Hungarian Beef Goulash with spaetzle

The flavour of paprika really shines in this delicious Hungarian Beef Goulash. Serve with a helping of homemade spaetzle or chunks of crusty bread to mop up the gravy. This meal is sure to become your new family favourite.

Jump to:

• Hungarian Beef Goulash
• What is Hungarian Beef Goulash
• Ingredients for Hungarian beef goulash
• What to do
• Tips for a perfect result
• To cook beef goulash in a slow cooker
• To cook beef goulash in a casserole or Dutch oven
• Serving suggestions
• Save for later
• Other hearty meals
• 📋The recipe

Hungarian Beef Goulash

My first taste of Hungarian beef goulash was many years ago on a snowy winter's evening in a little cafe in Budapest, Hungary. I was on a business trip at the time and had arrived late Sunday morning. After an afternoon spent sightseeing, I was more than ready for supper and was making my way back to the hotel. Quite close to the hotel, I passed a tiny cafe with a sign in the window which read 'Traditional Hungarian Goulash'.

Looking through the glass, I could see several tables set for supper in front of a roaring log fire. I was cold, tired and hungry. I went inside, sat down at a table and placed my order.

The food, when it arrived, was amazing. A huge steaming plate of Hungarian beef goulash, made with tender chunks of beef, liberally flavoured with paprika, and piled on a mound of homemade noodles. The beef was cooked to melt-in-the-mouth perfection, with added spice from the red peppers and smokey-flavoured paprika.

The homemade noodles (in Hungary they are called nokedli) were little pillows of deliciousness. They were like tiny dumplings, silky smooth, with chewy texture. The perfect accompaniment to the beef goulash. If you'd like to try making your own, I've posted a recipe for spaetlze, which is the German version of these noodles, and made in exactly the same way.

It might have been the large glass of red wine that accompanied the meal - I can't say for sure. But I can safely say that it was one of the best meals I have ever eaten.

It is many years since that first taste of Hungarian beef goulash, and what I have tried to do here is recreate that same taste from memory. It might not be absolutely authentic, but I think I've managed to capture the essence of the dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

What is Hungarian Beef Goulash

Hungarian Beef Goulash is one of the national dishes of Hungary, dating back to the 9th century. It was originally eaten by herdsmen, who were called 'gulyas'. Over time, this word has evolved to mean both 'herdsmen' and also the stew they ate, which we know as goulash.

It is a slow-cooked stew, the main ingredients being beef and onions. Other vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips and red pepper can be added. The meat is normally the cheaper cuts of beef such as shin, chuck or stewing beef. This type of meat lends itself to slow cooking, the gelatinous fibres breaking down during the cooking process, resulting in tender, juicy meat.

Goulash is well-known for its strong paprika flavour. Hungary is one of the leading producers of paprika in the world, the flavour ranging from sweet and mild to spicy and firey. Sweet paprika is the version normally used in goulash.

Ingredients for Hungarian beef goulash

• Beef - good quality stewing beef such as flank or chuck would be ideal for this dish. You could also use topside.
• Stock - this is beef stock. If you don't have fresh beef stock, use 2 beef stock cubes or stockpot dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water.
• Onions - I like to use white or yellow onions rather than red onions. They should be cut into roughly 1-inch pieces.
• Capsicum - or red pepper - which should be deseeded and have the membranes removed before being cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Carrots - peeled and cut into chunks.
• Potatoes - peeled and cut into chunks. And here's my top tip for lovely thick gravy. Keep one potato aside and grate it instead of cutting it into chunks. During cooking the starch from the grated potato helps to thicken the gravy.
• Paprika - this is the main flavoring in this dish. I like to use sweet paprika, but if you prefer the flavour of smoked paprika you can use that instead.
• Garlic - you can use freshly chopped garlic cloves, or for convenience use crushed garlic from a jar.
• Tomato puree - this is highly concentrated tomatoes - you may know it as tomato paste.
• Worcestershire sauce - adds a savoury element to the goulash.
• Flour - used for coating the beef before it is browned.
• Oil - for browning the beef and vegetables.
• Salt - this is optional and you should taste the finished dish and add salt to your own taste. I like to add a half-teaspoon of salt to the flour when I'm coating the beef.

**You can get the exact ingredient measurements on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

What to do

• This recipe is made in a pressure cooker, so you can use a cheaper cut of meat that benefits from this method of cooking. You can also make the recipe in a slow cooker, or in a casserole dish in the oven. I've added instructions for both these methods below.

Tips for a perfect result

Here are my top tips to ensure your Hungarian goulash always turns out perfectly:

• When browning the meat, use medium to high heat and do not overcrowd the pan or the meat will release moisture and stew rather than sear. If you have a lot of meat, brown the meat in batches.
• When cooking in a pressure cooker, cook the meat for the first 20 minutes to give it time to tenderise. Then only add the vegetables for the final 8 minutes.
• I find the combination of the flour that coats the meat and the grated potato thickens the gravy sufficiently. If you feel the gravy is still on the thin side you can thicken it by stirring in a slurry made with 2 teaspoons of cornflour (or cornstarch) and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir this into the goulash until the desired consistency is reached - you may not need all the cornflour mixture.
• Don't forget to taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.

To cook beef goulash in a slow cooker

• Brown the meat and soften the vegetables as described in the pressure cooker method.
• Transfer the browned meat and softened vegetables to a slow cooker along with the other ingredients.
• Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
• You will probably find that with a slow cooker the gravy will need to be thickened. See Tips for a Perfect Result above.

To cook beef goulash in a casserole or Dutch oven

• Brown the meat and soften the vegetables as described in the pressure cooker method.
• Place the meat and onions in your dish, stir in the paprika and add the other ingredients (except the carrots and potatoes)
• Cover with the stock, cover the casserole dish with a lid and place it in a medium oven (160C / 320F) for 2 to 2.5 hours.
• Add the carrots and potatoes after the first hour. Check occasionally and top up with extra stock if necessary.
• Depending on how much liquid is lost to evaporation you may not need to thicken the gravy.

Serving suggestions

You can serve this dish over rice, mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or of course homemade spaetzle.

You could even simply serve it with crusty bread rolls. Here are a couple of my favourites:

• No-knead crusty homemade bread
• Crusty German bread rolls

If you would like to serve extra vegetables, I would suggest something green, such as freshly steamed broccoli or green beans.

Sour cream is normally served with goulash, and this can be stirred into the finished dish, or spooned on top as a garnish.

Save for later

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Other hearty meals

Visit my soups, stews and casserole recipes page for more delicious stews. Here are a few you might enjoy:

📋The recipe

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