This Runza Recipe uses already-prepared frozen bread dough and browned ground beef mixed with onion and green cabbage and seasoned with salt and fresh ground black pepper. The result is absolutely delicious, quick, and much easier than mixing the dough from scratch.
Learn how to make the famous and flavorful Runza sandwich at home with this easy recipe. They are perfect for a quick and tasty meal idea. This tasty number is quite popular in the Midwest, especially in Nebraska and Kansas, where they are often referred to as bierocks. These are always a hot commodity and a huge hit with kids. I love to serve them with homemade French fries or onion rings.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Roll dough: Rhodes brand ready-made frozen roll dough is available at most local grocery stores in the frozen food section. I have always found it a good product, but I am sure there are other good brands you can use as well. Crescent roll dough is an excellent second option.
- Ground beef: use ground beef with some fat. Fat gives it flavor.
- Cabbage: green cabbage is best. Savoy cabbage is the next best option.
How to Make Runzas
Start by taking the frozen roll dough out of the freezer and placing it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Space the rolls several inches apart. Then, cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size. This can take up to several hours, so plan accordingly.
Meanwhile, cook the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the beef is about halfway browned, add the butter, onion, and cabbage. Cook until the beef is browned and the onions and cabbage are soft. Drain any excess grease. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
On a lightly floured surface, using your fingers, work each piece of dough into a circle patty, looking like a miniature pizza dough. Next, scoop a rounded spoonful of hamburger mix into the center of the dough. Then, using your fingers, bring up the edges of the dough and pinch it to seal. Gently roll the dough ball in your hands to smooth the pinching.
Place back on the parchment paper seam side down. Continue working until all the dough balls are filled. Cover again with plastic wrap for about 30 minutes. Then, whisk the eggs and milk. Gently and lightly brush the balls with the egg wash. Bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated oven.
Preparation Tips
- Timing is essential with this recipe, so plan, knowing that your dough needs several hours to rise. Conversely, if it rises too fast and you are not prepared, pop it in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
- If the dough is sticky, lightly flour your working surface.
- Don’t skip the egg wash. It makes them look so bakery-fresh. If you prefer, you can also brush them with melted butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to use your favorite yeast dinner roll recipe. Homemade dough will work just as well and may even taste better. After rolling the dough into balls, place them on parchment-covered baking sheets with several inches between each ball. Then, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size.
Follow the rest of the instructions as written. Be sure to allow time for the runzas to rise again for 30 minutes after stuffing, and don’t forget to use the egg wash for that delectable fresh bakery appearance.
To freeze, fully cool them by moving them to a wire rack. Once cooled, place the runzas back on the baking sheet with space between them. Place the baking sheet on a level surface in the freezer. This technique is known as flash freezing.
Once fully frozen, place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, wrap in aluminum foil, and reheat in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. To reheat in the microwave, wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 1-2 minutes at 50% power.
A true Nebraska runza does not have cheese; however, a little sprinkle of shredded cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack cheese is delicious. Add it right on top of the spooned-in meat mixture before pinching up the dough. You can also try cooked chopped bacon, browned sausage, or sauteed mushrooms.
More Sandwich Recipes
Easy Runzas
Ingredients
- 16 Rhodes rolls frozen unbaked roll dough
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cups finely chopped cabbage
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Place frozen rolls several inches apart on parchment-covered baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until double in size. This can take 3-5 hours, so plan accordingly.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. When the beef is about halfway browned, add the butter, onion, and cabbage. Then cook until the beef is browned and the onions and cabbage are soft. Let it cool for a few minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- On a lightly floured surface, using your fingers, work each dough ball into a circle patty looking like a miniature pizza dough. Scoop a rounded spoonful of hamburger mix into the center of the dough. Using your fingers, bring up the edges of the dough and pinch to close. Roll gently between your hands to work the seams. Place back on the parchment paper seam side down. Continue working until all the dough balls are filled. Cover with plastic wrap for 30 minutes.
- Whisk together the egg and milk. Gently and lightly brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
Notes
- Timing is essential with this recipe, so plan, knowing that your dough needs several hours to rise. Conversely, if it rises too fast and you are not prepared, pop it in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
- If the dough is sticky, lightly flour your working surface.
- Don’t skip the egg wash. It makes them look so bakery-fresh. If you prefer, you can also brush them with melted butter.
Nutrition
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Michele1L
Woman, you are a genius! I hadn’t thought of Rhodes frozen dinner rolls in years so your recipe has become my favorite for (what I was taught are)”bierocks”. Your recipe is simply delicious, and I’ve made them many times now. Today I got crazy creative and chopped up store-bought “broccoli slaw” instead of cabbage and added some sliced mushrooms to the onions. While I still have my old recipe tucked away, thank you so much for this timesaving idea!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine Michele! I am so glad that you like it!
June
I am excited to make this recipe. I have never made anything like this before and was wondering if you could clarify a couple of things for me. I would like to know about what size should my ‘circle patty of dough’ be. How much hamburger mixture is a ’rounded spoonful’? Should this amount of hamburger mixture fill all 16? Rhodes rolls? In other words, should I have leftover mix? Thank you.
Beth Pierce
It has been a while since I have made these. I pat the dough out into about 4-5 inch circle, add a heaping tablespoon of the beef mixture. I use a soup spoon. If it looks like there might be some hamburger mixture leftover I just work it in. This recipe has a lot of flexibility to it.
Jill
I have tried “from scratch” recipes and finally swore I would never make these again because they were so much work and I never got them right. I tried this recipe tonight and they came out perfect. They were so much easier than my other attempts.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jill! So glad that you enjoyed them and they were easier.
Kay
How much salt and pepper do you use? I can’t do to taste and since I can’t my seasonings are off when I make them
Beth Pierce
About 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.