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    Home » Recipes » Beef Recipes

    Beef Braciole Recipe (Braciola)

    Published: May 27, 2021 · Modified: Sep 9, 2021 by Chef Dennis Littley

    370 shares
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    5 from 25 votes
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    pinterest image for beef braciole

    Beef Braciole was one of the recipes I developed during the early days of my restaurant career. I always cut my own steaks and the end of the Strip was never really fit for a good steak.

    I would save those pieces for other recipes, and Braciole was always a customer favorite in the restaurants I worked at.

    overhead shot of beef braciole with mushroom tomato sauce and farro on a white plate

    I can promise you if you ask your Italian grandmother how to make Beef Braciole it won’t be this way. I can also promise you that after you make and eat my version of this Italian Classic you’ll agree that there’s more than one way to make braciole.

    What Ingredients do I need to make Beef Braciole?

    ingredients to make beef braciole

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Braciole. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

    Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the up cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    What Kind of Beef Should I use for Braciole?

    There are a lot of different cuts of meat you can use for Braciole, I like to use Eye Round because of the uniform size. Top Round is also a good choice and will be a little more tender than eye round.

    In my restaurant days, it was the ends from the sirloin steaks I hand cut. I’ve even used filet a time or too depending upon what I had on hand and who I was making it for. 

    How do I make Beef Braciole?

    two images showing how to make the ricotta stuffing

    Mix the ricotta, spinach, roasted red peppers, Romano cheese, and seasonings together. Refrigerate until needed.

    four images showing how to assemble a braciole
    • Use a meat hammer and pound each piece of beef thin. Pound out each side, but don’t pound so hard that you tear the meat. As you pound the steaks, don’t just pound straight down. You need to hold the piece and almost push it outwards as you hit the meat trying to stretch it as you pound. *This will also help tenderize the meat. The meat hammer should have a ridged side that helps with the tenderizing.
    • After pounding the meat, lay a piece of prosciutto on top of the beef before adding the ricotta stuffing.
    • Add 1-2 tablespoons of the ricotta stuffing and spread it out in the center of each piece of beef, leaving a little room around the edges unstuffed.
    • Roll the beef up, shaping it like a small football. Try to seal the braciole as much as possible.
    braciole with breading station

    Once the beef braciole are all formed, you can get the breading station ready.

    • Flour seasoned with salt and pepper
    • Egg wash ( beaten egg with milk)
    • Seasoned bread crumbs (your own or store-bought)

    Dredge the braciole in the seasoned flour (this is a good time to help reshape the braciole, the flour will help you close it up a little more). Then in the egg wash, and finally in the seasoned bread crumbs.

    Repeat the process until all the braciole are breaded.

    browned braciole in saute pan

    add some olive oil to a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the braciole to the pan.

    Don’t be in a hurry to turn them over, you want a nice crust on the braciole and good color. Turn your braciole over and allow the other side to brown, repeat the process to all the sides of the braciole. You want some color all the way around.

    Place the sauteed braciole in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes.

    four images showing how to make mushroom red sauce

    While the braciole are in the oven, start making the sauce.

    • Saute the mushrooms in olive oil till fully cooked
    • Add sambuca and allow alcohol to burn off
    • Add tomato sauce and grated Romano cheese
    • re-season to taste

    *If the sauce gets too thick, thin it out with a little water.

    two beef braciole with mushroom tomato sauce and farro on a white plate

    Serve the beef braciole with the mushroom tomato sauce and grain or pasta of your choice.

    Recipe FAQ’S

    What is the best cut of meat for braciole?

    Braciole is best made from pounded slices of beef eye round, sirloin, or filet. The individual slices are stuffed, rolled and usually served in a tomato-based sauce.
    *Pounded pork or veal cutlets can also be used.

    What region of Italy is braciole from?

    The most traditional braciole recipes made with beef are from Sicily, Calabria, and Naples. Northern-Italian braciole are made generally made from pork or veal.

    What does braciole mean in English?

    Literally translated braciole translate to chops. When it comes to Italian cooking, braciole refers to thin slices of meat rolled stuffed, rolled and braised in a hearty tomato sauce

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    overhead shot of two beef braciole with mushroom tomato sauce and farro on a white plate
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    5 from 25 votes

    Beef Braciole with Mushroom Tomato Sauce

    My restaurant-style beef braciole with a mushroom tomato sauce may not be your Grandmother's braciole but I promise it will bring smiles to your dinner table and soon become a family favorite.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Italian – American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 993kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    Braciole Stuffing

    • 8 oz ricotta cheese full fat or part skim
    • ½ c grated Romano cheese
    • 1 large egg beaten
    • 4 oz baby spinach cooked and chopped
    • ¼ cup roasted red peppers chopped – optional
    • ½ tsp granulated garlic
    • ½ tsp granulated onion
    • ¼ tsp black pepper

    Braciole Assembly

    • 1 ¼ lb eye round trimmed or beef of your choice – sliced thin and pounded
    • ¼ proscuitto sliced thin
    • 1 large egg
    • ½ cup milk or water for egg wash
    • 1 cup flour seasoned with sea salt and pepper
    • 2 cups bread crumbs Italian seasoned, panko, or plain

    Mushroom Sauce

    • 8 oz mushrooms sliced
    • ½ cup Sambuca
    • ½ cup Romano cheese grated
    • 2 cups marinara homemade or your favorite brand
    • re-season to tastes
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Braciole Stuffing

    • Start by briefly cooking the spinach in a little water (2-3 Minutes). Once the spinach has been prepared allow it to cool and then squeeze out any remaining water.
      Chop the spinach so that the pieces are easier to deal with when mixing.
    • Mix the ricotta, spinach, roasted red peppers, Romano cheese, beaten egg and seasonings together.
      *Refrigerate until needed.

    Beef Baciole

    • Trim any excess fat, and grizzle from meat you'll be using for the braciole. Slice the meat, against the grain, just like you would cut it if it was a roast.
      *Each piece will weigh 2-3 ounces
    • Use a meat hammer and pound each piece of beef thin. Pound out each side, but don't pound so hard that you tear the meat. As you pound the steaks, don’t just pound straight down. You need to hold the piece and almost push it outwards as you hit the meat trying to stretch it as you pound.
      *This will also help tenderized the meat, your meat hammer should have a ridged side that helps with the tenderizing.
    • After pounding the meat, lay a piece of prosciutto on top of the beef before adding the ricotta stuffing.
    • Add a full tablespoon of stuffing and spread it out in the center of each piece of beef, leaving about a half inch unstuffed all the way around.
    • Roll the beef up, shaping it like a small football. Try to seal the braciole as much as possible.
    • Once the braciole are all formed, you can get the breading station ready.
      Dredge the braciole in the seasoned flour (this is a good time to help reshape the braciole, the flour will help you close it up a little more). Then in the egg wash, and finally in the seasoned bread crumbs.
      Repeat the process until all the braciole are breaded.
      Flour seasoned with salt and pepper
      Egg wash ( beaten egg with milk)
      Seasoned bread crumbs (your own or store-bought)
    • Add some olive oil to a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the braciole to the pan.
      Don’t be in a hurry to turn them over, you want a nice crust on the braciole and good color. Turn your braciole over and allow the other side to brown, repeat the process to all the sides of the braciole. You want some color all the way around
    • Place the sauteed braciole in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes

    Mushroom Sauce

    • While the braciole are in the oven, start making the sauce.
      Saute the mushrooms in olive oil till fully cooked. Add the sambuca and allow alcohol to burn off, then add the tomato sauce and grated Romano cheese
      re-season to taste. If the sauce gets to thick add a little water to the sauce.
    • Serve the braciole with the mushroom tomato sauce and grain or pasta of your choice.

    Notes

    **Sambucca is the only acceptable anise-flavored liqueur that can be used in this dish. I have tried other types and they all turn out badly.  If you don’t have Sambucca it’s okay to just leave it out of the sauce.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 993kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 237mg | Sodium: 1654mg | Potassium: 1441mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3797IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 596mg | Iron: 10mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    1. Charlie Ward

      February 24, 2022 at 2:54 pm

      There is no mention of prosciutto in the ingredient list. How much?

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        February 24, 2022 at 8:47 pm

        about a 1/4 pound

        Reply
    2. Charlie Ward

      February 23, 2022 at 7:47 pm

      The instructions for cooking the braciola are not included in the recipe.

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        February 23, 2022 at 8:07 pm

        I’ve been having issues with my recipe program, thanks for the heads up.

        Reply
    3. Sue

      November 25, 2021 at 12:47 am

      Hi there – the filling ingredients list a beaten egg but the instructions never say to add an egg to the ricotta mixture – I’m going to add it assuming you just forgot to list it in the instructions … 🤞

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        November 25, 2021 at 7:47 am

        thanks for catching that Sue, and yes you were right, it goes in the ricotta mixture.

        Reply
    4. Naiby

      June 06, 2021 at 11:16 pm

      5 stars
      Mmh! That sauce makes all the difference. I never had sambuca in a sauce before, but now I’ll definitely experiment with my other sauces.

      Reply
    5. Amy

      June 06, 2021 at 10:51 pm

      Fabulous recipe!! It was my first time making braciole and I was a little nervous. Thanks for the easy step by step directions. An amazing dinner!

      Reply
    6. Enriqueta E Lemoine

      June 06, 2021 at 8:41 pm

      5 stars
      I was looking for a beef braciole recipe and landed here thanks to Google. Now I have the NEED to make your recipe. Thank you for the great turorial.

      Reply
    7. Jenny

      June 06, 2021 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      This is a winner! The stuffing is so flavorful. I love this recipe, fantastic– thank you, Chef Dennis. Give this 5 stars.

      Reply
    8. Heidy

      June 06, 2021 at 11:37 am

      5 stars
      I love a good homemade Beef Braciole! This has to be one of any all-time favorite dishes. I haven’t had it in so long! I have most of the ingredients on hand, so this is going on the menu this week! It looks amazing!

      Reply
    9. Beth

      June 05, 2021 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      I’m going to be getting a beef eye of round in my meat subscription box next week, and this braciole is exactly what I want to make with it – I love the combo of the tenderizing, stuffing and breading in this dish.

      Reply
    10. Farrukh Aziz

      June 05, 2021 at 6:59 am

      5 stars
      This looks really simple, yet so delicious! I loved the flavor of this braciole, and it was awesome with pasta!

      Reply
      • kushigalu

        June 06, 2021 at 2:08 am

        5 stars
        Never tried braciole before your recipe sounds amazingly delicious.i will be making this soon. Thanks for sharing

        Reply
    11. Amanda

      June 04, 2021 at 10:34 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for such a helpful guide! I’ve always wanted to make braciole, and you helped me nail it — so delicious!

      Reply
    12. Brianna

      June 04, 2021 at 10:25 pm

      5 stars
      Beef braciole is one of my favorite dishes at a good homestyle Italian restaurant and I love that I can now make it at home! Your mushroom sauce sauce is divine!

      Reply
    13. Desicart

      June 02, 2021 at 9:27 am

      5 stars
      Yum! This looks so delicious and tasty!

      Reply
    14. Jessica Formicola

      June 01, 2021 at 7:40 am

      5 stars
      I looooove beef braciole, and yours looks like perfection! The step by step photos really help, too!

      Reply
    15. Emily Flint

      May 28, 2021 at 10:36 am

      5 stars
      This sounds really, really amazing! It’s making me hungry!!!

      Reply
    16. Audrey

      May 28, 2021 at 8:54 am

      5 stars
      This recipe really is just like one you would have at a restaurant.

      Reply

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    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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