➤ by Oma Gerhild Fulson
This traditional German beef Rouladen recipe, aka beef rolls, steak rolls or beef birds, served with potato dumplings and red cabbage is my most cherished German food from my childhood and still our very favorite.
What could be better than to serve this as your traditional German Christmas food or other holidays or birthdays ... or anytime you have something special to celebrate?
What's better than to have a special feast meal that is actually quite easy to make? On top of that, there are so many versions of this braised beef Rouladen recipe, that it is easy to find one that matches your tastes and favorite method.
One major difference is in the ingredients that the Rouladen are filled with. The differences stem from the different regions of Germany.
This actually makes it possible to have many traditional recipes for Rouladen that are so different from each other, meaning you can find one with a stuffing that matches your German food tastebuds.
Then, there are four different methods for making these stuffed beef rolls. I grew up with my Mutti making them on the stove top. As years went by and Mutti got her first slow cooker, that became her favorite way of making them.
In Germany, the most popular ways are using a pressure cooker or the oven. Each method has its following. I vary between all four of them, depending on the situation and how much time I have.
My favorite? I think it would be pressure cooker if I'm making just a few ('cause they are so tender and moist) and the stove top for making enough for the whole family.
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Prep all your ingredients, pound your beef, season it and spread mustard on it (if using).
Then distribute the fillings over the top.
Above, I've used metal skewers (the kind sold to truss poultry) to fasten my rouladen, a bit of a fiddly job. You can also use wooden picks, kitchen twine, and, of course, the popular rouladen clamps.
Always brown your meat in small batches. For the large lot I was making in these photos, I did this in three batches.
When all are nicely browned, add a bit of water to scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the saucepan and then return all the rouladen to the saucepan.
Add the liquid, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer till tender.
These rouladen are done. Tender and almost ready to serve. Remove to a warm plate and carefully remove the skewers, or whatever you used to hold them together. Cover and keep warm.
Then, make that gravy. (If these beef rolls need to be gluten free, make sure your cornstarch doesn't have any flour in it.)
The gravy is really the best part of this dish ... well, along with the meat. Once done, you're ready to serve.
Absolutely! In fact, I usually make extra Rouladen, just to have leftovers. Just make sure your meat rolls are covered in gravy in the container.
To reheat Rouladen, you can place them in 350-degree oven, covered, until hot, about 30 minutes. You can also microwave them or just put them, thawed, into a saucepan and gently bring to a simmer. Simmer until heated through.
Instead of using bacon strips, she put a slice of Black Forest ham down the length of the rouladen. A delicious variation on the traditional recipe, one I'll be doing often.
Yes, it's easy to make Rouladen with your pressure cooker. The result is a quicker meal and it's fork-tender always. I use my Instant Pot pressure cooker, but any will do.
Check out the recipe right here.
Does your budget say "too expensive" to make these German rouladen often? Want something a bit easier for everyday?
Try my own flatladen recipe. Created by me for my boys. We ALL love it! Same great rouladen and gravy taste without all the work or expense.
This German beef Rouladen recipe, served with potato dumplings and red cabbage, is my most cherished German food from my childhood and still our very favorite.
What could be better than to serve this as your traditional German Christmas food or other holidays or birthdays ... or anytime you have something special to celebrate? What's better than to have a special feast meal that is actually quite easy to make?
Prep Time
30 minutes |
Cook Time
2 hours |
Total Time2.5 hours |
Makes 6 servings
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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com
03.11.2021 revision update
Copy and paste the above ingredient list and the number of servings into Calorie Count for an approximate calculation.
Make it easier to convert between cups and grams, etc. Use this site to give you all the different conversions for the different types of ingredients.
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Wanting to know about different cuts of beef? Check out this post.
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Pop right over to my private Facebook group, the Kaffeeklatschers. You'll find thousands of German foodies, all eager to help and to talk about all things German, especially these yummy foods.
I pop in all the time as well, to chat and to answer questions.
Meet with us around Oma's table, pull up a chair, grab a coffee and a piece of Apfelstrudel, and enjoy the visit.
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This German apple cake always looks amazing and tastes scrumptious! So quick and easy to make, it's just like Oma's versunkener Apfelkuchen served fresh from the oven.
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For the full recipe, scroll up ...
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