Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (2024)

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Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (1)

by: Gerhild Fulson / Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

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This Rouladen recipe, akaRinderrouladen,is similar to the traditional Rouladen (beef rollups) made throughout Germany, however it calls for a pressure cooker. In my case, it's an Instant Pot.

Pressure cookers,Schnellkochtöpfe, are very commonly used in Germany, however, I haven't had one for years!

These German beef roulades are a great dinner idea for special occasions. Although they do take a bit of time to prepare, the pressure cooker helps speed up the cooking process.

Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (4)

HOWEVER, if you want to have these same flavors in a less expensive and a much quicker recipe, then check out the Flatladen recipe I created.

It has all the flavor of a traditional rouladen recipe, especially the wonderful gravy ... but it's perfect for a week night meal! My family LOVES this!

Grab Oma's TOP 10 favorite German recipes using an Instant Pot (or other brand) inPressure Cooker Recipes:

Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (5)

Take a peek at all Oma's eCookbooks. They make sharing your German heritage a delicious adventure!

How to make Instant Pot Rouladen

Ready? Let's make some Rouladen...

Pound your meat thin, spread with mustard, and get the rest of the ingredients ready.

Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (6)

I find setting things up in an assembly-line style makes everything go faster and easier. Top the thin slices of beef with slices of bacon, pickles, and veggies. Roll up each piece of meat.

Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (7)

You can use either wooden picks or metal skewers to hold your rouladen together. Or, if you are blessed, you'll actually have metal rouladen clips available. Some people like to use a thin kitchen twine or thick thread to hold theirs together.

Whatever way you choose, just make sure you remove them before serving!

Now, you're ready to brown the rouladen in the Instant Pot pressure cooker (or whichever pressure cooker you have).

Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (8)

Make sure you take the time to brown the beef roll-ups. Don't rush this step.

The browning will ensure a wonderful flavor, especially in the gravy. The little bits that stick to the bottom of the pot are the basis for the gravy. The more browned, without burning, the more intense the taste.

Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (9)

Once the meat has browned, and you've added the rest of the ingredients according to the recipe, making sure you have scraped up all those lovely browned bits, you are ready to seal the pressure cooker and set it.

Make sure you always follow the manufacturer's requirements for sealing and setting your cooker. Safety first!

Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (10)

Seal pressure cooker and set to Manual for 20 minutes and use Natural Release.

Yes, it only takes 20 minutes under pressure to cook the rouladen to fork-tenderness. However, for calculating the timing, you also need to add the time for the pressure cooker to come to pressure. Natural Release will also add extra time.

To figure out the total time, you'll need to know your cooker. Those coming-to-pressure times and the Natural-Release times are different depending on the make and model. Your pressure cooker (including the Instant Pot) manual will have those times available for you.

Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (11)

Once the Natural Release has finished, open your pressure cooker, remove the rouladen and set them aside and keep warm. Make the gravy according to the recipe below.

Then you are ready to enjoy absolute fork-tender meat with the most amazing flavor... easy and quick. German perfection!

Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (12)

What to Serve with Rouladen?

If you're wanting a traditional German beef rouladen dinner, there are several side dishes that are a MUST! Of course, there are other ones that also pair perfectly with rouladen and its fabulous gravy.

The Top 10 German Recipes to serve with Rouladen are:

  1. Potato Dumplings
  2. Red Cabbage
  3. Click to see the rest of theTop 10 Side Dishes to serve with Rouladen.

Ready to make this German Rouladen recipe?

Is the recipe below locked?Here'swhy.

Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf

This classic German recipe made in the Instant Pot pressure cooker produces perfect Rouladen (beef rolls) every time.

This is one of our favorite German dishes that we love especially with potato dumplings and red cabbage. But sometimes, I'll make boiled potatoes and baby carrots or mixed veggies, when it needs to go fast. Either way, this is pure comfort food!

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Total Time

60 minutes

Servings:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices top round, about 1 pound (see hints below)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or German mustard
  • 2 slices bacon, cut into strips
  • 2 onions
  • 2 dill pickles or German pickles
  • salt and black pepper
  • olive oil or butter for frying
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 celery rib, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth or water (see hints below)

Instructions:

  1. Season beef slices with salt, paprika, and freshly ground pepper. Thinly spread mustard on top of each slice.
  2. Chop one onion. Cut one carrot into strips. Cut pickle in half lengthwise. Divide chopped onion, carrot strips, pickles, and bacon strips on one end of each roulade.
  3. Roll up slices (think 'burrito'), tucking the ends in and securing with skewers, wooden co*cktail picks, or thread.
  4. Set Instant Pot (IP) to sauté. Once hot, add butter (or oil), about 4 tablespoons. Brown beef well on all sides.
  5. Once the rouladen are browned, remove to a plate. Remove most of the fat from IP.
  6. Slice remaining onion. Add to the IP. Add carrots and celery. Lightly brown vegetables. Add tomato paste.
  7. Add beef broth or water (and wine, see below), stir to scrape up brown bits from bottom of IP.
  8. Return rouladen to IP. Seal pressure cooker and set to Manual for 20 minutes and use Natural Release.
  9. Remove rouladen and keep warm. Set IP to sauté. Make gravy by either blending the cooking liquid with hand blender and thickening with about 1 to 2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in a bit of water. Alternatively, sieve out vegetables and thicken. Or just thicken as is.
  10. Season gravy to taste with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you wish, add sour cream to gravy.
  11. Remove skewers, picks, or thread to serve rouladen with their gravy.

Notes/Hints:

  • Have your local butcher cut beef top round into thin slices, about ⅜ inch thick. Each roulade should measure at least 6 inches by 4 inches. Gently pound meat until it is about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. Be careful not to put holes in meat. The larger the roulade, the easier it is to roll up.
  • Replace ½ cup of the water or broth with red wine.
  • For my traditional rouladen recipe, check outGerman Beef Rouladen.
  • Or, make this slow cooker roast beef that tastes just like rouladen. Use the slow cooker feature on your Instant Pot for this.
  • Take a look at What to Serve with Rouladen.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

04.27.2022 revision update

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Best Instant Pot Rouladen Recipe – Oma's Rouladen im Schnellkochtopf * (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of meat for rouladen? ›

Beef for Rouladen: Use top round roast (sometimes called topside or beef round roast) beef for Rouladen, and more importantly, ask your butcher to cut it for you! You want long thin slices about ¼ inches thick and 6-10 inches long and 4-5 inches wide.

Do you use top or bottom round for rouladen? ›

Top round is perfect for this. It's not the toughest piece of meat, but it has some collagen that will enrich our sauce and lend tenderness to the finished meat roll. You can often find top round thinly sliced and sometimes sold as “beef roulade meat,” but if not, ask your butcher to slice it for you, about 1/8″ thick.

Where did German beef rouladen come from? ›

Rouladen is the German version of the French roulade, which is a roll made with thinly-sliced meat. The German version is interesting in that it probably came from Germans using items they had on hand most of the time – mustard, pickles, onion, and pork – to make something that's unique in its own right.

How to tenderize rouladen? ›

I prefer to roast cook beef rouladen in the oven but it can be covered and gently simmered on the stove for about 45-55 minutes or until tender.

What cut of beef is best for velveting? ›

Because the velveting process is great for tenderizing tough cuts of meat, it works really well on beef cuts like sirloin and flank steak. The cornstarch (or baking soda) and oil mixture used to marinate the meat helps the meat retain moisture while cooking for a more tender, juicy steak.

Can you use the eye of round for rouladen? ›

Buying Beef for Rouladen

In Germany, beef round, a very lean area from the back leg of the cow, is sliced very thinly at the butcher counter for rouladen. In the U.S., however, you will not find this exact cut, so you will need to ask your butcher for a thin cut from the round (eye round, top round, or bottom round).

Which is more tender top round or bottom round beef? ›

The Beef Bottom Round Steak contains muscles which are less tender than the top round muscle. The two muscles of this steak are the eye of the round on the left and the bottom round on the right.

How do you tenderize a bottom round roast? ›

Slow cook it. Tough cuts of meat with lots of connective tissue, like brisket, chuck roast, and bottom round, are some of the best choices for the slow cooker. Cooked low and slow for many hours, the collagen in these tough cuts eventually breaks, leaving you with shreds of tender, juicy meat.

What does Rouladen mean in German? ›

Rouladen is classic German food, with thin slices of beef, rolled up with mustard, onion, bacon and pickle. (Rouladen is based on the word Roulade, meaning “rolled”.)

What is the most popular meat eaten in Germany? ›

Whilst there are regional variations in food culture, most German recipes focus heavily on bread, potatoes, and meat, especially pork, as well as plenty of greens such as types of cabbage and kale. Cake, coffee, and beer are all highly popular elements of German cuisine too - which will be good news to most!

Do you roll a roulade from the long or short side? ›

How to roll a chocolate roulade
  1. While the cake is still warm, roll it up from one short side, using the baking paper as a guide. ...
  2. Once cooled, unroll very gently. ...
  3. Spread the cream over the cake, leaving a 4cm border at one end so it doesn't ooze out.

Why must you leave a gap on the outer edge when filling a roulade? ›

Don't spread filling too thick and don't take it quite up to the edge of the sponge (leave a gap of a couple of centimetres). This will avoid too much squidging out when you roll the cake up again! Roll the filled cake up into a Swiss roll shape again.

What kind of meat is rouladen made from? ›

Rouladen is a popular, super flavorful German recipe made from beef steak stuffed with mustard, pickles, onion, and bacon! Using either your oven, crock pot, or cooktop, it's simmered in reduced wine and broth for roughly 90 minutes.

Which cuts of meat are the most tender? ›

Tenderloin steak and top blade steaks ranked first and second. Top round steak ranked last. Roasts were more tender than steak counterparts.

What meat is the most popular in German cooking? ›

The average annual meat consumption is 59.7 kg (132 lb) per person. The most common varieties are pork, poultry, and beef. Other varieties of meat are widely available, but are considered to be insignificant. Meat is usually braised; fried dishes also exist, but these recipes usually originate from France and Austria.

What is the best cut of beef for a rolled roast? ›

Cuts like a whole eye fillet (aka chateaubriand) are the quickest to cook and the most tender but a rolled scotch roast probably has the best combination of flavour and tenderness.

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