Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (2024)

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Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (1)

by: Gerhild Fulson / Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

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This traditional German beef Rouladen recipe, aka beef rolls, steak rolls, or beef birds, served with potato dumplings and red cabbage is my most cherished German food from my childhood and still our very favorite.

What could be better than to serve this as your traditional German Christmas food or other holidays or birthdays… or anytime you have something special to celebrate?

What's better than to have a special feast meal that is actually quite easy to make? On top of that, there are so many versions of this braised beef Rouladen recipe, that it is easy to find one that matches your tastes and favorite method.

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (4)

One major difference is in the ingredients that the Rouladen are filled with. The differences stem from the different regions of Germany.

This actually makes it possible to have many traditional recipes for Rouladen that are so different from each other, meaning you can find one with a stuffing that matches your German food taste buds.

Then, there are four different methods for making these stuffed beef rolls. I grew up with my Mutti making them on the stove top. As years went by and Mutti got her first slow cooker, that became her favorite way of making them. She would cook them on low heat for 6-8 hours. Always so tender. Check out the hints section of the recipe for this version.

In Germany, the most popular ways are usinga pressure cookeror the oven. Each method has its following. I vary between all four of them, depending on the situation and how much time I have.

My favorite? I think it would be pressure cooker if I'm making just a few ('cause they are so tender and moist) and the stove top for making enough for the whole family.

Interesting Rouladen Facts

  • Different versions of Rouladen (thought to come from the French) are throughout Europe: Italy has Braciole, France has Paupiette, Czech Republic has Španělské ptáčky, Hungary has Szüz tekercsek, and Hungary, as well as Germany, have Rouladen.
  • Some of the interesting names are beef birds, olive birds, steak birds, bacon rolls, and stuffed rolls. These are filled with a variety of ingredients, such as vegetables, cheese, and other meats.
  • Originally, venison and pork were used although now beef (Rindsrouladen) or veal are usually used. However, I've also enjoyed using thinly sliced chicken breast for these.

How many Rouladen do I need to make?

  • I usually make two rouladen for each person, but this really depends on the size of the top round slices I get from the butcher. Sometimes they are quite large and one roulade is all that's needed for one serving.
  • I find that even though one SHOULD be enough per person, because they are so good, most people like to take a second one. Or, oftentimes they will share a second one with someone else.
  • Because of this, I usually make as many as my budget allows, hoping for leftovers, because these taste so great the next day, heated gently in their gravy.

There’s something absolutely mouth-watering about having a German meat-and-potato dinner. Get Oma's revised collection of her favorites inGerman Meat Dishes.

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (5)

Take a peek at all Oma's eCookbooks. They make sharing your German heritage a delicious adventure!

How to make this Beef Rouladen Recipe, easily…

Clear your work surface and set up an assembly line…

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (6)

Prep all your ingredients, pound your beef, season it, and spread mustard on it (if using).

Then distribute the fillings over the top.

How to tie your Rouladen ...

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (7)

Above, I've used metal skewers (the kind sold to truss poultry) to fasten my rouladen, a bit of a fiddly job. You can also use wooden picks, kitchen string, and, of course, the popular rouladen clamps.

Brown your Rouladen ...

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (8)

Always brown your meat in small batches. For the large lot I was making in these photos, I did this in three batches.

When all are nicely browned, add a bit of water to scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the saucepan and then return all the rouladen to the saucepan.

Add the liquid, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer till tender.

When tender, make that heavenly Gravy!

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (9)

These rouladen are done. Tender and almost ready to serve. Remove to a warm plate and carefully remove the skewers, or whatever you used to hold them together. Cover and keep warm.

Then, make that rouladen gravy. (If these German beef rolls need to be gluten free, make sure your cornstarch doesn't have any flour in it.)

The gravy is really the best part of this classic German dish... well, along with the meat. Once done, you're ready to serve.

Can you freeze leftover Rouladen?

Absolutely! In fact, I usually make extra Rouladen, just to have leftovers. Just make sure your meat rolls are covered in gravy in the container.

To reheat Rouladen, you can place them in 350-degree oven, covered, until hot, about 30 minutes. You can also microwave them or just put them, thawed, into a saucepan and gently bring to a simmer. Simmer until heated through.

Alana making her rouladen:

Instead of using slices of bacon, she put a slice of Black Forest ham down the length of the rouladen. A delicious variation on the traditional beef rouladen recipe, one I'll be doing often.

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (10)

Wunderbar! Here my granddaughter, Alana, made these for her 13th birthday dinner party:

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (11)

Two years later, Alana made these for her 15th birthday dinner party. She does love her rouladen!

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (12)

Wanting to use your pressure cooker instead to make this traditional German dish?

Yes, it's easy to make this classic German recipe with your pressure cooker. The result is a quicker meal and it's fork-tender always. I use my Instant Pot pressure cooker, but any will do.

Check out the recipe right here.

Oma says,

Does your budget say "too expensive" to make these German rouladen often? Want something a bit easier for everyday?

Trymy own flatladen recipe.Created by me for my boys. We ALL love it! I use whichever cut of beef is on sale and we get that same great rouladen and gravy taste without all the work or expense.

Go to recipe >

Or try my delicious Slow Cooker Roast Beefrecipe that also tastes amazingly like rouladen. Another great way to save time and money.

Go to recipe >

What to Serve with Rouladen?

If you're wanting a traditional German beef rouladen dinner, there are several side dishes that are a MUST! Of course, there are other ones that also pair perfectly with rouladen and its fabulous gravy.

The Top 10 German Recipes to serve with Rouladen are:

  1. Potato Dumplings
  2. Red Cabbage
  3. Click to see the rest of theTop 10 Side Dishes to serve with Rouladen.

Ready to make this Authentic Rouladen Recipe?

Is the recipe below locked?Here'swhy.

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (16)

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls

This German beef Rouladen recipe, served with traditional dishes likepotato dumplings and red cabbage, is my most cherished German comfort food from my childhood. It is still a popular choice in our family for Sunday dinners, birthday dinners, and other special occasions.

This comforting dish is also fabulous with other sides like creamy mashed potatoes and green beans. What's better than to have a special occasion dish that's so versatile and is actually quite easy to make?

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

2 hours

Total Time

2.5 hours

Servings:

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 6 slices top round (see hints below)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • regular or Dijon mustard, to taste
  • 3 slices lean bacon, cut into pieces
  • 3 garlic dill pickles, sliced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 - 2 cups water
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions:

  1. Season the thin slices of beef with salt and freshly ground pepper. Thinly spread mustard on top of each slice.
  2. Divide pieces of bacon, dill pickle slices, and onion slices on one end of each of the beef slices.
  3. Roll up slices, tucking the ends in and securing each roll with a skewer, wooden cocktail stick, or string.
  4. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown beef rolls well on all sides. Do not crowd rouladen in skillet, or they will not brown nicely. Do in small batches if necessary. Add extra butter if needed.
  5. Once all rouladen are well browned, add 1 to 2 cups of hot water, gently stirring up browned bits. Place beef rolls, along with any accumulated juices back in the skillet, bring to simmer, and cover.
  6. Simmer for about 1½ hours.
  7. Remove beef roulades. To thicken gravy, make a cornstarch slurry: combine cornstarch in a little cold water and stir gently into cooking liquid until slightly thickened.
  8. Season gravy to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. If you wish, add sour cream for a nice rich gravy.
  9. Remove strings, wooden picks, or skewers from rouladen.
  10. Ladle gravy over the tender beef rolls to serve.

Notes/Hints:

  • Have your local butcher cut beef top round steak (or flank steak) into thin slices, about ⅜-inch thick. Each roulade should measure at least 6 inches by 4 inches. Gently pound meat until it is about ⅛- to ¼-inch thick. Be careful not to put holes in the meat. The larger the roulade, the easier it is to roll up.
  • Some add pickles, others don't. Some add vegetables, others minimize the fillings. Use Black Forest ham instead of bacon. Use spicy brown mustard for a little heat.
  • You can use beef broth or beef stock instead of water.
  • If you're wanting to use your crock pot, in step 5 put everything into the slow cooker and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours.
  • You can also make rouladen in your pressure cooker.
  • Take a look atWhat to Serve with Rouladen.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

01.12.2022 revision update

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Wanting to know about different cuts of beef? Check out this post.

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  • What To Serve With Rouladen – Top 10 German Side Dishes for Rouladen

    Knowing what to serve with Rouladen doesn't have to be a stressful task. Check out this wunderbar variety of delicious side dishes that make the perfect pairing.

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    This slow cooker pot roast recipe is easy to put together first thing in the morning - you can even get it ready the night before. Tastes like a traditional German roast with gravy! Wunderbar!

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Top of Beef Rouladen Recipe

Oma's Authentic Beef Rouladen Recipe – German Beef Rolls (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of beef for rouladen? ›

Beef for Rouladen: Use top round roast (sometimes called topside or beef round roast) beef for Rouladen, and more importantly, ask your butcher to cut it for you! You want long thin slices about ¼ inches thick and 6-10 inches long and 4-5 inches wide.

Do you use top or bottom round for rouladen? ›

Top round is perfect for this. It's not the toughest piece of meat, but it has some collagen that will enrich our sauce and lend tenderness to the finished meat roll. You can often find top round thinly sliced and sometimes sold as “beef roulade meat,” but if not, ask your butcher to slice it for you, about 1/8″ thick.

Can you freeze German Rouladen? ›

To freeze: Take the cooled rouladen and liquid and place into freezer safe container(s) covered with the cooking liquid. Thaw, then warm through as described above, and then make the gravy. Or if the gravy is already made, then cover the cooled rouladen with the gravy and freeze.

What are the 3 best cuts of beef? ›

These cuts—ribeye, New York strip loin, and filet mignon—can certainly be dubbed the best, and few will disagree. “Filet is the most tender cut, but has the least amount of flavor. Ribeye is the most flavorful, but the least tender of the three, and New York is in the middle.” Flannery explains.

What is the most flavorful tender cut of beef? ›

Top Loin Steak

Cut from the front of the loin, the top loin is a well-marbled, very tender, juicy, and flavorful steak. The strip makes up the larger half of the T-bone steak.

What is the best way to tenderize a bottom round roast? ›

Slow cook it. Tough cuts of meat with lots of connective tissue, like brisket, chuck roast, and bottom round, are some of the best choices for the slow cooker. Cooked low and slow for many hours, the collagen in these tough cuts eventually breaks, leaving you with shreds of tender, juicy meat.

Which is more tender chuck or bottom round? ›

Chuck roast has more fat and connective tissue, so it tends to break into strands as it “melts”. That adds to the flavor and to the texture/mouth feel. Bottom round has less of the fat and connective tissue, so it holds together better and slices nicely, which makes for great pot roast sandwiches.

Which is more tender top round or bottom round beef? ›

The Beef Bottom Round Steak contains muscles which are less tender than the top round muscle. The two muscles of this steak are the eye of the round on the left and the bottom round on the right.

How do you cut beef for Rouladen? ›

I usually use flank steak to make my rouladen (top round steak also works great), cut it into thinner steaks before flattening it with the flat (not tenderizer side) or a meat hammer. I then add mustard, season it lightly with salt and pepper and fill it with bacon, onion slices, and sliced pickles.

What does rouladen taste like? ›

Traditionally, Rouladen are made from beef, with the filling consisting of bacon, onions, and pickles. Braised for a long time with vegetables they literally swim in a flavorful, rich gravy.

Should I roll a roulade hot or cold? ›

The key, therefore, is to roll the cake into a roulade shape while it's still hot. Here's how it goes: you take your genoise out of the oven.

Do you roll a roulade from the long or short side? ›

Roll it while it's hot.

For a traditional roulade, roll from the longer side. For my vertical roulade, roll from the shorter end. Let the roulade cool completely, rolled up in its own parchment, before filling and finishing.

What is the most tender roast beef to buy? ›

Tenderloin. The most tender roast of all—it's under the spine— with almost no fat or flavor. It's tapered in shape, the middle being the "center cut." The labor involved and waste produced in trimming and tying a tenderloin drives up the price.

How do you cut a roast for Rouladen? ›

Open the roast up like a book and cut one side to 'unroll' the roast to be about ¾-inch thick piece of meat. Do the same with the other side so that you end up with a rectangular piece of meat that is about 3/4 inch thick. Using a meat mallet (tenderizer), pound the roast to about 1/2-inch thickness.

What cut of beef is best for velveting? ›

Because the velveting process is great for tenderizing tough cuts of meat, it works really well on beef cuts like sirloin and flank steak. The cornstarch (or baking soda) and oil mixture used to marinate the meat helps the meat retain moisture while cooking for a more tender, juicy steak.

What is beef rouladen made of? ›

Rouladen is a popular, super flavorful German recipe made from beef steak stuffed with mustard, pickles, onion, and bacon! Using either your oven, crock pot, or cooktop, it's simmered in reduced wine and broth for roughly 90 minutes.

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