Beef Rouladen
While it may not be a perfectly authentic German rouladen, this dish is pure comfort food—especially on chilly days. The Austrian mother of an ex-boyfriend first taught me to make this simple, flavorful meal back in the 1980s. The combination of mustard and bacon gives the gravy a delicious tang and smokiness that makes it hard to resist.
Recipe Steps
Making this in the electric pressure cooker saves about 30–45 minutes, and it comes out tender and flavorful every single time. Give it a try—I bet your family will be asking for it again and again.
Even though I always loved the flavors, I stopped making this dish for a while because I didn’t own a Dutch oven and was too impatient cooking it on the stovetop. My meat usually turned out a little too chewy. But a few years ago, my husband remembered the dish and asked me to make it again. That’s when I decided to adapt it for the Instant Pot, and I fell back in love with it! The pressure cooker version turns out perfectly tender every time—and in about two-thirds the time.
Assembling the dish
This recipe doesn’t require a long list of ingredients, but it does take a little patience and prep work. Once your onions are sliced, the bacon is cut into pieces, and the meat is sliced into strips, you’re ready to assemble the rouladen. Start by seasoning the meat with salt and pepper, then spread a layer of mustard over each piece. Lay one or two slices of bacon on top, followed by the onions. Finally, roll each piece of meat tightly and secure it with one or two pieces of butcher’s twine. See the video below for a step-by-step look at how it comes together.
Searing the meat
Next, turn on the sauté feature on your Instant Pot and heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Sear each roll on all sides until lightly browned. Once all the rouladen are seared, pour in a small amount of beef broth to deglaze the pot—scraping up any browned bits from the bottom for extra flavor—then turn off the sauté function.
Pressure cooking
Return all the rolls to the pot along with any leftover onions and bacon pieces, then pour in the remaining broth. Close and seal the lid, set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 20 minutes, and allow it to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes once the cook cycle ends. Then turn off the pot.
Finishing the dish
Carefully remove the meat and place it on a dish, covering it to keep warm. Strain the broth into a clean bowl and add any remaining onions and bacon back to the meat.
Follow the gravy instructions below, then serve the rouladen with your favorite roasted vegetables, potatoes, or egg noodles. Enjoy!
Here’s a quick look at how I roll and tie the rouladen — it’s simpler than it looks!
Beef Rouladen (Electric Pressure Cooker)
Equipment
- 1 6 Qt. Electric Pressure Cooker
- Butcher's twine
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. tenderized round steak
- 1 C beef broth
- 1 lb. bacon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 medium yellow onions sliced
- 3 Tbsp. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
- 12 pieces butcher's twine cut into 6" pieces
- 2 Tbsps. avocado oil
Instructions
- Lay the tenderized round steak vertically on a cutting board and cut into thirds horizontally.
- Season the meat with half the salt and pepper, then spread the mustard evenly over each piece.
- Top the mustard-coated meat with onion slices.
- Place 1–2 slices of bacon on top of the onions.
- Set the pre-cut butcher’s twine beside your board. One at a time, roll each meat section tightly, tucking in any bacon or onions that stick out. Tie one piece of twine around each end of the roll to secure.
- Press the Sauté button on your electric pressure cooker. Once the display reads HOT, add 2 Tbsp avocado oil. Let it heat for 15 seconds, then add the rouladen and sear on all sides. (If you have leftover bacon or onions, add them to the pot as well for extra flavor.)
- Remove the seared rouladen and set aside on a plate. Pour a couple ounces of beef broth into the pot and deglaze by scraping the browned bits from the bottom. This adds flavor to the gravy and prevents burning. Once deglazed, add the remaining broth and return the rouladen (and any juices from the plate) to the pot.
- Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release any remaining steam. The meat should be fork-tender.
- Remove the rouladen, place on a clean plate, and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a bowl, then return the strained juices to the pot to make gravy.
- In a small bowl, whisk ½ cup of the hot juices with 3 Tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch). Cancel Keep Warm, then press Sauté again. Whisk the mixture into the pot and bring it to a gentle boil to thicken.If the gravy is too thin, mix another small batch of arrowroot slurry and add more. If it’s too thick, thin it with extra broth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve the rouladen warm with your favorite sides—egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or roasted vegetables.I served mine with garlic mashed potatoes and Parmesan air-fried carrots. Enjoy!
Notes
Originally, I learned to make rouladen on the stovetop. To achieve fork-tender meat, it needs about 90 minutes of simmering. You can also start it in a Dutch oven on the stove and finish in a preheated 325°F oven for 90 minutes. Storage Tip:
Store leftover rouladen and gravy in separate containers for best texture and flavor.
Beef Rouladen (Electric Pressure Cooker)
Equipment
- 1 6 Qt. Electric Pressure Cooker
- Butcher's twine
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. tenderized round steak
- 1 C beef broth
- 1 lb. bacon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 medium yellow onions sliced
- 3 Tbsp. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
- 12 pieces butcher's twine cut into 6" pieces
- 2 Tbsps. avocado oil
Instructions
- Lay the tenderized round steak vertically on a cutting board and cut into thirds horizontally.
- Season the meat with half the salt and pepper, then spread the mustard evenly over each piece.
- Top the mustard-coated meat with onion slices.
- Place 1–2 slices of bacon on top of the onions.
- Set the pre-cut butcher’s twine beside your board. One at a time, roll each meat section tightly, tucking in any bacon or onions that stick out. Tie one piece of twine around each end of the roll to secure.
- Press the Sauté button on your electric pressure cooker. Once the display reads HOT, add 2 Tbsp avocado oil. Let it heat for 15 seconds, then add the rouladen and sear on all sides. (If you have leftover bacon or onions, add them to the pot as well for extra flavor.)
- Remove the seared rouladen and set aside on a plate. Pour a couple ounces of beef broth into the pot and deglaze by scraping the browned bits from the bottom. This adds flavor to the gravy and prevents burning. Once deglazed, add the remaining broth and return the rouladen (and any juices from the plate) to the pot.
- Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release any remaining steam. The meat should be fork-tender.
- Remove the rouladen, place on a clean plate, and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a bowl, then return the strained juices to the pot to make gravy.
- In a small bowl, whisk ½ cup of the hot juices with 3 Tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch). Cancel Keep Warm, then press Sauté again. Whisk the mixture into the pot and bring it to a gentle boil to thicken.If the gravy is too thin, mix another small batch of arrowroot slurry and add more. If it’s too thick, thin it with extra broth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve the rouladen warm with your favorite sides—egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or roasted vegetables.I served mine with garlic mashed potatoes and Parmesan air-fried carrots. Enjoy!
Notes
Originally, I learned to make rouladen on the stovetop. To achieve fork-tender meat, it needs about 90 minutes of simmering. You can also start it in a Dutch oven on the stove and finish in a preheated 325°F oven for 90 minutes. Storage Tip:
Store leftover rouladen and gravy in separate containers for best texture and flavor.
Victoria Cook
Victoria is a passionate home cook who became the host and chef of over 100 episodes of a private cooking show tailored for wellness practitioners and their patients. With a love for ethnic cuisines, she enjoys using a variety of spices and fresh ingredients to create flavorful, healthy meals for her husband and son. Always up for a culinary challenge, Victoria finds joy in experimenting with new recipes—and if she can whip them up in an electric pressure cooker, she’s even happier.
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