Hungarian Beef Goulash

An authentic Hungarian Goulash recipe with tender beef, onions, carrots, and potatoes, all cooked up in a beef tomato base seasoned with bay leaves, paprika, and caraway seeds. This is a dish with incredible flavor that the whole family will enjoy.

Course stew/soup

Cuisine Hungarian

Keyword how do you make Hungarian Goulash, Hungarian gulash, recipe for Hungarian Goulash, what is Hungarian Goulash

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 45

Total Time 2 5

Servings servings

Calories 306kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter or pork lard
3 medium onions chopped
1 ½ lbs. beef stew meat
4 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon caraway seeds optional
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
2-3 cups low sodium beef broth
2 bay leaves
2 large carrots peeled and chopped
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes diced
Chopped fresh parsley optional

Instructions

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter or pork lard over medium heat in a Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the onions and cook until the onions are lightly browned on the edges or about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the onions from the pot and plate them.
If necessary, add another tablespoon of fat to the pot. Add the beef stew meat and brown on both sides.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the onions back to the pot with the browned chunks of beef. Add the garlic, salt, fresh ground black pepper, sweet paprika, and caraway seeds if using. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
Add the diced tomatoes, 2 cups of beef broth, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes.
Stir in the carrots and potatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil again. Reduce the heat and cook for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables and beef are fork-tender. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or a dollop of sour cream.

Notes

Hungarian Paprika is fairly sweet and not to be confused with Spanish smoked paprika. Spanish paprika is smoked over oak, dried, and ground. For optimal taste, use sweet paprika for this dish, and the fresher, the better. Look for a spice shop in your area.
Most stew meat is cut from a beef chuck roast or a beef round roast. So, if you prefer, grab one of those roasts and trim and cut your own stew meat into 1-inch cubes.
Caraway seeds are optional, as not every authentic Hungarian Goulash recipe has them in it.
Reduce the heat to low before adding the garlic or paprika. Both can burn over too much heat and turn bitter.
My preferred potatoes for this recipe are Yukon Golds. They have great flavor, tenders skins, and are slightly waxy, so they keep their shape and hold up well in stews.
Cut the carrots and potatoes into uniform bite-size chunks, making it likely that they will cook through at the same rate.
Add more beef broth when needed to reach your desired consistency.

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