Italian braciole is one of those unforgettable Sunday dinners that fills the whole house with the smell of simmering tomato sauce, garlic, herbs, and something special waiting on the stove. Thin steak is rolled around a savory Parmesan breadcrumb and provolone filling, then slowly braised in rich homemade sauce until tender enough to slice into beautiful little pinwheels.
This is the kind of Italian comfort food that turns an ordinary family meal into a tradition. Serve it with spaghetti, sausage, meatballs, and a big loaf of crusty bread for the ultimate Sunday supper. If you love a cozy Italian meal, you will also want to try my Italian Penicillin Soup and this Copycat Olive Garden Calabrian Steak and Shrimp Bucatini.
More Easy Italian Comfort Food You’ll Love
What Is Italian Braciole?
Italian braciole, sometimes called beef braciole, is made with thin slices of beef that are stuffed, rolled, tied with kitchen twine, and slowly cooked in tomato sauce. The word braciole can refer to the finished beef roll, while braciola is the singular version.
Every Italian family makes braciole a little differently. Some use beef round, some use flank steak, and some add prosciutto, pine nuts, or raisins to the filling. My family’s version is filled with fresh garlic, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, Italian seasoning, and provolone cheese, then simmered right in a big pot of Sunday sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Braciole Recipe
- It is tender, comforting, and packed with classic Italian flavor.
- The beef slowly cooks in the tomato sauce, making both the meat and sauce extra flavorful.
- It is perfect for a slow Sunday at home, holidays, or feeding a crowd.
- You can serve the sauce over pasta and slice the braciole for the main course.
- Leftovers are just as delicious—if not better—the next day.
Ingredients for Italian Braciole
For the stuffed beef rolls
- Beef flank steak, thinly sliced
- Olive oil
- Italian breadcrumbs
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh basil
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Provolone cheese
- Salt and black pepper
For the Sunday sauce
- Yellow onions
- Fresh garlic
- Sweet or hot Italian sausage
- Meatballs, optional
- Red wine
- Whole peeled tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Tomato sauce
- Italian seasoning
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Fresh basil and parsley
- Sugar, if needed
- Salt and black pepper
How to Make Mouthwatering Italian Braciole
Make the filling
In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, olive oil, garlic, fresh parsley, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the mixture is evenly combined.
Fill and roll the steak
Lay each thin piece of steak flat on a cutting board. Spread the breadcrumb mixture over the top, leaving a small border around the edges. Add one or two slices of provolone cheese over the filling.
Starting at a short end, roll the steak up tightly like a burrito. Tuck in the sides as you roll to help keep the filling inside. Tie each braciole securely with kitchen twine.
Brown the braciole
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the tied beef rolls and brown them on all sides. Transfer the browned braciole to a plate while you make the sauce.
Start the tomato sauce
Add the chopped onions to the same pot and cook them low and slow until softened and lightly golden. Season with salt and black pepper.
Stir in the garlic and Italian sausage. In a separate skillet, brown the meatballs if you are using them. Once the sausage has browned, pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up every flavorful browned bit from the bottom of the pot.
Simmer low and slow
Add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, whole peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. Crush the tomatoes with clean hands or a wooden spoon as you add them to the pot.
Return the braciole to the sauce, then gently add the browned meatballs. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook low and slow for 3 to 4 hours.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the fresh basil and parsley. Taste the sauce and add a little sugar if it tastes too acidic.
Remove the braciole from the sauce, cut away the kitchen twine, and slice into thin pinwheels. Serve with plenty of sauce over cooked spaghetti.
Tips for the Best Beef Braciole
Use thin steak
The steak needs to be thin enough to roll easily. If your slices are thick, place them between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound them thinner with a meat mallet.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer
Do not let the sauce boil hard. A low, gentle simmer gives the beef time to become tender without drying out or getting tough.
Tie the rolls securely
Kitchen twine keeps the filling inside the steak while it browns and braises. Tie each roll in a few places, then remove the twine before slicing and serving.
Make it ahead
Braciole is a wonderful make-ahead meal. The sauce and beef become even more flavorful after resting overnight in the refrigerator.
What to Serve with Braciole
This hearty Italian braciole is perfect served with spaghetti, rigatoni, or another favorite pasta. Spoon plenty of the rich tomato sauce over the pasta, then serve sliced braciole alongside it.
For a true Italian Sunday supper, add a simple green salad, crusty bread, sausage, meatballs, and a comforting bowl of Italian Penicillin Soup for the table.
Mouthwatering Italian Braciole for Sunday Supper
Tender Italian braciole made with thin beef steak stuffed with garlicky Parmesan breadcrumbs, fresh herbs, and provolone, then slowly simmered in rich tomato sauce with sausage and optional meatballs.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: STOVETOP
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For the braciole
- 1 ½ pounds thin-sliced flank steak or beef round, cut into 6 pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Kitchen twine, for tying
For the Sunday tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 to 4 yellow onions, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, cut into chunks
- 10 to 12 cooked meatballs, optional
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 3 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, optional
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, basil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Lay the thin pieces of steak on a cutting board. Divide the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the steak, leaving a small border around the edges. Top each piece with one slice of provolone.
- Starting at a short end, roll each piece of steak tightly, tucking in the sides as you go. Tie each roll securely with kitchen twine.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed sauce pot over medium heat. Add the braciole and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the onions to the same pot. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden.
- Stir in the garlic and sausage. Cook until the sausage is browned. If using meatballs, brown them separately in a skillet and set aside.
- Pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the whole peeled tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or a wooden spoon as you add them. Stir in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Return the browned braciole to the pot. Gently add the meatballs, if using. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
- Partially cover the pot and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, turning the braciole once or twice during cooking. Keep the sauce at a low simmer, not a hard boil.
- During the last 30 minutes, stir in the fresh basil and parsley. Taste the sauce and add sugar if needed to balance the acidity.
- Remove the braciole from the sauce. Let rest for 5 minutes, remove the kitchen twine, and slice into pinwheels. Serve with sauce over spaghetti or rigatoni.
Notes
- Ask your butcher to slice the beef thinly if needed; it should roll easily without tearing.
- Sausage and meatballs are optional, but they make the sauce especially rich and traditional.
- For a shortcut, use your favorite jarred marinara in place of the homemade tomato sauce ingredients.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The braciole is even better the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
Make It Your Own
- Skip the sausage and meatballs for a simpler braciole dinner.
- Use top round or bottom round steak if you cannot find thin flank steak.
- Add pine nuts, raisins, Pecorino Romano, or prosciutto to the filling if that is how your family makes braciole.
- Use a high-quality jarred marinara sauce when you need a shortcut.
- Serve the sliced braciole over creamy polenta instead of pasta.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover braciole and tomato sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. You can also freeze braciole with the sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of beef is best for braciole?
Thin-sliced flank steak, top round, or bottom round are all good choices for beef braciole. Ask your butcher for thin slices that are easy to roll.
Why is my braciole tough?
Braciole needs a long, slow simmer in the tomato sauce. If the sauce is boiling too hard or the beef has not cooked long enough, it can remain tough.
Can I make braciole without sausage and meatballs?
Absolutely. The sausage and meatballs make the sauce especially hearty, but the braciole is delicious simmered in tomato sauce on its own.
Can I make Italian braciole ahead of time?
Yes. Make the braciole one day ahead, refrigerate it in the sauce, and reheat it gently before serving. It is even better the next day.
Do I serve braciole with pasta?
Yes. Serve the tomato sauce over spaghetti or rigatoni, then slice the braciole into pinwheels and serve it alongside the pasta.
Final Thoughts
This mouthwatering Italian braciole is more than just a steak dinner—it is the kind of slow-cooked Sunday supper that becomes part of your family’s story. The tender stuffed beef rolls, rich tomato sauce, sausage, and meatballs make every bite feel warm, comforting, and worth gathering around the table for.
When you are craving another cozy, restaurant-worthy Italian dinner, make my Copycat Olive Garden Calabrian Steak and Shrimp Bucatini. And for a lighter but equally comforting Italian-inspired meal, save my Italian Penicillin Soup for later.
