Hearty Hungarian Goulash

Hungarian Goulash is a deliciously tender beef, slow cooked in a rich tomato broth flavored with sweet paprika and caraway seeds. Easy to make in your slow cooker, on the stove or in the Instant Pot – and it’s absolutely delicious!

If you like this, you will also love my Campfire Stew

If you are looking for interesting stews to introduce into your family meals let me introduce you to Hungarian Beef Goulash!

This simple beef stew packs a lot of flavor into a few ingredients and I guarantee it will become a comfort food favorite.

So What Is Goulash?

Goulash is a traditional Hungarian beef stew, or sometimes soup, flavored with paprika and caraway seeds. Vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, turnips and peppers are (sometimes) added to thicken the stew.

The secret to this recipe lies with the paprika – try to get Hungarian Sweet Paprika as it makes a world of difference to the flavor.

Here’s What You’ll Need to Make Goulash

• Onions and garlic
• Diced beef – I used braising steak (chuck), trimmed of any fat. Choose a cut of beef that’s suitable for slow cooking, such as braising steak (chuck), shin or stewing beef (stew meat). Replace the beef with pork if preferred.
• Caraway seeds
• Sweet Hungarian Paprika (you can purchase on Amazon) and a little cayenne pepper or spicy paprika if you like a bit of heat in your stew
• Canned diced tomatoes (chopped tomatoes)
• Beef stock (beef broth)
• Potatoes and carrots – these are optional but they thicken the stew and help it stretch further. I sometimes add butternut squash as well!
• Red bell peppers (and green ones if you like)
• Sour cream (soured cream) to serve

How to Make Goulash

You will need a lidded casserole dish (Dutch Oven) for this recipe. The stew can be cooked on the stove or finished cooking in the oven. I prefer the oven method as it doesn’t require any babysitting (i.e. stirring).

1. Prep the beef. Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and set the shelf on lower third of the oven.
2. Soften the onions. Heat a little olive oil (or use olive oil spray) in a large heavy lidded casserole dish. Gently cook the onions, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until softened.

1. Brown the beef. Turn the heat up slightly and add the caraway seeds, sliced garlic and salt. Add beef, in batches if necessary. Brown the beef for a couple of minutes.

1. Add the paprika. Take the pan off the heat and add the paprika, stirring well to incorporate the aromatic spice into your meat.

1. Simmer. Return to the heat and add the beef stock, tomatoes and carrots. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for an hour in the oven.

1. Add the potatoes. Uncover and stir in the potatoes. Cover and cook for another hour.

1. Add the peppers. Now add the peppers and cook for a further 30 minutes.

1. Season and serve. Check the seasoning and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Garnish with some chopped parsley and serve with some sour cream and crusty bread to mop up the delicious sauce.

Instant Pot Beef Goulash

1. Sauté the onions. Select Sauté, heat the oil and cook the onions for 5 minutes, stirring.
2. Sear the beef. Add the garlic and caraway seeds. Sear the beef, in batches if necessary until sealed.
3. Deglaze and add the vegetables. Add a splash of the stock to deglaze the pot. Stir in the paprika, carrots and potatoes.

1. Add the stock and tomatoes. Add the beef stock and top with the tomatoes (do not stir them in).
2. Pressure cook. Set vent to sealing, cover and cook for 35 minutes at high pressure. Allow for 10 minutes Natural Release and then manually release.
3. Finish with the peppers. Stir in the peppers and select Sauté again. Cook for about 5 minutes until slightly softened. Check seasoning and serve.

How to Make Goulash in the Slow Cooker

This stew is tailor-made for the crockpot. If your slow cooker allows for searing, or you have a multi-cooker like the Instant Pot Duo, you can use it to sauté the onions and brown the beef. If not, follow steps 1–5 in a pan then transfer to the slow cooker adding the potatoes in as well.

Cook on low for 7 hours without opening the lid. Uncover and stir in the sliced peppers. Cook for 30 minutes or until the peppers have softened. Check the seasoning then serve.

Lucy’s Pro Tip

Tips for the Tastiest Goulash

• Soup or Stew: Goulash is supposed to be a cross between a soup and a stew and comes with a lot of sauce. If you prefer a thicker stew you can reduce the amount of stock you add to the crockpot or cook with the lid off at the end until it reduces. Adding vegetables also helps to thicken the sauce without the aid of cornstarch (cornflour).
• Get some Sweet Hungarian Paprika: This stew uses a lot of it and trust me when I say you will be making this recipe again and again!
• Some like it hot! If you like a bit of spice make sure you add a little cayenne pepper or spicy paprika.
• Go low and slow. Don’t rush it… this recipe requires long and slow cooking so that the beef is fall apart tender. If you are in a rush then cook in an Instant Pot.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve Goulash on its own, especially if you add loads of vegetables in. A little sour cream and some crusty bread to mop up the sauce are also highly recommended!

If you don’t add any potatoes then you can serve over mash, pasta or rice. All I know is that it is delicious whichever way you serve it!

Freezing Instructions

This beef stew freezes beautifully! Cool completely, portion into suitable containers and freeze for up to three months.

The stew will also keep for up to 4 days in the fridge with the flavors intensifying as time goes on. I always make a double batch just so I can have leftovers!

Try My Other Stew Recipes!

• Tex-Mex Beef Stew
• One–pot Vietnamese Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew
• Persian Lamb Stew
• Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew)
• Beef Stifado | Greek Beef Stew