Chicken Roulade (Family Recipe)

Chicken roulade is one of my family’s top holiday dishes. We’ve been making it for over 25 years and it is often found at each holiday table, from Thanksgiving to Christmas/New Year and even Easter. Aside from the holidays, I also love having them on hand for protein-filled snacking and quick lunches throughout the week. It really is a savory meat lover’s dream.

This chicken roulade recipe takes a little over an hour to make, plus the time to chill at the end. The trifecta of meats makes it super savory and delicious, while the texture of the meat roulade lies somewhere between a meatloaf and a thick slice of deli meat. You (and any guests!) will love this unique dish!

How to Make a Chicken Roulade

Chicken roulade is a little bit of a labor of love, but you really won’t regret it once you’re done!

• Hard boil the eggs: First, hard boil the eggs in a large pot of water. Cool and peel, then slice the eggs in half.
• Pound the chicken thighs: Next, debone the chicken thighs and use a meat mallet to pound them out super thin (about 1/4-inch thickness is recommended). Use the smooth side of a meat mallet to thin the thighs, or the spiked surface to tenderize.
• Make the meat filling: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, and chicken with garlic parsley salt and black pepper.
• Assemble the roulades: Lay the chicken thighs out flat, season them with garlic parsley salt, then cover them in a layer of the ground meat mixture. Next, place two halved hard boiled eggs next to each other at either end of a chicken thigh and begin to roll the thigh up in a spiral starting with the egg side. Repeat.
• Bake the roulades: Place the chicken rolls on a baking sheet or baking dish seam-side down. Sprinkle with garlic parsley salt and pepper and bake in the oven.
• Chill the roulades: Drain the excess fat and oil from the pan and allow the roulades to cool down to room temperature. Then, cover them with plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator overnight. Once cool, slice them up into your desired thickness and enjoy!

Chicken Roulade Tips & Tricks

My family and I have been making this traditional Slavic recipe for years. Here are my top tips to help you if it’s your first time!

• Save the chicken bones: Use the leftover bones from the chicken thighs to make another Slavic classic – Aspic/”Kholodets”. Or, use it to make bone broth!
• Opt for lean ground meat: To prevent your roulades from turning out too greasy, opt for lean ground meat.
• Add in some cheese (optional): For a cheesy surprise, add in shredded Parmesan cheese, feta cheese, or mozzarella into the meat mixture.
• Substitute the chicken (optional): If needed, boneless chicken breasts work as well. However, they aren’t as fatty, moist, and delicious as chicken thighs. Make sure to pound the breasts into much thinner cutlets if you do use them.
• Swap out the eggs (optional): If you don’t like hard boiled eggs, omit or swap them out with thick slices of boiled carrot.
• Cover the meat with plastic wrap when tenderizing: To reduce the mess and meat juice splatter, cover the meat in a few pieces of plastic wrap. Then, go at it with a solid meat mallet/tenderizer.
• Use toothpicks to secure the rolls: If your roulades are falling apart, pin them with toothpicks.
• Check doneness with a meat thermometer: Invest in an instant-read meat thermometer to help gauge the doneness of the roulades. Once the thickest part of the meat reads 165°F, you can rest assured it’s ready. Here’s my all-time favorite thermometer that never fails me.

Storing & Freezing Chicken Roulade

Roulade is a great “make-ahead” dish because it stores so well! Save some time and make it before your scheduled meal.

• Refrigerator: To keep roulade on hand for up to a week, keep it stored in an airtight container in the fridge. This prevents it from drying out.
• Freezer: If you want to store a cooked roulade for up to three months, freeze before slicing it. Wrap the roulades in layers of plastic wrap and pop them into a freezer-safe bag. To thaw, place the roulade in the fridge overnight.

More Tasty Slavic Staples

• Traditional Cabbage Rolls – Tender cabbage leaves stuffed with meat
• Liver Cake – Savory meat “cake” similar to pâté
• Creamy Vegetarian Borscht – Creamy beet soup with veggies
• Russian Pelmeni (Meat Dumplings) – Meat-stuffed dumplings

Recipe

Chicken Roulade

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Servings

16 servings

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin

Chicken roulade consists of chicken thighs and a ground meat mixture wrapped around a hardboiled egg. It's a classic chilled European dish that is great anytime!

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs
• 6 eggs
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 tbsp garlic parsley salt adjust to taste
• 1 tsp ground black pepper adjust to taste

US Units – Metric

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the eggs for 10-13 minutes and set them aside to cool. Once they come to room temperature, peel off the shells and slice the hard boiled eggs in half.
  
• Remove the bone from the chicken thighs. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the thighs skin side down until they're very thin.
  
• Mix the ground beef, pork, and chicken together with the garlic parsley salt and black pepper.
  
• Lay the pounded chicken thighs out on a clean cutting board. Sprinkle them with a little garlic parsley salt. Cover the chicken with a layer of the ground meat mixture. Place two hard boiled egg halves next to each other at either end of the chicken thigh.
  
• Starting with the side with the eggs, roll the thigh up tightly into a spiral. Repeat until you've used up all the thighs and ground meat mixture.
  
• Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the loose sides facing down. Sprinkle with garlic parsley salt and pepper and bake at 325°F for 45 minutes.
  
• Remove the roulades from the oven, drain the fat from the pan, and allow them to cool to room temperature. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let them chill in the refrigerator overnight. Slice them into thin pieces and enjoy cold!
  

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Roulade

Amount Per Serving

Calories 335 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 8g40%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 11g

Cholesterol 182mg61%

Sodium 700mg29%

Potassium 446mg13%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 26g52%

Vitamin A 136IU3%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 25mg3%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.