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.
I followed this recipe exactly. and looks like the picture. It never had the aroma others mentioned. And didn’t care for it. I just don’t understand, What went wrong??
I can’t say for sure what went wrong Cher. Perhaps your seasonings were slightly different than mine? I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy it as much as we dring it.o. Thank you for ty
Made this in the Instant Pot today, 25 min HP followed by a NPR. I followed your recipe exactly, except I did not flour the meat at the beginning and thickened the final result with a slurry of 2T cornstarch in 1/4c water, using the IP sautee setting. Served it over rice. Husband loved it!
I am so glad your husband enjoyed the goulash Susan!
I love these Recipes they look very simple to make keep them coming a cook book would be great
Thank you so much Barbara!
Sounds Delish
Thanks Loretta! :)
i? would like to try differwnt rec.uk pes to add to my collection
Thanks Barbara, I hope you find lots of recipes to try!
The hungarian goulash never made with butter, hungarians cook w/lard. The autentic hungarian goulash have lard in it.Trust me I know I am hungarian.
Thanks for letting us know Terezia!
Came out great thank y’all kindly
So glad you liked it Gary!
GREAT recipe…I would change nothing but perhaps add sliced mushrooms. I love mushrooms in my stews>
Jp I like the way you think. I love mushrooms too! I am thrilled that you enjoyed the goulash!
Thank you for the Hungarian Goulash recipe! What I am searching for is Hungarian Chicken and Dumplings like my mom used to make. Chicken Paprikash, I believe.
So happy you liked it Patricia!
Me to. That is what we had at home. Please share if you find it. My elders never wrote a recipe down. So I am lost.
This looks delicious. I’m going to make it but was wondering where you buy Hungarian Paparika?
Hi Jean, if your local grocery store doesn’t carry it you can always order it online. If you would like you can also substitute it for regular paprika. It will change the flavor slightly but is still delicious.
You might find it in Budapest…Good luck;)
Try Penzeys spices online. I’ve never been disappointed!
try Savory Spice Shop
My Oma used to make this and this recipe brought me right back, thank you!! The second time I made it I used about 1/2 regular paprika and 1/2 HOT Hungarian paprika for a spicy goulash that my boyfriend loved.
Oooo, a spicy goulash sounds delicious Katie. Thanks for sharing!
Goulash was great. My Mom’s required ragu sauce and a pressure cooker. So this was easier and safer
I am so glad you enjoyed the goulash Lisa!
Goulash was great!
Thanks Susan! Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
I made this today as a special meal for my Special Lady. She said this was the best thing I have ever cooked for her. Wow – thanks so much for the great recipe and for sharing!
So happy we could help Steverino!
This is not an authentic Hungarian Goulash, to get the Goulash thick and saucy you have to do the following:
1. Cut gravy, chuck or stewing beef into cubes
2. Put beef into microwave and heat until a its lightly cooked
3, In a pot, heat vegetable oil (pork lard is preferable) then add onion. Cook till translucent. Stir in paprika (not too much as it will make the Goulash biter) and mix well, avoid burning this mixture.
4. Add beef to the onion/paprika mixture and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
3. Slowly add about
1/4 cup of the beef broth to lift the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
Then add remaining broth, diced tomatoes (potatoes and carrots if using), salt and pepper.
4. Stir and bring to a boil, cover, then reduce to a simmer for about 1 1/2 -2 hours or until tender.
It’s HER recipe for cryin out loud! Would you prefer she call it ‘non’ authentic Hungarian goulash, geesh!!
Well said Ray. I agree. Her recipe turned out great.
Didn’t know they had microwaves when they created the “authentic “ goulash
Is there a way to make the goulash a little more thicker? I like an almost gravy consistency. I haven’t made it yet, but I figured I’d ask before I did. I plan to make it this upcoming Friday.
We have only tried this recipe as written Angelina. But to make a little thicker, you could increase the flour slightly. Or if it isn’t thick enough towards the end of cooking you could add a flour and water mixture then to thicken it.
You can make a slurry of a tablespoon corn flour and a little water, till it’s like a thick paint consistency. Add bit by but, keep stirring and it will thicken. Just double the ingredients of make a larger portion than one etc.
After the recommended cooking time, take the lid off and increase the temp a bit. Stir often to ensure it does not burn. It will thicken as it reduces.
Thanks for sharing John!
I love goulash
You are definitely going to love this recipe then Pat!
Thank you for sharing.
My dad always called the American version American Chop Suey. He was in the USN 30 years and I just thought it was a navy nickname for what my mother called baked macaroni.
Never knew for years it was goulash! LOL
We love all of those names for this recipe Pat! Enjoy!
I wanna fix this but I need to double the recipe. Would I need to double all the ingredients?
I would suggest doubling all of the ingredients. Enjoy Jack!
Have this simmering right now, first time trying it but smells amazing! Might sound crazy but has anyone made it and then put the leftovers in the freezer and it still hold the good flavors? 6 1/2 months pregnant looking for freezer meal options outside of pasta.
Kimberly, I have never frozen this dish, but in theory, it should work. I hope you enjoyed the goulash! Congratulations on the new baby!
Simple to construct, and a delicious savoury dish. I made it with smoked paprika (what a gorgeous aroma!) and with gnocchi instead of potatoes. A terrific find.
Gnocchi would be amazing in this recipe, thank you for sharing Mary!