Probably the most well-known Hungarian dish - this slow cooked Hungarian beef goulash is hearty, warming and so delicious. Slow cooked for fall-apart tenderness.
I thought it was time to pull this one out of the archives again as it's so flippin good.
Tender chunks of beef in a thick tomato and pepper sauce - spiced with beautiful smoky paprika (don't go easy on the paprika now - this stew can take plenty).
I'll happily admit - this isn't a 100% authentic goulash. Traditional goulash, I'm told, is more of a soup that doesn't rely on flour for thickening. According to Wiki, tomato is also a fairly modern addition.
There seems to be a number of Hungarian and non-Hungarian variations out there (according to Gundel's Hungarian cookbook) some using beans, wine, flour, potatoes and some are extremely simple.
This is my version, passed down to me from my dad, which I think he got from his dad (I must ask him that!).
I like to add slices of bell pepper, then serve with pappardelle pasta and lots of sour cream.
Other accompaniment ideas for Goulash:
- Boiled or fried rice
- Egg noodles
- The smoky wedges from this post
- Creamy mashed potato (if serving with mash then swap out the peppers for mushrooms)
So versatile, it's worth making a double batch and serving it with different accompaniments two days running.
I've been making this Slow-Cooked Hungarian Beef Goulash for years, and I'm usually clamouring to get my dutch oven out as soon as the first leaves start to turn golden on the trees.
I love making stews in a dutch oven (<-- affiliate link) as I find they seem to thicken a little better. Also, the initial browning of the beef means the base of the pan gets covered in a dark brown crispy bits. It might seem a bit alarming at first (as it looks like it's sticking), but a few minutes after pouring the stock and canned tomatoes in and you'll find you can stir all of those bits into the goulash - which results in a richer flavour.
I love how the sauce bubbles away and splashes the sides of the pan as it's cooking in the oven. It WILL look dark and covered in well-cooked sauce when it comes out, but you've got to admit - it does look pretty inviting:
Although I used my dutch oven pan for this, you can also use a slow cooker. Simply fry everything off up to step 3, reduce the amount of stock by half a cup, and cook on medium for 4-5 hours or low for 5-7 hours.
Love cooking with your Dutch Oven? Here are some more recipes you can use it for:
- Slow Cooked Beef Massaman Curry – Rich, fall-apart slow cooked beef curry in a spicy homemade sauce with new potatoes.
- Beef Short Ribs - Fall-apart beef served with a rich and meaty red wine gravy - I cook this in the slow cooker, but also include Dutch Oven instructions
- Big Batch Chinese Beef - A tasty, make-ahead meal of slow-cooked saucy Chinese beef.
- This Spicy Pork Ramen Noodle Soup dish…..oh boy. It’s takes a little effort, but it’s so worth it!
- Chris's famous Chilli Con Carne
The Slow-Cooked Hungarian Beef Goulash Recipe:
Beef Goulash
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 lb (900g) beef braising steak, cut into bite-size chunks
- 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 brown onions - peeled and diced
- 2 fat cloves garlic - peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika - just use regular if you don't have smoked
- large pinch of salt and pepper
- 28 oz (800g/two tins) canned chopped tomatoes in juice
- 2 1/4 cups (600ml) hot beef stock (water plus 2 stock cubes is fine)
- 1 tbsp honey - optional - this is just to neutralize some of the acidity from the tomatoes
- 2 red bell peppers - deseeded and sliced
- 1 cup (225ml) sour cream
To Serve:
- Cooked pasta - such as pappardelle, tagliatelle or penne
- handful of chopped parsley
- Extra sour cream
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Heat up the oil in your dutch oven or oven-friendly casserole dish. Dredge the beef in the flour, salt and pepper and fry in 2-3 batches until well-browned. Once browned, remove from the pan and place in a bowl.
- Turn down the heat and place the onions in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring (try to scrape up a some of the brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Keep the heat low to ensure it doesn't burn). Add in the garlic and tomato puree, stir, then add the beef back in.
- Sprinkle the beef with the paprika, salt and pepper and stir to coat, then pour in the canned tomatoes, beef stock and honey. Stir and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan and stir. Then place a lid on and place in the oven to cook for 3 hours 30 minutes.
- Check and stir 2 or 3 times during cooking to ensure nothing is sticking and that there is still plenty of liquid (you can add a splash of water if needed).
- After 3 and 1/2 hours, add in the peppers, stir and put back in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Take out of the oven, stir, then swirl the soured cream on top, sprinkle with parsley and serve with pasta and extra sour cream.
✎ Notes
- Chuck steak (braising steak) – comes from the forequarter- Consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade, and upper arm.
- It’s a tough but very flavorful cut of meat. It has a lot of connective tissue, which needs long slow cooking to break down and become tender. Cut into bite-size chunks, or you can use bigger chunks and shred the beef into strips.
- Silverside (bottom round) – comes from the hindquarter – just above the back leg
- It’s a leaner, inexpensive cut of meat with little marbling. The lack of fat means it doesn’t have as much flavour as chuck steak, so make sure you use good quality stock to cook it in. It’s good for slow cooking, but must be cooked with moisture/liquid so doesn’t dry out and become tough.
Nutrition
Equipment:
In order to make this Hungarian Beef Goulash recipe you will need:
- A good Kitchen knife. I have recently bought this Dalstrong one and love it.
- Chopping Board
- Garlic Press
- Casserole pan
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Jug
- Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons. We have just bought these and love them.
This recipe was first posted in December 2015. Updated in August 2019 with added tips and for general housekeeping.
I first made this recipe on Lucy's gorgeous Craftberry Bush blog a few years back. If you haven't seen her site already, I'd definitely recommend checking it out - she's got so many gorgeous craft ideas, and you should see her Christmas home tours - totally jaw dropping!
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Maree says
This goulash is totally to die for; so delicious! ! I did add some garlic; just a dash of red wine vinegar and served it with polenta, which makes it over the top scrumptious!
Anna Baars says
Added some cumin and crushed garlic and a tiny bit of wine vinegar.
Fabtastic!!!!!!
Chris Corbishley says
Thanks Anna, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Chris & Nicky
tracy taylor says
Help. I have just put this in my slow cooker and realised that I used hot paprika as I had nothing else in and thought it was ordinary paprika. Will this be a disaster?
Kankana Saxena says
What a delicious looking meal! Perfect comfort lazy weekend meal.
Emily says
We love this recipe! If I halve the quantities, will the cooking time be impacted?
Richard Taylor says
Absolutely delicious. A great recipe. I also used a glug of red wine. Couldn't let it go off could I?? Thank you Kitchen Sanctuary. Will certainly be back to visit you again.
Jan says
Made this with Beef skirt so the meat did rather disintegrate and a big glug of wine. Totally delicious recipe and I will definitely make this again
Carl says
I cooked this last week and it is really delicious.
I first cooked it in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours before transfering to a skillet, added the peppers and cooked for another 45 minutes which also much reduced the liquid. At the end I also added a tablespoon of cornflour to further thicken at the same time that I added the sour cream.
I had it with thick ribbons of pasta which you suggested but on first thinking about it you would have thought, better with say jacket potatoes? Hope there is so much sauce that with a bowl of pasta it is just great! The meat just fell to pieces it was soooo tender!
This easily serves 4-5 people.
Frances Walch says
Unable to pin recipe.
Chris Corbishley says
Hi Frances
Are you able to pin now? I have tried and am not seeing an error. If you are still having issues can you send me a screen shot of the error to [email protected]
Many Thanks
Chris
Tibor Paller says
Hi Nicky
It sound like a gorgeous recipe. You are right. A Goulash (Gulyas) is actually a soup and this beef stew is what hungarians call 'Porkolt" . You are also right about the slow cooked aspect with minimal liquid. It has to cook in its own juices . Please, dont be cross if I point out though that true Hungarian Goulash is NEVER: have smokey paprika or honey in it and never served with ribbon pasta. but with Nokedli,
thank you
Nicky Corbishley says
Many thanks for the info Tibor - it's great to get some insight on more traditional versions of the recipe 😀
John says
Question re your Smoked Paprika. The store I shop at offers 3 versions of Spanish Smoked Paprika: Sweet, Bittersweet, and Hot. Which would you recommend for this dish? Thanks!
Andy says
Sweet or hot
Kathryn Clayton says
Tried your version of Hungarian Goulash this weekend and loved it. We had it with rice, but so super tasty and comforting in this chilly weather.