Hungarian Goulash
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Tender beef, hearty vegetables, and a rich, paprika-spiced broth make this Hungarian goulash recipe deeply flavorful and satisfying.
Hungarian goulash is a paprika-rich beef dish that falls somewhere between a soup and a stew, with chunks of tender beef and vegetables simmered low and slow in a deeply flavorful broth. Traditional versions tend to be fairly brothy, but for my Hungarian goulash recipe, I make it a little thicker, similar in consistency to a classic beef stew, with plenty of onions, carrots, and potatoes.
The defining flavor comes from a generous amount of Hungarian paprika, along with caraway, garlic, and a few other seasonings that give the broth its warm, earthy flavor. It takes a few hours to cook, but most of that time is hands-off, and the beef becomes meltingly tender as it simmers.
“I loved it, as did my whole family…Can’t wait to make it again!”
What You’ll Need To Make Goulash
- Boneless beef chuck: My go-to cut for long-simmered stews. Its marbling and connective tissue break down during cooking, leaving the beef wonderfully tender.
- Onions & garlic: Form the savory base of the goulash.
- Balsamic vinegar: Not traditional, but a small amount adds acidity and a subtle sweetness that balances the richness of the beef.
- Tomato paste: Adds concentrated tomato flavor and savory depth without making the broth overly tomatoey.
- Flour: Thickens the broth and gives my version its more stew-like consistency.
- Beef broth & water: Form the base of the broth. Using some water keeps the beef broth from overpowering the paprika and other seasonings.
- Hungarian sweet paprika, caraway, thyme & bay leaf: Paprika is the defining flavor of goulash, so I recommend using Hungarian sweet paprika if you can find it. It’s available in the spice aisle of many well-stocked supermarkets or online. If you can’t find it, regular sweet paprika will still work well. Caraway, thyme, and bay leaf round out the broth with warm, earthy flavor.
- Carrots & boiling potatoes: Add heartiness and make the goulash a complete meal. The potatoes are optional if you plan to serve it over noodles.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Goulash
Brown the beef: Pat the beef dry, season with salt and pepper, and brown it in batches. Give the pieces enough room in the pot and let them develop a good brown crust before turning—crowding or moving them too soon will prevent them from searing properly. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
Build the flavor base: Add the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar, scraping up the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot as the onions soften. Stir in the tomato paste and cook briefly to blend it into the mixture.
Add the beef and flour: Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until the beef is evenly coated and no dry flour remains. The flour will help thicken the broth as the goulash simmers.
Add the broth and seasonings: Add the beef broth, water, caraway, paprika, thyme, bay leaf, and sugar, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate any remaining browned bits.
Simmer the goulash: Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently until the beef is beginning to get tender.
Add the vegetables and finish: Add the carrots and potatoes, if using, and continue cooking until the vegetables and beef are tender and the broth has thickened.
Serve: Remove the bay leaf, then serve the goulash with crusty bread, or spoon it over buttered egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream. Like most stews, it gets even better as it sits, so feel free to make it ahead; it freezes beautifully, too.
Video Tutorial
More Hearty Stews You’ll Love
Goulash
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch (3.75-cm) pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1½ teaspoons caraway seeds
- 2 tablespoons paprika (preferably Hungarian sweet paprika)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks on the diagonal
- 1 pound small white boiling potatoes (baby Yukon Gold) cut in half (optional, if not serving over noodles)
For Serving (Optional)
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Brown half the meat in a single layer, turning with tongs, for about 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef. (To sear the meat properly, do not crowd the pan and let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer the meat to a large plate and set aside.
- Add the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the beef with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add the broth, water, caraway seeds, paprika, thyme, bay leaf, and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Add the carrots and potatoes (if using) and cook, covered, for 1 hour more, until the broth is thickened, and the meat and veggies are tender. Fish out the bay leaf and discard, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve the goulash, garnished with fresh parsley and a dollop of sour cream, if desired. If not serving immediately, let it come to room temperature, and then store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made this recipe and it was delicious! I didn’t have caraway seeds so used fennel seeds instead and it turned out great! We liked it so much. I plan to make it again for company next week.
Your Hungarian Goulash recipe was an absolute winner in taste, texture and looks. My guests raved about it.
Thank you very much.
Great tasting Goulash ! Worth the time and effort. I did not have Hungarian Paprika but still came out tasy using regular paprika. Is ther a particular brand or kind of paprika you would recommend. Love your recipes.
So glad you enjoyed it, Lynn! I use Pride of Szeged Sweet Paprika Powder – you can find it in many grocery stores or order it on Amazon.
Yay! I’m the first to comment having made this dish tonight! And it was delicious. It has a rich unique flavour and the beef was tender. A perfect meal for the colder weather. Yum!! Glad I made it!!!! Followed the beef stew method by putting it in the oven at 325 f for 2 hours then 1 hour after adding the carrots. Excellent recipe!
This goulash takes a bit more work than my usual recipe, but it’s so much better and totally worth it. The broth is rich and incredibly tasty.
I’ve never used caraway seeds before and am a bit concerned about the texture. Will they be softened by the end or still kinda crunchy? Assuming they’re crunchy to begin with; I really don’t know anything about them.
Would putting them in a tea strainer or cheesecloth work? Doing so should let the flavor infuse the goulash without having a weird texture, right?
Hi Kallisti, the caraway seeds still have a bit of a bite at the end of cooking time. What you’ve suggested about straining them would work nicely. It’s also OK to omit them if you’d prefer. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jenn, Can we stick this in the oven at 325 or 350 for two hours and then an other hour after we add the potatoes–to avoid having to babysit it on the stove top? Similar to your beef stew? Hoping so but figured there must be a reason you didn’t say this? Thanks for any thoughts.
Hi Diane, yes, it’s fine too braise the goulash in a 325°F oven as you would the beef stew. (Either technique will work for either recipe.) Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn! This looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it. I don’t have caraway seeds — any chance I can use fennel (or something else)?
Sure, Nadine – fennel seeds will work or you can just omit it.
Hi Jen,
Sounds delicious and I plan to make it.
Can this be done in a slow cooker instead of on the stove top?
Hi Jan, Yes, you can make it in a slow cooker — you’ll need to go all through all the steps until you’re ready to add the water and broth. At that point, you add everything to the slow cooker and cook for 4 – 5 hours on high (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Please LMK how it turns out!
Thanks, Jenn,
I will try it the stove top way first.
Jan
How can I adapt this recipe for slow cooker.
Hi Elizabeth, You can make it in a slow cooker — you’ll need to go all through all the steps until you’re ready to add the water and broth. At that point, you add everything to the slow cooker and cook for 4 – 5 hours on high (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Please LMK how it turns out!