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:Â 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
- JägerschnitzelÂ
- 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. Â
Nutrition
Don Gradischek says
Great fantastic recipe, kudos
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Don, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Anonymous says
Great fantastic recipe, kudos
Suzanne Zaruba says
I have tried several rouladen recipes over the past 20 years and this is hands down the best one. The sauce is different than other recipes I’ve used and is absolutely rich and delicious!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Suzanne, I’m thrilled you enjoyed the Rouladen and appreciate the feedback!
Robin Grzegorski says
Very nice recipe. I have made this for years but I use gingersnap cookies that I process in a food processor very fine to thicken my gravy. It gives a very unique flavor and is just scrumptious.
Sandra stephanou says
Made this recipe on Sunday, it was gorgeous. I am planning to make this again fora large family meal in two weeks time. Could I make and freeze ahead?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Sandra, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that you’ll be making it again! Freezing it should be fine, yes. A note about the gravy: Cornstarch doesn’t freeze well as it breaks down, so just keep that in mind if you’re using cornstarch to thicken the gravy. That just means that you’ll need to re-thicken it when you re-heat the gravy.
Ron says
I use garlic dill pickles and lightly fry bacon first.Also frenches mustard. No body complains.
Heather says
Can you make the whole recipe a day ahead and then reward in the oven.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yes you can, Heather! You can also reheat it on the stovetop.
Sonja says
I made this along with a few other of your German recipes. This was amazing and was the hit of the evening. I did buy the authentic pickles and the mustard. Also made the red cabbage, sauerbraten and spaetzle.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That is fantastic, Sonja!! I’m thrilled that you made and enjoyed all of those recipes and really appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Judy says
I found baking then in oven for 45 minutes to an hour makes them more tender. Then I strain and using cornstarch make the best gravy. I do this with roasts as well as goulash.
Lori says
What temperature do you set your oven to?
Jennifer says
I am trying to make this without having to run to the store. What exactly are German pickles, are they sweet or sour? Also what kind of mustard would that be, a sweet mustard, dijon, honey dijon. If you could please elaborate for me that would be great. It looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jennifer, German pickles aren’t sweet but they’re not sour either like the vinegary American ones. German mustard isn’t wine-based like Dijon and isn’t sweet (no honey or sweetener). It’s a basic yellow mustard but tastes very different than French’s yellow mustard. German pickles and mustard both have a very distinctly different flavor than the American equivalents and there just really is no substitute if you’re wanting a truly authentic German flavor.
Volker Lauterbach says
Pickles are sour and the mustard is European mustard – Dijon is ok, strong German better.
Klaus Beyer says
I also add fresh thyme when rolling up the roulades, and some tamarind concentrate in the gravy (to be found in Indian grocery stores) for some earthy and slightly tart flavor.
Anonymous says
I have made Beef Rouladen for many years from a recipe that I was given from a friend from Germany.
Just for kicks I wanted to see if her recipe was authentic and I found this recipe .
So I made this for my daughter for her birthday and the whole family said ‘ I don’t know what you did but this is the best batch of rouladen that you every made . It was delicious. thanks
Christine Umpa says
I’m making this tonight for my German father. One question, when I put the Dutch oven in the oven, do I cover the pan?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Christine, yes, cover the pan. Happy cooking!
Jo says
My husband made this the other night. I was fantastically delicious! Followed the recipe to a T. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Jo, I’m so happy to hear that!
Anna Krall says
This is my go to rouladen recipe and it is cooking in the oven as I type. LOL, I have to do it in two day though. I make such a large batch, many mouths to feed, so I find it less stress to prep one day and cook the next. One thing I like to do is pre cook the bacon. It’s a texture thing for me. I have it chopped small like the pickles and onion and then I weigh it out and divide it up per however many rouladens I have that day. I make extra gravy so I can have it for breakfast soup the next day. So good. I also don’t strain out the veg I just immersion blend it all up. Thanks so much for this recipe!!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much for the feedback, Anna, and I’m so glad it’s become your go-to recipe for Rouladen!