German Rouladen Beef Rolls — Instant Pot & Slow Cooker Guide

Craving comforting, homey food that tastes like Oma’s kitchen? These traditional German beef rouladen—thin slices of beef wrapped around mustard, bacon, onion, and pickles—are classic comfort food. Braised until tender and spooned with rich gravy, they pair beautifully with red cabbage and dumplings for a satisfying meal.

Update Notes: Originally published in February 2013 and updated in February 2020 with new photos and recipe tips.

German Beef Rouladen

A layer of mustard, a strip of bacon, a wedge of onion and a baby dill pickle are rolled inside thin-sliced top round (or another suitable cut) and braised until meltingly tender. Finish the dish with a silky gravy and serve with sweet-and-sour red cabbage and your choice of dumplings or potatoes.

The gravy is essential—it’s usually poured over the rouladen to complete the dish. This is hearty, satisfying comfort food that’s straightforward to prepare.

Origin: The word rouladen comes from the French “rouler,” meaning to roll. While roulades can be sweet, this savory version is a German classic.

Ways to make beef rouladen

These rouladen can be made several ways depending on how much time you have: stovetop in a Dutch oven, oven-braised, slow cooker, or pressure-cooked in an Instant Pot. The stovetop and oven methods yield classic results but take longer. An Instant Pot or slow cooker lets you enjoy this meal on a weeknight with less hands-on time.

If braising in the oven, transfer the covered Dutch oven to 350°F and cook about 1½ hours, until the beef is tender. Remember that lids with plastic handles can warp in a hot oven—use a metal-handled lid if possible.

German cuisine is generous and hearty—perfect for sharing. Whether at a restaurant or a street stall, you rarely leave Germany hungry. These rouladen are one of those dishes best saved for weekends or holidays if you follow the slow-method, but with pressure- or slow-cooker options you can enjoy them any time.

What’s in these rouladen?

• Protein: thin-cut beef slices (round steak, topside, or silverside) and bacon.
• Vegetables: onion (wedges for rolling and chopped for gravy), carrot and celery for the sauce.
• Seasonings & spices: mustard (German or yellow), salt, pepper and paprika; bay leaves for braising.
• Fat: butter and a neutral oil for browning.
• Condiments: baby dill pickles and optional sour cream for finishing the gravy.
• Liquids: beef broth and dry red wine (Merlot or similar) to braise and flavor the sauce.

How to make rouladen (overview)

1. Spread thin beef slices with mustard and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place a strip of bacon, an onion wedge and a pickle at one end; roll tightly and secure with toothpicks or kitchen twine.
3. Brown the rouladen on all sides in oil, then remove to a plate.
4. Sauté butter, chopped onion, carrot and celery in the same pot, return the rouladen on top, add beef broth, red wine, bay leaves and paprika.
5. Braise until the beef is tender, remove rouladen, puree and thicken the sauce if needed, stir in sour cream if desired, and serve.

Common questions

What cut of beef should I use? Round steak (rump), chuck or sandwich steak work well. Topside or silverside are economical options. Ask your butcher for thin slices around 1/8–1/4 inch thick if pre-cut slices aren’t available.

How big should the slices be? Aim for pieces roughly the size of your hand or larger (about 6×8 inches) so you can roll them easily. You can serve one large roulade or two smaller ones per person.

What to serve with rouladen? Traditionally served with sweet-and-sour red cabbage (Rotkohl) and bread dumplings (Semmelknödel) or potato dumplings (Kartoffelknödel). Mashed potatoes or German Spätzle are also excellent choices.

Can I make rouladen in a slow cooker? Yes—brown and assemble the rouladen, place chopped vegetables and butter in the slow cooker, arrange rouladen on top, add broth, wine, bay leaves and paprika, then cook on high 3–4 hours or low 6–8 hours.

Can I make them ahead? Absolutely. Rouladen reheats well and often tastes even better the next day. Reheat gently in a 350°F oven rather than the microwave to avoid drying the meat.

Recipe tips

• Arrange ingredients assembly-style so rolling is quick and easy.
• If pickles are thick, halve them lengthwise.
• Use twine if you prefer not to use toothpicks to secure the rouladen.
• Chop vegetables for the gravy uniformly for even cooking and a smooth puree.
• If the gravy is thin, thicken with a cornstarch or flour slurry (mix equal parts with water) and simmer until thickened. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste for a deeper color if desired.

Recipe summary

Hearty traditional beef rouladen with mustard, bacon, onion, and pickles, finished with a rich braising sauce. Options included for Instant Pot, stovetop, oven and slow cooker.

• Yields: 6 servings
• Prep time: 15 mins
• Cook time: varies by method (Instant Pot ~20 minutes pressure, stovetop 45–60 minutes simmer, slow cooker 3–8 hours)
• Calories (approx.): 474 kcal per serving

Equipment

• Meat mallet
• Toothpicks or kitchen twine
• Instant Pot or pressure cooker (optional)
• Immersion blender or food processor for the sauce

Ingredients (serves 6)

For the roll-ups:

• 6 thin-cut beef slices (about 2½ lbs)
• German or yellow mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 6 baby dill pickles
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the gravy:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 cups beef broth
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1–2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon sour cream (optional)

Instructions (overview by method)

Instant Pot

1. Gently pound beef slices thinner with a meat mallet without tearing them.
2. Spread each slice with about 1 teaspoon mustard, season with salt and pepper, top with bacon, an onion wedge and a pickle. Roll tightly and secure with toothpicks.
3. Select Sauté on the Instant Pot and brown the rouladen in oil on all sides, working in batches. Remove to a plate.
4. Add butter and chopped onion, carrot and celery to the pot; sauté until soft. Cancel Sauté.
5. Return rouladen to the pot, pour in broth and wine, add bay leaves and paprika. Seal and cook on Meat/Stew or Manual for 20 minutes.
6. Quick release, remove rouladen, discard toothpicks or twine. Puree the sauce and thicken if needed; stir in sour cream if using. Return rouladen to the sauce until serving.

Stovetop (Dutch oven)

1. Follow the preparation and browning steps above in a Dutch oven.
2. Sauté the chopped vegetables in butter, add rouladen back to the pot with broth, wine, bay leaves and paprika.
3. Cover and simmer over low heat 45–60 minutes until beef is tender. Remove rouladen, puree and thicken the sauce as needed, stir in sour cream and serve.

Slow cooker

1. Brown and assemble rouladen as above.
2. Place butter, onions, carrots and celery in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with roll-ups and pour in broth and wine; add bay leaves and paprika.
3. Cover and cook on high 3–4 hours or low 6–8 hours. Remove rouladen, puree sauce and thicken if necessary, then serve.

Notes

• Line up your fillings assembly-style to make rolling quick and consistent.
• Slice thick pickles lengthwise so they fit neatly inside the rolls.
• Twine is a good alternative to toothpicks for a tidy presentation.
• For a thicker gravy, add a cornstarch or flour slurry and simmer until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.

If you enjoy hearty German recipes, try pairing these rouladen with Rotkohl (red cabbage), Semmelknödel (bread dumplings) or Kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings) for an authentic meal.

Enjoy making these classic beef rouladen—simple to assemble, flexible in cooking method, and delicious reheated the next day.