Beef Rouladen Recipe: Easy German Comfort Food

This beef rouladen recipe is a classic German dish. Thin steak is rolled around mustard, bacon, and pickles. Then it is browned in a skillet and braised until fork tender. A savory pickle gravy finishes the job.

This meal became a tradition at our house. It is a welcome change of pace from the usual routine. Best of all, it is easy to prepare. It braises on the stovetop, so you skip hours of oven roasting. Your family will thank you.

What Does “Rouladen” Mean?

The word comes from the French rouler, meaning “to roll.” A roulade is any rolled meat dish. Rouladen is the German plural.

Here, thin round steak gets a thick coat of mustard. It is wrapped around bacon and dill pickle. Then it simmers low and slow in pickle juice. The gravy is the star, so serve it with something that soaks it up.

Beef Rouladen Recipe

Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 90 minutes | Total: 2 hours | Serves: 4

Equipment

• Large, deep skillet with a tight lid
• Meat mallet or heavy rolling pin
• Toothpicks
• Tongs
• Large spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Shallow dish for the flour
• Small mixing bowl

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. round steak, cut into 4 to 6 pieces
• 3 to 4 Tbsp. mustard (grab your favorite)
• 4 to 6 slices lean bacon, one per roll
• 10 to 15 pickle spears, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup dill pickle juice, plus more as needed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. pickle juice, for the cornstarch slurry

Instructions

1. Cut the round steak into 4 to 6 pieces. Pound each piece to 1/4 inch thick. (We’re fortunate. Our butcher sells round steak already sliced for rouladen.)
2. Lay a piece of beef on a cutting board. Spread on a thin coat of mustard. Top it with a slice of bacon.
3. Place pickle slices along one short end. Roll the beef up tightly around the pickles. Secure each roll with toothpicks.
4. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge each roll in the mixture.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the rolls on all sides. Pour off the fat.
6. Add the water, pickle juice, and bay leaf. Cover tightly. Simmer on low for 90 minutes.
7. Check the pan at 45 minutes. If the liquid cooks down, add another quarter cup each of water and pickle juice.
8. Move the rolls to a serving platter. Pull out the toothpicks. Fish out the bay leaf.
9. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of pickle juice until smooth.
10. Stir the slurry into the liquid in the skillet. Heat until bubbling and thick, about one to two minutes.
11. Spoon the gravy over the rouladen. Save some for your sides.

Note: In our video, we made only two servings. To do the same, cut everything in half.

What to Serve With Rouladen

Red cabbage and spätzle are the traditional partners. The spätzle soaks up every drop of gravy. Add a loaf of good dark rye bread and a cold beer. That is a meal worth sitting down for.

Not a fan of cabbage or spätzle? Mashed potatoes and roasted root veggies work great too. Guten Appetit!

Tips for Better Rouladen

• Pound evenly. Thin, even steak rolls easily and cooks at the same rate.
• Do not overstuff. Too many pickles makes the rolls burst open.
• Roll tight. Tight rolls hold together during the braise.
• Keep the heat low. A hard boil makes lean round steak tough.
• Pull the toothpicks. Count them going in and coming out. Nobody wants a surprise at dinner.
• Mind the salt. Bacon and pickle juice are already salty. Taste the gravy before adding more.

Leftovers and Storage

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking. They keep for three to four days in an airtight container. Store them in the gravy so they stay moist.

Reheat gently in a covered skillet until steaming hot, 165°F. Rouladen also freezes well in its gravy for up to three months.

Questions About Rouladen

Can I use a different cut of beef? Top round is a common choice. Ask your butcher to slice it thin for rouladen. That saves you the pounding.

Can I add onion? Yes. Many German cooks roll thin onion strips in with the pickles. It adds sweetness.

Is it gluten free? Not as written, because of the flour. Swap in a gluten-free flour blend for dredging. Check your mustard label too.

Give this beef rouladen recipe a try on a chilly evening. It tastes like it took all day, but the work is easy.

Instructions:

Cut the round steak into 4 to 6 pieces. Pound each piece to 1/4 inch thick. (We’re fortunate. Our butcher sells round steak already sliced for rouladen.)

Lay a piece of beef on a cutting board. Spread on a thin coat of mustard. Top it with a slice of bacon.

Place pickle slices along one short end. Roll the beef up tightly around the pickles. Secure each roll with toothpicks.

1. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge each roll in the mixture.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the rolls on all sides. Pour off the fat.

Stir the slurry into the liquid in the skillet. Heat until bubbling and thick, about one to two minutes. Add the water, pickle juice, and bay leaf. Cover tightly. Simmer on low for 90 minutes. Check the pan at 45 minutes. If the liquid cooks down, add another quarter cup each of water and pickle juice.

Move the rolls to a serving platter. Pull out the toothpicks. Spoon the gravy over the rouladen. Save some for your sides. Fish out the bay leaf.

Note: In our video we made only two servings.

Enjoy.