Beef Braciole Recipe

By
Kevin D. Weeks.
Kevin D. Weeks.
Kevin D. Weeks is a personal chef, cooking instructor, and food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/21/22
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Beef Braciole on a platter

The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 95 mins
Rest Time: 15 mins
Total: 2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Yield: 3 rolls

This is a simple, straightforward recipe for beef braciole, also known as involtini. Beef braciole are made with thin cuts of steak, pounded thinner with a rolling pin, and prepared as roulades with herbs, garlic and prosciutto. The rolls are tied with kitchen twine to hold their shape, seared, and then braised slowly in crushed tomatoes and a splash of red wine. In Italian-American families, this sauce is sometimes known as Sunday gravy. Often the braciole includes cheese and breadcrumbs, but they're perfectly delicious without these ingredients.

You can think of braciole as a kind of lazy man's meatball, since there's no grinding, mixing, or portioning of the meat. This recipes calls for skirt steak because it's flavorful and already fairly thin, but you can also use flank steak, or slices of top round. Once you get the idea, you can try making braciole with all kinds of different meats and fillings.

"The beef was delicious with some pasta and a loaf crusty bread. You could easily up the crushed tomatoes for more sauce. It takes a little time to thin and roll the meat and prosciutto, but all of the steps are easy and the ingredients are not complicated." —Diana Rattray

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Ingredients

  • 1 medium skirt steak, about 24 ounces

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 6 thin slices prosciutto, about 3 ounces

  • 4 medium garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley, more for garnish

  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1/3 cup red wine

  • 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Beef Braciole ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  2. Cut the skirt steak into 3 equal cross-wise pieces, parallel to the grain. Each piece should be about 6- to 7-inches long, depending on the meat.

    Skirt steak sliced into pieces on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  3. Place one piece between two sheets of parchment paper. With a rolling pin, pound the meat to flatten it to a thickness of about 1/4-inch. Repeat with the 2 remaining pieces.

    Skirt steak between two sheets of parchment paper, next to a rolling pin

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  4. Generously season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.

    Skirt steak seasoned on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  5. Lay two slices of prosciutto evenly on top of each steak. Scatter the garlic and herbs evenly on top of the prosciutto.

    Skirt steak, with prosciutto, garlic and herbs on top, on a wooden board

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  6. Roll the steaks from end to end and tie them with kitchen twine to hold the roll in place. Tuck in any loose bits of steak, prosciutto or herb.

    Skirt steak rolled around the filling and tied with string, on a platter

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  7. Add the oil to a large Dutch oven (or other heavy-duty pot with a lid) over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, sear the braciole on two or three sides until golden brown.

    Skirt steak rolls in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  8. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up all the crusty brown bits stuck to the bottom. Reduce the heat to low.

    Red wine added to the Beef Braciole cooking in the pan on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  9. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir briefly to incorporate with the pan juices and the wine. Place the lid on the Dutch oven. Simmer on low until the braciole are tender when pierced with a fork, about 90 minutes. Remove from heat.

    Beef Braciole cooking in a pan with sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  10. Remove the braciole to a cutting board. Let rest 15 minutes. Remove the kitchen twine from the braciole. Slice each roll crosswise, transfer to a plate and top with sauce as desired. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

    Beef Braciole sliced on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Tips

  • If you don't have kitchen twine, you can secure the rolls with toothpicks or unflavored dental floss. Or try using strips of heavy-duty foil.
  • Searing the rolls adds flavor to the sauce, but you may skip this step to save time.

Slow Cooker Variation

Follow the recipe above through step 6, then brown the meat by first heating the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the wine, scraping up browned bits. Transfer beef and any remaining liquid to a slow cooker. Add tomatoes, garlic, and remaining herbs. (Note: Ingredients should come about 1/2 way up the side of the meat.) Set slow cooker to HIGH. Cook for 2 hours, checking once or twice to make sure there's plenty of liquid in the pot. Add some water if you need to replenish the liquid. Remove braciole from broth and let rest for 15 minutes before removing twine and carving. Serve with the tomato sauce.

How to Store and Freeze

  • Refrigerate leftover cooked braciole and sauce within 2 hours and eat within 3 days.
  • To freeze, transfer the cooked braciole and sauce to a freezer container or resealable freezer bag. Label with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost frozen braciole in the refrigerator overnight.
  • To reheat leftover braciole, place it in a sauté pan. Cover and cook over low heat until the rolls register at least 165 F in the center.


Nutrition Facts (per serving)
403 Calories
24g Fat
7g Carbs
38g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 403
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 30%
Saturated Fat 8g 41%
Cholesterol 87mg 29%
Sodium 1081mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 11mg 56%
Calcium 55mg 4%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 783mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)