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This traditional Hungarian goulash recipe is the Best! Tender beef chunks is slowly cooked in a flavorful rich beef broth with veggies. It is a comforting and delicious beef stew, perfect at any time of the year!
Serve it with a side of sourdough bread or Naan bread to sop up the broth. Yum!
What is Hungarian Goulash
Goulash (gulyás) is a national Hungarian beef soup or stew that’s very rich and seasoned with sweet paprika, cumin, garlic and caraway seeds. It is a staple dish in many homes in Hungary. Hungarian goulash is nothing like American goulash, you need to cook it low and slow for that incredible depth of flavor. American goulash, on the other hand, is super simple and quick, two of the most important principles of American cuisines.
Goulash recipe
This is a traditional Hungarian goulash recipe. Tender beef chunks, onion, garlic, potatoes and carrots are cooked low and slow to perfection in an incredibly flavorful beef broth. It doesn’t get any better than this, right? You can cook this easy Hungarian goulash on the stove or in the oven.
Looking for something extra special? Try beef beer goulash. It is malty, darker in color, but very delicious.
Ingredients in Hungarian Goulash recipe
Traditional Hungarian goulash is a very simple dish and doesn’t have fancy ingredients. So let’s dive into this melt in your mouth goulash recipe from Hungary!
- Butter: I usually use butter to sauté the onion and develop rich flavour.
- Onion and garlic
- Caraway seeds: These seeds have a very unique flavor and are cresent-shaped, usually have five pale ridges. They are nutty with a hint of citrus and anise.
- Hungarian Paprika: It is made of dried peppers and can be hot to mild, depending on the region.
- Cumin powder
- Red chili powder: Adjust the amount to your liking or leave it out.
- Bay leaf: Add 1-2 bay leaves into goulash and allow to simmer with the beef chunks to infuse goulash with a herbal flavor.
- Beef: I recommend to use stewing beef from chuck or shank. Tougher cuts can be still hard after almost 2 hours of simmering.
- Tomatoes: Use ripe tomatoes for the best results.
- Beef broth: Both beef broth and water will work well. If using water, add 1-2 bouillon beef cubes.
- Vegetables: I usually use potatoes, celery and carrots. Turnips are often added too.
- Flour: Traditionally goulash is thickened with flour roux. For gluten free recipe, use corn starch.
How to make goulash
To make the best Hungarian goulash, you’ll need to start with cooking onions until translucent, add spices, including tons of Hungarian paprika, and beef. Next, add the beef broth, cover and simmer for an hour. Once the meat is almost tender, add the veggies and cook further for 30-60 minutes. Thicken with flour roux. Serve goulash with bread like Naan to sop up the delicious gravy.
Tips for Perfect Goulash
- Hungarian paprika is the key ingredient in traditional Hungarian goulash recipe. Use a good quality sweet paprika, about 3-4 teaspoons.
- Cook beef for 1-2 hours over low heat until it falls apart easily with a fork and melts in your mouth.
- You can leave out the veggies, because goulash is about rich gravy with meat. Personally I like to add the veggies to have a complete meal, but try not to over pack the goulash with veggies. And always add them 30-40 minutes before the beef is done.
How to store goulash
Allow to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store for up to 5 days in the fridge or freeze for 4 months. Thaw overnight and reheat it on the stove.
What is Hungarian paprika
Paprika is a spice powder. They make it with different types of sweet peppers (Capsicum). Hungarian paprika is not smoked and sweet. It is one of the most popular spices in Hungary, it gives a unique flavor to stews like beef goulash.
More Stew Recipes
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Traditional Hungarian Goulash Recipe
Ingredients
- Butter- 2 tablespoons
- Medium onions, diced-2
- Caraway seeds- 1 teaspoon
- Paprika- 3 teaspoons
- Cumin powder- 1 teaspoon
- Red chili powder-1/4 teaspoon
- Bay leaf-1
- Beef shank/ stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes-1 1/2 pound ( 700 gm)
- Garlic, minced-3
- Celery stick, chopped-1/4 cup
- Ripe tomatoes, diced-1 cup
- Beef broth or water-3 cups
- Red sweet pepper, deseeded and halved vertically-1
- Black pepper and salt
- Flour-2 tablespoons
Veggies (optional)
- Carrots, diced- 1 1/4 cup
- Potatoes, diced-3 cups
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in caraway seeds, paprika, red chili and cumin powder. Mix well.
- Add the beef cubes, garlic, celery, tomatoes, red sweet pepper and bay leaf. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour the beef broth, cover and cook for 1 hour. The liquid will reduce down a lot while beef is cooking, so feel free to add more broth/water as needed.
- Add the potatoes and carrots and cook further 30- 60 minutes or until tender. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- In a small pan fry flour until slightly brown. Whisk in 1/4 cup water and mix until you get a smooth mixture without lumps.
- Pour the mixture into the goulash and cook for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. Enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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