Rinderrouladen is a traditional German dish, that is popular as a Sunday dinner or Christmas dish. Served with red cabbage, potato dumplings, or spätzle, they are always a winner. There are numerous of variations beef rouladen recipes in Germany. With my authentic family recipe, you can make and enjoy it at home.
By popular demand, this reader-favorite recipe made it into my debut cookbook, German Kitchen-Classic Dishes!
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What is Beef Rouladen?
Beef Rouladen is a traditional dish from Germany, Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic. For this recipe, thin slices of beef are seasoned with salt, pepper, and mustard (affiliate link). Then they are filled with bacon, onions, and pickled gherkins (affiliate link) and rolled up. These German meat rolls are then secured with kitchen twine or toothpicks. After being briefly fried, they are stewed with vegetables and stock.
Beef Roulade in German is Rinderroulade. "Rind" is the word beef in German. So Rindergulasch is Beefgoulash and Rindersteak: Beefsteak. "Roulade" described dishes that are "rolled up". The term is not limited to savory dishes but could also describe a cake. It was established in the 18th or 19th century and is derived from the French word rouler - to roll.
How to make Rinderrouladen
Equipment needed:
- meat mallet (affiliate link)
- kitchen yarn or toothpicks
- a large saucepan
Ingredients:
- beef *see notes below
- cornichons - or use dill pickles, but then you have to slice them thinly.
- mustard (affiliate link) - ideally German mustard (affiliate link) but Dijon mustard (affiliate link) will do
- slices of bacon - go for the thinly sliced bacon. In Germany, you would use Speck. Streaky bacon/ side pork bacon might be best.
- vegetable oil (use a neutral oil such as rapeseed or sunflower oil). In Germany you would use Butterschmalz, so add a tablespoon of butter to the oil if you like the buttery taste.
What cut of beef for German Rouladen?
In the US the best cuts of beef for rouladen are top-round steaks, although flank steaks also work well.
In Britain, they are called topside or silverside cuts. They are lean beef joints. Ask your butcher to cut them into approx ½-1 cm thick slices. (They should be less than ½ inch thick)
For the sauce
- vegetable oil
- Vegetables (leek, carrots, onions, garlic -these are traditional German soup greens )
- dry red wine - use a wine that you also would be willing to drink. German Dornfelder, pinot noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon work well.
- tomato paste
- cranberry sauce (affiliate link) - they give the sauce some a little sweetness and are a nice contrast to the sour pickles.
- Beef broth/stock work well.
- thyme
- bay leaf
Easy Beef Rouladen Recipe- Step by Step
How to roll the roulade
- Start by slicing the cornichons into thin strips. Peel the onions, half them, and slice them into thin stripes. Place each beef slice between two sheets of plastic. Now pound them with the flat side of the meat mallet (affiliate link) or the bottom of a heavy saucepan. This will make them easier to roll up later.
- Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Spread a teaspoon of mustard (affiliate link) on each slice. Place a slice of bacon on top. Now alternatively add the cornichons and onion slices. Make sure you leave a 2 cm edge (if possible).
- Roll your beef roulade. First, fold the edges of the long side of your roulade. This will prevent the contents from falling out while cooking. Then roll it up for the short side. (If the cut of the meat is too narrow, then skip the step of folding the long side).
- Secure them with some kitchen yarn. I like to wrap mine like presents. (see image) Alternatively, you can secure them with toothpicks or pickle spears.
- If you are using an oven, preheat it now to 180°C/356°F fan-assisted heat.
- Heat the oil and sear the rouladen on all sides on medium-high heat. This will release the roasting flavors. If you are making a lot of rouladen, fry them in small batches). Then remove from the pan.
- Peel the carrot and onion and roughly cube. Slice the leek into thin rings. Peel and finely slice the garlic.
- In the same pan that you fried the beef in, heat the additional tablespoon of oil. Fry the vegetables on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and fry for a further minute. Now deglaze the vegetables with 300 ml red wine. Boil until the liquid has reduced to half and then add another portion of red wine. Add the thyme and bay leaves and 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce (affiliate link).
- Now place the roulade back into the saucepan. Pour over the beef broth. The rouladen should just be covered with the liquid.
Choose one of the following 3 options to cook your rouladen:
In the oven
Place in the oven and cook for approximately 90 minutes. Check every 30 minutes. Turn the roulade so each side will be cooked in the sauce. Top up the sauce each time with the remaining wine.
On the hob
Cook the rouladen on low to medium heat for approximately 90 min. Check every 30 minutes. Turn the roulade so each side is cooked in the sauce. Top up the sauce each time with the remaining wine.
In a slowcooker / crock pot
Place the rouladen in your slow cooker (affiliate link) and add the lid. Cook it for 7-8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Turn the roulade so that each side will be cooked in the sauce. Check that the rouladen are still submerged in liquid every hour. If you need to add more liquid, add beef broth, not red wine, as the alcohol does not get cooked off in the slow cooker (affiliate link) that well.
After the cooking time
After the cooking time, try one of the rouladen. If the meat is still tough then cook for another 15 to 30 minutes. If they are done, remove them from the pot and keep them warm.
To make the sauce
10. Remove the bay leaves from the vegetable. With an immersion-stick blend the vegetables into a thick rouladen gravy. Taste and add more cranberry sauce (affiliate link) to sweeten if desired. Those who find it a little too sweet can add a tablespoon of gherkin water/pickle juice from the cornichon jar. Season with salt and pepper.
Sides Dishes for Rouladen
The two classic side dishes for rouladen are potato dumplings (Kartoffelknödel). They are great for soaking up the sauce. You can also use a variation of these and try Semmelknödel or Serviettenknödel (bread dumplings).
Other starchy sides include Spaetzle, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
German Red Cabbage is another traditional roulade side. You can adjust its flavoring so it complements the flavor of the sauce.
Storage Instructions
You can store your beef rouladen in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Make ahead
These beef rolls are great to prepare the day before. You can just reheat them in the oven at a low temperature, ready for your guests.
Can you freeze Rouladen?
You can freeze rouladen, cooked or uncooked. If you freeze them cooked, then ensure that they are covered in sauce, as this will make them more tender when defrosted and reheated.
You can also freeze them uncooked but already rolled up. They will last in the freezer for up to three months.
Recipe
Traditional German Beef Rouladen (Rinderrouladen)
Equipment
- 1 meat mallet (affiliate link)
- kitchenyarn
Ingredients
For the beef rouladen
- 4 beef slices sliced about 1 cm, no thicker than ½ inch. UK use topside or sliverside beef. USA use Beef round steaks. about 800 g / 2lb
- 12 cornichons you can replace this with dill pickles, but the pickles will need to be sliced in smaller stripes.
- 2 onions (about 200 g / 7 oz)
- 4 teaspoon mustard German mustard (affiliate link) is ideal, otherwise use Dijon mustard (affiliate link).
- 4 slices bacon use streaky bacon.
- 2 tablespoon clarified butter or vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cups (750 ml) beef stock /beef broth
- 1 stick leek
- 2 carrots about 200 gr / 7 oz
- 2 onions about 200 gr / 7 oz
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) red wine dry wine (1.5 cups)
- 2 tablespoon cranberry sauce (affiliate link) and more to adjust the taste later on.
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
Instructions
to make the beef roulade
- Start by slicing the cornichons into thin strips. Peel the onions, half them, and slice them into thin stripes. Place each beef slice between two sheets of plastic. Now pound them with the flat side of the meat mallet (affiliate link) or the bottom of a heavy saucepan. This will make them easier to roll up later.12 cornichons, 2 onions, 4 beef slices
- Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Spread a teaspoon of mustard (affiliate link) on each slice. Place a slice of bacon on top. Now alternatively add the cornichons and onion slices. Make sure you leave a 2 cm edge (if possible).
- Roll your beef roulade. First, fold the edges of the long side of your roulade. This will prevent the contents from falling out while cooking. Then roll it up for the short side. (If the cut of the meat is too narrow, then skip the step of folding the long side).
- Secure them with some kitchen yarn. I like to wrap mine like presents. (see image) Alternatively, you can secure them with toothpicks.
- If you are using an oven, preheat it now to 180°C/356°F fan-assisted heat.
- Heat up the oil and on a high heat sear the rouladen on all sides. This will release the roasting flavors. If you are making a lot of rouladen, fry them in small batches). Then remove from the pan.2 tablespoon clarified butter
- Peel the carrot and onion and roughly cube. Slice the leek into thin rings. Peel and finely slice the garlic.1 stick leek, 2 carrots, 2 onions, 2 cloves garlic
- In the same pan that you fried the beef in, heat the additional tablespoon of oil. Fry the vegetables on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and fry for a further minute. Now deglaze the vegetables with the red wine. Boil until the liquid has reduced to half. Add the thyme and bay leaves and 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce (affiliate link).1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 ½ cups red wine, 2 tablespoon cranberry sauce (affiliate link), 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Now place the rouladen back into the saucepan. Pour over the beef broth. The rouladen should just be covered with the liquid. Choose one of the following 3 options to cook your rouladen:3 cups beef stock /beef broth
In the oven
- Place in the oven and cook for approximately 90 minutes. Check every 30 minutes. Turn the roulade so each side will be cooked in the sauce. Top up the sauce each time with the either more wine or broth, if you find the sauce reduces too much.
On the hob
- Cook the rouladen on a low to medium heat for approximatley 90 min Check every 30 minutes . Turn the roulade so it each side will be cooked in the sauce. Top up the sauce each time with the either more wine or broth, if you find the sauce reduces too much.
In a slowcooker / crock pot
- Place the rouladen in your slow cooker (affiliate link) and add the lid. Cook it for 7-8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Turn the roulade so that each side will be cooked in the sauce. Check that the rouladen are still submerged in liquid one in a while. If you need to top up with liquid, do not top up with the wine, as it is not hot enough to cook of the alcohol.
To make the sauce
- Remove the bay leaves from the vegetables. With an immersion stick blend the vegetables to a thick sauce. Taste and add more cranberry sauce (affiliate link) to sweeten. Those who find it a little too sweet can add a tablespoon of gherkin water from the cornichon jar. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve
- Serve warm, pour the sauce over the rolladen and serve with potato dumplings, spätzle, and German red cabbage. See main post for more inspiration.
Notes
Storage Instructions
You can store your beef rouladen in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make ahead These beef rolls are great to prepare the day before. You can just reheat them in the oven at a low temperature, ready for your guests.Can you freeze Rouladen?
You can freeze rouladen, cooked or uncooked. If you freeze them cooked, then ensure that they are covered in sauce, as this will make them more tender when defrosted and reheated. You can also freeze them uncooked but already rolled up. They will last in the freezer for up to three months.Nutrition
Love this authentic German recipe?
This is one of 65 traditional dishes featured in my cookbook, German Kitchen-Classic Dishes - all tested, perfected, and handpicked by readers like you!
Oma5Times says
I was always told by my Bavarian mom and relatives in Germany to never pound the rouladin. 🤷🏻♀️
Marita Sinden says
I do not want to disagree with your mom, because mother's always know best. But there are different ways of making it. Pounding the beef before rolling, will make the more easy to roll and more tender as is breaks down the muscle fibres.
Lydia A Pierce says
What alternative to pork bacon could I use? I don’t eat pork.
Marita Sinden says
Hi Lydia, you can just leave the bacon out. I do that sometimes when I don't have any handy. Never get any complaints.
Chris Oram says
Made this three times now, absolutely fantastic.
Thanks Marita.
Marita Sinden says
Thank you Chris! I am glad you enjoy the recipe! Thank you for the feedback
Marion Friedl says
My mom only made them once (before I went veggie, aged 14, in 1985), she rather made Kohlrouladen with mixed ground meat (pork and beef). But I posted this on X (Twitter), Facebook and Quora for my online friends who´re no veggies.
Marita says
Thanks Marion, I appreciate the support. Best Wishes
Marita
peter Ashford says
A lovely recipe Marita, God bless you and your family, have a happy New Year.
Marita says
Thank you Peter! Happy New Year to you too!