Soups & Stews

Serving

Hungarian Beef Goulash

Name: Hungarian Beef Goulash
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Soups & Stews
Ingredients: 2.5 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes; 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil; 3 large yellow onions, finely diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 cup sweet Hungarian paprika; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 red bell peppers, diced; 4 cups beef broth; 2 medium potatoes, diced; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 bay leaves

A rich and warming Hungarian stew of tender beef and onions simmered with sweet paprika and caraway.

150 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

53 min prep

83 min cook

No common allergens detected

Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.

Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
Heat the lard in a large heavy pot over medium heat and cook the onions slowly for 15 minutes until soft and golden.
2
Stir in the garlic, caraway seeds, and paprika and cook for 1 minute off the heat so the paprika does not burn.
3
Add the beef cubes and tomato paste, stirring to coat, then add the bell peppers, beef broth, salt, pepper, and bay leaves.
4
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 hour and 30 minutes until the beef begins to turn tender.
5
Add the diced potatoes and continue simmering uncovered for 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the stew has thickened.
6
Discard the bay leaves, adjust the seasoning, and serve hot with crusty bread.

Hungarian Beef Goulash — plated and served — Serving moment. How Hungarian Beef Goulash looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

71/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 100

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 53

Budget-friendly 80

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 35

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

650

Calories

55 g

Protein

23 g

Carbs

36 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Goulash began as gulyas, a herdsmen's stew cooked over open fires on the Hungarian plains, where cattle drovers (the gulyas) simmered beef with onions and dried it for the road. The dish became a national symbol in the 19th century, and the defining ingredient is sweet Hungarian paprika, which arrived via the Ottomans and turned a plain meat stew into the deep red, gently smoky braise people picture today. Outside Hungary it is often confused with the American macaroni-and-ground-beef casserole of the same name, but the original is a brothy paprika beef stew with no pasta in the pot.

Listahan note

This version keeps it to the Hungarian original: chunks of chuck braised slowly with a heavy hand of sweet paprika and a lot of onion, finished loose and brothy rather than thick and gravy-like.

Technique cues

Pull the pot off the heat before stirring in the paprika, then add the meat and liquid quickly. Paprika scorches and turns bitter in seconds over direct heat, so it should never hit a hot dry pan.
Use roughly equal weights of onion and beef and let the onions cook down to a soft paste before the paprika goes in. That dissolved onion is what gives goulash its body, since there is no flour thickener.
Keep the braise at a bare simmer with the lid ajar for two to three hours. A hard boil seizes the chuck and leaves it stringy, while a slow simmer renders the collagen into a silky broth.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: While the beef browns in batches, slice the onions and measure the paprika, caraway, and tomato paste into a small bowl so they go in the instant the pot comes off the heat.
Make-ahead: Goulash improves overnight; make the braise a day ahead through the meat stage, chill it, then add and cook the potatoes when you reheat for dinner.
Leftover move: Spoon thick leftover goulash over buttered egg noodles or nokedli dumplings, or thin it with stock into a hearty soup for the next day's lunch.
Cleanup rhythm: Soak the browning pot right after you build the stew so the fond lifts easily, and wipe the paprika-stained cutting board promptly since the color sets.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

beef chuck

main protein

Purpose: Chuck is marbled with connective tissue that melts during a long braise, giving the broth richness and the meat a fork-tender bite.

Handling: Cut into 1.5-inch cubes and pat dry so the surface browns instead of steaming.

Adaptation: Beef shin or short rib works just as well; for a leaner stew use brisket, but expect a slightly firmer chew.

sweet Hungarian paprika

signature spice

Purpose: It is the soul of the dish, contributing the deep red color and a sweet, faintly smoky warmth that defines goulash.

Handling: Add off the heat, stirred into the soft onions so it blooms in fat without scorching.

Adaptation: Spanish sweet pimenton is the closest stand-in; add a pinch of cayenne if your paprika is mild and you want more depth.

onions

base and natural thickener

Purpose: A large volume of onion cooks down into the broth and gives the stew its body in place of flour.

Handling: Slice or dice and cook gently until fully soft and golden before any spice goes in.

Adaptation: Yellow onions are traditional; shallots work in a pinch but cost more for the same volume.

caraway seeds

aromatic accent

Purpose: A small amount adds the earthy, slightly anise note that reads as authentically Central European.

Handling: Lightly crush in a mortar or under a knife to release the oils before adding with the paprika.

Adaptation: Cumin seed gives a similar earthiness if caraway is unavailable, though the flavor leans warmer.

tomato paste

acidity and color

Purpose: A spoonful balances the sweetness of the paprika and onions and deepens the red color.

Handling: Stir in with the paprika and cook briefly to take off the raw, tinny edge.

Adaptation: A peeled fresh tomato or a splash of passata works; reduce a little longer to drive off the extra water.

potatoes

starch and heartiness

Purpose: Added late, they turn the stew into a complete one-pot meal and soak up the paprika broth.

Handling: Peel and cut into large chunks, adding in the final 30 to 40 minutes so they hold their shape.

Adaptation: Leave them out for a lower-carb version, or use parsnip or carrot for a sweeter root note.

Technique notes

Brown the beef in batches rather than crowding the pot; a dry, well-seared crust is the difference between a flat stew and one with real depth.
Hold a spoonful of fresh paprika to stir in during the last few minutes, which brightens the color and refreshes the aroma that long cooking dulls.
Taste for acid at the end and add a small splash of red wine vinegar if the stew tastes heavy; it lifts the whole pot without reading as sour.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: The stew itself is naturally gluten-free; serve it over rice or potatoes instead of egg noodles or bread dumplings.
Lower-sodium direction: Use unsalted or low-sodium stock and lean on the caraway, paprika, and a final hit of vinegar for flavor instead of extra salt.
Weeknight shortcut: Build the browned-beef-and-paprika base, then pressure-cook for 35 minutes to get fork-tender meat in a fraction of the stovetop time.

Serve alongside

Nokedli (Hungarian egg dumplings)
Buttered wide egg noodles
Cucumber salad with sour cream and dill
Crusty rye bread
Hungarian Egri Bikaver (Bull's Blood) red wine
A dark amber lager
Sparkling water with lemon

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Keep leftover goulash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of stock or water to loosen it.
It freezes well for up to three months; freeze without the potatoes if possible, since they can turn grainy, and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Equipment

Heavy enameled Dutch oven for even, slow heat
Wooden spoon for scraping fond without scratching
Sharp chef's knife for cubing the chuck
Ladle for serving the brothy stew

Make this household-aware

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