Traditional German Rouladen

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Last Updated on September 5, 2025 by Kiersten

This German rouladen is one of our favorite weekday dinners when time is of the essence. I make the beef rolls ahead of time and leave them in the fridge until I’m ready to sear and bake.

This is one of those recipes that I make on nights when I don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. Even better, you can prepare the beef rolls a day or two ahead of time and pull them out when you’re ready to bake.

If you have a cast-iron pan, it is an easy one-dish meal where you sear the rolls in the pan to brown them, then cover with foil and bake for 90 minutes.

Traditional rouladen is usually made with thin slices of beef layered with mustard, bacon, onions, and pickles, then rolled up and slowly braised until tender.

Here’s the thing…my husband hates pickles. I mean truly cannot stand the taste or smell of them. So while they’re traditional and definitely included in the ingredients list, I leave them out when I make it for our family. And it’s still absolutely delicious. Rich, savory, and comforting in all the right ways.

Using Venison Instead of Beef

If you’ve got fresh venison from a recent hunt, you can absolutely use it in place of the beef.

Slice the backstrap or top round thinly to about ¼ inch and give it a quick pound so it rolls up easily.

Venison is leaner so it cooks a little faster, but the flavor is rich and earthy and works beautifully with the mustard, onions, and bacon. Everything else stays the same: fill it, roll it, brown it, and let it braise low and slow in the gravy until tender. 

Traditional German Rouladen

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 pounds top round steak, thin cut
• 1 medium onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 pound of bacon
• 1 jar dill pickle slices (optional)
• German or stone-ground mustard
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• Wooden toothpicks

For the Gravy:

• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons corn starch

Instructions:

1. If your meat is not already sliced, cut into pieces about 4″ wide and 1/4″ thick.
2. Spread about one tablespoon of mustard on each piece.
3. Place a strip of bacon over the mustard running down the length of each piece of beef.
4. Add a few pieces of sliced onion horizontally on the beef, and a pickle if using.
5. Starting at the busy end with the onions and pickle (if using), begin rolling the beef, taking care to keep all the contents inside. Secure with a wooden toothpick.
6. If you are making these ahead and the ingredients are fresh, you can store the uncooked beef rolls in an airtight container for 3 or 4 days without a problem.
7. If you are cooking right away, preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, heat a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. If you don’t have one, you can use a regular skillet and transfer the seared rolls to a casserole dish for baking.
8. Add the butter and olive oil to the skillet. Sear the beef rolls on all sides until well browned. This usually takes about 8 minutes or so.
9. Pour the beef broth into the pan. If the pan can’t go into the oven, pour the broth into the baking dish and transfer the rolls into the broth.
10. Cover them with aluminum foil or a lid, if one is available.
11. Bake in the oven for 90 minutes.
12. When the rolls are done, remove them to a dish.
13. Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water, then whisk it into the broth/drippings. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the dish and allow the gravy to thicken.
14. Serve immediately with homemade spätzle or egg noodles, warm red cabbage, and fresh rye bread for the ultimate German dinner.

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