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This traditional Hungarian Goulash is made with tender beef slowly simmered in a rich, savory sauce flavored with sweet Hungarian paprika, onions, garlic, and caraway. Serve it over creamy mashed potatoes for a hearty, comforting dinner that’s packed with flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Hungarian Goulash
- Deeply savory, paprika-forward flavor: a generous amount of sweet Hungarian paprika is the backbone of the dish, giving it a warm, earthy depth.
- Fork-tender beef: a long, slow simmer breaks down tough chuck roast into meltingly tender bites.
- Mostly hands-off cooking: once it’s simmering, the stove does most of the work for you.
- Naturally thick sauce: no flour or cornstarch needed — the sauce reduces and thickens on its own as it cooks.
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make Hungarian Goulash
- Cook the onions: Heat the lard or oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8–10 minutes, until very soft and lightly golden.
- Cook the beef: Add the beef and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the paprika: Add the garlic and caraway and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the pot from the heat, then stir in the sweet Hungarian paprika, hot paprika, salt, and pepper. Once the beef is evenly coated, return the pot to low heat. This prevents the paprika from burning and developing a bitter flavor.
- Simmer: Add the tomato, bell pepper, beef broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and cook for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is very tender.
- Thicken the sauce: Remove the lid for the final 20–30 minutes and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Add a splash of broth if needed.
- Serve: Remove the bay leaf, adjust the seasoning, and serve over creamy mashed potatoes. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Take the Pot Off the Heat Before Adding Paprika
This is one of the most important steps in authentic goulash. Paprika burns easily and turns bitter almost instantly if added directly to a hot pan, so removing the pot from the heat before stirring it in gives the spice a chance to bloom in the residual warmth without scorching. It’s a small step that protects the entire flavor of the dish.
Hungarian Goulash vs. American “Goulash”
If you grew up with a ground beef, macaroni, and tomato sauce dish called goulash, this recipe might come as a bit of a surprise. Authentic Hungarian goulash is a slow-braised beef stew built almost entirely around paprika, with no pasta involved at all. It takes longer to make, but the payoff is a deeply savory, tender dish that tastes far more complex than its short ingredient list would suggest.
Recipe Variations
- Goulash Soup Style-Add an extra 2 cups of broth and some diced potatoes for a brothier, soup-like version traditionally called gulyásleves.
- Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash-After browning the beef and blooming the paprika on the stovetop, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6–8 hours.
Ways to Serve Hungarian Goulash
- Over Mashed Potatoes-The classic pairing, perfect for soaking up every bit of the rich sauce.
- With Egg Noodles-Buttered egg noodles are another traditional and satisfying base for the goulash.
- With Crusty Bread-Great for mopping up the sauce straight from the bowl.
- Alongside Pickled Vegetables-A traditional Hungarian touch — pickled cucumbers or peppers add a tangy contrast to the rich stew.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor often improves the next day.
- Freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened too much in storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but the flavor won’t be quite as rich or authentic. Hungarian paprika has a deeper, more complex flavor than many standard grocery store paprikas, so it’s worth seeking out if you want the most traditional result.
Paprika burns very easily and turns bitter almost instantly over direct heat. Removing the pot from the burner before stirring it in protects the spice’s flavor and color, since it can still bloom in the residual warmth without scorching.
This usually means it needs more time simmering uncovered. Removing the lid for the last 20–30 minutes of cooking, as the recipe directs, allows excess liquid to evaporate and the sauce to naturally thicken and concentrate in flavor.
More Recipes to Try!!!
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Lamb Chili
Give this Hungarian goulash a try, and if it turns out as rich and tender as ours, come back and leave a star rating below — it helps other home cooks find this recipe too!
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Hungarian Goulash Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
- 2 large yellow onions, diced (about 3 cups)
- 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch cubes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
- ½ teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika, optional
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium tomato, finely diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 2½ cups beef broth, plus more if needed
- 1 bay leaf
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the onions: Heat the lard or oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8–10 minutes, until very soft and lightly golden.
- Add the beef and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Traditionally, Hungarian goulash doesn’t require deeply searing the beef. Simply cook it with the onions until no longer pink on the outside.
- Add the paprika: Add the garlic and caraway and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the pot from the heat, then stir in the sweet Hungarian paprika, hot paprika, salt, and pepper. Once the beef is evenly coated, return the pot to low heat. This prevents the paprika from burning and developing a bitter flavor.
- Simmer: Add the tomato, bell pepper, beef broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and cook for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is very tender.
- Thicken the sauce: Remove the lid for the final 20–30 minutes and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Add a splash of broth if needed.
- Remove the bay leaf, adjust the seasoning, and serve over creamy mashed potatoes. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- Meat: Beef chuck works best because it becomes tender and flavorful during the long, slow simmer.
- Paprika: Use good-quality sweet Hungarian paprika for the best flavor. Don’t let it burn, as paprika can quickly become bitter.
- Caraway seeds: Lightly crush them before adding to release more flavor.
- Consistency: Simmer uncovered toward the end if you want a thicker, richer sauce. Add a splash of broth if it gets too thick.
- Make ahead: Goulash tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop.
- Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or crusty bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Goulash looks great. I hope to try it.
It is really delicious! You must try it, Nancy!
I am really interested in trying this recipe! I was wondering of perhaps you could break down the steps to making it in a crock pot? Would you brown the meat first then just add it all together? Or flour and water near the end? 8 hours on low? Any help would be appreciated.
Finally a goulash recipe. I saw some lunatic was trying to make goulash with minced beef pan fried with no paprika and with italian seasoning and macaroni. Americans, huh ?!