Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (2024)

Jump to Recipe

This authentic German rouladen recipe is going to become one of those recipes your family begs you to make for special occasions. A rolled slice of beef stuffed and roasted is full of rich flavor, a delicious sauce, and ideal for comfort food cravings. This recipe takes longer than most we share, but the time spent is well worth the investment. Rouladen is a fabulous beef recipe that combines traditional German flavors to create a new family favorite.

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (1)

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe

Admittedly, when I think of German foods, my mind immediately goes to bratwurst, sauerkraut, and spätzle. I had never made a rouladen before this recipe, so when it was shared I was a bit worried about if I could manage to bring out the right flavors. There was no worry. This was indeed one of the recipes that's a bit more time consuming to prepare, but not terribly difficult. The result was fantastic.

If you are a fan of more traditional German flavors that include great spice, richness with just a bit of sour or tart, you will love this beef rouladen. Embrace something new and unique and prepare this dish to surprise your family.

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (2)

Where Does Rouladen Come From?

Beef rouladen is a traditional Polish or German recipe that combines all of the best flavors you enjoy in traditional German foods. The tender cuts of rich beef pair perfectly with the sourness of the mustard and pickles, and the richness of the tomato and wine sauce.

While it is most widely known for being a Polish dish, there are versions in the Ukraine, Hungary, Germany, and Russia that some love. Adjust this recipe to fit your take on rouladen, but follow it exactly for an authentic German recipe.

What Cut of Beef is Rouladen?

Typically the beef for a rouladen is a silverside or topside cut. You can easily use a flank steak or skirt steak in this recipe if desired. Since it has a longer cooking time, you don't have to worry about it being overly tough. It will tenderize both in preparation and in the slow cooking process.

If you are unsure what silverside or topside is, you can check with your local butcher or the meat counter at a market to ask for it to be cut to order. This is often the easiest way to get the beef sliced thin and evenly for this recipe.

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (3)

Can You Make Rouladen Ahead of Time?

You can definitely make this recipe ahead of time. It works well as a freezer meal and also as a meal you can prep 1-2 days in advance of baking. My preferred method is to do the prep work for this the evening before I plan to serve it, so I can easily cook it for dinner.

If you plan to prepare it as a freezer meal, I highly recommend preparing just the meat portion and creating the sauce the day you serve the recipe. Roll the beef and then place in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for two hours, then remove and place the rolls into a large freezer storage bag. Date and label the bag, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator the day before you plan to cook and serve the rouladen.

This is good for 2 days in the refrigerator before cooking or up to 4 months in the freezer before thawing and cooking. You can also cook completely and freeze for up to 3 months to thaw and reheat to serve.

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (4)

Ingredients

  • Beef
  • Bacon
  • Sweet mustard
  • Pickles
  • White onion
  • Olive oil
  • Carrot
  • Rosemary
  • Garlic
  • Red wine
  • Chicken broth
  • Tomato paste
  • Bay leaf
  • Butter
  • Yellow mustard
  • Sour cream

Tools Needed

  • Meat mallet
  • Cooking twine

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (5)

How to Make German Rouladen

Prepare the beef by tenderizing with a meat mallet until it is an even thickness.

Brush the top of the beef with mustard, then a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Lay 3 pieces of bacon onto each slice of beef.

Now, place a pickle and some onions onto the sliced beef horizontally, and roll the beef around the vegetables then tie together with cooking twine.

In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over high heat then cook each side of the beef roulade for 2-3 minutes until it is nicely browned

Remove the beef rolls from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Now, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and saute the remaining onion and carrots for 2-3 minutes.

Mix in the tomato paste, garlic, the bay leaf, and rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Pour in the red wine and broth, then stir well.

Add the beef rolls back into the skillet and bring the liquid mixture to a boil.

Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer on low for 1 hour.

Remove the beef rolls from the pan and cut then remove the twine.

Strain the sauce from the skillet into a separate pan that is over medium heat.

Add the cold butter, mustard, and sour cream into the sauce and whisk.

Place the beef rolls into the skillet with the sauce, and cook for an additional 15 minutes before serving.

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (6)

What do You Serve With Rouladen?

Typically, this recipe would be served with a side of red cabbage, noodles, or potatoes. I love this with my homemade egg noodles recipe and a side of veggies. Others may prefer to serve with this potato onion cake recipe, homemade potato pierogi, or these leftover mashed potato pancakes. You could even serve with this recipe for Instant Pot mashed cauliflower for more vegetables in the meal.

Chef's Tip

When you are making rouladen, you need to pound the beef into a thin layer for rolling. In this case, you may want to use a meat tenderizer to make sure the beef is both tender and thin enough to roll. I recommend using a traditional meat mallet but have recently fallen in love with the meat tenderizer that also punctures the meat with small holes to help break up the tissue.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 6

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (7)

Conquer making an authentic German rouladen recipe with this easy to follow step by step tutorial.

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 slices beef topside
  • 18 slices bacon
  • ¼ cup sweet mustard
  • 6 pickle spears
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf

For Finishing Sauce

  • 3 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • ½ cup sour cream

Instructions

  1. Tenderize the beef slices until an even thickness;
  2. Divide the ¼ cup mustard between the slices of beef and brush to coat one side, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then top with 3 pieces of bacon per slice of beef;
  3. Place a pickle spear and a few pieces of onion onto each slice of beef horizontally then roll into a roulade and tie with cooking twine to secure;
  4. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over high heat then cook each side of the beef roulade for 2-3 minutes until it is nicely browned;
  5. Remove the beef rolls from the pan and set aside;
  6. Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the pan along with the onion and carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes;
  7. Mix in the tomato paste, garlic, the bay leaf, and rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper if desired.
  8. Add the beef back into the skillet along with the sauce, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for one hour;
  9. After 1 hour, remove the beef rolls from the pan and strain the sauce into a new pan removing the bits of vegetabels and herbs;
  10. Add the cold butter, additional mustard, and sour cream into the sauce and whisk together then bring to a simmer;
  11. Remove the twine from the beef;
  12. Place the beef back into the pan with the sauce and cook for an additional 15 minutes;
  13. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and your favorite sides.

Notes

This recipe can be made with thinly sliced veal or pork if preferred.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 565Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 1430mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 37g

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (14)

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of meat 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. Mustard: I've found really great German Mustard at Wold Market.

What is Rouladen called in English? ›

A roulade (/ruːˈlɑːd/) is a dish of filled rolled meat or pastry. Roulade can be savory or sweet. Swiss roll is an example of a sweet roulade. Traditionally found in various European cuisines, the term roulade originates from the French word rouler, meaning "to roll".

What ethnicity is Rouladen? ›

(As you know since you searched for it) Beef Rouladen is a traditional German dish made for special occasions, like Christmas or a wedding. You'll begin with thin slices of beef, smothered in German (Dusseldorf) mustard, topped with bacon, onions, and pickle (!!!)

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.

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.

What meat is the most popular in German cooking? ›

The average annual meat consumption is 59.7 kg (132 lb) per person. The most common varieties are pork, poultry, and beef. Other varieties of meat are widely available, but are considered to be insignificant. Meat is usually braised; fried dishes also exist, but these recipes usually originate from France and Austria.

What does Rouladen mean in German? ›

Rouladen is classic German food, with thin slices of beef, rolled up with mustard, onion, bacon and pickle. (Rouladen is based on the word Roulade, meaning “rolled”.)

What is sauerbraten German? ›

The name "Sauerbraten" is of German origin, and is derived from Sauer meaning "sour" or "pickled" and Braten meaning "roast meat", thus "sour roast".

What part of Germany is Rouladen from? ›

Region: all over Germany, apparently French origins.

As so often in German cooking, Rouladen are a simple dish. Combined with sides like dumplings and cabbage they make up a true Germany classic. The traditional German Rouladen dish uses a thin and long cut of beef or veal.

What is an interesting fact about rouladen? ›

Rouladen is the German version of the French roulade, which is a roll made with thinly-sliced meat. The German version is interesting in that it probably came from Germans using items they had on hand most of the time – mustard, pickles, onion, and pork – to make something that's unique in its own right.

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.

What part of the cow is Rouladen? ›

The meat for rouladen is cut from the upper part of the hind legs of the cow, or Oberschale .

What wine goes with Rouladen? ›

A California Zinfandel would be a good match for Beef Rouladen. Zinfandel is known for its bold, fruit-forward character, often with notes of blackberry, plum, and cherry.

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.

How do you tie Rouladen? ›

How to Tie a Roast or Roulade
  1. Step One: Measure out your Twine. Generally, you'll need at least five lengths of twine to tie your roast. ...
  2. Step Two: Tie First Loop. ...
  3. Step Three: Start Consecutive Loops. ...
  4. Step Four: Loop Underneath. ...
  5. Step Five: Pull Taught. ...
  6. Step Six: Repeat. ...
  7. Step Seven: Turn it Over. ...
  8. Step Eight: Thread the End.

What kind of meat is Rouladen made from? ›

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.

Which cuts of meat are the most tender? ›

Tenderloin steak and top blade steaks ranked first and second. Top round steak ranked last. Roasts were more tender than steak counterparts.

Which cuts of beef are the most tender? ›

Black Angus filet mignon is the most tender cut of beef used for steaks. It comes from the smaller end of the tenderloin and should be well-marbled. You can grill it or cook it in a skillet and is best served blue rare or rare. Blue rare is a style of cooking that is becoming very popular for meat lovers.

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.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Mr. See Jast

Last Updated:

Views: 6586

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (55 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mr. See Jast

Birthday: 1999-07-30

Address: 8409 Megan Mountain, New Mathew, MT 44997-8193

Phone: +5023589614038

Job: Chief Executive

Hobby: Leather crafting, Flag Football, Candle making, Flying, Poi, Gunsmithing, Swimming

Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.