Beef Braciole Recipe (Involtini)
Published March 2, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Beef Braciole Recipe is an American Italian dish of parmesan and bread crumb stuffed beef roulades braised in a delicious tomato sauce. This is seriously so dang good.
If you’re really into Italian classics, try my Steak Pizzaiola and Italian Wedding Soup.
Braciole
This is an American-Italian dish that is a pounded beef filet that is stuffed with cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs that is then pan-seared and braised in a tomato sauce. The stuffing will depend on who is making it. You pronounce this classic Italian recipe as Brah-J “yoh- lah.
In Italy, braciole is a breaded pork steak cooked and simmered in a tomato sauce. The authentic Italian version as we know it is something known as Involtini di carne in Italy.
I’ve always said that braising is my favorite cooking method, and this beef braciole recipe proves that. I don’t have much of a family history making this, but I’ve definitely made it at some of the eateries that I worked out throughout the last 15 years.
What Cut of Meat Should I Use?
Here are the best cuts of beef to use when making this:
- Top Round
- Flank Steak
- Skirt Steak
- Sirloin
I believe this is about personal preference and availability, so this recipe, in its original intent, may have depended on what was available.
Ingredients and Substitutions
On google, this recipe is murky, and it is incredibly hard to get a read on what this original dish might have looked like. I’ve seen it being stuffed with raisins and pine nuts, hard-boiled eggs, and tons of herbs in some variations. Knowing what I know about Italian cuisine is that recipes were simple.
People used what they had on hand to make the most delicious recipe possible, nothing more than that. Most recipes like this were peasant food, and with that in mind, I took that approach when creating this braciole recipe.
Recipe ingredients would include:
- Tomatoes – I always like to use homemade canned tomatoes or San Marzano Tomatoes.
- Parmesan Cheese – You will need finely grated parmesan.
- Parsley – I always used Italian flat-leaf parsley in my recipes.
- Bread Crumbs – You will need regular unseasoned breadcrumbs for this braciole.
- Top Sirloin – I believe top sirloin is the perfect cut of meat for this.
- Onion – You will use whole garlic cloves in this recipe.
How to Make Beef Braciole
Add the tomatoes to a blender and blend on medium speed until smooth.
Transfer to a medium-sized pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook on low heat.
Next, slice the sirloin roast into 12 thin fillets that are about 1/2″ thick.
Pound each of them out on a cutting board in between plastic wrap or a plastic bag until it is about ¼ thick. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper until combined.
Add a small amount of the breadcrumb mixture to the center of 1 pounded beef fillet and spread it out across the beef fillet, pressing it down into the beef.
Roll up the beef to make a roulade.
Repeat until the beef and stuffing have all been used, and truss each beef roulade with a butcher’s twine or a toothpick.
Next, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat and sear the beef on all sides until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Add in white wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the tomato sauce, add a lid to the pan, and cook over low heat for 1 hour.
Remove the butcher’s twine, garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, slice, and serve.
What do You Serve with Braciole?
- Pastas, like ziti or penne
- A risotto side dish will also pair nicely with this braciole recipe.
- You can also serve braciole with polenta.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten when it’s done cooking. However, it can be kept warm over very low heat for up to 30 minutes covered in the pan.
How to Store: Store the steak and sauce covered in plastic for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Braciole will freeze well covered in a container for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat: Add the sauce and steaks to a saucepan and cook covered over low heat for 8-10 minutes or until warm.
chef notes + tips
- Being incredibly classic, I’ve also seen horse meat being used in classic braciole, but I’ll stay clear of that for now.
- You can use strip loin in this recipe as well.
- Ensure the oil is lightly smoked over medium-high heat before adding the beef to sear.
- You can get creative with this and use pounded pork or chicken instead of beef.
More Awesome Beef Recipes
- Steak Frites
- Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
- Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Butter
- T Bone Recipe
- New York Strip Recipe
Video
Beef Braciole Recipe (Involtini)
Ingredients
- 2 28- ounce cans of San Marzano Tomatoes
- 2- pound beef top sirloin roast
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- 4 finely minced cloves garlic
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup white wine
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes to a blender and blend on medium speed until smooth. Transfer to a medium-sized pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook on low heat.
- Next, slice the sirloin roast into 12 thin fillets and pound each of them out on a cutting board in between plastic wrap or a plastic bag until it is about ¼ thick. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper until combined.
- Add a small amount of the breadcrumb mixture to the center of 1 pounded beef fillet and spread it out across the beef fillet, pressing it down into the beef. Roll up the beef to make a roulade.
- Repeat until the beef and stuffing have all been used, and truss each beef roulade with butcher’s twine or a toothpick.
- Next, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat and sear the beef until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Add in white wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the tomato sauce, add a lid to the pan, and cook over low heat for 1 hour.
- Remove the butcher's twine, slice, and serve.
Where does the onion come in? I don’t want to miss an ingredient?
Recipe ingredients would include:
Tomatoes
Parmesan Cheese
Parsley
Bread Crumbs
Top Sirloin
Onion
There is no onion.
Thanks, Billy, for this great recipe! The breadcrumb mixture is so great. Works equally well with hamburger to make meatballs!
I have an Italian friend who introduced me to a similar braciole recipe that may be interesting to you, or others. Instead of cooking in the oven with a red sauce, she skewers them and grills them, then drizzles a salmoriglio sauce overtop. Outstanding way to turn this into a summer time comfort food!
Time saving tip for those of you that live near a Trader Joe’s: They sell shaved beef in their fresh meat section. Paper thin, pre-sliced. Just make sure to look for one that looks like it will be easy to pull apart full sheets of beef.
Excellent recipe! Definitely I will make it again. What can I substitute for breadcrumbs. I have a couple of gluten-free friends. I don’t like gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Braciole is called exactly the same in Australia made by our many Italian migrants who came after WW2 ..great dish !
Hi– thank you for this recipe as I have been wanting to try making braciole for a long time and your recipe is stripped down and more doable with a toddler. I have a couple of questions first regarding discrepancies between your written recipe and video.–> 1. You write and say to use 2 cans of tomatoes but you have 3 in your video and the blender is full. Is it just 56 ounces of tomatoes and maybe the 3 cans equal that amount? 2. You do not have 1/2 cup wine in your written recipe to deglaze the pan but do so in your video. I would think it would add to flavor both with wine and deglazing. I’m assuming beef broth could be used instead? Thank you for your help. Oh– and I notice you don’t say anything about the direction of the grain of the meat. Does this not matter for tenderness? I would think it would be more tender if rolled with the grain so that when you cut the meat to eat it, you’re cutting across the grain. I’m afraid of the meat being dry and tough. Thank you!
3 cans were in the video but I only ended up using 2, which is what is in the ingredient list. The wine is optional like I state in the video and if you want to use it you can. There is no substitution for wine in the flavor department. It’s sliced thing and pounded out enough that you most likely would have no idea which way you are cutting the grain, but if you’d like to do that no problem.
Thank you so much for your help. I look forward to trying your recipe. I like that you’re going for stripped down ease and flavor.
The breadcrumb mixture makes its way through many dishes in an Italian kitchen. Lemon zest is added to it for stuffed artichokes; it gets mixed with the stems for stuffed mushrooms; braciole; pork skin (alla braciole), and on and on. This recipe is very true to what my Neapolitan grandmother made and what my Barese-American mom made. Bravo for sharing this and I appreciate the research.
Amazing meal will definitely make again.
Can you use beef eye round?
yes!
Billy, I watch your videos every time they are posted and I am learning something every time. My mom always made Braciole and we loved it. I did not know how to make it but after watching your video I did. I had two very close friends over for Valentine’s Day and decided to make Braciole using your recipe. It was such a big hit…My husband and our friends simply loved it. I pounded flank steak as much as possible and followed directions. It melted in your mouth. I have never had a steak so tender. I had it in the gravy cooking for 1 1/2 hours and we enjoyed it so much. Thank you for sharing and I am following you to learn more. Mario
My grandparents on my mother’s side were immigrants from Italy, and my mother learned well from both, who were equally great cooks.Thus
Beef Braciole was a popular dish in our home growing up. Her recipe was slightly different in that ttey weren’t actually stuffed, but just seasoned well with the aforementioned spices, rolled, tied, and seared in hot olive oil almost to the point of burning. Then dropped into the pot of homemade spaghetti sauce and tenderized as the sauce cooked all day..