Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (2024)

by Joanna Stephens Published: · Updated: · This post may contain affiliate links. We earn commission from purchases made. ·

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German bierocks (or Runzas) recipe

Bierocks are a classic german meal that consists of cabbage, onion, and beef all inside of a sweet roll. If you have never had homemade bierocks, you have never lived!

That might be a bit much, but seriously they are THAT good.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (1)

Now, they are time-consuming to make, but don't let that stop you! I have easy to follow instructions to help you step by step.

What can you add to bierocks?

  • cheese
  • sauerkraut

What you need to make Bierocks:

Ingredients:

bierocks dough

  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 2 ½ cups warm water
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup salted butter (melted)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 10 cups all-purpose flour

bierocks filling

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 cups cabbage
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

How to make Bierocks

Bierocks dough

The first thing you will do is add yeast to your large mixing bowl. Then you will add in your warm water. Whisk these together for about 10 seconds and then let it set for 10 minutes until it looks frothy.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (2)

You will want to microwave the milk for 20-30 seconds or until it feels warm. Also, you will want to melt your butter and then let it set. The key to a dough that rises properly is using warm temperatures of liquid ingredients. If it's too hot, it won't rise.

When the water and yeast are frothy, you will add in the warm milk and melted butter. Mix this for about a minute.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (3)

Then, add in your sugar and eggs.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (4)

After this has been mixed well, you will begin adding flour.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (5)

Start by adding in 1 cup at a time. When the bierock dough starts getting thicker, switch to your dough hook. Keep adding in all the flour until you have used up the 10 cups.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (6)

Then, you will want to scoop this dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (7)

Kneading is when you grab the edge of the dough and fold in towards the center, pressing down. You then keep rotating the dough ball until it looks more uniform.

Form it into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (8)

Cover the dough, and let it rise in a warm location of your house for about 1 hour.

You can then work on the bierocks filling.

Bierocks Filling

Start by chopping up your onion and cabbage. You will want to place butter into a large frying pan and then add in the shredded onion and cabbage. Let this cook for 6-7 minutes stirring often.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (9)

Next, you will want to cook your hamburger and then drain the grease.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (10)

In a large mixing bowl, you will combine the hamburger, cabbage, onion, and salt and pepper. This will make a traditional bierock filling.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (11)

What I like to do is also add in some shredded cheddard cheese! This step is certainly optional, but if you like cheese, I definitely recommend it.

You will mix all of this together.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (12)

Assembling the Bierocks

When the dough has risen for the full 1 hour, you will then separate out the dough into 18 balls of dough. Roll them each out on a floured surface.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (13)

Then you should pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

The next step is to scoop approximately ½ cup of the bierocks filling into the dough.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (14)

Then fold the dough around the filling, pinching it closed.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (15)

Then place it on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, seam side down.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (16)

You will then bake these bierocks for 30 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan half-way through cooking time.

Another optional, but equally tasty thing you can do is brush the tops with melted butter!

This recipe make approximately 18 bierocks.

Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (18)

4.88 from 8 votes

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Homemade Bierocks Recipe

Bierocks are a famous German dish consisting of ground hamburger, cabbage, and onion all encased in a sweet bread roll. The combination is amazing!

CourseMain Course

CuisineAmerican, German

Keywordbierocks

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Let the dough rise for 1 hour

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 18 bierocks

Author Joanna Stephens

Ingredients

Ingredients:

    Bierocks Dough

    • 1packageactive dry yeast
    • 2 ½cupswarm water
    • 1 cupmilk
    • ½cupsalted buttermelted
    • ½ cupgranulated sugar
    • 2eggs
    • 10cupsall-purpose flour

    Bierocks Filling

    • 2tablespoonbutter
    • 1onion
    • 4cupsshredded cabbage
    • 2poundsground beef
    • 2teaspoonsalt
    • 2teaspoonpepper
    • 2cups shredded cheddar cheeseoptional

    Instructions

    Directions:

      Bierocks Dough

      1. The first thing you will do is add yeast to your large mixing bowl. Then you will add in your warm water. Whisk these together for about 10 seconds and then let it sit for 10 minutes until it looks frothy.

      2. Then you will want to microwave the milk for 20-30 seconds or until it feels warm. Also, you will want to melt your butter and then let it set.

      3. When the water and yeast are frothy, you will add in the warm milk and melted butter. Mix this for about a minute.

      4. Then, add in your sugar and eggs. After this has been mixed well, you will begin adding flour.

      5. Start by adding in 1 cup at a time. When the bierock dough starts getting thicker, switch to your dough hook. Keep adding in all the flour until you have used up the 10 cups.

      6. Then, you will want to scoop this dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Form it into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl.

      7. Cover the dough, and let it rise in a warm location of your house for about 1 hour.

        You can then work on the bierocks filling.

      Bierocks Filling

      1. Start by chopping up your onion and cabbage. You will want to place butter into a large frying pan and then add in the shredded onion and cabbage. Let this cook for 6-7 minutes stirring often.

      2. Next, you will want to cook your hamburger and then drain the grease.

      3. In a large mixing bowl, you will combine the hamburger, cabbage, onion, and salt and pepper. This will make a traditional bierock filling.

      4. What I like to do is also add in some shredded cheddar cheese! This step is certainly optional, but if you like cheese, I definitely recommend it. You will mix all of this together.

      Assembling the Bierocks

      1. When the dough has risen for the full 1 hour, you will then separate out the dough into 18 balls of dough. Roll them each out on a floured surface.

      2. Then, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

        Next, scoop approximately ½ cup of the bierocks filling into the dough. Then fold the dough around the filling, pinching it closed.

      3. Then place it on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, seam side down. You will then bake these bierocks for 30 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan half-way through cooking time.

      4. Another optional, but equally tasty thing you can do is brush the tops with melted butter!

      Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls) (2024)

      FAQs

      What is the difference between a bierock and a runza? ›

      Bierocks—pronounced bee-rock and also known as runzas—are a German/Eastern European roll that made its way to the American Midwest. They're similar to the Russian pirozhki, another popular European meat-stuffed pastry. They vary in shape, but the most popular ones are usually round or rectangular.

      Why is my stuffed cabbage tough? ›

      If you have extra filling, you can roll it into meatballs and bake it along with the rest of the dish. Cook Until Tender. If your cooked cabbage is tough, it's likely because the cabbage is not cooked through yet. Continue to cook the rolls until they're tender.

      What are bierocks made of? ›

      The soft yeast rolls contain some sugar, butter and eggs, and either warm water, milk, or a mix of both. The filling is a basic mix of onion, ground beef and cabbage which can be made more complicated by the addition of different cheese blends, condiments and seasonings like caraway seeds.

      What does runza mean in German? ›

      Many sources agree that Sally Everett invented the name "runza" although it is likely she adapted it from an existing name for the sandwich; either the krautrunz, an older, different German name for the bierock, or the Low German runsa, meaning "belly", alluding to the gently rounded shape of the pouch pastry.

      What does bierock mean in English? ›

      /bɪɹɑːk/ Noun (1) Bierock. a German-inspired pastry filled with ground meat, onions, and cabbage, baked until golden.

      What are German cabbage rolls made of? ›

      ingredients
      1. 1 large cabbage.
      2. 1 cup uncooked rice.
      3. 1 cup beef stock.
      4. 12 teaspoon salt.
      5. 2 tablespoons butter.
      6. 1 onion, chopped.
      7. 1 lb ground beef.
      8. 1 egg, beaten.

      What is another name for bierocks? ›

      Runza is a chain of restaurants started in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1949.

      What food is similar to bierocks? ›

      Pretty much every culture has some form of “meat/onion/cabbage wrapped in bread.” The Irish have Dingle pies, Germans have Bierocks, and Runza. Spain has empanadas, Poles have pierogi, Chinese have Bao, Ukrainians have pyrizhky- even native Americans had their variations.

      Why do you freeze cabbage for cabbage rolls? ›

      Freezing breaks down the structure of the leaves, making them pliable and unlikely to crack or break when you pull them from the head or roll them for stuffing.

      What is the best type of cabbage for cabbage rolls? ›

      I used savoy cabbage because it has a beautiful texture and color, but feel free to use any white / green cabbages. You can also use nappa cabbage leaves as well! Make sure to dry out the leaves thoroughly. If there's lots of water on the cabbages, the filling won't stick and the roll will come apart.

      Is runza just a Nebraska thing? ›

      A midwest thing since 1949

      We started in Lincoln, Nebraska, then expanded throughout the state and into some neighboring states. To keep it fresh, we choose not to go national.

      What are bierocks called in Nebraska? ›

      Runzas are also known as bierocks. They're a staple recipe among US regions with strong Eastern European and German heritage.

      Does a runza have cheese in it? ›

      The bread pocket of a runza is made from yeast dough and is similar in texture to a hamburger bun but a bit thinner. The filling typically consists of ground beef, onions, and cabbage, but can also include cheese, mushrooms, or other vegetables.

      What are runzas called in Kansas? ›

      The Kansas crowd kept preparing bierocks as they had for years, passing down the recipe and solidifying its place in Kansas' history. In Nebraska, however, the bierock morphed into something called a runza. Runzas have the same ingredients but are usually rectangular and can include extra ingredients like cheese.

      References

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