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Italian Cuisine Expert and Food Blogger
Guido Pedrelli
Guido Pedrelli, the mastermind behind Nonna Box, has honed his culinary expertise for decades, inspired by family feasts in Emilia-Romagna. Mentored by his restaurateur nonna, he mastered Italian classics and furthered his skills with professional culinary studies in desserts and gelato making from Mec3. Today, he shares this rich legacy and authentic recipes through Nonna Box.
Thinly sliced, tender strips of steak rolled together with cheese and bread crumbs then fried and slow cooked in a rich tomato sauce…now that sounds like a fantastic dinner!
If this also makes your mouth water, then you have come to the right place. It’s time to learn all about the Italian favorite, braciole.
Before there was braciole, there was involtini which in Italian means ‘little bundles”. Involtini is a thinly sliced meat, usually chicken, beef or pork, which is rolled together with cheese and bread crumb mix.
If this sounds like braciole to you, then you are correct! Involtini and braciole are essentially the same dish with different names.
So how did braciole get its name?
Well, braciole comes from the cooking technique called alla brace which means grilling the meat over charcoal and also from a cut of meat with bone.
Braciole became the more common term to refer to involtini in the Italian American community and has stuck with the dish.
Braciole in Northern and Southern Italy are two very different things. Northern Italian braciole is simply thinly cut pork or veal that is pan fried.
Southern style braciole is what is most recognizable today and more closely resembles the involtini described earlier.
Sicily, Calabria and Naples all make braciole with cuts of pork and beef, rolled with cheese and breadcrumbs, ties with string and then stewed in a tomato sauce.
Slow cooking the rolled meats in sauce is really what braciole is all about.
The most common meats used in braciole are veal, pork and beef top round.
However, as the term braciole mainly refers to the dish construction (rolled, stuffed meat cooked in sauce), chefs took many liberties with the dish, making braciole with almost any kind of meat.
Pork braciole, beef braciole…it is all delicious!
To perfect the meat for braciole, the already skinny slices are pounded to be as thin and tender as possible and since the meat gets tender in such a manner, it is fine to use cuts that are cheaper.
As the braciole slow cooks in sauce for some time, the meat will also begin to soften. In fact, braciole were a low-cost dish for many years, primarily for lower income families.
No need to pay for the fanciest slices of meat to make this Italian classic!
The filling for authentic Italian braciole is typically very straight forward- breadcrumbs, cheese and possibly some herbs.
Some recipes incorporate eggs into the filling to make it thicker and more hearty while others get creative with cheese combinations using provolone, parmesan and mozzarella together.
While it goes against the traditional Italian style braciole, caramelized onions or toasted garlic are also fantastic to roll inside. So many things to try!
Different regions of Italy have developed their own versions of braciole but the Neapolitan braciole is worth noting for its difference to the classic dish.
While most braciole has a filling of just cheeses, breadcrumbs, and herbs, the Neapolitan braciole contains pine nuts and raisins for a sweet and savory combination.
It is also common to find slices of prosciutto within the layers of Neapolitan braciole. Still cooked in an Italian Sunday sauce, this version is much different from the typical involtini of other Italian regions.
We are going to focus on a traditional style braciole but keep in mind the many variations mentioned that you can try.
Once you have the basic method of authentic Italian braciole down, you can do so much to make the dish your own!
Lay the thin slices of steak on the counter and pound them as flat as possible, then season the meat with salt and pepper to encourage the juices to come to the surface.
While the steak is tenderizing, you can work on the filling which is a fairly quick process.
The herbs, breadcrumbs and cheeses are simply mixed together in a bowl to make the braciole filling – how easy is that!
The filling is then sprinkled across the thin meat slices.
It is best to keep the filling about 1/8 of an inch away from the edge of the meat to prevent it from falling out later on.
Begin to roll the meat by starting at the skinniest end and rolling it upward like a jelly roll.
The braciole rolls are then tied together with butchers twine or skewered with toothpicks to hold the filling.
Pan sear the braciole in olive oil over high heat briefly, just enough to brown the outside of the roll. You may skip this step, but it definitely adds flavor to the dish.
Then, into the sauce the meat goes! This is the part that takes a good amount of time but it is worth the wait.
Slow cooking the meat in the sauce will add flavor which truly makes braciole a special dish.
Nothing beats braciole in sauce! Authentic Italian Braciole is best when served on its own however you can also serve it on top of pasta.
This Authentic Italian Braciole Recipe is an amazing version of beef braciole and is great when cooked in a homemade Italian Sunday sauce.
Get ready to have your mouth water as this recipe will taste like your Italian grandma made it from scratch!
Interested in an another Italian American classic recipe? Check out the authentic chicken parmigiana recipe and history.
Early in the description of Braciole you mentioned something about grilling over charcoal. Is that a possible way to cook?
I never tried it, but I can see it could be a delicious way to cook it. It will add some smoky flavor for sure!
At NYC annual Feast of San Gennaro there was a stand that featured grilled braciole. This wonderful little old guy was the grill master; he skewered several rolls on to skewers and cooked them about 6-8 inches above the coals, turning frequently. To serve they were tucked into the perfect little Italian roll – perfect street food!
I love braciole and my filling includes pepperoni, salami, fresh garlic, with mozzerella, romano cheese. Gives a nice tang to an otherwise bland dish. Try it.
Love that, thank you John!
I have a similar recipe with capiccola and Genoa salami, fresh parsley oregano basil and garlic, pecorino romano….
This was amazing! I used a beef top round that was perfectly thin! The filling tasted great and stayed inside the rolls! Cant wait to make again!
I am so happy that you enjoyed the recipe! Let me know if you try others! Ciao
Can’t wait to try this version! I grew up with this in South New Jersey, we used to buy it frozen at the Acme made by a Philly company named Maggio. But I don’t know if it’s a regional thing or because we’re not Italian, we always cooked ours in brown gravy with some dried minced onion in the gravy. Served it over white rice with green peas on the side, although I loved to cut off the string(it was tied) cut the braciole up and add some extra gravy and mix everything together, so goooooood!!
We do the pignoli and raisins. We also use garlic, cheese and parsley. We brown them in the oven and add them to the sauce with all of their juices.
Could I put rolls and sauce into a crockpot on low for 4 hrs? I would like to make ahead and have for dinner later.
Hi Linda, I personally never tried to cook it in the crockpot but I think it will work. 4 hours are enough time for the sauce to cook and combine with the juices of the meat. I think I am going to try it too!
I’ve made it in the crockpot. 5 hours on high. Incredibly tender
I’m going to try this, but I’m cooking for two so I’m thinking of getting a couple of boneless, center cut pork chops, slicing them in half “lengthwise” , pounding them thin then proceeding with the recipe! What do you think Nonna! Ps. I just found this site and I love it already!
I think it is a great idea. Would love to know how it turns out, please let me know.
Thank you for stopping by!
I put a strip of bacon against the pounded steak, ricotta and the add the bread crumbs, Parmesan & herbs, fry and throw it into the sauce. It’s amazing!
That’s great, thank you for the suggestion!
My mom would add ham slices along with the provolone and but no bread crumbs. added parsley with salt and pepper and garlic. Also use pig skins for braciole.
Love using pig skins – Grazie!
Pork skin braciole is to die for! Haven’t had it for many years and I can’t find pork skin here in Montana.
My great aunt would add scallions, salami and hard boiled egg to hers. My wife has made them by roll cutting a pork loin and then pounding it thin. Amazing!
That sounds delizioso! Grazie!!
Love to make Braciole! I like to add spinach to my breadcrumbs, Ramono cheese , and Italian herbs! I also added some minced sauté mushrooms on top of bread mixture before adding provolone cheese rolling them up ! I also like to brown stuffed rolls before adding them to sauce! My sons love when I make them! My mommas are still the BEST! Enjoyed them with your sauce over polenta !
My braciole filling is a little lard, cubes of salami, and chopped garlic. Smear some lard on the thin sliced steak, top with some chopped garlic, and cubes of salami. Roll it up, wrap it with string , and cook it in the gravy all day. I learned from my grandma who was from Calabria. It’s amazing the reaction I get from people who never had it before.
The region in Italy where my parents come from we know these as involtini, in the dialect of the region “braciole” is actually meatballs But I guess it doesn’t matter what the dish is called it still looks and tastes fabulous.
Thank you for a lovely recipe.
SIMPLY AWESOME‼️❌❤️❌
Do these freeze well.
Yes!
Absolutely delicious…..ooooh was it because I added spinach to the stuffing?lol….fabulous recipe, thank you, Nonna Box xxxx
Yuuum! Thanks for stopping by and for the tip! ;)
Fantastic recipe. And a huge thanks for telling the short story about braciola.
I always put fresh spinach in mine.
I’m having a dinner party soon and am trying to do as much as possible ahead. Lasagna made and in the freezer. I want to make braciole ahead if I want to freeze it. Can I cook it first, put in sauce and freeze
That sounds delicious! Yes, you can cook it first and then freeze it.
Delicious!
I like to put Hi boy legs raisins garlic grated Parmesan cheese and some parsley roll at brown around it in olive oil add to the sauce
My Italian Grandmom taught us all to make braciole and she used meatball mixture to fill it before rolling and tying it. Everything else is the same. Must be a regional thing.
This is an excellent, delicious recipe! Will definitely make it again and again. Thanks for sharing.
Hai iam Tolaman , braciole is a nice authentic Italian dish.Iam really addicts on braciole dishes
This recipe made me smile and brought happy tears to my eyes. My mother in law taught me how to make this dish when I was first married, she was from Scilly. Absolutely love it and we put sliced hard boiled eggs in our roll. Wonderful memories and a delicious dish. Thank you
Grazie mille Kathleen for sharing your experience! I’ll try it with hard boiled eggs next time!
Mama always used chopped hard boiled eggs parsley and garlic to your recipe.
Grazie for the suggestion!
My family did it a little differently..they rolled the thin sliced meats into narrow “pinwheels”, with the seasonings, etc. Then laid them close together in a casserole dish to be covered and baked..Then served with a gravy or sauce.
Thanks David for sharing your version!
I’ve made mine with Pinole and soaked white raisins. Pecorino Romano , parsley , bread crumbs and browned pancetta , wonderful .
Soaked white raisins in burgundy, rum or brandy??? How about veal?
I’ve never made it but want to try and I love spicy.
Americanize it by cooking it in brown gravy with some dehydrated onion added instead of red sauce. We usually cook it on medium low simmer after you’ve seared them. I then serve them over jasmine rice with the brown gravy topping them and some frozen green peas. We like to chop up the braciole add a bit more gravy and stir up the whole mess on the end product chow down!!!
Ciao Tina – That sounds like a great way to prepare braciole. I’ll try this version next time. Grazie mille
My Grandfather was from Napals and he always used thin flank steak, the filling was always just garlic,parsley,salt and pepper. Then rolled it tight and tied it with butchers twine. Also pig skin the same way. Cooked it for hours in Sunday gravy with meatballs,sausage and pork neck bones. Yum
It sounds delicious Julia, grazie mille for sharing your memory!
Amazing! My great aunt would add scallions, salami and hard boiled egg to hers. My wife has made them by roll cutting a pork loin and then pounding it thin.
Amazing! My great aunt would add scallions, salami and hard boiled egg to hers. My wife has made them by roll cutting a pork loin and then pounding it thin.
I make little braciole to put in pasta sauce along with meat balls and Italian sausage for Christmas dinner but I’ve never made large ones. I kept some large pieces of my top round and made 6 big ones and baked in sauce. My filling is garlic,fresh grated Parmesan cheese ,chopped parsley and bread crumbs. They were delicious. I served them with pasta. My stepson and his girl were raving about how good they were. Thank you as we were having 3 days of Christmas with different family members and this made for a little change for us. Thank you Patricia
Grazie mille Patricia for trying the recipe! I am so glad it turned out great for your family!
My grandma and all my aunts would use pig skin, meatball mixture and hard boiled eggs in center, slow cooked in Italian gravy . No better meal out there!
Surely seems delicious!
My family is from abruzzo. I was taught the filling to be a very thin frittata with various meats and cheeses. Lay on top of the pounded meat tie and sear. Has anyone ever heard of this method. It’s delicious. When slice, it looks like a beautiful pinwheel.
Ciao Mercedes! Thank you for sharing your family tradition, I’ve seen this type of filling in some ‘arrosto’ recipe but not in any involtini/braciole recipe. Definitely to try!
Brings back a lot of great memories. Dad and mom born in Italy. Outstanding cook and baker.
That’s what we are here for! Grazie mille Sam for stopping by!
This recipe is amazing! Made it tonight for the 1st time… my family LOVED it DELICIOUS!!!
So glad you liked it! Grazie mille!
Thank you for the trip back in time!! My grandma would have the biggest smile that people are enjoying traditional Italian cooking!!!
Grazie mille Dave, glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Thanks for posting this recipe! Plan to make it this Christmas. So glad for the comments. My sister and I have been wracking our brains trying to remember a dish our Sicilian grandma would make with the hard boiled eggs. This is it!! She also added large green olives in the pan (not rolled in the braciole). Anyway, thank you!!
Almost the same as my families recipe quite good.
I am Hungarian,&Irish, but I make Braciole better than an Italian!!! When you got married, the “Little Old Italian Ladies” who were my neighbors, came to your house & told you to go to the store & buy the ing. they had written on a list, & they would come back in two days & teach you how to make “Red Gravy, meatballs, & braciole!!!! Too this day almost 70 yrs. later, I teach my,Daughter & G.-Daughter to carry on!!!!!!!!!