Hungarian · Main · Easy
Goulash
Hungary's national stew: tender beef braised low and slow with sweet paprika, onions, and peppers until meltingly rich.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Goulash, in 5 ideas
- Real Hungarian sweet paprika makes all the difference; the grocery-store blend is a poor substitute
- Always add paprika off the heat to avoid a bitter, burnt taste
- Brown the beef in batches so it sears instead of steaming
- The stew thickens naturally from the onions and potatoes, no flour needed
- Serve with crusty bread or buttered egg noodles
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 large yellow onions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 3 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
How to make it
Directions
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, cook the onions over medium heat until deeply golden, about 12 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika and caraway seeds, coating the onions. This keeps the paprika from burning.
- Return to the heat, add the garlic, bell peppers, and tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the beef back, pour in the broth, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on low for 90 minutes.
- Stir in the potatoes, salt, and pepper, and simmer uncovered for 30 more minutes until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick.
Money saver. Buy beef chuck on sale and cube it yourself; it is cheaper than pre-cut stew meat and you control the size.