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    Home » Recipes » Main Courses

    Zwiebelrostbraten Recipe

    Published: Jun 9, 2021 · Modified: Jan 2, 2022 by Petra Kupská

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    We Czechs adopted this recipe from our Austrian neighbors, where it is served under the name "Zwiebelrostbraten". It is a festive dish of beef slices with a scoop of fried onions arranged on top. It tastes delicious, give it a try; I promise you won't be disappointed!

    Zwiebelrostbraten Czech vídeňská roštěná recipe
    Table of Contents hide
    What Is Zwiebelrostbraten
    Ingredients
    Instructions with Photos
    Serving
    Cooking Tips
    Zwiebelrostbraten – Czech Vídeňská roštěná

    What Is Zwiebelrostbraten

    These are slices of quality beef topped with a flavorful gravy, served with crispy fried onions. As a side dish, roasted potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) or steamed rice are suitable.

    The recipe originates from Austria, of which the Czech lands were a part until 1918. That is why many Austrian recipes have taken their place in Czech cuisine, and why we like to cook them.

    Literally translated, "Zwiebelrostbraten" (a German word) means "beef roasted with onions". Czechs know this dish as "Vídeňská roštěná", aka "Viennese roasted beef", where Vienna is the capital of Austria.

    My tip: Try Czech roštěnky, braised sirloin steaks

    Zwiebelrostbraten is very popular in Austria, and you can find it on every good local restaurant menu.

    Ingredients

    Zwiebelrostbraten ingredients

    This recipe includes ingredients and preparation for beef slices with onions and gravy. Fried potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) usually accompanyZwiebelbraten. Please note; I do not cover their preparation here.

    Beef with gravy:

    • Beef steaks; I suggest sirloin steaks, which are closest to the cut of beef used to cook this recipe in Austria and the Czech Republic. Each steak should weigh around 7 oz (200 g) raw.
    • Salt
    • Black pepper; ground
    • All-purpose flour
    • Vegetable oil; sunflower oil or canola
    • Unsalted butter
    • Beef broth; to make gravy

    Fried onions:

    • Onions; prepare one piece of onion per person
    • Fat; to fry the onions
    • Salt
    • All-purpose flour

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    Instructions with Photos

    STEP 1: Slightly pound the beef steaks and make cuts with a knife around the edges. Salt and pepper the steaks from both sides.

    Pound the beef steaks

    STEP 2: Dip one side of each steak in flour.

    dreadging steaks in the flour

    STEP 3: Heat a cast iron or stainless steel pan, add oil. Place the steaks floured side down into the oil, turn and sear on both sides. The meat should remain slightly pink inside. Remove the meat from the pan and keep it warm on a preheated plate (e.g., in the oven).

    searing beef steaks in a pan

    STEP 4: In the drippings, foam the butter, sprinkle with a teaspoon of flour, pour in the beef broth, and stir well. Season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Add the meat and let it stew briefly until soft.

    making zwiebelrostbraten
    Zwiebelrostbraten

    STEP 5: In the meantime, dust the sliced onions with flour and roast them in the hot fat until brown. Immediately strain, drain, and lightly salt.

    frying onions
    fried onion rings

    STEP 6: Cover the beef steaks with crispy onions and pour the gravy over them.

    Serving

    Serve the roast beef pieces either individually on preheated plates or on a preheated platter with serving cutlery. Serve with roast potatoes sprinkled with parsley.

    zwiebelrostbraten serving

    This dish goes well with green lettuce dressed with vinegar, oil, salt, and herbs.

    Cooking Tips

    • A cast-iron skillet with a lid is ideal for making this recipe. The cast iron will get perfectly hot for the initial searing of the steaks.
    • The gravy for Zwiebelrostbraten has a mild taste, suitably complemented by the aroma of fried onions. The onions must be crisp when served, i.e., freshly fried. That is what makes this dish unique.

    More Czech recipes to try

    • Chicken breast steak with peach – kuřecí plátek s broskví
    • Slow roasted pork belly – pečený bůček
    • Potato salad – bramborový salát

    Recipe card

    zwiebelrostbraten recipe

    Zwiebelrostbraten – Czech Vídeňská roštěná

    We Czechs adopted this recipe from our Austrian neighbors, where it is served under the name "Zwiebelrostbraten". It is a festive dish of beef slices on which a scoop of fried onions is arranged. It tastes delicious, give it a try; I promise you won't be disappointed!
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Austrian, Czech
    Keyword: European Eating, National Dishes

    Ingredients

    Beef steaks and gravy:

    • 4 sirloin steak each steak should weigh around 7 oz (200 g) raw
    • salt
    • black pepper ground
    • all-purpose flour
    • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
    • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
    • 1 cup (240 ml) beef broth

    Fried onions:

    • 4 onions cut into thin rings
    • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
    • fat to fry onions
    • ½ tsp salt

    Instructions

    • Slightly pound the beef steaks and make cuts with a knife around the edges. Salt and pepper the steaks from both sides.
    • Dip one side of each steak in flour.
    • Heat cast iron or stainless steel pan, add oil. Place the steaks with the floured side into the oil, turn and sear on both sides. The meat should remain slightly pink inside. Remove the meat from the pan and keep warm on a preheated plate (e.g., in the oven).
    • In the drippings, foam the butter, sprinkle with a teaspoon of flour, pour in the beef broth, and stir well. Season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Add the meat and let it stew briefly until soft.
    • Meantime, dust the sliced onions with flour and roast them in the hot fat until brown. Immediately strain, drain, and lightly salt.
    • Cover the beef steaks with crispy onions and pour the gravy over them.

    Notes

    1. Makes 4 yields.
    2. SERVING: Serve the roast beef pieces either individually on preheated plates or on a preheated platter with serving cutlery. Serve with roast potatoes sprinkled with parsley.
    3. Zwiebelrostbraten dish goes well with green lettuce dressed with vinegar, oil, salt, and herbs.
    4. A cast-iron skillet with a lid is ideal for making this recipe. The cast iron will get perfectly hot for the initial searing of the steaks.
    5. The gravy for Zwiebelrostbraten has a mild taste, suitably complemented by the aroma of fried onions. The onions must be crisp when served, i.e., freshly fried. That is what makes this dish unique.

    DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

    Conversion chart
    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cheryl

      June 23, 2021 at 3:36 pm

      It looks like beef liver and so does the preparation, it wouldn't do this to a steak, sorry, but I like liver.

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        June 24, 2021 at 7:50 am

        Ahoj Cheryl, thank you for your comment. I think you are referring to another dish - the Czech "játra na cibulce" (liver on sauteed onions), which, by the way, tastes great. However, it is something different than this "Vídeňská roštěná" (Viennese beef roast). In this recipe, the onion rings are dusted with flour, fried separately in oil, and then made into a crispy garnish on the fried meat. In the recipe with liver, the onions form the basis of the sauce, which adds flavor. With friendly regards, Petra

        Reply

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    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

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