Goulash(Gulyás) is an iconic Hungarian soup/stew that is perfect for a cold day. Consisting of hearty chunks of beef and tender vegetables all cooked in a paprika flavored broth.
Last weekend we had some family friends over who had just returned from a trip to Hungary. And since they know how much I love to cook they brought back some authentic sweet Hungarian paprika as a gift. I’m talking about the real McCoy folks! So of course I had to make something utilizing my new bounty of paprika this week. And what better dish to make than classic Hungarian goulash.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- What is the best cut of beef to use?: Just like with any beef soup/stew, the best cuts of beef to use when making goulash are the tougher and fattier ones. You know cuts like chuck, brisket, or even short ribs. Why? Well, first off they have more fat which as we all know brings more flavor to the dish. And secondly, these types of cuts will always become super tender when simmered for an extended period of time.
- Do You need Hungarian paprika?: Hungarian sweet paprika is undoubtedly the best paprika to use when making goulash. That being said, and I want to make this very clear, YOU DON’T NEED TO USE HUNGARIAN SWEET PAPRIKA. Any regular old sweet paprika you can find at your local grocery store will work just fine. And you can even substitute some of the sweet paprika with hot paprika if you prefer your goulash to have a bit of a kick. The only type of paprika I recommend you stay away from is smoked paprika, as that will give the dish an entirely different flavor.
- Csipetke: It is very common for Hungarian goulash to have cispetke added to it. What is cispetke? Well, they are tiny “pinched” egg noodles added to the soup/stew right at the end of cooking. They soak up all of the flavorful paprika broth and make the dish much heartier. So if you want to make and add some to your goulash then I recommend you check out this recipe for csipetke from Foodtasia.
Other Hearty Soups/Stews You Might Like
Hungarian Goulash (Gulyás) Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons of either lard(most traditional), butter, or neutral-flavored oil
2 Medium onions, diced
1½ Lbs of beef, cut into roughly ½ inch sized cubes
1 Large tomato, diced
1 Red or yellow bell pepper, deseeded and diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ Cup of sweet Hungarian paprika
1 Teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste
½ Teaspoon of black pepper, plus more to taste
½ Teaspoon of ground caraway seeds
1 Bay leaf
6 Cups of water or beef/chicken stock
2 Carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 Parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks (optional)
Instructions
- Sautee the onion: Add the 2 tablespoons of lard, butter, or oil to a large pot/dutch oven and place it over medium-high heat. Once it is hot toss in the diced onion and sautee it for 5 minutes or until the onion pieces become translucent.
- Brown up the beef: Add the chunks of beef to the same pot and stir to combine it with the onions. Continue to sautee these two ingredients for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the meat has become slightly browned on the outside.
- Add the tomato, bell pepper, and garlic to your pot and continue to sautee everything for another couple of minutes or until the tomato begins to break down.
- Add the spices: Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the paprika, salt, black pepper, caraway seeds, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir to combine everything together and continue to sautee everything for another two minutes. Just make sure to constantly stir during this step as paprika can easily burn and become bitter.
- Pour 6 cups of water or stock into the pot and stir everything together. Let the liquid come to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the liquid stay at a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and let everything simmer for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Add the vegetables: After 1 hour and 30 minutes take the lid off the pot. Then toss in the chunks of carrot, parsnip, and potatoes. Stir to combine everything and raise the heat so that the liquid comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat so that the liquid is at a simmer, cover the pot again, and let everything simmer for another hour or until the beef and vegetables are fork tender.
- Once everything is tender taste the goulash and add additional salt and pepper to your liking.
- Serve the goulash in individual bowls and enjoy!
Hungarian Goulash (Gulyás) Recipe
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons of either lard most traditional, butter, or neutral-flavored oil
- 2 Medium onions diced
- 1½ Lbs of beef cut into roughly ½ inch sized cubes
- 1 Large tomato diced
- 1 Red or yellow bell pepper deseeded and diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- ¼ Cup of sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 Teaspoon of salt plus more to taste
- ½ Teaspoon of black pepper plus more to taste
- ½ Teaspoon of ground caraway seeds
- 1 Bay leaf
- 6 Cups of water or beef/chicken stock
- 2 Carrots peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 Large potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 Parsnip peeled and cut into chunks (optional)
Instructions
- Sautee the onion: Add the 2 tablespoons of lard, butter, or oil to a large pot/dutch oven and place it over medium-high heat. Once it is hot toss in the diced onion and sautee it for 5 minutes or until the onion pieces become translucent.
- Brown up the beef: Add the chunks of beef to the same pot and stir to combine it with the onions. Continue to sautee these two ingredients for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the meat has become slightly browned on the outside.
- Add the tomato, bell pepper, and garlic to your pot and continue to sautee everything for another couple of minutes or until the tomato begins to break down.
- Add the spices: Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the paprika, salt, black pepper, caraway seeds, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir to combine everything together and continue to sautee everything for another two minutes. Just make sure to constantly stir during this step as paprika can easily burn and become bitter.
- Pour 6 cups of water or stock into the pot and stir everything together. Let the liquid come to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the liquid stay at a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and let everything simmer for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Add the vegetables: After 1 hour and 30 minutes take the lid off the pot. Then toss in the chunks of carrot, parsnip, and potatoes. Stir to combine everything and raise the heat so that the liquid comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat so that the liquid is at a simmer, cover the pot again, and let everything simmer for another hour or until the beef and vegetables are fork tender.
- Once everything is tender taste the goulash and add additional salt and pepper to your liking.
- Serve the goulash in individual bowls and enjoy!
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