Authentic Hungarian Goulash Recipe
Published October 6, 2021. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious Hungarian Goulash Recipe is jam-packed with roasted vegetables and beef in an amazing spice-filled broth that is loaded with flavor.
I don’t make beef recipes all that often, but when I do I make sure it’s an experience. If you only occasionally eat beef as well but are looking to try out some incredible recipes then definitely try my steak au poivre or kofta recipe.
Goulash
Goulash is a traditional Hungarian stew that has origins all the way back to Magyar shepherds in the 9th century. The stew back then was dried out and held in sheep stomachs which were the olden day’s version of a plastic container. When it was time to eat they would rehydrate it with water and feast.
Fast forward several centuries and goulash finally made its way to a big pot or kettle where meat, vegetables, and of course paprika, were stewed for hours over a fire until everything was tender. We take the same approach nowadays, but my guess is it’s on your stovetop.
Some very basic ingredients for goulash include beef, onions, carrots, potatoes, peppers, caraway seeds, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. And if you like this Hungarian-style goulash, I am sure you will also like my Texas goulash recipe.
What Cut of Beef is Best for Goulash?
There are several different cuts of beef that you could use when making a goulash. The goal, as it was for the Hungarians when this recipe was created, was to use cheaper accessible cuts of meat that would tenderize with long cooking times. Here are some of my favorites:
- Beef Shank
- Top Round
- Bottom Roast
- Top Sirloin
- Ribeye
- Sirloin
Is It the Same as Beef Stew?
Hungarian goulash is very similar to beef stew, but there are some differences. While a typical stew consists of slow braising chunks of meat with root vegetables in a seasoned broth, goulash uses spices such as caraway, cumin, paprika, and peppers which really enhance and alter the flavor from a classic beef stew.
How to Make Hungarian Goulash
Follow along with these simple instructions for making a classic Hungarian Goulash from scratch:
Start by cooking some bacon in a large pot until it is browned. Set them aside.
Add beef to the pot with rendered bacon fat and cook until they are well browned on all sides and then set them aside.
Next, add the onions to the same pot and cook over low heat until they are browned and caramelized.
Pour in the garlic and peppers and sauté over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes while occasionally stirring.
Place in the tomatoes and stew for 6-8 minutes or until a lot of the liquid has been absorbed.
Next, add back in the beef and bacon, along with the cumin, paprika, and optional caraway seeds, and cook for 4-5 minutes. The flavor and color should really intensify.
Deglaze with red wine and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until the amount of liquid is reduced by one-half.
Pour in some beef stock along with bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and place a lid on the pot and cook over low to medium heat for about 90 minutes or until the beef is tender.
Add your desired root vegetables to the stew and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Serve in a bowl with a garnish of chopped parsley.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 4 to 6 hours ahead of time. Keep the goulash warm over low heat until ready to serve.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating. You may also need to add more beef stock and re-season.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount to a small saucepot and heat over low heat until it is warmed. You can also reheat in the microwave until warm.
Chef notes + tips
- Serve the goulash with some homemade bread.
- Caraway seeds are classically used, but I personally am not a fan of using them in this recipe.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings with more cumin, caraway, or paprika.
- I almost always use cabernet sauvignon when cooking with red wine.
- You can additionally add celeriac root, turnips, and parsnips.
More Beef Recipes
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Video
Authentic Hungarian Goulash Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 strips of chopped bacon
- 2 pounds of beef shanks cut into 1” cubes
- 2 peeled and medium diced yellow onions
- 3 finely minced garlic cloves
- 1 seeded and medium diced red bell pepper
- 1 banana or cubanelle pepper cut into rings or medium diced
- 3 cored and medium diced vine ripe tomatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 cup red wine
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 peeled russet potatoes cut into 1” chunks
- 3 peeled and large diced or thickly sliced carrots
- optionally add 1 cup each of large diced peeled celeriac root and turnips
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by cooking some bacon in a large pot over medium heat until it is browned. Set the crisp-cooked bacon lardons aside.
- Add the beef to the pot with rendered bacon fat and cook over high heat until they are well browned on all sides and then set them aside, which takes about 10-12 minutes. The beef drippings will absorb after 5-6 minutes and the beef will be brown much better after that.
- Next, add the onions to the same pot and cook over low heat until they are browned and caramelized, which takes about 20-25 minutes.
- Pour in the garlic and peppers and sauté over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes while occasionally stirring.
- Place in the tomatoes and stew for 6-8 minutes or until a lot of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Next, add back in the beef and bacon, along with the cumin, paprika, and optional caraway seeds, and cook for 4-5 minutes. The flavor and color should really intensify.
- Deglaze with the red wine and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until the amount of liquid is reduced by one-half.
- Pour in the beef stock along with bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and place a lid on the pot and cook over low to medium heat for about 90 minutes or until the beef is tender.
- Add your desired root vegetables to the stew and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Serve in a bowl with a garnish of chopped parsley.
I followed a recipe that is prominently featured on a couple of sites (same recipe on both sites) when searching for a Hungarian Goulash recipe. It was so-so (lacked complexity) – not like what I remember eating years ago in Europe. I’m going to try this one next time.
Thanks for giving it a try!
Amazing recipe! I made my best goulash for the Christmas Eve using it. My whole family enjoyed it and we all agreed that it tasted just like the ones we had in Prague and in Vienna, brought memories..
Fantastic!