German Beef Roulades

Name: German Beef Roulades
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 50 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 beef; 2 onion; 1 tablespoon butter; 4-8 pickled cucumbers; 2-3 teaspoons mustard; 4-12 Bacon; salt; black pepper; oil; 2 onion; 2 carrot; 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 cup red wine; 2 cups beef broth; 1 cup water; 1 garlic; 2-3 thyme; salt; black pepper

User Reviews

5

20 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 50 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Servings
4 servings
Calories
716 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
German

German Beef Roulades

Freya Patterson

Report

German Beef Roulades consist of thin beef slices filled with mustard, thin bacon, sautéed onions, and pickled cucumbers, rolled and cooked to tender perfection. Braised in a rich sauce of red wine, beef broth, vegetables, and herbs, these roulades develop deep, savory flavors with a tender texture, typical of this classic German dish.

Description

German Beef Roulades feature thinly sliced beef tenderized and brushed with mustard, then layered with thin bacon strips, golden sautéed onions, and small pickled cucumbers before rolling. The roulades are browned then braised in a savory sauce made from sautéed onions and carrots, tomato paste, red wine, beef broth, herbs, and garlic.

The slow cooking allows the beef to become tender while absorbing the flavors of wine and broth, creating a balanced, hearty dish with hints of tanginess from the pickles and depth from the bacon and mustard. The sauce thickens to coat the roulades and can be served alongside mashed potatoes or spaetzle to complete a traditional meal.

The recipe emphasizes using thin, long beef slices around 8-10 inches long and thin, narrow German bacon for the authentic texture and layering. Mustard adds a bright tang that cuts through the richness, while pickled cucumbers provide a subtle crunch and acidity.

Carefully tenderizing the beef before assembly helps achieve the characteristic soft texture. The roulades can be served with the rich braising sauce, making them a satisfying centerpiece for a family meal.

Share:

I Made This!

2 people made this

Print

118 people printed this

Save this

8 people saved this

Ingredients

Servings

Roulades:

4 beef /rouladen, Note, thin slices
2 onion
1 tablespoon butter
4-8 pickled cucumbers /gherkins, depending on size, small
2-3 teaspoons mustard medium
4-12 Bacon very thin, depending on size, slices
salt fine sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper fine sea salt and freshly ground
oil for brushing

Sauce:

2 onion
2 carrot
1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 garlic large clove
2-3 thyme sprigs
salt fine sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper fine sea salt and freshly ground

Add Ingredients to Grocery List

Recommended Tools for this Recipe

Instructions

Keep Screen Awake

Roulades:

Tenderize meat: Cut two pieces of plastic foil larger than the roulades and brush them with a bit of oil. Lay the roulades one at a time on one of the plastic foil pieces, cover them with the second piece, and tenderize them using a flat object (I used a heavy saucepan with a handle; I “beat” the meat with the bottom of the saucepan). Set the beef slices aside. 4 thin beef slices + some oil for brushing
Saute onions: Peel and halve them, then cut them into thin half circles. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onions until nicely golden. Season with salt and pepper and leave them cool slightly.2 onions + 1 tablespoon butter + fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fill: Brush each roulade with mustard. Place 1-3 very thin bacon pieces on the meat; it depends on how wide the bacon is (Note 2). Divide the onions into four portions and spread one part on each roulade. Place 1-2 small pickled cucumbers at the end of each beef slice.2-3 teaspoons mustard + 4-12 bacon slices + cooked onions + 4-8 small pickled cucumbers
Roll: Fold the long sides of the beef just a little bit over the filling so that it would not come out. Roll the meat starting at the end where the cucumber lies. Fix the roulades by sticking them with a special roulade needle (if you have any) or with a toothpick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides.

Sauce:

Chop the onions and carrots. Set them aside.2 onions + 2 carrots
Brown: Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Brown the roulades on all sides, remove them from the pot, and set them aside.1 tablespoon oil
Saute onions: Place the onions and the carrots in the same pot and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Roux: Add the tomato paste and the sugar and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Add the flour and continue cooking while stirring for another minute or two until the flour is slightly golden.1 tablespoon tomato paste + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Add the red wine little by little (3 or 4 large splashes) and let it reduce before adding the following splash. Finally, add the last splash of wine, the beef broth, and the water, and bring everything to a boil.1 cup red wine/ 230 ml + 2 cups beef broth/ 460 ml + 1 cup water/ 230 ml
Simmer: Place the roulades back into the Dutch oven with the finely chopped garlic clove and the thyme sprigs. Cover, turn the heat down, and simmer for about 1 ¼ hour. Remove the lid during the last 15 minutes of cooking time to allow the sauce to reduce.1 large garlic clove + 2-3 sprigs thyme
Keep warm: Take the roulades out of the sauce, carefully remove the needles or toothpicks and keep them warm.
Cook the sauce down for about 10 minutes. You can leave the vegetables inside and blend the sauce smooth, this will thicken the sauce, but the sauce will not be that fine anymore. For a finer sauce, remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and reduce the sauce to the desired consistency.
Taste and add salt, if necessary. It might not be; it depends on the saltiness of the beef broth. Add pepper.fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Reheat: Place the roulades back into the sauce and heat them again. Serve immediately as suggested above.

Notes

Use thin, long beef slices about 20-25 cm (8-10 inches) and thin German bacon for authentic roulades.
If beef slices are not long enough, layer two slices to reach desired length and tenderize with a meat mallet.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 1roulade Calories 716kcal (36%) Carbohydrates 19g (6%) Protein 63g (126%) Fat 37g (57%) Saturated Fat 13g (65%) Polyunsaturated Fat 19g (112%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 191mg (64%) Sodium 1398mg (58%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 8g (16%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 716 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	1roulade
Calories	716kcal	36%
Carbohydrates	19g	6%
Protein	63g	126%
Fat	37g	57%
Saturated Fat	13g	65%
Polyunsaturated Fat	19g	112%
Trans Fat	1g	50%
Cholesterol	191mg	64%
Sodium	1398mg	58%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	8g	16%