer! Spending time with family and friends eating great food and drinking beer shouldn’t only happen during Oktoberfest! You should plan events and gatherings throughout the year, and of course, serving up a fantastic dish like this will always be popular with everyone!!
Rich gravy, scrumptious bacon, onions and pickle, mustard, and topped with mushrooms, that is cooked on a slow braise! What is not to love about this traditional dish that has been around for ages.
Here is a sneak peek inside the rolls, they are so juicy, tender, and gorgeously flavored. I know you will be making this meal again and again.
Beef Rouladen
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Beef Rouladen Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 6 large inside round rouladen
- Dijon mustard
- 1/2 small onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley and more for garnish
- 6 slices bacon
- 6 – 1/4 dill pickle optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 3 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce not traditional but adds so much flavor
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
- 8 mushrooms sliced
Gravy
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 2 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
- Lay out the 6 slices of meat and brush with Dijon mustard. Lay on a slice of bacon on each, cutting if needed for size. Add the 1/4 pickle spear if using. Sprinkle on the onions and fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Roll up and fasten with a toothpick. Dredge in the flour.
- Heat a large saute pan and add the 3 Tbsp. butter. Fry the rouladen until nicely browned on all sides. Cook in batches if needed.
- Place in a casserole dish big enough for a single layer. Add water to the saute pan to get the drippings and scrape up, and pour over the rouladen. Add in the low sodium soy sauce, Worcestershire, and additional water to come about halfway up the rouladen. Sprinkle on the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Bake covered in a 325F oven for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.
- When finished cream the butter and flour together. Remove the rouladen and keep warm. Pour the gravy in a saucepan and heat. Add the flour/butter mixture and whisk to thicken. Adjust seasoning if needed. Let simmer and pour over the rouladen. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Comments & Reviews
Joanne T Ferguson says
We love this recipe and highly recommend it. Thank you. Frank and I thought it was really delicious and we will make it again!
Tara Noland says
Thank you for taking the time to comment, so glad you enjoyed it.
Claudia says
I’m not sure which way to roll up the beef? Do you roll it up lengthwise along length of the bacon strip or do you roll up crosswise against the bacon strip ?
Tara Noland says
You roll it up thinking of the bacon as a pinwheel, so small end to start and roll from there. Enjoy, they are so good!!
Judi says
These were absolutely delicious. I had made similar recipes but never with the mustard. I used sliced top round the butcher cut. Oh so good! Thank you!
Tara Noland says
So glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for taking the time to tell me.
Kay Rashley says
I made roulade. A few times. So delicious. I spread a thin layer in very lean uncooked hamburger on beef with the mustard and onion and pickle. Do you recommend the hamburger?
Tara Noland says
I don’t know if the hamburger is necessary but if you like that then enjoy!!
Janet says
My only recommendation would be to pound the steak slices thinner, maybe to 1/4 inch? They were very tasty, except the rouladen pieces I had, which were much thinner than 1/2” specified in the recipe, turned out very dry, even with the liquid. Definitely recommend the recipe, with the one modification!
Tara Noland says
Hmm, they have never dried out for me but thank you for the suggestion! I need to personally make this again, it has been to long and one of our faves.
Cindi says
What is the rouladen cut of meat?
Tara Noland says
Top round roast but I have found it in the grocery store actually labeled as rouladen.
Denise McDermott says
Yum! My mom called these beef rolls. I used top round beef, arrow root and no salt beef broth for gravy thickening, spicy mustard, Vlassic Kosher Dills and white onions. Did not add soy or Worcestershire or salt. (There’s enough salt in the bacon) First time making this and I usually don’t care for pickley foods, but this was incredible!! Thank you!
Tara Noland says
So glad you enjoyed them, one of our faves!!
Dayna says
I had a German friend (he moved here directly from Germany) teach me how to make this. He did everything the same except he used tomato sauce in his gravy, and it was awesome!
Tara Noland says
There are always some variations as the recipes get passed down and around. Glad we are pretty close though.
Wes McCullough says
I too have a first hand recipe, that calls for tomato paste to be fried before the deglazing…it’s that “I can’t put my finger on it”, flavor, oh so good though. 3-4 tablespoons for a recipe this size.
Edna says
Great rouladen recipe. Quick and easy. First time I have ever made rouladen. I’ve watched friends, Muties,& Oma’s make it. I can’t believe it turned out so great.
Really pleased.
Tara Noland says
I am so glad you made it an enjoyed it so much!!
MaryAnn Coy says
Hmmm. In a pinch you could substitute a good quality dill pickle relish, amount to taste. I can no longer perform the knife skills I learned in the restaurant trade many years ago. To attempt to mince dill pickles would likely result in amputation of a digit. It isn’t fun to have to resort to a food processor, a pair of herb mincing scissors and a mandolin to do the knife work that was so easy for me, it takes some of the creative fun out of cooking. But one must compensate to keep having home cooked meals.
As for the meat, it’s so expensive and cut in such small thin steaks, that I may need to divide the recipe into individual rouladens. I haven’t seen a large enough piece of beef to make a single one since some time before Covid 19 changed our lives and food delivery systems, likely forever. Supply chain issues are still a major issue in the US North East. Our prices are higher, and supplies still limited, that increases the prices even higher. But I will adapt as necessary to try this out. It really sounds good and my husband is of German background, 2-3 generation. I know he will like it.. Thanks for the recipe. I’ve had it on my Beef Meals Pinterest Board for sometime. But rediscovered it during board maintenance today. It’s sad that so many recipes I’ve saved are no longer useable, due to the changes of recent years. So many bloggers have had to discontinue blogging and sell their domains, or haven’t time to maintain their recipes, so many broken links as well. But I’m glad you are still going strong, with your family friendly, practical, and budget friendly recipes. Your newsletter is still in my inbox everyday, and is one I always open and read.
Pamela S Diehl says
My husband has German ancestry. So
I, as an Irish background, who cooking is my zen, made it. So much fun as well as delicious.
Tara Noland says
It is a fun recipe to make and to enjoy!!