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
Diane says
Making this now…in the oven in a Dutch oven. Should it be covered?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Diane, yes, keep it covered. Happy cooking! :)
Bob Martin says
Traditional food items everywhere vary from family to family, and I like trying new variations. This recipe is quite good, and while I still like Oma’s better, I was happy with the results.
I would like to make a couple of clarifications for other who may try this. “German Pickles” are sometimes called barrel pickles here. You can make your own with this recipe: https ://skipthejunk. com/2018/01/10/german-style-pickles/
I am curious if you use mittelscharfer or scharfer mustard. I used scharfer, but I like hot mustard.
Thanks again for this great recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Bob, thanks for the feedback. I use mittelscharfer, my personal preference.
Carol Whitney says
I’m making rouladen today, brings back such good memories of living in Germany in the late 50s when our German housekeeper would cook for us. By the way, she is still living in the Bronx in New York, we keep in touch regularly and visit occasionally. I have let her know that I am making this, she will probably be very envious. The one difference I see is that she used something called sour pickles. Occasionally I could find them, but no longer.
Alex Komodore says
This is a wonderful Roulade recipe! I used to enjoy them in NYC in Germantown (82nd and 2nd Avenue); and I thought “I’ve just got to try and make these” – THIS IS JUST GREAT -THANK YOU!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed them, Alex, thank you!
Melissa Ford says
Can I just use regular mustard?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Melissa, you can, but it won’t have the same authentic flavor – or as good of flavor. The German mustard just tastes a whole lot better!
Rebecca cullinan says
Very interesting – I actually found your site after preparing my family’s rouladen recipe – and they are identical (well, except maybe for the pickles – we use sweet butter chips). Wonderful to find a site that actually has what I consider authentic German cuisine! Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Rebecca, and I hope you’ll come back again! :)
New at this says
Hi :) What kind of pickles are German pickles? Dill? Gherkin? Sorry I can’t find “German pickles” anywhere :)
Thanks so much!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi, German pickles are fermented as opposed to being pickled in vinegar, so they are much milder and slightly sweet but not nearly as sweet as bread and butter pickles.
Anonymous says
Look for sweet and sour cucumbers
Christina L Chudomelka says
I usually crush a couple of ginger snaps in the sauce before baking. I am not sure what it adds but it gives it a great flavor. I have made rouladen many times but always with ham and not bacon. Tonight is the first time I will try it with bacon. I do not have my German pickles as they are enroute to our new home but will use dill which are kind of close. Maybe the ginger snaps help sweeten the dill pickles just a bit> Who knows. It is all a wonderful gastronomic delight!!
Lin K. says
I’m married to a German from Heilbronn and have learned a variety of authentic recipes over the years. I’ve tried a few of yours and they’ve all been fantastic. I am making your rouladen today the way you described and hope it will be as delicious as others have said. Since my hubby’s mom never made them with pickles or mustard he asked me to make them with the bacon and onion only. So I guess I’m not really making your recipe as described! LOL But almost . . .
I’d like to try it in my instant pot next time. Have you or any of your readers ever made them that way? I’m not sure how long to cook them for but I thought maybe 20 minutes.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lin, thanks so much, I’m happy you’ve enjoyed my recipes! :) I have not made this in the Instant Pot so I’ll see if some our readers can chime in and answer that. P.S. Tell your husband that he and his mom are missing out BIG time by not including the pickles and mustard! :)
Paula says
Haven’t made this exact recipe, but ours is similar and I always make it in a pressure cooker. I’m sure an instant pot would be similar. You might want to brown on the stove first and scrape up the fond with some of the liquid before putting in the pot. I cook for 40 minutes or so after reaching temperature. I do cook my bacon and onion first though, so maybe add a little more time.
curtis says
very very yummy deelish 4.75 stomachs,,,,i mean stars. i used flank steak, 2 pounds. great recipe.
Willi says
best food in the world
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Willi, it’s one of my all-time favorites too :)
Robin says
Whoops…forgot to rate it. Definitely a 5!
Robin says
This was my Christmas dinner and was outstanding! I needed to add a bit more broth toward the end, then took the juices and vegetables and ran it through a food mill. The gravy had amazing flavor and didn’t need any thickening agent. WAY better than my grandmother’s recipe! And the suggestion on the right type of pickle to use was spot on. I’m glad I was able to find them at my local German butcher. THANK YOU for this recipe, it was truly delicious and so very authentic.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Robin, and really appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Liz Karschner-Slone says
Thank you! I shall be making this on Christmas for dinner for my family. Figured it is good since we can’t gather this year and I miss my family (we were supposed to be in Germany visiting my Oma for Christmas). I’m also hitting up the Rotkohl recipe as well that you have on here.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
The absolute perfect Christmas Eve dinner, Liz! I feel your pain, we were supposed to be in Germany this year too. But in the absence of an in-person visit, great German food is definitely the next best alternative. In spite of the current situation, I hope you have a very warm and very Merry Christmas!
Charles L Noll says
I’m rating this a five star because it is exactly the way my Oma prepared it for our family every year for Christmas Eve dinner! My mother and father picked up the tradition after Oma and Opa passed, and now I carry the torch (Mom and Dad are now in their 80’s and don’t cook very often). We always serve it with rotkhol and spetzle as well. I want to thank you for publishing such amazing German recipes- I’ll be making your Stollen this year as well. Prost!!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Charles, and Merry Christmas!
Yermomma says
Wait- there’s sugar in the ingredients but no instruction of where to put it?? IN with the mirepoix and broth???
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It’s added at the end of Step 3.
John Ward says
Don’t know why this recipe isn’t 5☆. Excellent illustrations. Easy to follow. Came out great. Thanks
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, John, I’m happy you enjoyed it!