Beef rouladen is a cozy German-style comfort food that feels fancy but is easy to make. Thin slices of beef are spread with mustard, wrapped around bacon, onions, and dill pickles, then baked in a rich mushroom gravy for a hearty, flavorful meal.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Tender and savory with smoky bacon, tangy pickles, and rich gravy in every cozy bite.
- Prep Note: Prep and roll ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Time-Saving Tip: Ask the butcher to slice and tenderize the beef to save time and effort!
- Serving Suggestions: Serve it over mashed potatoes and add a simple green salad. Don’t forget some easy dinner rolls to soak up all that creamy gravy!
- Freezing: Freeze cooked rouladen on a lined baking sheet, then transfer to a bag for up to 6 weeks.
Rouladen Ingredient Rundown
- Beef: Look for steaks packaged as ‘Rouladen’ that are already prepped. Otherwise, use thin slices of beef round or flank steaks.
- Mustard: Yellow mustard is tart and tangy, but you can use stone-ground, Dijon, or a hot and spicy mustard.
- Pickles: Dill pickles add a tangy balance to the smoky, salty bacon.
- Gravy: Beef broth, pickle juice, and mushrooms develop into a rich and creamy sauce as the beef bakes.
Different Ways This Recipe Rolls
- Whisk in some heavy whipping cream to the juices for a thicker, creamier sauce instead of using a slurry.
- Blend pickle relish into the mustard for the same flavor, different approach.
- A small scoop of horseradish will add even more zesty tang!
How to Make Beef Rouladen
- Prepare beef round steaks (full recipe below).
- Spread mustard over each slice, season, and top with bacon, onion, and a pickle.
- Roll and secure each slice with toothpicks.
- Melt butter or oil in a pan, then brown rolls on all sides. Transfer to a baking dish.
- Roast until fork-tender, then set aside and keep them warm.
For the Gravy:
- Pour juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Whisk in the slurry to the desired thickness.
- Serve over beef rouladen.
Roadmap to Rouladen Rolls
- The key to perfectly tender beef rouladen is to ensure all the slices are generally the same thickness so they bake at the same rate.
- Secure the rolls with toothpicks so they don’t unravel while baking.
- Roast the rolls slowly so the beef turns tender, not tough.
- You may not need all of the slurry when adding to the gravy.
Store leftover beef rouladen with sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze in zippered bags for up to 6 weeks.
Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little water added to loosen the gravy.
Serve Beef Rouladen With…
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Beef Rouladen
Beef rouladen is a classic German dish featuring thinly sliced beef wrapped around bacon, onions, mustard, and pickles, then slow-cooked until tender in a rich, savory gravy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices beef round or thinly sliced flank steak
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 onion sliced
- 6 dill pickles
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups beef broth low sodium
- ¼ cup pickle juice
- 1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms with juice, optional
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Place beef slices on a cutting board and lightly pound using a meat tenderizer.
- Spread a layer of mustard over each piece of meat and season with salt and pepper. Lay bacon and onion on top and finish with a pickle.
- Roll up each Rouladen lengthwise and secure with toothpicks.
- In a Dutch oven, heat butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown the outside of each roll. Add broth, canned mushrooms (optional), and pickle juice. Roast, covered, for 90-120 minutes or until fork-tender.
To Make The Gravy
- Remove Rouladen from the juices, set aside, and cover to keep warm.
- Bring juices to a boil. Combine cornstarch with water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the juices until it reaches desired thickness (There may not be a need for all the cornstarch mixture).
Notes
- To save time, purchase beef that has been sliced and tenderized for you.
- Batch cook these beef rolls for quick and easy weeknight dinners. Try cooking them in the crockpot on low for 7-8 hours for a “set it and forget it” method.
- Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 weeks. A simple trick is to freeze rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transfer them to a zippered bag for long-term storage.
- Reheat leftovers covered with foil in the oven, on the stovetop, or in the microwave. Thaw frozen rolls in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 1205mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 186IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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