AIP Bierocks Recipe (Paleo, Gluten-Free, Whole30)

Need a hearty, comforting meal? These AIP Bierocks, also called German stuffed beef rolls, will do the job. With this recipe, I really wanted to achieve a soft and slightly fluffy roll to go with a delicious savory filling. However, if you've ever done AIP baking, you know that's not easy! AIP breads often come out very dense or stretchy or way too crusty.

I've lost count of how many failed attempts it took to get these rolls right- maybe 6-8? Goodness. That being said, I'm thrilled with what I finally came up with! These rolls are very soft and they bake up beautifully! They are of course Paleo/AIP, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and Whole30 compliant. 

Other Names for Bierocks

Bierocks are also sometimes called Runzas or German stuffed beef rolls. The name bierock is spelled quite a few different ways as well to include bieroch, beerock, berrock, bierox, beerrock and kraut bierock.

These AIP bierock rolls almost remind me of Pasties which are a sort of meat and potato hand-pie that's popular in Montana and other areas. I used to eat them growing up because my grandma has always made them. However, bierocks are different in that the roll is more like a soft dinner roll whereas pasties have more of a pie crust. Also, aside from the ground beef, the fillings are different. Overall, bierocks or german stuffed beef rolls make a very hearty meal like a pasty, so the two are comparable in my mind. 

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What are Bierocks Made Of?

Bierocks traditionally consist of bread roll stuffed with a savory filling. The filling typically has ground beef, onions, and cabbage. As will many recipes, there are quite a few variations to this recipe but these are the basic ingredients.

For AIP Bierocks, the filling goes along with the basic traditional ingredients. On the other hand, the bread roll is where we need to get a little crafty. Yuca root combined with a little coconut flour, coconut oil, and salt turned out to be the perfect combo for a nice soft bread roll. It literally tastes like "real" bread. My fairly choosy family could not tell it was Paleo bread. This is really saying something!

AIP Bierocks Ingredients

• Yuca Root- pronounced yoo-cuh

Yuca root is also referred to as cassava or manioc. As the name applies, yuca root consists of the root portion of the plant. It is very similar to a potato and is used to make tapioca starch.

Although tapioca starch is made from yuca root, I wouldn't recommend subbing in tapioca starch for the yuca root. This is simply because I haven't tested it yet.

Also, I would expect that tapioca starch, even when mixed with water, would behave a little differently than the actual root. You could try and it may work however, it would be a science experiment. 

Yuca is not to be confused with Yucca, the ornamental plant found in the southwestern US. I grew up around a lot of yucca plants in New Mexico! Our back yard had tons of them.

• Coconut Flour

As mentioned above, we add a little bit of coconut flour to the yuca root as part of our roll recipe. The yuca root has a great binding capacity which holds the dough together and the coconut flour makes it nice and soft.

• Coconut Oil

A little bit of coconut oil added to the rolls contributes just a little bit of fat and moisture is. This is important for moisture and contributes to binding capacity. I've found that when I cut down too much on the oil, the dough falls apart.

• Sea Salt

Just a little bit of salt makes a big difference in flavor- don't leave it out. There are a variety of sea salts out there. That being said, pretty much any sea salt is fine for this recipe (and for AIP).

• Ground Beef

Go with grass-fed if possible. I like to use a relatively low-fat percentage on the ground beef like 15% or less. You can use whatever percentage you prefer though- just be sure the drain of the excess grease so it doesn't make the rolls soggy. 

• Green Cabbage

You can buy the cabbage shredded or shred it yourself. I just bought a big head of cabbage and cut it very thinly by hand. Alternatively, you can also use a shredder/grater attachment on your food processor to speed things up. 

• Onion

I used white onion but red or yellow onion would be fine too. 

Where to Buy Yuca Root

Yuca root can be found in some grocery stores (fresh or frozen) and many Asian and Latino markets. I find mine intermittently at Publix. I also found that Amazon sells fresh yuca root!! Go figure. You can find it here. 

How to Make AIP Bierocks

1. In a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, add the ground beef. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until nearly browned. Drain off any excess grease. 
2. Add the onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. 
3. Add in the cabbage and salt. Continue cooking the mixture for another ~5 minutes or until the beef is cooked through and the cabbage is tender. Remove from heat and set aside.  
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
5. In a food processor, add the roll ingredients and blend until smooth. *If you don't have a food processor, you can use a fork or potato masher to start mashing the ingredients together. You can also use your hands to knead the dough and get it nice and smooth.
6. Break the dough into 16 sections and form them into balls. Flatten each piece of dough to about 1/4 inches thick and 5" using a rolling pin or your hands. 
7. Add a little bit of filling to the center of each piece of dough. Then close the dough around the mixture, sealing it inside. 
8. Place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. 

Notes About the Dough

• You will notice the dough gets a little crumbly when you first start blending it in the food processor. Don't worry- this is normal. Just keep blending it and it will form a nice cohesive dough.
• You may also notice that the dough is a bit sticky when you take it out of the food processor. Just cover it with a little coconut flour and it will be a lot easier to work with.
• When you start flattening out the dough balls, I found it easiest to place each piece between two sheets of parchment paper. Then, I would just press it down with my hands. However, this is just one way to do it. You can roll them out with a rolling pin if preferred.
• Be careful not to roll the dough too thin as it can tear.

How Do You Store Bierocks?

These AIP bierocks will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can You Freeze Bierocks?

Yes. They will stay fresh in an airtight container for 1-2 months in the freezer.

How to Reheat Frozen AIP Bierocks

To Reheat from Frozen: Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes (watch closely).  Alternatively, you can cook them for 45-60 seconds in the microwave. The internal temp should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Substitutions

As mentioned above, I recommend not making substitutions to the dough for this recipe if at all possible. This is just because AIP baked goods are very finicky and the slightest ingredient change can completely change the end product. That being said, I've tried to come up with a couple of substitution options below. I've not tested them so it would be a bit of an experiment.

Yuca Root

I always get asked about substitutions with recipes. Usually, I really try to make sure I offer as many viable options as possible for making a recipe. However, there aren't many substitutes I can confidently recommend for the yuca root in this recipe. This is because every plant/root is a little different and really can behave very differently when baked. 

I tried making this recipe with sweet potatoes (regular ones, not purple or white) but that did NOT go well. Sweet potatoes have a lot more moisture than yuca, so I had to add about four times as much coconut flour. Thus, by that point, it was a completely different, very dense, gross, roll. 

I also tried it using Malanga Blanca which worked ok. The dough was not as easy to work with and when baked, it came out more like a pie crust than a soft roll. It was still good but different.

Another possible, though not tested substitute for the yuca root, would be taro root.

*If you're not doing AIP or have reintroduced nightshades, white potatoes would likely be a good substitute.

Coconut Oil

If you're not able to use coconut oil in this recipe, another saturated fat like tallow or lard would likely work best. However, the texture will likely come out a bit different.

Coconut Flour

Again, I have not tested any other flours to replace the coconut flour and whatever you use to replace it will alter the end result. However here are a couple of possible options to try:

Cassava flour may work as a substitute but you would need to add about 3-4 times as much cassava as coconut flour. I would add it slowly to the dough mixture until you get a smooth workable dough that holds together well.

Tigernut flour- This may also work as a replacement. It's a completely different type of flour but it's fairly forgiving so it may work. As with the cassava, you'll likely need to us 3-4 times a much tigernut flour as you would coconut four.

Green Banana Flour- I've found green banana flour to also be a pretty easy-to-work-with flour with good binding capacity so it may work well for this. I'm not sure about the ratios but as I mentioned with the cassava flour above, just add it slowly until you have a workable dough.

A Flour Blend- Another option would be a blend of the above flours. I like flour blends a lot because it combines the best properties of several flours in one. You can get a really nice texture with various blends but it takes some testing.

 

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like: 

AIP Mediterranean Flatbread Pizza

AIP Shepherd's Pie

Ground Turkey Stroganoff

Korean Glass Noodle Recipe with Ground Beef

Conclusion:

I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Did you try it? I'd love to hear what you thought! Had you ever eaten German stuffed beef rolls/Bierocks/Runzas before finding this recipe? Leave me a comment below!

Also, if you tried any substitutions for this recipe and they worked well (or not), I'd love to hear about it either way!

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