Beef Braciole Recipe (Braciola)
Beef Braciole (Braciola) is a company-worthy, classic, hearty, homestyle Italian-American dish perfect for a winter night or Sunday dinner. Thin slices of beef with a savory filling slowly braise in a wine-infused sauce for a dish you’ll love!
“I love how easy and flavorful these are. Hands down the BEST beef braciole recipe on the web!”
What is Beef Braciole (Braciola)?
Beef Braciole (also known as braciola or involtini) is a classic Italian dish with many variations.
It can be made with thin, individual slices of beef, such as round or as one large roll using flank steak. It can also be made with pork, and it always has a savory filling.
The filling for Beef Braciole may be any number of things, including cheese, breadcrumbs, fresh herbs, and preserved meats such as prosciutto or salami. Another combination might be spinach, pine nuts and raisins.
No matter what you fill it with, Beef Braciole is a delicious, hearty, Italian home-style dish you will love!
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
I adapted this Beef Braciole recipe from one in The Sopranos Family Cookbook. A client, who was a show fan, requested I prepare that specific recipe. A couple of tweaks later, it’s been a favorite on my personal chef menu ever since.
Beef Braciole featured prominently in an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond as the only dish Ray Barone’s wife, Debra, could make!
This Beef Braciole recipe reheats beautifully, freezes well, and has received hundreds of high ratings!
What’s in a Beef Braciole Recipe?
- Boneless top round
- Garlic
- Italian parsley
- Parmesan or Romano cheese
- Seasoned dry breadcrumbs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Prosciutto
- Olive oil
- Dry red wine
- Beef broth
- Crushed tomatoes – preferably a good imported Italian brand
- Italian seasoning
- All-purpose flour
How to Make Beef Braciole (Braciola):
- For this version, you’ll need thinly sliced beef top round, which you can get your butcher to do. The slices should be 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick.
- Pound it out first to tenderize it.
- Slices of the top round can be quite large, so if they are, you’ll want to cut them in half widthwise to make it the perfect size to accommodate a slice of prosciutto. (Prosciutto is a dry-cured Italian ham. Prosciutto di Parma is imported from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region and can be expensive. Less expensive domestic brands are available in most supermarket deli departments.)
- Place a piece of prosciutto over the pounded beef.
- Top with a combination of Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic, and fresh Italian parsley…
- Tuck the sides in to secure the filling, roll it into a cylinder and secure it with a toothpick.
- Brown in olive oil to a lovely deep brown.
- Add the remaining ingredients, then braise in the wine-infused sauce for a company-worthy dish!
- If cooking Beef Braciole on the stovetop, you may not need the flour to thicken the sauce as it will reduce as it simmers. I prefer cooking Beef Braciole in the oven or slow cooker because those cooking methods don’t require much attention.
- If you do need to thicken the sauce, make a slurry with flour and slowly add it to the sauce. Simmer until thickened.
What to serve with this dish:
- Thick, tube-shaped pasta such as penne, ziti or rigatoni
- Cauliflower and White Bean Puree
- Celery Root Puree
- Spinach Parmesan Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes with Parmesan Crumb Topping
- Mashed Potato Casserole
For more great beef recipes, try my:
- Boneless Short Ribs Recipe (Bourguignon Style)
- Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs Barbacoa with Cilantro – Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Cabernet Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cauliflower – Leek Puree
- Feijoada (Brazilian Beef Stew)
- Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs
- Moroccan Beef Stew
- Stout-Braised Beef Short Ribs and Colcannon
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Beef Braciole Recipe
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Ingredients
- 6 thin slices boneless top round - about 2 pounds, preferably sliced 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch but no more
- 12 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley - (flat-leaf parsley), plus more for garnish
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese - plus more for serving if desired
- 2 tablespoons seasoned dry breadcrumbs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 12 thin slices prosciutto
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 can (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes - preferably a good imported Italian brand
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Cut top-round slices in half widthwise so that you have 12 equal pieces. Place beef between two pieces of plastic wrap. Gently pound to 1/4 to 1/8-inch thickness.
- Mince 4 cloves of garlic; slice the remaining 8 cloves.
- Combine minced garlic, parsley, cheese, breadcrumbs, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Place a prosciutto slice over the beef then sprinkle filling evenly over the proscuitto.
- Roll the beef into a cylinder, tucking in the sides to hold in the filling as you roll. Secure with toothpicks.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Place the beef rolls, seam side down in the pot and brown seam side first to seal it. Cook, turning the meat occasionally until each roll is nicely browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the wine and the sliced garlic. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add beef broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Place beef rolls back in the pot and bring back to a simmer.
- Cover and cook on low heat, turning occasionally until beef is tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 1 1/2 hours. Alternately, cook covered in a 325-degree oven for 1 1/2-2 hours or in a slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high, 5-6 hours on medium or 7-8 hours on low.
- To thicken, place pot back on the stove if cooked in the oven. Remove some of the hot cooking liquid to a bowl. Add the flour and stir until smooth to create a slurry. Slowly add it to the hot cooking liquid, bring to a slow simmer and cook until thickened.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove toothpicks and serve over pasta with additional grated cheese if desired.
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Notes
- Fill and roll as directed. Brown the beef braciole rolls and place in a pot with sauce and refrigerate. Proceed with cooking as directed.
- Cook, cool, and refrigerate the braciole. Reheat in the oven, on the stovetop, or in a slow cooker.
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Great recipe! Do yourself a favor and buy braciole meat. I used round steak and it took a lot to pound thin. I doubled it and baked in the oven. It made a lot of sauce so I froze the left overs for next time!
Hi, Jenice, Thanks so much and so happy you love this recipe! Braciole meat may be available in larger cities with Italian-American communities, but in my area or small communities, I highly, highly doubt it. Thanks again!
Your braciole looks amazing, but I’m wondering if I can use another cut of meat to make them? I remember my neighbor used eye round.
Hi, Dennis, Thanks so much for your question. You can use any cut of meat that allows it be thinly sliced. A sirloin roast would work as would a chuck roast. If you don’t have a slicer, it’s best to have your butcher do it. If you want to try slicing it yourself without a slicer, it’s very helpful if you freeze the meat for an hour or two. You don’t want it rock hard, you just want it semi-frozen so it’s firm. Thanks again! Great question!
These look like absolute comfort food! Question – I’m not a wine drinker and rarely use it in cooking. Could I double up on the beef stock or maybe go with a beef consommé?
Hi, Lori, Thanks so much for your great question! Yes, you absolutely can. I often suggest using additional beef broth or stock in place of alcohol for people who don’t want it. When the braciole have finished braising, you can always add a splash of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar if you want the acidic edge that wine provides. Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!
I’m getting ready to make this for our upcoming Sunday dinner so I have two days to prep. You say use a dry red wine. What specific red wine do you recommend? Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, Syrah? I don’t drink a lot of wine so I don’t know which ones are dry. Thanks for your help!!
Hi, Amanda, Thanks so much for your question. All of those are dry but you don’t want to use anything that is too heavy, “jammy,” or bold. Merlot or pinot noir are both good choices as is a lighter cabernet. I usually recommend a Robert Mondavi Woodbridge cabernet which is drinkable, doesn’t cost a lot and is available in small cartons for around $5 each. Just make sure whatever you use IS drinkable.
Thanks again! Great question!
I don’t think you understand what brazing is.
Hi, Sally, Do you mean “braising?”
What does joining metals together with molten copper and zinc have to do with this dish, Sally?
Thanks so much, Burnerama! You made my day! I wondered the same thing!