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Rouladen

Name: Rouladen
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 105 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 thin slices beef chuck or round (about 1 1/2 lb total); 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp paprika; 4 tsp mustard; 8 oz bacon, thinly sliced; 2 small onions, one sliced for filling, one chopped for the gravy; 4 gherkins, cut into strips; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 3 cups beef broth; 1 carrot, chopped; 1 celery stalk, chopped; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Thin beef slices rolled around mustard, bacon, onion, and pickle, then braised into tenderness in a rich, dark gravy — the quintessential German Sunday dinner.

⏱ 30 minPrep time

🔥 1 hr 45 minCook time

🍽 4Servings

🏷 DinnerCategory

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Rouladen — beef rolls with a savory heart of mustard, bacon, onions and pickles — are the ultimate German family-dinner centerpiece. Braised until spoon-tender in a rich brown gravy, they fill the house with a smell that means Sunday.

Every household guards its own filling ratios, but the ritual is universal: roll, tie, brown, braise. Serve with potato dumplings, spaetzle or red cabbage to mop up every last bit of sauce.

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Step by stepInstructions

Pound the beef slices to an even 1/4 inch. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.
Spread each slice with mustard and cover with bacon, onion slices and pickle strips.
Roll up tightly and secure with toothpicks or twine.
Brown the rolls well on all sides in the hot oil.
Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery, and cook 5 minutes.
Pour in the broth, cover and braise gently 1 1/2 hours until tender.
Remove the rolls; leave the vegetables in the sauce. Whisk the flour with cold water and stir in to thicken the gravy; simmer 5 minutes.
Serve the rolls with gravy over spaetzle or with potato dumplings.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Browning the rolls deeply builds the gravy's color and flavor — take your time at this step. Leftover gravy is gold; freeze it for the next pot roast.

Recipe details

Prep30 min

Cook1 hr 45 min

Servings4

CategoryDinner

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Rouladen

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Rouladen

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