A thoroughly authentic recipe for Hungary’s national dish, Goulash! The depth and richness of the flavor is simply out-of-this-world delicious!
Traditional Hungarian goulash is a prime example of how a few simple ingredients, cooked properly, can yield an incredible flavor. Though many variations of Hungarian goulash exist, and every cook makes it just a bit differently, this is a traditional, authentic recipe from the heart of Hungary.
You already know how much I love Hungary from previous Hungarian recipes I’ve posted so I’ll spare you some of the sentimentality this time. Needless to say, Hungary holds a special place in my heart, in my family’s hearts. My brother lived there for 2 years as a young man, regularly wrote home to us about his experiences there, the beautiful scenery and breathtaking buildings, his love for the Hungarian people. When I visited Budapest I immediately fell in love with it. It has become one of my most favorite European cities. Its name comes from the two sides of the city (Buda and Pest) separated by the Danube River running through it. I don’t know that any city has a more breathtaking site than Budapest’s famous chain bridge, its parliament building, and the incredible Buda Castle.
Hungary’s history has been one of hardship and heartbreak. But the passion and stamina of soul has remained in the hearts of the Hungarian people. I’ve always been touched by Hungary’s national anthem, Himnusz, or “hymn”, written by the poet Kölcsey. Their anthem is a poetic prayer and unlike most anthems that focus on an expression of national pride, the Hungarian anthem is a direct, heartfelt plea to God. In the mid-20th century, during the years of strongest communist rule in Hungary, the words were not song, only the music was played. The communist government asked two of the most acclaimed artists of that time, a poet and composer, to rewrite the national anthem. Both refused. The next communist leader also tried, unsuccessfully, to have it changed. Hungary’s national anthem remains Himnusz. The first three lines:
O God, bless the nation of Hungary
With your grace and bounty
Extend over it your guarding arm
I also love Hungarian food. Their breads and smoked sausages are fantastic, as are their meats, stews, sauces, desserts. Today I’m going to share the national dish of Hungary: Goulash, or, as Hungarians call it, gulyás, meaning “herdsman.” Its origins date back to the 9th century Magyar shepherds as a simple meat and onion stew prepared in heavy iron kettles known as bogracs. In the 15th century invading Ottoman Turks introduced a new spice to Hungary, paprika. While the rest of Europe remained lukewarm towards this red chili pepper from the New World, Hungary embraced it and paprika has since become a defining element of Hungarian cuisine.
Goulash is kind of in between a soup and a stew. Unlike some stews, Goulash is not overly packed full of beef and vegetables, it is a little more brothy. But through the cooking process, the broth becomes thicker and more like a rich sauce.
And no, contrary to popular belief here in the U.S., goulash is NOT made with ground beef or (heaven forbid) macaroni noodles!
To achieve the ultimate flavor, the cooking method is important and quality, real Hungarian paprika is essential. And lots of it! None of this “2 teaspoons of paprika” jazz. Hungarians use very generous amounts of paprika, and that’s key. A Hungarian once told me, “however much paprika the recipe calls for – at least double or triple it!”
For this size batch of Goulash, you want to use a full 1/4 cup of it. When I lived in Germany, Hungary was just a few hours away and I would stock up on it when I visited. Now I order it online and recommend this genuine imported Hungarian paprika from the Kalocsa region of Hungary. There is no comparison in flavor. It has an extraordinarily rich flavor and an exceptionally vibrant red color. Many of our readers have tried it, written back and agree that quality Hungarian-imported paprika makes all the difference.
I mentioned earlier, many variations of goulash exist. Some include turnip or wine or caraway seeds, to name a few. But this recipe is the traditional, old-fashioned way of making Goulash that my brother and I learned from older generations of Hungarian women and it needs no embellishments. It’s simple and simply delicious!
But before we get started, let’s take a quick peek at Budapest and it’s famous Great Market Hall.
On to our goulash – let’s get started!
Chop up the bell peppers. We don’t have the kinds of peppers they use in Hungary, at least not that I’ve been able to find anywhere. The best ones to use in their place are red and some yellow/orange. Avoid green bell peppers as the ones we have over here have a completely different flavor profile. Chop up up the onions.
Chop up the carrots, tomatoes and potatoes. (Question of the day: How do YOU pronounce them? “Po-tay-toes” or “po-taw-toes”?
Dice up the beef. In Hungarian goulash the beef chunks are usually fairly small compared to other beef stews. Dice it into 1/2 inch chunks.
Heat the pork lard (or whatever fat source you’re using, though pork fat is traditional) in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the onions until they’re beginning to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika. This will bring out its flavor but you don’t want to fry it or it will turn bitter.
Add the beef and garlic, return to the heat and cook over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes or until the beef is no longer red. The beef will release enough juices to keep the paprika from scorching.
Add the bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.
Mmmmm, it’s already starting to smell so good!
Add the carrots, tomatoes and potatoes (however it is you choose to pronounce them).
Add the beef broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 40 minutes. If you’re using a tougher cut of beef, simmer the beef first without the carrots, tomatoes, potatoes and bell peppers, for 30-45 minutes, then add the veggies and simmer for another 40 minutes.
It’s ready to eat! That gorgeous reddish-brown broth is so flavorful – you’re going to love it!
Dish it up and serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and some crusty bread. Traditionally also served with a cool cucumber salad.
For a delicious variation, check out our delicious Hungarian Chicken Goulash!
Be sure to try these other delicious Hungarian dishes!
Authentic Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
Authentic Hungarian Pörkölt (Beef & Onion Stew
Authentic Hungarian Szegedin Goulash
Traditional Hungarian Goulash (Gulyas)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons pork lard , or butter (pork fat is traditionally used and highly recommended for the best flavor)
- 1 1/2 pounds yellow onions chopped
- 1/4 cup good quality sweet imported Hungarian paprika
- 1 1/2 pounds beef ,cut into 1/2 inch pieces. *SEE NOTE
- 5 cloves garlic ,minced
- 2 red bell peppers ,seeded/membranes removed, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 yellow bell pepper ,seeded/membranes removed, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 2 tomatoes ,diced
- 2 carrots ,diced
- 2 medium potatoes ,cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 5 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the lard or butter in a Dutch oven over medium high heat and cook the onions until beginning to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the paprika. Add the beef and garlic, return to the heat, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the beef is no longer pink.
- Add the bell peppers and cook for another 7-8 minutes. Add the carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, beef broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 40 minutes (see note). Add salt to taste.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, some crusty bread, and a cool cucumber salad.
Notes
Jorde says
Hi there, I’ve made this recipe before and while I rather enjoyed it, I wish I could have cooked the beef more as it wasn’t tender enough. Should I be adding the broth in with the beef and simmer for a while before adding the vegetables? Or still add the broth in with the veggies after cooking the beef for a while?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jorde, the cooking time will vary depending on what cut of beef you’re using. If you loo at the bottom or the recipe you’ll see a note addressing this: “If you’re using a tougher cut of beef like chuck or round, cook the beef first, without the carrots, tomatoes, potatoes and bell peppers, for 30-45 minutes, then add the vegetables and cook for another 40 minutes until the beef is tender. A well-marbled cut like chuck will produce the most flavor while a leaner cut will cook faster. Your choice.”
Igeaux says
I lived in Hungary for 4 years. Still have an office there. This is a very good Gulyas.
What was your favorite restaurant Hungary? For me the Squash at Gundel’s and the Goose neck at Aunt Niche’s won the day.
So sorry the old nationalism has come back. The Hungarians have always been their worst enemy.
Adam N says
I was very impressed with the Chicken Paprikash from your website so I was excited to try my favorite Gulyás. Having lived in Prague 7 years and traveling to Budapest I’m an aficionado for Gulyás in both forms (Hungarian and Czech versions). I tried this recipe to the letter and there are serious issues and this recipe decisively does not taste like something you would be served in Hungary or Czech. There is strong vegetably taste to this Gulyás which is not apparent when served in Hungary and Czech. I think I know where the cause is originating from. Anyhow, I was surprised to read all the outstanding reviews. I mean no negativity the website is great and don’t want to complain and had to be honest.
Monica de Ment says
Just a word about Budapest. I grew up in New Zealand and in 1956 after the Hungarian Revolution, we had an influx of Hungarian refugees, flooding into our Catholic (of course) schools – and they were great people. Fast forward 13 years and in 1969 I am at University in Vienna, and spending as many weekends as I could in Hungary which was only a 2-3 hour bus ride away. The first time I wandered into the Heroes Square and saw that magnificent statue of the seven Magyar chieftans, it took my breath away. I spent hours there, just looking at it from every angle. It speaks to the spirit of the people.
Kory Wells says
This is simmering on the stove now, and it’s wonderful! I added zucchini (towards the end, with the tomatoes) because that was also in the goulash we ate in Budapest. Plus I’ve never met a green vegetable I didn’t like. Thanks for helping us recreate this tasty remembrance of a beautiful city.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Kory, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Susan zarro says
This was delicious. Thanks for sharing. I thickened my a little and when i make goulash i usually service it with Volauvents (puff pastry cases)
And a green vegetable.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Susan, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
iraj kashef says
Hi. Many thanks indeed for your kindness and this Recipe.
Liz says
Hi so my parents are Hungarian immigrants and my sister bought my son the authentic Hungarian outside tripod and iron kettle… do I just double/ triple the ingredients and just go ahead and cook everything beginning in water and just simmer for hours until beef cools? I know some add pork with the beef, but I don’t want to change the flavor you are describing.. thoughts advice?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s really cool, Liz. I don’t have any experience with the outdoor kettle but yes, if you want to increase the quantity of the goulash simply double or triple everything.
Manuel says
Your recipe is delicious and very well explained.
Thnaks for share with us!
Ula says
Today I cooked it for the first time and as my boyfriend bought a double amount of the meat, I used a double amount of the vegetables and upon adding carrot, realised that cooking got out of control – one massive Dutch oven wasn’t enough, I needed to use another big pot. Not sure if I have divided the ingredients equally between pots – probably not due to a small panic attack but finally the goulash turned out to be fantastic. That’s my Hungarian culinary adventure in the Caribbean :) Thank you for sharing!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Ula! LOL, I can picture you trying to juggle those two big pots :) I’m so glad everything turned out and that you enjoyed it – thank you!
AHK says
2nd time making this recipe. Love it. Grew up in Midwest with an English-Irish mother who definitely made an ‘American’ version. That said, we loved that version, but my children know this recipe and love it. My husband grew up near a Hungarian neighborhood in Detroit and this is where I experienced authentic dishes.
I did not change a thing with this recipe the first time and only eliminated the potatoes the second as I served it over mashed potatoes. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, I’m so glad to hear that, thank you!
chef himanshu says
hi chef
can i make a lamb hungarian goulash its a make it easy please help me
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi, yes you can definitely use lamb if you prefer. Happy cooking!
Danyiell says
Is using a dutch oven necessary. Because I don’t have one.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
No, it isn’t necessary, just use whatever heavy pot you have.
Jim says
What cut of beef is used in this recipe? I would like to try it exactly as written.
Jeff Wood says
Jim, last Autumn I spent a week in Budapest, and spent some time trying the goulash in various places.
All cuts of beef will do, including what, as a Scot, I call basic stewing steak. The cheaper the cut, the longer the cooking time, so add the veggies when you are ready to leave the pot for about 40 minutes more, perhaps after the cheap meat has been cooked with the onions and garlic for up to an hour.
I live in Italy, so Buon’appetito…
Meyer says
What a meal! Made your Goulash for the first time. I’m not sure whether to call it a soup or a stew! But What the heck,the taste was mind-blowing! Added chopped celery to the vegetable list and simmered the soup for one and a half hours.A few minutes before the end, added a handful of chopped parsley. We served the soup with white chunks of bread on the side and for those of us who wanted that extra “kick”, added a few slices of fresh hot green peppers directly into the soup plate. Thank you for this wonderful treat. Can’t wait to make it again
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Meyer, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Yes, authentic Hungarian goulash is more like a soup with a thin broth and German/Austrian goulash is thick.
Nancy May says
Call it a “stoup”
Lila says
My mothers family came from Hungary, her 7 brothers born there, she was the only one born in the U.S. anyway we grew up eating chicken Hungarian goulosh, never had beef. She also never used bell peppers. She would cut up a whole chicken & stew it in her canned tomatoes with onions , celery , potatoes, celery. It was more of a soup. But feeding 5 children was cheap this way. I remember it was very good. My mother never grew up with her Hingarian mother as her mom died when she was born. She did however live with other relatives who were also ftom Hungary. So i suppose thats where she learned to cook. Will hsve to try the beef. I also remember she had a can of Hungarian paprika amongst her spices, how i love paprika to this day. Great recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Lila, and thanks so much for sharing these memories of your family!
Les says
Thanks for the recipe. I used to make goulash all the time, but I lost my recipe, and looking around in the net, this was the closest I could find. I couldn’t find the authentic imported paprika that I used to get, and when I clicked on the link you provide, it went to amazon and a 1.7oz package…I was hoping that they would have larger sizes. Anyway, I wanted to make some today, so I bought some commercial McCormick brand…not authentic, but that’s all I could find. I also remember that my old recipe called for rutabaga. Later I remember that it also called for caraway seeds. But otherwise the same ingredients.
I very much enjoyed the resulting product…I’ve been stuck at home with the “stay at home” orders and am enjoying cooking some of my old favorites.
Also, I agree about the beauty of Budapest!! A wonderful city, and great folks.
Thanks for a great recipe!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Les, I’m happy you enjoyed it! In case you’re interested, I have another Hungarian goulash recipe that traditionally calls for caraway, this Szegedin Goulash: https://www.daringgourmet.com/szegedin-goulash-szekely-gulyas/. Another traditional Hungarian beef stew that calls for caraway is Pörkolt: https://www.daringgourmet.com/hungarian-beef-and-onion-stew-marhaporkolt/. And though this isn’t a beef stew dish I might as well include it because it’s wonderful :) – it’s Hungarian Chicken Paprikash: https://www.daringgourmet.com/hungarian-beef-and-onion-stew-marhaporkolt/
Kelly says
What are the hungarian peppers that would be traditionally used called? Curious minds ;)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kelly, they’re called Hungarian sweet wax peppers (they also come in hot varieties). Incidentally, I grew them myself for the first time this summer and they turned out perfectly, so I’ll be growing my own from now on!
Renee says
How much is one serving? I am counting calories.
Kiera says
1/4th of the recipe
Judith says
Great recipe. I often use beef shanks which are more flavorful than other cuts. Mixing 1/2 beef and half veal is also delicious.
Colleen Harrington says
This recipe is awesome! Very enjoyable. Extremely flavorful and very easy to make. Will forever more be one of my fall favorites.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Colleen, thanks so much!
VMP says
Turned out fabulous! Great baseline recipe.
Added some out the box spices to create my own flair and hubby loved it.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, thanks so much!