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
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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)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
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.
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.
