When the temperature drops, a pot of Hungarian Goulash is always on our menu. It is made with tender beef, sweet onions, and a savory broth that fills the house with the best cozy aroma.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Rich and hearty with sweet onions and tender chunks of beef in a delicious paprika broth.
- Technique: Cooking the soup low and slow tenderizes the meat.
- Budget Tip: Hungarian goulash is a great way to turn a less expensive cut of meat into a tender and delicious meal. Adding potatoes and carrots will stretch the meal further.
- Recipe Note: Hungarian Goulash is very different from an American goulash recipe, which is a pasta and ground beef dish!
Ingredient Notes For Goulash
- Paprika: Hungarian paprika is made from ground dried peppers that range from mild to hot, so its flavor varies by region. Paprika can be smoked, sweet, or hot, but this recipe usually uses the mild or sweet varieties.
- Vegetables: Families often customize this dish with potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, peppers, or tomatoes. Some Hungarian Goulash recipes use only onions or serve veggies on the side.
- Beef & Broth: Use chunks of either stew beef or chuck roast.
How to Make Hungarian Goulash
- Sauté onions in butter until soft, then sear the beef until browned.
- Add broth to deglaze, then mix in tomatoes, more broth, and spices.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer (full recipe below) until the meat is tender.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the goulash on its own or over homemade egg noodles, elbow macaroni, or mashed potatoes. Top it with a dollop of sour cream and fresh parsley.
Add a side of crusty artisan bread and butter, 30-minute dinner rolls, or biscuits to soak up any leftover gravy.
Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, warm over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of beef broth if it is too thick. Or, reheat single servings in the microwave in short intervals, stirring occasionally, and adding liquid if needed.
Must-Try Soups and Stews
Did you make this Hungarian Goulash? Leave a rating and comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons salted butter oil, or lard (preferred)
- 2 medium yellow onions diced
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1½ pounds stewing beef or chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth or water, divided
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes drained
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced, optional
- 3 medium carrots diced, optional
- chopped fresh parsley and sour cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in caraway seeds and paprika.
- In a bowl or zip-top bag, dredge the beef with flour and shake off any excess. Add the beef to the onion mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly add ¼ cup of beef broth while scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining broth and diced tomatoes. Add potatoes and carrots if using. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for about 1½ -2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender.
- Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Hungary© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Delicious
Thank you Carolyn, so happy you loved this Hungarian goulash!
Very nice dinner dish.
Thank you Nankya!
Can you tell me the amount of grams I’ll need to cook this delicious looking meal for 4 people for 2 days.
Neil, I am unable to provide ingredients in grams however you can find conversions here. Enjoy!
Gulyás is soup…
Pörkölt is stew…
No two ways about it…
We have made this twice now and both times it came out delicious. If we are out of beef broth We use vegetable or chicken broth and add beef boullian. We had regular paprika so cut it back to 2 tsp and it was perfect!
I am so glad you have enjoyed this recipe Milton! Thanks for sharing your broth substitutions!
Is it possible to do this recipe in a crockpot? If so, how and would the amount of liquid and cooking time change? I’m making it the original way first for my husband’s birthday dinner but the crock pot makes things so easy on busy days.
Thank you,
Edie
Happy Birthday to your husband! I would leave the liquid the same but suggest about 7-8 hours on low or until the meat is tender. Let us know how it goes!
After reading all of the great reviews, I was disappointed with this. For me the paprika was too overwhelming and hid the taste of everything else.
I’m sorry that you didn’t enjoy it as much as we do Kim. Thank you for trying it!
I thought the same thing :(
Are you sure you got the right paprika? Hungarian paprika is very mellow and slightly sweet. Unlike other paprikas are smoky and/or spicy.
WOW!!! This is a great recipe, Its simple, easy, quick. My family loved it. The only changes I made, I used ribeye steaks (I would normally use NY Steaks). New family favorite, I’ll be spreading this recipe around.
Yum Beverly! So happy to hear you love this goulash!
I made this today – it was my first crack at goulash – and it was a huge success! SO simple and delicious. My husband cannot stop raving about it :) definitely a keeper. Thank you!
So happy to hear that your husband loved the goulash Audrey-Ann!
Delicious! This is the first dish that I’ve ever cooked that was all gone as soon as I said it’s done. No leftovers, nothing left in the pot, and EVERYONE had seconds. Even my picky daughter LOVED IT!! And it was the perfect day for it; cold and rainy. Only thing i did different was cook in the crock pot. Thanks, I love this site! I’m not the best cook but your recipes make it so easy.
Yay! So glad this was a big hit with your family Ashley, definitely perfect for a cold rainy day!
What’s the best kind of potato and how big are the pieces?
I use baby potatoes (red or white skinned) and usually cut them in half so they’re bite-sized.
ONE CUP DICED TOMATOES – DO YOU DRAIN THE TOMATOES? THIS LOOKS AMAZING!!!!!!!!! HAD SOME AS A CHILD AND HAVE NEVER FOUND A RECIPE THAT LOOKED GOOD ENOUGH TO TRY – UNTIL NOW!
Enjoy Patricia!
Can I use sweet potatoes instead of real potatoes?
Sure you can! Sweet potatoes can cook a bit quicker so you might like to add them a bit later (they maybe need an hour or so).
Just made this dish today, New Years Day 2019. I wish I didn’t commit to a diet as a resolution! This goulash is fantastic. I used a tablespoon of Penzey Cajun paprika and a tablespoon of regular paprika. Also cut back on the potatoes by one cup. My fussy eater wife absolutely loves this dish (me too!). Next time, I’m going full Cajun!
So glad your family loved it Scott!
Sorry if this sounds ignorant but would the potatoes not fall apart completely if you let them simmer for 2 hours?
Hi Nina, potatoes will hold their shape in most soups and stews no matter how long they are simmered. Enjoy!
I’m Hungarian and make this a lot. It’s a staple here as well as cabbage rolls, macaroni and cabbage and a few other comfort food recipes passed to me from my great grandmother. My fresh from Hungary grandparents served this over boiled potatoes slightly smashed with a fork and sometimes parsnips were added in.
My three year old loves Hungarian goulash and I think this will be dinner tomorrow night!
Cabbage rolls are our favorite too. Let me know how it turns out Mary!
Omg I’m so excited to try this! It looks so yummy and simpler than other Gulyás recipes I’ve found online. My fiancé lived in Budapest for many years and I hope my American cooking skills can give him a taste of his home away from home. I’m going to serve it with a dollop of sour cream and some crusty bread. Thank you for posting this recipe! I’ll let you know what he thinks!
I’m sure he’ll love it Ashley! Enjoy :)
Success! He loved it! I topped it with sour cream, served it with sourdough crossed bread and added a few couple garlic cloves, but otherwise followed your recipe to the letter. This is certified Hungarian approved! Many thanks!:)
So glad it turned out Ashley!
This recipe looks delicious and I am going to give it a go. You mentioned it can be simmered in the oven. I have done my chili this way. What temp and length of time in the oven do you recommend? Thank you
I would cook this at 325°F for about 2 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
this is so good, made it today and doubled it up just to have extra’s
i love it made a mix of spicy and sweet hungarian paprika powder just perfect. thank you so much!!!
So glad you loved it Karin!
Hi Holly,
What is a caraway seeds?
Thank you.
Caraway seeds have a strong and earthy anise taste. They are used in many dishes like rye bread, liquors, casseroles, and European cuisine.