Italian Braciole (Italian Rolled Beef)

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Italian Braciole (Italian Stuffed Steak) is a traditional Italian dish that consists of thin slices of meat that are rolled up with a filling of cheese, bread crumbs, herbs, and sometimes prosciutto. The meat rolls are then cooked in a tomato sauce until tender. Braciole can be made with beef, veal, or pork, and are often served with pasta or polenta.

Italian Braciole with tomato sauce on a white plate.

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Different Varieties of this Dish

Any type of stuffed meat can be a braciole. There are many different ones depending on the region in Italy where it is made. Some common variations of braciole include braciola di maiale (pork braciole), braciola di vitello (veal braciole), and braciola di pesce (fish braciole).

The concept is the same, regardless of where it’s made. Thin slices of meat stuffed with cheese and other things like breadcrumb filling, cured meat, herbs and more and slow cooked. We like it braised in a tomato sauce all day.

This dish gained popular after the popular show Everybody Loves Raymond featured it. But, I’ve been making it for years, since it was my dad’s favorite meal. It’s so good that I think it’s going to be a regular on your dinner table too.

Why This Beef Braciole Recipe is a Keeper

You have to try this recipe. Every family has their own variation on this Sunday dinner. You can make braciole with your own cut of beef and your favorite filling.

  • Easy Ingredients: All found in pantry or fridge.
  • Family Friendly: This is pure comfort food that the whole family loves.
  • Adaptable: Can make it with different cuts of meat and an array of fillings.

If you’re looking for more beef recipes, try these Slow Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce, Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole and Ground Beef Bulgogi.

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What Cut of Meat can you use to make this dish?

Italian braciole in tomato sauce cooked in a skillet.

Really it depends on the type of meat your family likes and what you have o hand however some good examples are: top Round, flank steak, skirt steak or sirloin.

Ingredient Notes for Italian Braciole Beef Recipe

Sauce, meat and cheese.

Use flank steak or whatever your family used. I’ve made this dish with my grandmother and father. Your family may make it different and that is great but this is the tradition in my family and I can’t wait to try variations that you may suggest.

  • Round steaks: Thinly sliced. The key to this recipe is to have it thinly sliced or pound thin.
  • Parmesan cheese: Try using a variety of different cheeses.
  • Dried Italian seasoning: You can make your own blend but this is a favorite.
  • Marinara sauce: You can use your own pasta sauce recipe or here is our favorite recipe.

See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

Variations and Substitutions to Make Beef Braciole

This is a delicious recipe, you will love braciole and serve it often. Just like how your mom made.

  • Ingredient variation: Breadcrumbs, or use your favorite stuffing recipe.
  • Ingredient substitution: Hard boiled eggs inside the rolled meat.
  • Cooking variation: Make in the slow cooker or instant pot if you like.

Special Equipment Needed

Of course, you can secure the beef with a toothpick or you can use cooking twine in this great recipe.

  • Cooking Twine: This will keep all that delectable stuffing in the roll.
  • Meat Mallet: Make the meat even for best cooking. This recipe is best when made with thin beef.

How to Make Authentic Italian Beef Braciole in Pasta Sauce

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These are the basic steps for making braciola  . Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.

An authentic Italian Braciole dish featuring a succulent cut of meat and aromatic herbs beautifully presented on a simple white plate.

STEP 1: Prepare the Meat

First, pound steaks to ¼ thickness with a meat tenderizer, if not already sliced thin. Lay the flank steak out and season both sides of the beef with salt and pepper.

STEP 2: Make the Filling

Next, in a large bowl, mix bread, garlic, onion, parsley, cheese, seasoning, salt and pepper. Then add water one tablespoon at a time until the cheese and bread crumbs are moistened and sticks together but does not become too wet.

STEP 3: Stuff Braciole Rolls

Place a thin layer of bread mixture on the entire steak, leaving ½ inch border on each side. Then roll steak and filling like an egg roll – fold one end over about 1 inch. Then fold in sides, about ½ inch, and continue to roll, being careful fold in the sides as you go. Next, tie the rolls up (like a package) using kitchen string.

Meat cooked in a pan with tomatoes.

STEP 4: Add the Sauce and Braise, Cover and Cook

Next, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Quickly brown steak rolls – ensuring they are browned on all sides. When steak is browned, transfer to large pot and cover steak rolls with your favorite marinara sauce.

STEP 5: Simmered in a Tomato Sauce

Finally, the steak rolls should be put in sauce to cook. Cook covered over low heat for at least 2 hours.

Transfer to a plate and remove any strings before serving. We like to spoon sauce overtop when serving.

To reheat, I like to add red sauce to a saucepan and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes or until warm.

Recipe FAQs for this Traditional Italian American Braciole Recipe

Braciole is an Italian-style roulade, a rolled and stuffed meat. It is also called involtini, or bruciuluni in Sicilian.)

There are several possible reasons why your braciole might be tough, such as:

  • The beef slices were too thick or not pounded enough. 
  • The cooking time was too short or the temperature was too high. 
  • The quality of the beef was poor or the cut was wrong. 

Store the rolled stuffed steak and sauce covered in plastic for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.  Braciole will freeze well covered in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

An Italian plate of Braciole, a delicious dish consisting of meat and sauce.

Expert Tips for Making This Italian Braciole Recipe

Every region has their own twist on this recipe you can add pine nuts and raisins, you can have stuffed with cheese for a southern italian dish to the thin slices of beef.

  • Variety: For a variation on this recipe, you can use a slice of proscuitto, ½ slice of provolone cheese and a teaspoonful of ricotta cheese in lieu of the bread filling.
  • Breadcrumbs: You can use a breadcrumb mixture in place of the bread mixture.
  • Additions: Feel free to add raisins or pine nuts or a slice of prosciutto in this dish.
  • Wine: you can add a little dry red wine, white wine or beef broth when you braise the braciole meat.
  • Instead of Beef: Use venison, pork or even chicken.
Italian Braciole with tomato sauce on a white plate.
5 from 25 votes

Italian Braciole (Italian Rolled Beef)

Yield: 4 servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 15 minutes
Total: 2 hours 45 minutes
Italian Braciole (Italian Stuffed Steak) is a traditional Italian dish that consists of thin slices of meat that are rolled up with a filling of cheese, bread crumbs, herbs, and sometimes prosciutto. The meat rolls are then cooked in a tomato sauce until tender. Braciole can be made with beef, veal, or pork, and are often served with pasta or polenta.
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Ingredients

  • 8 Top round steaks, thinly sliced
  • 10 slices Bread, cut into 1” cubes
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • ½ Onion, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons Parsley, minced
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Pepper
  • 6 tablespoons Water
  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil
  • 28 ounces Marinara sauce

Instructions

  • Pound steaks to ¼ thickness, if not already sliced thin.
  • Season both sides of the beef with salt and pepper.
  • In a large bowl, mix bread, garlic, onion, parsley, cheese, seasoning, salt and pepper.
  • Add water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is moistened and sticks together but does not become too wet.
  • Place a thin layer of bread mixture on the entire steak, leaving ½ inch border on each side.
  • Roll steak and filling like an egg roll – fold one end over about 1 inch. Fold in sides, about ½ inch, and continue to roll, being careful fold in the sides as you go.
  • Tie the rolls up (like a package) using kitchen string.
  • Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Quickly brown steak rolls on all sides.
  • When steak is browned, transfer to large pot and cover steak rolls with your favorite marinara sauce.
  • Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 2 hours.

Expert Tips

  • Variety: For a variation on this recipe, you can use a slice of proscuitto, ½ slice of provolone cheese and a teaspoonful of ricotta cheese in lieu of the bread filling.
  • Breadcrumbs: You can use a breadcrumb mixture in place of the bread mixture.
  • Additions: Feel free to add raisins or pine nuts or a slice of prosciutto in this dish.
  • Wine: you can add a little dry red wine, white wine or beef broth when you braise the braciole meat.
  • Instead of Beef: Use venison, pork or even chicken.

Estimated Nutritional Information

Calories: 922kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 117g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 2255mg | Potassium: 2439mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1102IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 297mg | Iron: 14mg
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
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Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian

This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe.  I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.

7 thoughts on “Italian Braciole (Italian Rolled Beef)”

  1. Hello,

    I will try your recipe very soon-thanks! Whenever I made bracciole in the past, I also used chopped pinoli nuts,some chopped raisins chopped basil, and a little red wine.

    Reply
    • There are so many versions. It’s a very local recipe with different regions, even families, having their own versions.

      Reply
  2. We love braciola! I use a flank steak instead of round steak and brown it in a bit of bacon fat – heavenly! I also include thin slices of ham, mortadella and provolone cheese with the bread crumbs. Congrats on being featured in your paper!

    Reply

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