Bierocks are soft rolls stuffed with ground beef, cabbage and onions. This recipe kicks things up a notch with sauerkraut and gruyère.
Sometimes it’s the simplest of ingredients that make for the BEST recipes. This handy little meat pocket calls for 10 pantry staples. I think it’s safe to bet you probably already have most on hand. Go ahead and mosey on over to your kitchen to check… I’ll be here when you return. 😉
Bierocks, if you’ve never heard of them, are the unofficial food of the Volga Germans (ethnic Germans who lived in isolation in Russia for 150 years). They’re also popular in the Midwest, where they are referred to as Runzas. Click here to read about their long history in Europe.
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PREFERRED INGREDIENTS FOR BIEROCKS:
A key factor in my grandma’s recipe for bierocks is the ratio of ground meat and sauerkraut. You truly want it to be half-and-half. 16 ounces of ground beef (or a pound), 16 ounces of drained sauerkraut. I like to use Bavarian sauerkraut because the addition of caraway seeds, however the regular kind works as well.
I can’t remember if my grandma added shredded cheese to hers, but I’ve always added it to mine. You can never go wrong with the addition of cheese. Right? Gruyère is my favorite for this recipe, but Swiss and Jarlsberg are tasty substitutions.
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HOW TO ASSEMBLE BIEROCKS:
Traditional recipes require you to make the dough, however I take a shortcut and use store-bought biscuits. Roll them out flat on a floured surface and place some filling in the middle. Voila… you just saved yourself an hour worth of bread prep! I like to roll them into 4 – 5 inch rounds with 3 – 4 tablespoons of filling in the middle.
HOW TO SEAL BIEROCKS:
I’ve always folded mine together like little steam buns. Then I bake them, seam side down, until golden. The biscuit package will advise that you to cook them between 11 – 15 minutes, but since these are stuffed with the filling, they will take a little longer. Usually between 17 – 19 minuets depending on your oven.
DO BIEROCKS FREEZE WELL?
Of course! This recipe will make 16 of these little gems. Not gonna lie, I’m known to hoover down one or two before freezing the rest. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 2 months, but I promise that they won’t last that long. Simply allow them to come to room temperature on a cooling rack after cooking. Then wrap each one individually with cling wrap. Pop them in a freezer bag and voila… you’ve got yourself a quick and easy meal for weeknights where you don’t have time to cook.
HOW TO REHEAT FROZEN BIEROCKS:
Place them in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Then the next day, place them in a 300F oven or toaster oven for about 10 – 15 minutes to reheat. If they start to brown too quickly, you can place a piece of foil over to top. I don’t recommend placing them in the microwave, as I feel like they get soggy.
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- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1 Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- 6 oz. Gruyère, shredded
- 16 oz. Bavarian Sauerkraut
- 2 cans Grands Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits
- All Purpose Flour, as needed
- Sauté ground beef with sliced onion, minced garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne and cumin until browned and crumbly. About 10 minutes. Drain the excess fat and allow the meat to cool in the strainer for a few minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F, shred the Gruyère and drain the sauerkraut.
- Gently mix together the ground beef mixture, shredded cheese and sauerkraut in a large bowl.
- Roll out each biscuit flat on a floured surface. Place 3 - 4 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each biscuit and fold up the sides like a steam bun to seal.
- Place uncooked bierocks, seam side down, split among two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 17 - 19 minutes, or until golden. Allow the bierocks to cool on a wired baking rack for 2 - 3 minutes before consuming. Enjoy!
NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:
- If you’re a fan of horseradish, I highly recommend the addition of it! Totally optional but tastes fantastic. Mixing in 2 – 4 tablespoons with the filling (the entire batch, not each Bierock) should do the trick, depending on your heat preference.
- When cooking this recipe, I usually prepare one baking sheet and cook them while I’m prepping the second baking sheet. I find that the coloring is better, and they cook more evenly when the sheets are baked individually.
- Traditional Bierocks recipes are made with sautéed cabbage. If you prefer to go that route, I’d add a little pickle juice to deglaze the pan, as it will help make the cabbage tangy. The savory-tang mixture in this recipe is my fav!
PIN THIS FOR LATER:
I almost never leave reviews, but I had to write one for these. They’re absolutely delicious! These bierocks have quickly become one of my favorite foods. Thank you so much for this lovely recipe!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoy these as much as we do! One of my favorite recipes. 🙂
I just made these, but I tried using coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage & carrot) instead, and added mushrooms as well. They were amazing, and using the coleslaw mix as well as the canned biscuits was a huge time saver!
Did you use the coleslaw mix instead of the sauerkraut? I love the extra tang the sauerkraut adds. I also use canned biscuits. So glad you enjoyed it! I’ll have to try your coleslaw hack, but I might add a little rice or wine vinegar to get the same flavor profile I remember from my grandma.
Delicious! Thank you.
Yay! So glad you liked them!
I put a small amount of black pepper to mine. Works well and I like them.very much.
Black pepper is a great addition! So glad you liked them.
I use white pepper in mine. We use to make these all the time they are a huge hit. My kids want them but don’t want to help make them. They are all grown and they all say it just don’t taste the same as when you make them mom
I love white pepper, I’ll have to give that a try!
Mike my Grandmother from Poland also added extra black Pepper in her mixture. They didn’t have things like horseradish, cayanne, or cumin on the farm, when they immigrated to Western Kansas, in 1890. If you want “real” Bierocks you make them the simple 3 ingreidnt way: Gr. Beef, Onion, cabbage and the extra pepper that you mentioned. they called it, Poor People food.
Best I’ve ever made! Will be using this rescipe fron now on. Thanks so much. Alot less time consuming than making your own dough,
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! They’re definitely a favorite around here. Will be posting more canned biscuit dough recipes/hacks soon, so stay tuned! 🙂 Happy New Year!
Is there any type of traditional dip for these?
While we enjoy these on their own, you could also make a horseradish type dip to go alongside. My husband likes them with stone ground mustard as well. Hope you enjoy!
Great recipe, thanks for the biscuit trick. I mix mayonaaise, mustard and pickle relish as a dipping sauce
Ooooh… that sounds a lot like my in-n-out burger sauce! Perfect for dippin!
These were a huge hit in my family. I had butter grand biscuits which worked perfectly. I also added the horseradish which added an extra tang. Years ago I had a Bierock recipe that used Bridgeford frozen bread. These canned biscuits were much easier to work with. Loved this recipe and will be using it for a Super Bowl party. Thank you!
Awesome, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed! Horseradish is the perfect addition when everyone enjoys a bit of a kick! Hope you have a wonderful Super Bowl Party!
I made this and everyone loved it 💕
Yay! I’m so happy to hear this. Thank you for trying our recipe! 🙂
These little pockets are absolutely delicious! Made exactly as written and served with grainy mustard on the side. Next time, we’ll add the horseradish, as that sounds right up our alley! Thanks for sharing this keeper!
Yay! I’m so glad you were able to try them. We LOVE them with horseradish, too!
Love these Bierocks! I have always made my dough from scratch…these were so easy and the biscuit dough was actually easier to work with. Great recipe!
Awesome! So glad you gave them a try!
dip in Brown Mustard for the best flavor
Yum! We do that from time to time but horseradish is my favorite!
I’m just learning about bierocks, and this recipe looks fabulous!
I have one question: Can you freeze them before cooking … as well as (as you mentioned above) after they’re cooked?
(If I can freeze them raw, I’d thaw and bring them to room temperature and then would I cook them at 375F for 17-19 min, as if they’d just been made?)
I’m not quite sure how the dough will hold up to thawing, it may become a bit mushy. I’ll try to give it a shot though and if it works, I’ll add directions here on the post! Hope you love them as much as we do!
Made these last night. Half the recipe went into homestyle butter rolls, the other half went into puff pastry. Different textures and flavors, but both super delicious. The filling recipe is excellent. Next time, I will double the amazing of horseradish as I feared the heat level and only used about 1 1/2 tablespoons. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Glad you got good use out of the recipe! And yes, I recommend the horseradish if you enjoy a bit of a kick! Thanks for trying my recipe! 🙂
These are delicious and easy peasy! I almost feel like they need a dip for some reason…but I don’t know what.
You could serve these with sour cream for dipping. Or even better yet, sour cream mixed with a little horseradish!
Made this recipe for the first time. We loved them. Dipped in spicy brown mustard, This will become one of my freezer essentials.
Loe these in mustard! So glad you tried and liked them! They’re a freezer essential here at our home as well!
These were wonderful thank you
So glad you liked them! They’re a childhood favorite for me and remind me of my late grandma every time I make them.
Ooh i am making these tomorrow. Lost my usual recipe. So happy to try this biscuit hack. I previously have used homemade dough or hot roll mix or thawed bread dough. This seems so much easier. Yay. I can make bierocks more often! I usually use a can of cheese soup , thinned with just a bit of milk to pour over my bierocks. Not sure how that would do with sauerkraut. I usually use coleslaw mix.
Glad you found an easier recipe! Hope you enjoyed them. Did you try the sauerkraut with the cheese soup? That would be an interesting combo.
I’ve never had Bierocks before, so I don’t know how they should taste. But, following your recipe to the tee, the buttermilk biscuit is too sweet for me (filling is great). I’ll try using a “plain” biscuit version next time. (p.s. you didn’t indicate which size “can” of biscuits. There’s a couple sizes available.)
Hey Scott, thanks for trying them! I prefer the slight sweetness of the buttermilk biscuit, but you can certainly use any biscuit you enjoy most. The recipe says it’ll make 16 biscuits, so that’s two 8-biscuit cans (the regular size). I’ll make a note to indicate that for next time. Thanks again for visiting and let me know how you like the “plain” biscuit version! 🙂
Thank you for posting this with the history. I’m a descendant of the Volga Germans from Kratzke Russia and I have been poking around the internet looking for the recipe my uncle always made but never passed down. This sounds as close as I’ve found so far and knowing it is from the Volga German recipe book convinces me it’s what I’ve been looking for. The only difference I can tell is my uncle added bacon but no cheese. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks again!
Oh, wonderful! Adding bacon sounds delicious! My grandma would always add the cheese, but it’s not a mandatory ingredient. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
I had a friend tell me to use a can of cream mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup, pkg of sausage and pkg of hamburger and saurkraut.
They made a hugh batch.
I like adding cheese too
Sounds interesting!
I had these when I was a kid in Oregon made by my aunt from Kansas, Never knew how she made them but was so happy to find your recipe. Didn’t even know how to spell the word, but thanks to you and Google. Going to make these tomorrow.
I’m so happy you found the recipe and can make them. They’re seriously one of my favorite comfort foods. 🙂
I usually make these with cabbage but the sauerkraut is wonderful and so much easier. Becase i use the bread recipe with kitchen aid, I also serve these just with sweet cream butter on the side. yum!Thanks for a really good recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Farmers food from when I grew up on n Kansas. Good hot, good cold, good reheated. Very good with ketchup or mustard.
I also love them hot or cold!
Omg. Soooooooo good. I have not had one since Octoberfest in Hays,KS I’ve craved them off and on since then. They are not popular in Massachusetts. Lol This hits the spot. Thank you!!
I’m so glad you tried them! 🙂
Has anyone tried making these bierocks in an air fryer in the bake mode?
I personally haven’t, but I’ll definitely try it and report back!
At 66 I finally made my first batch of bierocks using this recipe, and they were a hit. The ones I remember from my childhood in western Kansas used just hamburger, onion, and cabbage in the stuffing (maybe some salt and pepper). I was hesitant about the spices in this recipe, but they really kicked the flavor up a notch. I used packaged sauerkraut and swiss cheese (I don’t recall cheese in my mother’s), and I made one batch using Grands Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits and the other with regular Grands Southern Homestyle. For some reason we liked the plain better. I took one over to a friend, who’s been wanting to try them since I first described them to her, and she wants me to host a bierock party now. My husband couldn’t get his head wrapped around what these were, and now he calls them the original hot pockets. Thanks so much for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Traditional bierocks don’t have cheese, but my grandma always added it. Hope you throw a beirock party! That sounds TASTY!
We were served these for school lunch in South Dakota in the 70’s. I’ve talked about them since! Can’t wait to try them again!
I’m so excited for you to try them!
I first wanted to say THANK YOU! My mom used to make these all the time when I was a kid. She past away in 2017, and never had it written down. This is nostalgic for me not only delicious. It tastes like my childhood. Now that I’ve found a recipe how to make them I’m in the process of making them today
Aww yay! I hope you enjoy!
I will try your recipe soon. I wanted to say though, for some reason I’ve always used pita pockets when I’ve made my variations of bierocks. I don’t know where I got the idea but I enjoy them that way. Might be something to try for folks who don’t even want to mess with biscuit dough.
I’ll try the pita pocket version, thanks for sharing! I do really enjoy the biscuits hugging the interior though. Use premade biscuit dough and it’s pretty easy. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Thanks for posting this recipe!
I used ground venison instead of beef, and oh my goodness were they delicious! Definitely add the horseradish.
I also found an air fryer to work excellently in reheating them! 370-390 for 5-10 minutes.
Oooh, yes! I reheat mine in the air fryer as well! I’ll be sure to add that to the notes section of the blog. Venison sounds tasty, I’ll need to try that! And I totally agree, horseradish for the win!
How do you think Hawaiian Rolls would work (like little sliders)? And, how would you make German mustard?
Hi Sandy! The meat would be delicious in sliders. I’m guessing the end result would be the same texture as sloppy joes, but still really tasty. There are several recipes online for making German mustard; one of the big differences is the whole mustard seeds. Let me know how this turns out!
I will definitely be trying your grandmother’s recipe when I make Bierocks this next week. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I know that they are going to be delicious.
I know you’re gonna love them!
My family and I absolutely loved them! The spices made them delicious. I will definitely make them again!
Awesome! Thanks for trying my family’s recipe!
Hi! Just a few questions for you. Do you drain the sour kraut before adding it to the mixture? Also, if I can’t find gruyere, do you have a substitute? And lastly, wine recommendations for pairing from potential personal experience?
Thanks so much!
Hello! I have notes on these questions within the blog post. The sauerkraut is drained, and if you don’t have gruyere available you can substitute with Swiss or Jarlsberg. I’ve personally never paired these with wine, but I’d think your favorite red or even a Sauvignon Blanc would pair nicely. Hope you enjoy!
I fell in love with runza burgers when I lived in Omaha. All these years, I kept telling Mom they reminded me of something she used to make. It finally hit me today. It was Paul Bunyan Burgers. No bread involved.
The horseradish comment brought it home! I made a sauce of horseradish &BBQ for my sauce to put on my burger. I also used Bavarian sauerkraut in my Paul Bunyan burgers.
Can’t wait to see more of your recipes.
Runza burgers sound delicious! I’ll have to try those soon. Thank you for stopping by and viewing my recipes!
I’ve tried to make Bierocks a few times with little success. I saw this recipe and decided to give it another try.
The only change that I made to this recipe was adding 1 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard to the filling, which we really liked.
These came out great, and everyone loved them!
I also tried a batch using the same filling and Rhodes frozen Texas-sized dinner rolls in place of the biscuits. That worked fine, and looked very nice, but we like the taste of the biscuit version better, so I’ve gone back to that.
Thanks for the easy, tasty, classic recipe!
I’ll definitely be trying the Dijon! We love Dijon. Thanks for sharing!
These were sooo good! My grandma used to call them Baroques ; she and my grandpa parents denigrated from the Volga region to California. SHers were very basic with hamburger and onion and maybe some cabbage inside the dough she made by hand. I made these with bison, sauteed cabbage, and onions. Fantastic! 😊😊
Sounds awesome!
Excellent!
We love pork roast and sauerkraut. Could cooked pork roast be substituted for the ground beef? I can’t wait to make them.
I’m sure that would be DELICIOUS!
Just made half a batch of these and they’re great! This will be my go-to Bierock/Runza recipe from now on. I had to substitute Jarlsberg for the Gruyere, but they were excellent.
Jarlsberg sounds delicious!
My mom made these on many occasions throughout my childhood with a brown gravy.
I bet that brown gravy is a great addition!
My Grammy and mom always made these too. I make my own dough and add about 3/4 c of brand buds to the dough as they did. Can’t go wrong! Delicious
I absolutely love nostalgic recipes like this one! My fav.
My grandma grew up in Nebraska and she called them kraut bread.
She’s been gone nearly 30 years but I have fond memories of kraut bread night at her house once a year.
We’re about to get snow here in Texas and this is what we’re having the first night, can’t wait!
Sounds awesome!! My grandma taught me how to make these too!
I had something similar in elementary school in Newcastle, OK. They called them Baroques. They were made with homemade hotroll bread. We all dipped them in ketchup.
I’m making them with ground beef, ground sausage, cabbage and onion in Rhodes frozen dinner rolls. I may add a little mozzarella to each one. I like the stretchy cheese and it isn’t an over powering taste. I was also trying to think of a dipping sauce, there are a lot of good suggestions in the comments. Next time I’ll try biscuits instead. I mainly needed to know what spices to add. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I bet mozzarella would be good, I’ll have to try that for my son because he LOVES mozzarella. For dipping we like to make some sort of horseradish dip or my husband likes them with mustard. I’ve been thinking lately some sort of French onion dip would go well! Let me know how yours turn out – hope you enjoy!
Could you make these and freeze before baking . Then bake from frozen later?
I’m sure you could. I’d recommend lowering the temperature a little and then baking longer since they’re frozen. Personally I usually will freeze any leftovers after they’ve been baked. I let them cool and then wrap them individually in cling wrap. There’s directions within the blog for reheating. Hope you love these as much as we do!