Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (2024)

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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 the richest gravy imaginable. Mouthwateringly delicious, this authentic Rouladen recipe is the only one you’ll ever need!

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (1)

Growing up in Stuttgart, we regularly enjoyed family dinners with my Oma and Opa. My Oma was famous for her Kasseler, Kartoffelpuffer, Sauerbraten and her Rouladen. When a meal included gravy she always knew to make extra when we came over because I would heap copious amounts of it over my meat, potatoes, Knödel, Rotkohl, Sauerkraut, you name it. (I still do.) For me the gravy was one of the primary highlights of the meal. Rouladen is one of my all-time favorite German dishes and its accompanying gravy is arguably the king of all gravies. Today I’m sharing my homemade Rouladen recipe with you and I’m confident you’re going to love it as much as we do!

What Are Rouladen?

Rouladen is a traditional German dish featuring long, thin strips of meat slathered with mustard and filled with bacon, onions, and pickles. The filling is enclosed by rolling up the meat strips and the roulades are then browned and slow-simmered in a rich gravy.

Rouladen are enjoyed throughout the year in Germany but are often associated with Sunday dinners and special occasions like Christmas Eve.

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (2)

Can Rouladen Be Made Ahead Of Time?

You can save time by assembling the rouladen in advance and chilling them until you’re ready to cook them. They are also good reheated.

How Large Should the Slices of Beef Be?

They need to be large enough to stuff and roll up, at least 4×6 inches in size and about 1/4 inch thick. This recipe makes 2 rouladen per person. Alternatively you can make larger rouladen and serve one large rouladen per person.

Flour or Cornstarch to Thicken the Gravy?

You can use either. Cornstarch will make a more translucent gravy and flour will make a slightly opaque gravy. It just comes down to personal preference and/or allergies.

What Do I Serve With Rouladen?

Traditionally, Rouladen are served with Rotkohl and boiled potatoes or Knödel – either Semmelknödel (bread dumplings) or Kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings). Instead of potatoes or Knödel, they are also commonly served with Spätzle.

Get our recipe or Authentic German Rotkohl

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (3)

Get our recipe for Authentic German Semmelknödel (Bread Dumplings)

Get our recipe for Authentic German Spätzle

Authentic Rouladen Recipe

Rouladen aren’t hard to make, but they do take time. You can shave off some time on the day of your meal by assembling the rouladen ahead of time and chilling them until you’re ready to cook them.

Rouladen are made by spreading some German mustard on thinly cut slices of beef, adding bacon, sliced German pickles and chopped onions. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper and roll them up, securing the rolls with toothpicks or cooking twine. Next you generously fry the rouladen in oil until they’re nicely browned on all sides. They’re then removed and set aside so you can saute the onions and vegetables for the gravy. Add the liquids and spices to the cooked veggies and nestle the rouladen in this mixture to simmer on low until the meat is fork tender. The rouladen are removed, the sauce is poured through a strainer, and the resulting gravy is returned to the pot and thickened. The rouladen are returned to the gravy, heated through and served with Rotkohl and boiled potatoes, Knödel, or Spätzle.

Below we’ve provided step-by-step pictured instructions to ensure your success!

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© Arkadiusz Fajer | Dreamstime

Let’s get started!

Lay the beef slices out on a work surface. Spread each beef slices with about 2 teaspoons of German 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. Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (7)

Roll up the beef slices, tucking in the sides as best you can and securing the beef rolls with toothpicks or cooking twine.

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (8)

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.

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*Do not remove the browned bits in the bottom of the pan, it’s key to the most 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.

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (10)

Add the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, salt and pepper.

Nestle the 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 set the veggies aside for another purpose, they are yummy. Or, as some of our readers have mentioned, you can puree the veggies in the blender and then return them to the gravy.)

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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’d like creamy gravy you can stir in some heavy cream at this point.

Carefully remove the toothpicks or cooking twine from the rouladen and return them to the gravy and heat through.

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (12)

Serve the Rouladen with Rotkohl and either boiled potatoes, Semmelknödel (bread dumplings) or Kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings) or Spätzle.

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (13)

For more authentic German dishes, be sure to also try our:

  • Sauerbraten
  • Käsespätzle (Cheese Spaetzle)
  • Swabian Potato Salad
  • Senfbraten (Roast Pork with Mustard Gravy)
  • Schnitzel
  • Jägerschnitzel
  • Maultaschen
  • German Potato Soup
  • Frikadellen

Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (14)

Authentic German Rouladen

Kimberly Killebrew

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.

Print Recipe

5 from 208 votes

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Entree, Main Dish

Cuisine German

Servings 4 servings

Calories 392 kcal

Ingredients

  • For the Rouladen:
  • 8 slices top round beef, about 4x6 inches in size and 1/4 inch thick (*see note) (ask your butcher), gently pound the slices with a meat mallet until they're a little thinner than 1/4 inch (be careful not to pound holes into them)
  • 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
  • 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 (depending on how much gravy liquid there is you'll need about 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of water or 2-3 tablespoons flour dissolved in 1/4 - 1/3 cup water)

Instructions

  • 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.

Notes

  • This recipe makes 2 rouladen per person. Alternatively you can make larger rouladen for one large rouladen per person.

Nutrition

Serving: 2rouladen | Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 1121mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2073IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg

Keyword Rouladen

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Authentic German Rouladen Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What cut of beef is used for German 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 (!!!)

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 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 the best cut of meat for rouladen? ›

For something that looks and tastes as impressive as this beef rouladen, it's actually one of the simplest stuffed meat recipes I know. You can pretty much use any cheap cut of beef; I used round steak, but rump, chuck, flap meat, and other similar cuts will work work.

What is sauerbraten German? ›

Sauerbraten is a German roast of marinated meat, traditionally beef. Since it's generally made with tougher cuts (usually the rump roast), the meat is marinated for days at a time. The roast is sliced and served with a gravy. In some recipes, the gravy is made with gingersnaps.

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 part of Germany is Rouladen from? ›

Region: all over Germany, apparently French origins.

As so often in German cooking, Rouladen are a simple dish.

What meat roulade dish is popular in Eastern Europe? ›

"Pronounced ZRAH-zih zah-vee-YAH-neh. Also called bitki (BEET-kee). A favorite dish of the Old Polish nobility that has remained popular to this day throughout Eastern Europe; quite similar to rouladen served just across the border in Germany.

What do you serve with roulade? ›

Serve the sliced roulade with the mushroom sauce spooned over the top, and the Italian couscous on the side. You could also serve it along with a simple green salad or maybe some crusty Italian bread. Whatever you do, don't forget about the wine.

What is the secret to cooking flank steak? ›

Rub a flank steak with olive oil, season it with salt and pepper and slide it onto a foil-lined sheet pan for easy cleanup. Then just broil it until it's medium-rare, 6 to 8 minutes. No flipping needed.

How do you cut flank steak so it's not chewy? ›

Slice against the grain. Slice the flank steak against the grain with a sharp knife, which means cutting perpendicular to the long muscle fibers. This helps to shorten the muscle fibers, making the steak more tender. Cut into thin strips.

What is beef rouladen made of? ›

Rouladen is a classical German recipe consisting of thinly sliced and pounded out beef that is stuffed with salt, pepper, mustard, bacon, onions, and pickles. You sear the beef and then simmer it in a flavorful beef sauce until it is tender.

What kind of beef roast shreds? ›

Chuck roast is arguably the best cut to use for pulled beef. Similar to the front shoulder of pork (or the pork “butt”) chuck roasts, being from the front shoulder of the steer, are chock full of fat, collagen, and marbling.

What is the most tender roast beef cut? ›

The Chateaubriand beef tenderloin roast is considered to be the most tender cut of beef for a roast. This cut of beef comes from the loin area of the cow, which is right below the backbone, behind the rib section and in front of the sirloin section.

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.

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