This delicious Italian braciole is a delicious Italian American recipe that features tender beef rolls filled with a savory blend of spinach, Parmesan, garlic, and breadcrumbs, slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce. It makes the perfect Italian Sunday dinner.
This recipe is a one-hour cooking time recipe and it is very manageable, even for first-timers making this. It is my family's recipe for braciole and authentic Italian American with parmesan, bread crumbs, spinach and copious amounts of garlic that gets rolled inside thinly cut beef then simmered in a delicious tomato sauce.
I think this tastes like the flavors of an Italian meatball when it is cooked, but better! This is one of my family's Sunday dinners that we always enjoy and I want to show you how you can enjoy it at home too.
Origins Of Braciole
To understand braciole (pronounced bruh-shole), you have to understand where it comes from. This Italian braciole is one of those dishes that was adapted by immigrants. It is a cross between Italian involtini (rolled meat or vegetables) and bresaola (thin pounded out meat). It is very delicious and one of my favorite dishes.
Beef braciole with various ingredients rolled into it and then simmered in a tomato sauce is a southern Italian version of preparing this dish (think Sicily, Naples). Depending on where you are in Italy, braciole will have different fillings (more on that below!)
In the U.S., this classic Italian dish has become well-known and widely popular thanks to the large amounts of Italian immigrants who have come here, mostly from the south of Italy during one of the Italian diasporas. So this dish is both an Italian- American recipe and a traditional Italian recipe!
Tips For Making Braciole
Before we get into the steps of making this, it is important to know a few things about making this.
- Pound the meat very thin: To have tender meat, you have to start out with really thin beef. Some butchers in Italian neighborhoods will do this for you. I don't have that where I am so lots of banging and pounding of the meat is how I get the meat really thin. Almost as thin as paper but not too thin that the beef falls apart.
- Perfect the roll: Bracioli is rolled much like a jelly roll. Even if you haven't rolled a jelly roll before, you have probably seen it. It will look like a spiral of beef with the filling spiraled inside of the roll. Once the roll is complete, you must secure it with toothpicks. Use any amount of toothpicks that you think will hold the roll together. I use about one every 2 inches. You could use butcher's twine as well.
- Simmer Gently: The simmering phase is what tenderizes the meat. Make sure to let it simmer for at least an hour!
- Use the right cut of meat! My number one preference is top round sirloin beef. It is inexpensive and it stays the most tender. If you cannot find that, flank steak or sandwich steak, will do the trick but you will still need to tenderize the meat first with a meat mallet.
Ingredients And Substitutions
- Top Round Beef- This is the cut I always use and prefer. You can also use flank steak.
- Breadcrumbs- Italian plain breadcrumbs or panko-style plain breadcrumbs work great.
- Fresh garlic- lots of this.
- Olive oil
- Parmesan cheese- I was taught to use Parmesan when making this recipe but if you prefer Pecorino Romano that is ok 🙂
- Fresh baby spinach- This adds color and a little nutrients. If you do not have this, that is ok.
- Your favorite marinara sauce- I always have some homemade marinara in the freezer but you can use your favorite brand of jarred marinara. Just make sure it is good quality. I have included my marinara recipe below.
Preparation
- Pound out the beef- I like to use a meat mallet for this.
- Prepare the breadcrumb mixture: Mix the breadcrumbs, cheese and garlic together.
- Gather all of the other ingredients and tools: Before you begin rolling, you want everything ready for you.
- Start assembling: Lay the baby spinach across the meat then top with an even coating of the breadcrumb mixture.
- Roll and pin: Like rolling a jelly roll, starting from the side closest to you, start rolling the beef over itself making sure to roll it as tight as you can and rolling it on the long side. When you get to the end, add the toothpicks to hold the roll closed. I like to add a toothpick every 2 inches or so.
- Slice: Slice the rolled beef about every 4 inches. Cut between the area where the toothpicks are inserted.
- Sear: Sear the beef rolls on a hot preheated skillet with a little olive oil for about 1 minute per side.
- Simmer: Add the tomato sauce over the top, making sure all of the meat is covered on the top, bottom and sides. Cover and simmer on low for one hour. Baste the beef with a little sauce from the pan from time to time.
Cooking Tip! If you begin to see the beef starting to burn on the side that is touching the pan during simmering, rotate the beef rolls and make sure there is enough sauce under the meat.
Storing and Reheating
If I have leftovers, I like to place the braciole in a container with a lid and store it in the refrigerator. It will last for a few days this way.
If you want to freeze it, just let it cool completely then store it in a freezer-proof container in the freezer.
I like to reheat this in a casserole dish with a lid in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes or by gently simmering it on the stovetop. Make sure the beef is covered with sauce so it does not dry out. You may need to add a little water to the sauce if there is not enough.
Equipment
For best results when making this recipe, here is what I have found to work best. Use a nice heavy meat mallet. The one I use weighs 2 pounds and it is a flat-bottom stainless steel mallet. It works like a charm every time.
For cooking this recipe, a heavy-bottomed skillet with a lid is best. It will distribute the heat evenly and ensure there are no burnt spots on the meat.
Recipe Faqs
Top-round sirloin and flank steak that has been pounded thin are the best cuts of beef to use.
You need to pound your meat very thin and simmer it in a sauce gently to produce tender braciole.
Braciole is a version of involtini that southern Italians cook in tomato sauce. In the northern parts of Italy, involtini is made without a sauce. In southern Italy, they simmer the involtini in sauce making it a braciole.
Yes, braciole can be assembled and stored for cooking later on or cooked up and reheated gently on the stovetop.
Yes. Although this dish is made all around the world, often with different ingredients, it originates from southern Italy where they still make it today.
Variations
I had to solicit help from my Italian group that I am part of online. They provided me with all sorts of varying recipes based on how their family cooked braciole based on where they are from in Italy.
Here is what they shared:
- For a Sicilian style, add some raisins and bacon.
- Use Romano cheese instead of parmesan.
- Try a Naples version by adding mortadella, provolone and a hard-boiled egg (or chopped eggs).
- Some used pepperoni sticks and mozzarella sticks when making this dish.
- For a Northern Italian version use cheese and garlic and omit the sauce.
- Use pork or veal instead of beef. You can easily pound out a pork loin or veal and make this recipe.
Remember, always try to use what you have on hand. That is the best tribute to Italian cooking 🙂
More Italian Sunday Dinners
Authentic Italian Beef Braciole Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large heavy bottom pan with a lid
- toothpicks or butchers twine
Ingredients
Beef Braciole Ingredients
- 4 cups Marinara Sauce see recipe below
- 2 pounds Top sirloin beef pounded really thin
- 2 cups Plain breadcrumbs
- 2 cups Baby spinach
- 1 cup Parmesan grated finely
- 6 cloves Fresh garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Marinara Sauce
- 28 ounces san marzano tomatoes canned whole
- ½ yellow onion diced very fine
- 2 cloves garlic diced very fine
- 1 ½ tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 fresh basil leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Making the beef braciole
- Pound out the beef as thin as possible. You may need to cut the meat in half if it begins to get too large after pounding it out.2 pounds Top sirloin beef
- Mix the breadcrumbs, cheese and garlic together.2 cups Plain breadcrumbs, 1 cup Parmesan, 6 cloves Fresh garlic
- Before you begin rolling and assembling the braciole, you want everything ready on the counter including the prepped ingredients and toothpicks (or butchers twine).
- Lay the pounded out meat on a flat surface.
- Sprinkle with salt.1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Lay the baby spinach across the meat then top with an even coating of the breadcrumb mixture.2 cups Baby spinach
- Like rolling a jelly roll, starting from the side closest to you, start rolling the beef over itself making sure to roll it as tight as you can and rolling it on the long side. When you get to the end, add the toothpicks to hold the roll closed. I like to add a toothpick every 2 inches or so.
- Slice the rolled beef about every 4 inches.
- Sear the beef rolls on a hot preheated skillet with a little olive oil for about 1 minute per side.1 tablespoon Olive oil
- Add the marinara sauce over the top, making sure all of the meat is covered on the top, bottom and sides.4 cups Marinara Sauce
- Cover and simmer on low for one hour. Baste the beef with a little sauce from the pan from time to time.
Marinara Sauce
- In the same pan that you seared the pork tenderloin in, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add your olive oil.1 ½ tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Now add your red pepper flakes, onion and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes.⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ yellow onion diced very fine
- Add your garlic and cook for one more minute.2 cloves garlic diced very fine
- Add your whole canned tomatoes to the pan.28 ounces san marzano tomatoes canned whole
- With a potato masher (or bottom of a mug) mash down the tomatoes gently. It can get a little messy so do this part slowly.
- Keep mashing down the tomatoes until they are mostly broken down.
- Stir the tomatoes into the olive oil mixture well.
- Add your salt, oregano and basil and stir.2 fresh basil leaves, ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to thicken.
- Taste the sauce for any additional salt.
- Serve immediately.
Kathleen says
Oh my! This looks and sounds amazing! My family are going to go crazy for this. I can't wait to impress them with it.
kisitalian says
I am so happy to hear that Kathleen! I know they will love it 🙂 I can't wait to hear all about it!
Adri says
I don't know why it took me this long to try Braciole! It's surprisingly easy to make and is just bursting with Italian flavours! I'm definitely making it again soon. Thank you for the recipe!
kisitalian says
Hi Adri. It is so easy to make! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe and hope you continue to enjoy it for years to come 🙂
Liz says
I'd never tried beef braciole before but this recipe turned out great! I'll make again for sure. Thanks!
kisitalian says
I love hearing that Liz! Thank you for sharing and I hope you continue to love it for years to come 🙂
Mary Birney says
Very tasty and easy to follow instructions! We loved it!
kisitalian says
I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it Mary! thanks for sharing 🙂