One of Germany's most famous and delicious dishes, Rouladen are beef roulades filled with bacon, onions, mustard and pickles, then browned and simmered in an incredibly rich and flavorful gravy.
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT115M
Total time: PT145M
Rating
4.99 stars (341 reviews)
Keywords
Beef Rouladen, Rouladen
Ingredients
For the Rouladen:
8 slices top round beef, about 4x6 inches in size and 1/4 inch thick (*see note)
1/3 cup German yellow mustard
8 slices bacon
8 medium German pickles (, sliced lengthwise )
1 medium yellow onion (, chopped)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Gravy:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cooking oil ((I use avocado oil because it's ideal for high heat))
1 medium yellow onion (, chopped)
1 clove garlic (, minced)
1 small leek (, chopped, rinsed and drained in colander)
1 large carrot (, chopped)
1 large celery stalk (, chopped)
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups strong beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chilled butter
cornstarch or flour dissolved in a little water for thickening
Categories
Entree
Main Dish
Cuisine
German
Steps
Lay the beef slices out on a work surface. Spread each beef slices with about 2 teaspoons of mustard and sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place a strip of bacon on each beef slice so it's running the same length as the beef. Place the sliced German pickles and chopped onions on each beef slice. Roll up the beef slices, tucking in the sides as best you can and securing the beef rolls with toothpicks or cooking twine.
Heat the butter and oil in a heavy Dutch oven or pot (make sure it's oven-safe if baking in the oven) and generously brown the rouladen on all sides. Browning them well will ensure a rich and flavorful gravy. Set the rouladen aside on a plate.
*Do not remove the browned bits in the bottom of the pan (important for a flavorful gravy): Add the onions to the pot and a little more butter or oil if needed. Cook the onions until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the leek, carrots and celery and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the red wine, bring to a rapid boil for one minute, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2-3 more minutes. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper.
Nestle the beef rouladen in the pot. Oven or Stovetop: You can cook the rouladen, covered, on the stovetop on low for about 90 minutes or until fork tender, but for the most even cooking we recommend transferring the pot (make sure it's oven-safe) to the oven preheated to 325 F and cook it there for about 90 minutes or until fork tender.
To Make the Rouladen Gravy:When the beef is fork tender, remove the rouladen from the pot and set aside. Pour the liquid and vegetables through a strainer and reserve the liquid. (You can eat the veggies on the side or puree them in the blender and then return them to the gravy.) Return the strained liquid back to the pot and bring to a simmer. Thicken the gravy either with either a cornstarch slurry (for a clear/translucent gravy) or flour slurry (for an opaque gravy). For a creamy gravy you can also add a few tablespoons of heavy cream at this point. Simmer, whisking constantly, until the gravy is thickened.Add the chilled butter, whisking constantly, until the butter is melted and incorporated. Add salt, pepper and mustard to taste. Note: If you prefer a creamy gravy you can stir in some heavy cream.Carefully remove the toothpicks or cooking twine from the rouladen and return them to the gravy and heat through.
Serve the rouladen and gravy with Homemade Rotkohl and either Homemade Spätzle, Homemade SemmelKnödel (or Kartoffelknödel) or boiled potatoes.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 2 rouladen
Calories: 392 kcal
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Protein: 39 g
Fat: 26 g
Saturated Fat: 11 g
Cholesterol: 97 mg
Sodium: 1121 mg
Sugar: 3 g
Reviews
Ann on 2026-06-23 (5 stars): I’m German and I followed this recipe. Turned out absolutely delicious, I made spätzle with it. Didn’t have red cabbage so I made yellow beans.
Nevaeh hiles on 2026-06-23 (4 stars): It was really good, but it was hard to make as a teen chef, my family loved it, but my father doesn't like mustard.
Sue on 2026-06-07 (5 stars): 1st time making this recipe, delicious winter recipe in 🇦🇺
Carrie on 2026-05-24 (5 stars): This was a big hit! Served with boiled potatoes. DH requested this be put in the rotation. The beef was fork tender and flavorful.
Todd Britton on 2026-05-09 (5 stars): Reminds me of Germany. My parents were stationed in Schwäbisch Hall Germany for 6 years, so I spent the entire time with them up until I was 7 there. This recipe takes me back! Excellent.
Jenna on 2026-04-23 (5 stars): I have made this a few times now. I leave out the pickles just like my mother did. I also make them quite small. It’s a lot of work but they cook faster. This recipe is delicious and brings me back to my Austrian mother’s kitchen. Thank you!
Ginger on 2026-04-12 (5 stars): Excellent recipe and easy to follow. Tastes wonderful!
Katalin on 2026-04-03 (5 stars): Just like my mum's rouladen, although with no veggies in the sauce. But the mustard, bacon and sauergurken are an absolute myst, And rotkohl as an accompanying veggie, (Mum is from Silesia in Poland, so many of german recipes remind me of home cooking)
