Hungarian Goulash
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My version of Hungarian Goulash with melt-in-your mouth, tender beef that’s been slowly cooked in an incredibly rich broth. Tasty, comforting and perfect for the whole family!
What Is Hungarian Goulash?
Hungarian Goulash is a hearty meat stew that is a staple in Hungarian cuisine. It is traditionally made with beef, onions, paprika, and various vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. Goulash is typically seasoned with caraway seeds, garlic, and bay leaves, and is often served with bread, egg noodles or spaetzle.
This Hungarian classic stew does not rely on a flour or roux for thickening. Many versions also include potatoes, carrots or turnips. But I wanted to keep this version simple because I want to showcase how with just a few simple ingredients you can achieve incredible flavor. So let’s get into this melt in your mouth recipe from the old country and as they say in Hungary, edd meg!
Why You’ll Love This Hungarian Goulash
- Easy Recipe! Perfect for beginners in the kitchen, this comforting Hungarian goulash recipe doesn’t require any fancy ingredients and only requires 10 minutes of prep.
- Eastern European Deliciousness! Made with simple cuts of stew beef that simmer to perfection with the perfect blend of spices like sweet paprika, garlic, and caraway seed.
- Meal Prep Perfect! Beef stew is the perfect make ahead meal that the whole family love! It keeps well in the refrigerator for days and freezer for months.
- Olive oil – We will use olive oil to brown our beef. Browning your beef is key to develop a rich complex flavor which is essential when making such a simple recipe.
- Stewing beef – Stewing beef is generally from chuck or round cuts, tougher cuts that become flavorful and tender when cooked in stews. A less tough cut of beef will fall apart in a recipe like this.
- Salt & pepper – My recipe calls for a teaspoon of each but you can tweak this seasoning if you desire.
- Onion – Choose an onion that will hold up to a long, slow cook time. I used white for this recipe.
- Garlic – I used fresh but if minced in a bottle is all you have, just remember that 1½ teaspoon is equal to one fresh clove of garlic.
- Paprika – The paprika should really shine in this dish so I opted for sweet Hungarian paprika.
- Caraway seed – This spice has a distinct warm flavor and gives this dish some brightness. We want these ground so if you can only find them sold whole just grind them with a mortar and pestle.
- Oregano – Packed full of vitamins, this little herb packs more than just flavor. I used dried Oregano for this dish.
- Bay leaves – This is an aromatic used in the cooking process, make sure to fish it out before serving the dish as it’s not meant to be eaten!
- Brown sugar – We want to develop complex flavor and a thick rich sauce as we cook. This adds some crucial sweetness to the meat and the sauce.
- Tomato sauce – The base to our sauce, tomato sauce lends some acidity to the dish to help balance out all our big flavors.
- Balsamic vinegar – A nice dark vinegar like balsamic will help all our flavors really penetrate the meat as it cooks.
- Beef broth – You’ll want to use no sodium added beef broth, we really want to make sure we control our sodium level in this dish.
- Parsley – Chopped fresh for garnish.
The big difference between a traditional stew and Hungarian stews is that Hungarian stews do not rely on a flour or roux for thickening, which is why most of the time it’s more like a soup and it’s usually served over noodles, potatoes or spaetzle.
In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil is hot add the beef, season with salt and pepper and continue to sear till the meat begins to brown. We want the liquid that the beef releases as it cooks to evaporate off so be sure to keep the heat on high.
Next, you’ll want to add the onions and garlic to the dish and cook till the onions begin to soften and go translucent. Make sure that your garlic doesn’t burn at this time, though it shouldn’t because there should be enough moisture in the pot. If need be, add the garlic right when the onions are soft.
Now, you’ll want to add all the spices, so go ahead and add the sweet paprika, oregano, bay leaves, caraway seed, and brown sugar, be sure to stir all of these together before allowing to cook for 30 seconds.
Next, the wet ingredients go in. So go ahead and add the tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, and beef broth before stirring completely.
Now you want to bring this stew to a boil, then cover it with a lid. You’ll need to allow this to cook for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If you find most of the liquid evaporates and the beef still isn’t fork tender, then go ahead and add more beef broth as necessary.
Finally, garnish the stew with some freshly chopped parsley and serve over some boiled potatoes, noodles, mashed potatoes or spaetzle.
What Cut Of Beef Is Best For Hungarian Goulash?
Beef chuck or stewing beef is the best cut of beef for Hungarian goulash. These cuts of beef are tough and contain a lot of connective tissue, which breaks down during the slow-cooking process and adds flavor and richness to the dish.
Is Hungarian Goulash Gluten-Free?
This Hungarian goulash is gluten-free, but you should always check the ingredients of store-bought broths or bouillons, as they may contain gluten. If you are making homemade broth, you can ensure that it is gluten-free by using gluten-free ingredients.
How Else Can I Make Hungarian Goulash?
Pressure cooker
Use the sauté mode of your pressure cooker sauté the beef in the olive oil. Then add all the remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot. From there you will turn it on Manual for High Pressure and set the timer to 35 minutes. After this time allow the heat and pressure to release naturally before opening the lid and serving.
Slow cooker
Brown the beef and onions in a pan first, then transfer them to the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, or until the beef is tender.
Expert Tips
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Hungarian Goulash is all about the paprika, so you’ll want a good quality Hungarian sweet paprika and you’ll want to use at least 3 to 4 tablespoons of it.
- Brown the beef well: Before adding the beef to the pot, be sure to brown it well on all sides. This will add depth of flavor and color to the goulash.
- Simmer low and slow: Hungarian goulash is best cooked over low heat for a long period of time. This allows the flavors to meld together and the beef to become tender and flavorful.
- Serve with traditional accompaniments: Serve Hungarian goulash with traditional accompaniments such as bread, egg noodles, or dumplings. A dollop of sour cream and chopped fresh parsley or chives is also a popular garnish.
Storage
Hungarian goulash can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Other Delicious Stews To Try
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Hungarian Goulash
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2½ pounds stewing beef (lean, cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 2 large onions (roughly chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (ground)
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dried)
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups beef broth (no salt added)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped, for garnish)
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Instructions
- Heat a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over high heat then add the olive oil.
- When the oil is hot add the stewing beef. Season with salt and pepper and sear the beef until it starts to brown. The beef will release liquid so continue searing on high heat, and the liquid will evaporate. Alternatively you could drain all the liquid.
- Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions soften and become translucent. Turn the heat down to medium-high.
- Add the paprika, caraway seeds, oregano, bay leaves and brown sugar to the skillet. Stir everything together and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, beef broth and stir.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low for about 2 hours or until the beef is fork tender, stirring occasionally. The liquid will reduce down a lot as the beef cooks, so feel free to add more water or broth as needed.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over noodles or mashed potatoes.
Video
Notes
- If you only have caraway seeds that are not ground use a mortar and pestle to grind them a bit.
- Carrots or potatoes can be added to the stew as well. If adding them, add them 45 minutes before the beef is done cooking. Add more beef broth or water as needed.
- Hungarian Goulash is all about the paprika, so you’ll want a good quality Hungarian sweet paprika and you’ll want to use at least 3 to 4 tablespoons of it.
- Brown the beef well: Before adding the beef to the pot, be sure to brown it well on all sides. This will add depth of flavor and color to the goulash.
- Simmer low and slow: Hungarian goulash is best cooked over low heat for a long period of time. This allows the flavors to meld together and the beef to become tender and flavorful.
- Serve with traditional accompaniments: Serve Hungarian goulash with traditional accompaniments such as bread, egg noodles, or dumplings. A dollop of sour cream and chopped fresh parsley or chives is also a popular garnish.
- Hungarian goulash can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
I use this recipe quite a bit, it’s very good. It’s the closest I can get to my mother’s goulash (She was born in Hungary). The longer you cook it, the better it gets. Make sure you use authentic Hungarian Sweet Paprika.
So happy to hear this!
I have had Hungarian Goulash in Germany of all places and it was amazing! I have been searching for years for a recipe that reminded me of the dish I enjoyed abroad and this is it!!! I let the sauce thicken and eat over rice. Thank you so much for this recipe!
My pleasure, so glad you like it!
Been making this for years at least once a month but never tried adding caraway or oregano before. My mom taught me how to cook it based on our family recipe which was originally from my Belgian Great Grandmother who used a good large glass or red wine and let that reduce before adding the tomatoes.
We add button mushrooms (quartered) and chopped courgettes (zucchini) half hour before serving or when it’s thickened to almost tomato purée consistency.
The mushrooms and courgettes release a bit of liquid but when the courgette is soft but still has a bite to it (careful not to let it burn here, keep a very close eye!) it’s ready, then 300ml or half pint of cream goes in. Double/heavy is better but we use single as it’s half the calories, warm till hot but don’t boil.
The caraway and oregano make this too good to be true, but it is! Thank you 😊
My pleasure, so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Is there any way to adapt this recipe to use ground beef instead of stew meat? I realize traditional Hungarian goulash is with chunks of meat and American goulash uses ground beef and macaroni, but I’d love to have a close flavor of the Hungarian goulash with the paprika like this if at all possible with ground beef. Thanks so much!
I believe you can, don’t really see why not, though it won’t be quite the same, obviously. Do let me know how it turns out, if you give it a try.
Curious what you mean by tomato sauce? Would that be a purée or something out of a jar? Thanks!
It says on the jar tomato sauce, it’s not as thick is puree but thicker than juice.
Coming from Australia, but having lived in the US for 8 years, I use Pasatta as the tomato sauce, not tomato sauce as we know it in Australia.
Hi Joanna I am going to make this for my Hungarian friends as it sounds delicious however I not sure what you mean by tomato sauce. Do you mean the tomato ketchup or do you mean a homemade tomato sauce?
You can actually buy tomato sauce in cans at the grocery store. 🙂
Oh my gosh.. I’m literally laughing out loud. “Tomato sauce” has been around forever; spelled out clearly on the can. Right??
Right? If someone has no clue what canned tomato sauce, available for decades is, they shouldn’t be cooking.
Or maybe they live in a country where “canned tomato sauce” simply isn’t a thing, before blindly labelling that people shouldn’t cook?
Well said. Such people who jump to conclusions just confirm their ignorance. What I think she means is pasatta, and it does not fit a y definition of “sauce” that I know of.
Tomato sauce and passata are similar, as they are both made from tomatoes, but they are not the same thing. Passata is an uncooked, strained tomato puree without any added spices, herbs, or flavorings. It has a smooth consistency and a fresh tomato taste. Passata is often used as a base for pasta sauces, soups, and stews.
Tomato sauce, on the other hand, is a cooked sauce made from tomatoes, along with other ingredients such as onions, garlic, herbs, and spices. It has a thicker texture and a more complex flavor than passata due to the added ingredients and the cooking process. Tomato sauce can be used in a variety of dishes, such as pasta, pizza, and casseroles. However, both could be used in this recipe.
Ok Karen. Different countries call things by different names – & not all ingredients are available in all countries!
I’m guessing it depends on what country you live in, eg – what we call cookies, people from the U.K. call biscuits. Their cornflour is our cornstarch. And the list goes on.
Were to start the beef so tender if basically fell apart it produced such a dark rich flavour full stew not quite soupy but not thick like gravy I also add 3 diced jalapenos which add a nice kick
My Husband also added dice jalapenos!!
We Love all of Joanna’s recipes!!
My son and I really enjoyed making and eating your Hungarian Goulash recipe yesterday.
We were wondering if you have a pork version of this recipe or whether you can just substitute the beef with pork?
Thanks for a great website and all of your recipes.
Best regards,
Simon Beaney.
Hi Simon! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I don’t have a pork version but you can use pork if you want. You could use some thick cut boneless pork chops cut in cubes and I would follow the rest of the recipe as is. Perhaps it might not take so long to cook, about 1.5 hours should be enough to simmer.
Szekely Goulash is the pork version, made with sauerkraut.
Absolutely gorgeous – the omission of vegetables is a great idea! We just had a salad on the side but may try green and red peppers next time.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve been trying to find a good Goulash recipe since my last visit to Hungary a couple of years ago. Thanks to you Jo, I finally found it. I did modify it slightly by substituting one tablespoon of sweet paprika with one hot. I also added red bell pepper, red wine and used 2 tablespoons of tomato paste instead of sauce. I served it over cauliflower risotto to keep it low carb.
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed.
I currently live in Germany and was looking for a good goulash recipe. Due to restrictions, we are unable to enjoy the cuisine at our local restaurants. I love this recipe and have made this dish approximately eight times now! I make it using a crockpot, and I have made a few adjustments to alter the taste a little to better fit my family’s liking. I use half the broth, double the tomato sauce, and after eight hours in the crockpot, I cook the juices off over the stove, to thicken the consistency to that of a stew. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This is a good recipe. I however ate plenty of goulash in Munich, Germany as a student and all you have to do is add 1/2 C of catsup, T brown sugar and definitely use carrots and potatoes. It is amazing what this little change makes. It is cost effective and the meat is always tender without taking time to simmer so long. Serve with artisan hard bread. No noodles or rice, it’s more like a soup. 32 ounces beef broth no salt.
This was delicious! Reminded me of my mother’s recipe that she’d gotten from a Hungarian friend from college. My mother’s recipes had all been lost in a fire so finding this was incredible!
We skipped the caraway only because I didn’t have any and didn’t want to make a special trip just to get them. I’ll add then next time, I know they add a depth of flavor that was missing in my first go.
This was delicious!! Pretty easy and straightforward, and tasted delicious.
I would highly recommend cooking uncovered for the last 30 minutes or so to reduce the sauce a little bit. I travelled to Budapest, Hungary last year and had some authentic Hungarian Goulash, and I remember it being a little bit thicker than this recipe came out for me. Just a suggestion that I found to be helpful, but either way it will taste great!
Just made this tonight, exactly as stated and it came out really good, the sauce was thick, the beef was tender and it was very comforting on this chilly night! We had 4 lbs of beef that I cubed and we have about 1 cup left. There are only 3 three of us, my daughter ate a tiny amount and dad dug in with both arms & legs! lol Needless to say it was a big hit.
My only caveat would be that it needed a little kick if spice, so I might add a jalapeno to the pot to cook down with the meat, just my preference. 🙂
Great recipe, thanks so much for sharing this!