Juicy chunks of pork, flavoured with paprika in a mouthwatering creamy sauce, packed with onions, peppers and mushrooms, all come together in this yummy creamy paprika pork goulash. Serve over rice or pasta for a delicious family supper.
Several years ago, I was on an assignment in Cologne, Germany with one of my work colleagues. It was a six-week assignment that lasted from November to the middle of December. It was winter and it was cold (it even snowed!). Our hotel was about a half-hour walk from the town centre. Consequently, we tended to eat at the hotel most nights, rather than brave the long, cold walk into town.
During those six weeks, we probably ate our way through the entire hotel dinner menu at least twice. On the last night before I was due to return home, I was alone at the hotel, my colleague having left the previous day. When the waiter came up to take my order I couldn't decide what I wanted to eat, there was nothing left on the menu that I fancied. I told this to the waiter and his reply was 'Don't worry - I'll go and have a word with the chef'. He came back and told me that the chef was going to cook me a special meal.
Less than half an hour later, my special meal arrived. It was a plate of paprika pork goulash in a creamy sauce, served on a bed of soft noodles. The pork was tender and succulent, perfectly complemented by the smoky flavours of the paprika sauce. And it was laden with tasty onions, peppers and mushrooms.
Once I'd licked my plate clean (figuratively speaking) I went in search of the chef to thank him. His reply was 'My pleasure - I also get tired of cooking the same things night after night'.
This is my version of creamy paprika pork goulash (as far as I can remember it). I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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Ingredients
This recipe will feed 4 people.
- Pork - pork from the leg or fillet is ideal for this dish as it can be cooked quickly. Don't use shoulder or belly pork as it needs a longer, slower, cooking time and will be quite tough in this recipe.
- Flour, paprika, salt and black pepper - these are used to coat the pork before it is fried. You can use either smoked or sweet paprika depending on your preference.
- Onion - I like to use white onions in this dish, but you could use red onions if that's all you have. The should be peeled and coarsely chopped.
- Capsicum (or bell pepper) - I used a yellow pepper, but red pepper will work just as well. I think the taste of green pepper might be a little strong. These should be de-seeded and cut into approximately one-inch pieces.
- Mushrooms - button mushrooms, white closed-cap or chestnut mushrooms will all be fine. I'd tend to avoid the darker portobello mushrooms as they would turn the sauce brown. Button mushrooms can be left whole; larger mushrooms should be sliced.
- Sunflower oil - or any neutral-flavoured oil for frying the pork.
- Stock - use chicken stock or vegetable stock. If you don't have fresh stock you can make some using a stock cube.
- Cream - this is stirred into the sauce to enrich it. I like to use double cream as there is less chance of it splitting. You could use single cream instead.
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Instructions
Step 1: Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces and remove any visible fat. Coat it well with a mixture of flour, paprika, salt and pepper.
Step 2: Cut the capsicum and onions to size, and slice the mushrooms.
Step 3: Heat the oil in a pan and fry the meat on moderate heat until it has browned all over. This will take about 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate while you make the sauce.
Step 4: Add another splash of oil to the same pan and fry the onions and peppers on low to moderate heat until the onions turn translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue to fry until they soften. About 7 minutes in total.
Step 5: Stir in the stock and add the meat back to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the pork is tender. The actual time will depend on the size of the pork cubes.
Step 6: The sauce should have thickened from the flour coating the pork. If it doesn't thicken sufficiently, make a thin paste with 1 teaspoon cornflour and 2 tablespoons water and stir slowly into the dish over low heat until the desired consistency is reached.
Step 7: Finally, stir in the cream and continue to heat until boiling. Optionally garnish with chopped parsley. Serve spooned over a bed of soft boiled noodles, white rice or creamy mashed potatoes.
Tips for a perfect outcome
Here are my tops tips to ensure your paprika pork goulash turns out exactly as it should:
- Make sure you use good quality pork leg or fillet. If you use a tougher cut such as shoulder or pork belly, the pork won't be tender in the time that this recipe takes.
- If you do want to use pork shoulder you can, but you should increase the simmering time to at least 35 to 40 minutes to ensure the meat is tender. You may also find you will need additional stock to allow for evaporation.
- When browning the flour-coated pork do it in batches so that you don't overcrowd the pan. Adding too much pork to the pan may result in the pork releasing moisture and it will stew rather than brown. The idea is to sear the outside of the pork to seal in the juices.
What to serve with creamy paprika pork goulash
As I mentioned above, you can serve this dish on a bed of rice or noodles, or you could even serve it with homemade spaetzle.
If you want additional vegetables with it, a sweet green vegetable such as frozen peas goes well. You could even mix a handful of frozen peas into the dish before adding the cream, for additional pops of colour. Or you could add half a cup of frozen sweetcorn.
Otherwise, try the following sides:
- steamed broccoli and/or steamed green beans
- sweet potato or butternut
- glazed carrots. To glaze carrots follow this recipe for vichy carrots.
If you don't want to serve it with vegetables, why not serve it with a slice of homemade crusty bread to mop up the sauce?
Equipment
For making this pork goulash you will need a large frying pan or saute pan with a lid. This dish can also be cooked in a large saucepan.
You will also need a sharp knife and a chopping board for preparing the ingredients.
FAQ
To freeze this paprika pork goulash, allow it to cool and then pack it into suitable freezer containers. The dish can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To use, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat in a saucepan on the stove until piping hot.
Yes, you can make pork goulash up to three days in advance and store it in the refrigerator in a covered container.
If you intend to do this, skip the final step of adding the cream and only add the cream when you reheat the dish, just prior to serving.
Save for later
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Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my pork recipes page for other delicious ideas with pork, or why not try one of these other easy one pan meals?
📋The recipe
Creamy paprika pork goulash
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Frying pan or saute pan
- Mixing bowl
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 1 lb / 450 grams pork leg meat (or pork fillet) cubed
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 to 2 tablespoons ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large yellow or red bell pepper (capsicum) chopped
- ¼ pound / 115 grams mushrooms chopped
- 1 cup / 240 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 - 4 tablespoons sunflower oil for frying the pork and the vegetables
- ½ cup / 120 ml single cream
Instructions
- Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.1 lb / 450 grams pork leg meat (or pork fillet)
- Peel the onions and deseed the capsicum. Chop them into one-inch pieces. Slice the mushrooms.1 large onion, 1 large yellow or red bell pepper (capsicum), ¼ pound / 115 grams mushrooms
- Combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Coat the pork in the flour mixture.4 tablespoons flour, 1 to 2 tablespoons ground paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Heat 2 tablespoons sunflower oil in a large frying pan and fry the pork in batches until golden brown. Don't overcrowd the pan. (You may need a little extra oil for subsequent batches).3 - 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
- Remove the pork from the pan and set aside.
- Head another 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the chopped onions, peppers and mushrooms until the onions are translucent and the peppers are starting to soften.
- Return the pork to the pan , add the stock and bring to a boil.1 cup / 240 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- Stir and allow the sauce to thicken.
- Turn down the heat and allow to simmer, covered with a lid, for 15 to 20 minutes until the meat is tender. The time will depend on the size of your pork cubes - larger cubes will take longer.
- Stir in the cream and bring to a boil. As soon as it is heated through, remove the goulash from the heat.½ cup / 120 ml single cream
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over rice or pasta.
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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Lily Yee
This goulash recipe has been a big favorite of my husband since the first time I made it for him.
Lily Yee
I have made this at least once a month for the last year. My husband loves this recipe.
VJ
That's so good to know. We love it too!