Instant Pot Jalapeno Rouladen

Jalapeno Rouladen may seem like some food fusion gone awry, but really it's not! I promise. 😉 Thin-cut seasoned beef stuffed with fresh parsley and cilantro, cheddar cheese, and sliced jalapenos then cooked in beef broth and salsa verde...how could you go wrong? Especially when the beef is cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot. You really can't...

What is Rouladen anyhow?

So, Rouladen is a classic German dish with French roots. Typically it is a very thin cut of beef that might have bacon, onions, mustard, or pickles stuffed inside then tightly rolled and braised when cooked. And you would usually find yourself eating them with homemade dumplings or mashed potatoes. If you're looking for a great traditional recipe for dumplings head over to my friend Benjamin's blog to check out his traditional Klubb Recipe - Norwegian Potato Dumplings, at Ramshackle Pantry. Just look at how incredibly delicious they are!

However, the concept is kind of a European idea on the whole as you travel further south to Italy you will find a similair dish that goes by the name of Braciole. A dish that is again, thin cut seasoned beef stuffed and rolled with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese then braised in tomato sauce. Either way you decide to enjoy this classic dish will be a major homerun with the family!

Prepare the Jalapeno Rouladen rolls

While at your local butcher or grocery you will want to find a very thin cut of beef that goes by the name of 'Milanesa'. Most of the time this cut of beef is breaded and fried quickly, sauced then served up with some tasty sides. It's perfect for this dish, and doesn't require you to pound out a thicker cut. If you cannot find it you can always do this instead. I suggest sirloin or top round, but more strongly I suggest you sweet talk you butcher if they don't already have it available. 😉

Lay the beef on the cutting board with the smaller end towards you. Sprinkle Montreal seasoning on the beef, and add some of the fresh herbs. Now you can add more seasoning if you like or not. If you don't have the seasoning just use some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika (preferably smoked paprika) then you should be fine.

Sprinkle some sharp cheddar on the meat, and add some pickled jalapeno slices. I buy the canned sliced jalapenos. Now you can either amp up the spice or tone it down by the number of jalapeno slices you add. So use your judgement and proceed with caution peeps!

Next, from the small end of the meat roll the meat carefully tucking the ends in as you near the end. If you get to the end and forget, don't worry, you can smoosh the ends in then. Put seam side down on the cutting board and tie together with kitchen twine. If you're fresh out of kitchen twine then you can use some toothpicks instead. I like the twine as it is easier to layer in the Instant Pot later, more Jalapeno Rouladen means a bigger party in my tummy!

At this point if you like, you can put these in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight then cook the next day after work. Or you can cook, and then reheat for later in the week as these reheat well retaining all those great flavors.

Cooking the Jalapeno Rouladen

Add the beef broth to the Instant Pot along with the rack. Layer the beef rolls and salsa verde in the pressure cooker. Seal the lid, and cook on high (normal) pressure for 15 minutes then follow with a 10 minute natural pressure release. I used and Instant Pot 6-quart Duo. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to one week. I made eight rolls at a time, however, just with any other pressure cooker recipe you can double this then cook in the same amount of time.

If you enjoyed this you might like Instant Pot Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Classic Chicken Pot Pie, or Air Fryer Salmon Patties!