For a gravy drenched comfort dish with a tangy twist, treat your family to this beef rouladen recipe!
Thin slices of tender steak and bacon are wrapped around dill pickles and slow simmered in gravy for an utterly savory and satisfying meal.
This cozy and comforting dish is sure to become the stuff of family legend!
What is Beef Rouladen
- Beef rouladen is a German classic entree made with slices of lean beef that are spread with mustard, sauteed onion, and bacon slices, then rolled around a dill pickle and slowly braised with vegetables in beef broth until fork tender.
- The flavor combination of beef, bacon, mustard, and dill pickle is unique, and well worth trying! First timers are always pleasantly surprised!
- This easy recipe is perfect for everyday, yet elegant enough for company!
- Delicious and comforting rouladen with gravy tastes best with noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.
- Enjoy with homemade bread so you don’t miss a single drop of that amazing sauce!
- Make ahead! Double the recipe, and freeze half of the rouladens for a future meal.
Ingredients & Variations
Beef – Look for tender, lean cuts, such as inside round or top round that can be sliced into long, thin slices about 3 inches wide and 6 inches long. Ideally, you should not need to pound them, but if you are using skirt or flank steak, you might need to do so, to tenderize the strips.
Bacon – Any kind of thinly sliced, smoked bacon will do. Hickory smoked bacon is perfect for this dish.
Mustard – Ideally, spicy hot German mustard should be used. You can also use Dijon, or your favorite spicy mustard. Prepared horseradish is another alternative.
Dill pickles – Use whole, deli quality dill pickles for the tangy, briny flavor that will best complement the beefy, smoky richness of this dish. Common variants of this recipe call for sweet pickles or even gherkins. Sliced sandwich pickles are another option that will give a pinwheel effect when you roll them up.
How to Make Beef Rouladen
- Saute the onions in butter until soft, as directed in the recipe below.
- Lay out the strips of beef and spread with mustard, then layer with a strip of bacon and top with onion.
- Place a whole dill pickle on one end and roll up the meat and secure with a toothpick.
- Sear the roulades in a Dutch oven on the stovetop.
- Cover and oven roast with beef broth and carrots. Remove the meat and carrots to a serving platter, and cover while you and make a gravy from the pot juices.
Serve hot with the gravy, carrots, and bread and a starchy side dish.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover rouladen tastes even better the next day! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or stovetop with a little beef broth until heated through. Or serve it cold sliced in a sandwich!
Freeze rouladen in stasher, or zippered bags for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, and reheat as suggested above.
Best Beef Entree Ideas!
Have you tried this recipe for Beef Rouladen? Leave a comment and rating below!
Beef Rouladen Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Rouladen:
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 onions
- 1 ½-2 pounds beef rouladen meat , 6 pieces, inside round
- 3-4 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 6 dill pickles
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- ½ cup pickle juice
- 1 ½ cups beef broth , possibly slightly more or less depending on pan size
- 6 dill pickles , optional
- 3 carrot , peeled and halved (optional)
Gravy:
- 1 can mushrooms , with juice
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons water , or broth
- salt , to taste
- freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- In a Dutch oven or skillet, melt butter and fry onions on medium low, until soft and slightly browned, about 5-6 minutes.
- Lay beef rouladen out on work surface (Cover the workspace with plastic wrap to help with cleanup).
- Spread mustard over entire beef rouladen. Top with a piece of bacon and fried onions.
- Add a pickle to one end and roll each rouladen up tightly. Add toothpicks to secure.
- In a Dutch oven or skillet, melt butter on medium heat and brown rouladen on all sides in two batches. Add all browned rouladen to Dutch oven or a roasting pan. Add pickle juice* and enough beef broth to cover rouladen about two thirds of the way up. Add pickles and carrots if desired.
- Cover** and roast 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, until beef is tender, turning rouladen over after 1 hour (if desired).
- Remove rouladen (and pickles and carrots) from pan and cover until gravy is ready. Remove toothpicks before serving. Serve with elbow macaroni, rice, or mashed potatoes along with the vegetables and gravy.
Gravy:
- Add mushrooms and juice to pan and heat on medium high, scraping brown bits on the bottom and sides of the pan, until boiling.
- Create a slurry with the cornstarch and water. While whisking the juices in the pan, slowly add the slurry until the gravy reaches desired consistency. Add additional beef broth and pickle juice as desired to make extra gravy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- *If you fried the onions and rouladen in a frying pan, add the pickle juice to the frying pan and scrape up the bits with a wooden spoon before adding to the roasting pan for the best flavor.
**If using a roasting pan (other than a Dutch oven), I recommend using parchment paper under your lid or foil paper.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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Never thought of adding extra pickles and carrots while it bakes! I will have to try that next time! Such an easy meal to make. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Shauna! We love the extras on the side. Enjoy it!
OMG. Those look better then mine have some in the freezer will make tomorrow good job
Thank you Irene :). Rouladen is a favorite of ours!