Easy Hungarian Goulash Recipe: A Homestyle Joy of Cooking

Hungarian goulash represents a culinary journey through rustic comfort and bold flavors.

Warm spices and hearty ingredients form the heart of this traditional dish.

Robust meat transforms into a tender, mouthwatering experience when slow-cooked with care.

Authentic recipes tell stories of generations passing down cherished cooking techniques.

Regional seasonings create depth that goes beyond simple meal preparation.

The magic happens when simple ingredients blend into something extraordinary.

Each bite promises a connection to cultural roots and family traditions: Get ready to simmer your way into Hungarian cuisine!

What Makes Hungarian Goulash Recipe Special

• Savor Authentic Hungarian Flavor: This goulash recipe delivers a genuine taste of traditional Hungarian cuisine, packed with rich, deep flavors that transport you straight to the heart of Eastern Europe.
• Master a Slow-Cooked Comfort Meal: The lengthy cooking process transforms tough beef into meltingly tender meat, creating a hearty dish that develops incredible depth and complexity with minimal active cooking time.
• Enjoy Simple Ingredient Magic: With just a few everyday ingredients like beef, onions, paprika, and tomato paste, you can create an incredibly satisfying meal that feels both rustic and sophisticated.
• Experience One-Pot Cooking Convenience: This recipe requires minimal kitchen equipment and cleanup, making it perfect for home cooks who want maximum flavor with minimal effort and kitchen mess.

What’s In Hungarian Goulash Recipe

• Beef Stew Meat: Tender, well-marbled meat for hearty and rich flavor. Choose meat with some fat for better taste and texture.
• Water: Essential for creating the stew's consistency and helping meat tenderize.

• Onions: Sweet base for developing deep flavor. Fresh, firm onions work best.
• Garlic: Adds robust, pungent taste to the dish. Fresh cloves provide most intense flavor.

• Hungarian Sweet Paprika, Salt, Ground Black Pepper: Classic Hungarian seasoning blend providing warmth, depth, and balanced taste. Hungarian paprika offers superior richness compared to regular paprika.

• Tomato Paste: Provides deep umami flavor and helps thicken the sauce. Concentrated paste adds rich color and complexity.

• Vegetable Oil: Neutral cooking medium for sautéing and developing initial flavor base.

Hungarian Goulash Recipe Cooking Directions

Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients

• Beef stew meat (cut into 1.5-inch cubes)
• 2-3 large onions (sliced)
• Vegetable oil
• Hungarian sweet paprika
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• Water

Ensure all ingredients are fresh and ready to transform into a mouthwatering meal.

Step 2: Sauté The Onions

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook for 5-8 minutes until they become soft and translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Step 3: Spice Things Up

Sprinkle in paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir the spices with the onions and cook for 1 minute until the aromas bloom and fill your kitchen with warmth.

Step 4: Brown The Beef

Add beef cubes to the pot. Cook and stir occasionally, allowing the meat to brown on all sides. This step develops deep, rich flavors that make goulash irresistible.

Step 5: Create The Sauce

Pour in water and tomato paste. Stir thoroughly to combine and dissolve the paste. Add minced garlic for an extra flavor kick.

Step 6: Slow Simmer To Perfection

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Stir occasionally and add more water if the bottom starts to stick.

Step 7: Final Taste And Adjust

Once the beef is tender and falling apart, taste the goulash. Adjust seasoning if needed, potentially adding up to more salt to enhance the flavors.

Serve hot with crusty bread or over egg noodles for a complete meal that brings Hungarian comfort right to your table.

Helpful Tips for Hungarian Goulash Recipe

• Savor the Slow Cook: Patience transforms tough beef into melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Lower temperatures allow complex flavors to develop and marry perfectly throughout the stew.
• Balance Liquid Wisdom: Monitor the goulash's consistency carefully during cooking. Too thick means adding water gradually, while too thin requires gentle simmering to reduce naturally.
• Enhance Paprika's Magic: Gently heat paprika with onions before adding beef to unlock its deep, rich flavor profile. Avoid direct high heat to prevent bitter undertones from developing.
• Master Meat Browning: Sear beef in separate batches to create delicious caramelized edges. Each piece should develop a beautiful golden-brown crust that adds incredible depth to the dish.
• Final Flavor Finesse: Taste and adjust seasonings just before serving. A tiny pinch of salt or extra paprika can elevate the entire goulash from good to extraordinary.

Expert Advice on Hungarian Goulash RecipeStorage

• Vacuum Seal: Lock in freshness by vacuum sealing individual portions of Hungarian Goulash. This method prevents freezer burn and preserves the rich, robust flavors for up to 6 months. Seal portions in single-serving bags for easy meal prep and quick defrosting.
• Slow Cooker Container: Store directly in a sturdy, leak-proof slow cooker container with an airtight lid. These containers are designed to withstand temperature changes and keep your goulash perfectly preserved in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Bonus: You can reheat directly in the same container.
• Glass Mason Jars: Divide cooled goulash into wide-mouth glass mason jars for compact storage. Leave about an inch of headspace to allow for expansion when freezing.

Twists on Hungarian Goulash Recipe

• Spicy Paprika Punch: Increase Hungarian paprika to 3 tablespoons and add ½ teaspoon of hot paprika for extra heat and depth of flavor.
• Vegetable Loaded Version: Include diced bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes during the last 45 minutes of cooking to create a heartier one-pot meal.
• Slow Cooker Simplicity: Transfer browned meat and sautéed onions to a slow cooker, add remaining ingredients, and cook on low for 6-8 hours for tender, hands-off preparation.
• Wine Enhanced Style: Substitute ½ cup of water with red wine to introduce rich, complex undertones and enhance the overall depth of the goulash.

Hungarian Goulash Recipe Recap

Hungarian goulash whispers tales of hearty tradition and culinary comfort from Central European kitchens.

Rich beef melts into a paprika-infused symphony, creating pure magic on dinner plates worldwide.

Generations of Hungarian families have perfected this soul-warming recipe through decades of passionate cooking.

Classic techniques blend seamlessly with robust flavors that transport palates directly to Budapest’s charming streets.

Simple ingredients combine into an extraordinary meal that celebrates cultural heritage and home cooking excellence.

Passionate cooks and curious taste adventurers: bookmark this recipe, share your goulash journey on social media, spark conversation with fellow culinary enthusiasts, and let global flavors connect hearts through delicious exploration.

Joy Of Cooking Hungarian Goulash Recipe

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• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Hungarian Goulash emerges as a hearty comfort dish from Central European culinary traditions. Robust beef, paprika-rich sauce, and tender vegetables combine in a soul-warming stew that invites you to savor authentic Hungarian flavors with each comforting spoonful.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Meats:

• 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms) beef stew meat, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes

Vegetables and Aromatics:

• 3 onions, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Seasonings and Liquids:

• 2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
• 3 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup (79 milliliters) vegetable oil
• 1 ½ cups (355 milliliters) water
• 1 (6 ounce) (170 grams) can tomato paste

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Instructions

1. Prepare the ingredients with precision: trim beef stew meat into uniform 1 1/2 inch (3.8 centimeters) cubes and slice onions into thin, even rings.
2. Select a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and warm the vegetable oil over medium heat until it shimmers with a gentle radiance.
3. Carefully introduce sliced onions to the hot oil, allowing them to soften and become translucent, gently stirring every few minutes for 5-8 minutes.
4. Sprinkle Hungarian sweet paprika, salt, and ground black pepper over the onions, creating a fragrant spice layer. Stir continuously for one minute to awaken the aromatics.
5. Gently introduce the beef cubes to the seasoned onion mixture, positioning them to maximize surface contact for even browning. Rotate and stir periodically to achieve a rich, caramelized exterior.
6. Slowly pour water into the pot, then whisk in tomato paste until completely integrated. Mince fresh garlic and fold into the liquid, creating a robust base for the goulash.
7. Elevate the temperature momentarily to trigger a rolling boil, then immediately reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let the ingredients meld together, stirring occasionally and monitoring liquid levels to prevent scorching.
8. After 1 1/2 to 2 hours, when the beef becomes fork-tender and the sauce reaches a luxurious consistency, perform a final seasoning adjustment, potentially adding a touch more salt to enhance the flavor profile.

Notes

• Release paprika’s rich flavor by heating it briefly with onions and oil before adding beef, preventing bitterness from burning.
• Methodically brown beef in batches to develop deep, complex flavors through the Maillard reaction, creating a robust foundation for the goulash.
• Allow gentle simmering to transform tough beef cuts into meltingly tender meat while harmonizing spices and ingredients.
• Monitor liquid levels throughout cooking, maintaining a hearty stew consistency that’s thick but not dry, adding water sparingly if needed.
• Fine-tune seasoning at the end by tasting and making subtle adjustments with salt or additional paprika to elevate the final dish.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Simmering
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 552 kcal
• Sugar: 4 g
• Sodium: 735 mg
• Fat: 37 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 23 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 31 g
• Cholesterol: 95 mg