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!
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.
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
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!
© 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.
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, 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.
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.)
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.
Serve the Rouladen with Rotkohl and either boiled potatoes, Semmelknödel (bread dumplings) or Kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings) or Spätzle.
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
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
Todd says
I’m up to 15 Daring Gourmet recipes. I finally got around to the Rouladen. This has been one of my favorites so far. The sauce for this recipe is absolutely amazing. Unfortunately I underestimated the size of my dutch oven and could only make four. I think the only reasonable thing to do is to buy a bigger dutch oven!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I am absolutely flattered, Todd, you’re awesome! No need to buy a larger Dutch oven, just brown the Rouladen in batches and then stack them on each other in the Dutch oven to cook them, they don’t need to be in a single layer. I’m so glad you enjoyed them – thank you! P.S. I haven’t met a lot of Todd’s but I’m married to one :)
Helene says
Just found this website and am thrilled to find so many German recipes. This rouladen recipe is the exact recipe my mother used, according to the ingredients listed. She passed away at age 99 two years ago and didn’t pass down any recipes so I’m learning all I can here. She was very protective of her kitchen. When I’ve mastered my favorite German recipes that I grew up with I am looking forward to trying cuisines from other countries. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you found us, Helene! I hope you enjoy all the recipes you try here and hope they bring back many wonderful memories :) Warm regards, Kimberly
Karen Robin says
I agree about lots gravy: A meal without gravy (or some kind of sauce) is incomplete!
German George says
I am born and raised in Germany and grew up with my grandmother(Oma) and therefor I was used to delicious homemade food every day. Unfortunately when I moved to the states I no longer had the pleasure at eating at her house and I can’t describe how much I miss it.
But then I found this… you have given me this warm feeling of home, good memories and a very amazing meal! I’ve made this a couple times already with only one change.. I substitute the pickle for mild and sweet sausage (just never been a fan of warm pickles).
Thank you so much!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, George, I’m so glad you were able to enjoy this taste of home – thank you!
Victoria says
Spectacular! This was so delicious and the gravy was perfect. Will be making this regularly now. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Victoria, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it!
Victoria says
Can these be rolled up in the morning and then cooked in the evening?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Victoria, yes absolutely!
Victoria says
Can I use flank steak to make this?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yes you can, Victoria!
Victoria says
Awesome! My husband has been asking for this meal for ages and I’m going to surprise him with it tomorrow
Bev H says
Made this for my hubby’s birthday dinner. Absolutely delicious. At the end I removed the Rouladen from the pot and used an immersion blender to blend the vegetables into the gravy, thickened a little more with cornstarch. I forgot the butter but will definitely make it again and try it with the butter and cream. Hubby and guests could not get enough.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad it was a hit, Bev, thank you!
Tammy Kieselbach says
Honestly the best recipe we have ever had. I wouldn’t critique nor change a thing. Absolute perfection when it comes to Rouladen. Thank you so much!!! Xo
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I am absolutely thrilled to hear that, Tammy, thank you so much! :)
Christina says
WUNDERBAR😍
Making these right now.
Can’t wait for my boyfriend to try😋
This recipe brings alot of fond memories of my Mutti!!
Thank you so much Kimberly sharing this beautiful recipe ❤
Christina
Ps
I will let you know how it turned out!!
Ula says
My German boyfriend stated these were one of the best rouladen he has ever eaten, so it says it all :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Ula, thank you! :)
Nick says
I’ve now made this twice. Once without pureeing the vegetables and once with pureeing them. Both times, my 5 year old son has raved about how amazing this is. Thank you so much.
Your site has been great for someone who worked front of house at a German restaurant and who married into a volks-Deutsche family, especially during the stay-at-home situation.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Nick, I’m so glad your son has been enjoying this!
Alex says
Hi Kimberley. I’m excited to make this for my boyfriend. It is his birthday tomorrow and seeing as we are all staying home in these times I wanted to make him a special dinner and he asked for Rouladen. I have never made it before but I’m confident I can pull your recipe off. It looks delicious. However I was wondering what I could use instead of wine? Could I just add more broth? I want to make sure its amazing but we don’t drink or use alcohol for cooking. Hope you can help :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Alex, yes, you can just substitute more broth. I hope your boyfriend has a nice birthday and enjoys this special meal!
Ray says
Excellent instructions, I am German, from the Bavarian region.
We like to put some tomato paste in the Rouladen as well.
If you do not have access to the German Mustard, Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard is
a good replacement. Also If you Happen to have a Big Lots near you. They have excellent
German Barrel Pickles. You can buy a really large jar of them (not quite gallon size)
for super cheap, Like $5.00
I’ve added links to the items below
V Simmons says
Loved this recipe!!!
Wanted to add, I didn’t save the vegetables for something else. I put them in the food processor and then put them back into the broth. This thickened the broth without having to add flour or cornstarch and gave it a more intense flavor.