A thoroughly authentic Hungarian Goulash recipe with a depth and richness of flavor that will satisfy both body and soul and transport you back to Hungary! Hungary’s national dish, the depth and richness of this traditional gulyás is simply out-of-this-world delicious!
For more traditional Hungarian dishes be sure to also try our Chicken Paprikash, Pörkolt, and Szegedin Goulash!
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 an authentic recipe from the heart of Hungary.
Hungary holds a special place in my heart and in my family’s hearts. My brother lived there for a couple of years and would always describe its beautiful scenery and architecture and his love for the Hungarian people. When I visited Budapest for the first time I immediately fell in love with it. Its name comes from the two sides of the city (Buda and Pest) separated by the Danube River running through it. With its striking chain bridge, stunning parliament building, and its incredible Buda Castle, Budapest is a breathtaking city.
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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 sung, 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. And so Hungary’s national anthem remains Himnusz and its first three lines read:
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, and desserts. Today I’m going to share the national dish of Hungary: Goulash.
What is Hungarian Goulash?
Contrary to popular belief here in the U.S., Hungarian goulash is NOT made with ground beef or macaroni noodles! Traditional Hungarian goulash is an entirely different dish.
Goulash, or as Hungarians call it, gulyás, means “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 a little thicker and very rich in flavor.
Tips for Authentic Hungarian Goulash
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 imported from 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 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 a very old, very traditional 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!
Hungarian Goulash Recipe
Let’s get started!
Melt the lard or butter/oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot over medium high heat and cook the onions until beginning to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Add the beef and cook until the beef is just starting to brown, 7-10 minutes.
Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic and cook for another 6-8 minutes. (Note about peppers: Outside of Hungary it’s very difficult to find the peppers they use there. The best ones to use in their place are red and some yellow/orange. Avoid regular green bell peppers as they have a starkly different flavor profile.)
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika, salt, pepper and caraway (if using) (note: paprika becomes bitter if at all scorched).
Add the beef broth, bay leaf, return to the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the carrots, tomatoes and potatoes. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for another 30-40 minutes or until the beef is nice and tender. Add salt to taste. Remove the bay leaf.
Serve with some crusty bread and, if desired, a dollop of sour cream.
Enjoy!
For more authentic Hungarian dishes, be sure to try our:
Authentic Hungarian Goulash (Gulyás)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons pork lard , or butter or bacon grease (pork lard is traditionally used and imparts a great flavor)
- 1 1/2 pounds yellow onions chopped
- 1/4 cup quality genuine imported Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 pounds stewing beef , cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 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 (traditionally just water is used but beef broth adds so much more flavor)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds (optional, not traditional in all regions)
Instructions
- Melt the pork lard or butter/oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot over medium high heat and cook the onions until beginning to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Add the beef and cook until the beef is just starting to brown, 7-10 minutes. Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika, salt, pepper and caraway (if using) (note: paprika becomes bitter if at all scorched). Add the beef broth, bay leaf, return to the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for another 30-40 minutes or until the beef is nice and tender. Add salt to taste. Remove the bay leaf.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet on March 18, 2014
Jeannie Vezeau says
We’re getting together in a few days with two friends we met for a river cruise from Budapest to Bucharest 10 years ago. I want to make an authentic Hungarian dish — either Chicken Paprikash or Hungarian Goulash. But I’m allergic to bell peppers. Are they essential for these two recipes? Is there a substitute I might be able to use? Perhaps celery?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jeannie, the peppers are essential to the flavor of goulash so I would make the Chicken Paprikash (the one pepper in that recipe is optional and you can simply omit it). Happy cooking and I hope you have a wonderful dinner with your friends!
Linda Mikunda says
Would love a recipe for chicken paprika!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Here’s one, Linda: https://www.daringgourmet.com/chicken-paprikash-paprikas-csirke/
Serena says
Hi! Greetings from Singapore. I tried this recipe for the first time. It’s really very yummy! Just a question though? Is the amount of onions used equivalent to the amount of beef? Cos your recipe gives the onions in pounds/ not pieces.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Serena, I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe, thank you! And yes, that is correct.
Aditi Vasu says
Hi!
I thought that caraway seeds were an essential part of the Hungarian goulash…why isn’t it part of your recipe?
Regards,
Aditi
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Aditi, recipes vary from region to region and from family to family. While some Hungarian cooks include caraway in standard goulash, many if most do not. An exception is Szegedin goulash from Szeged Hungary which does include caraway as a central ingredient. Likewise Pörkölt, while not a goulash but rather a thick sauce served over traditional Hungarian noodles, also includes caraway.
Nirah says
I have had this soup when I visited Hungary. Could someone please give me the amount of caraway seeds would be used in this recipe?
I tsp ?
Empressa says
Hey a little late but saw this as I was looking up recipes to compare with my grandma’s and see how I can mix it up a little. In case you didn’t find the amount elsewhere – if it’s the whole caraway seeds, about 1 tsp per 2lbs of beef should be just right :)
kat says
I have used your recipe as is and it’s awesome. However, tonight I’m going to modify and use chicken hearts and add baby bella and porcini mushrooms. Smoked paprika, too. Nice to mix it up sometimes.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Kat, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Mary says
Can you use a crock pot? Has any one had a good result with one?
Beth says
Yes I use a slow cooker. I follow all the steps but cook it on low 6 hours or high 4 hours. You can let the meat cook without the veggies part way through or with everything. I don’t use broth just water because with such a long cooking time it creates it’s own broth. Delicious every time. I substitute other starches like parsnips and rutabaga. Cheers
Szandra says
This is the most authentic gulyas recipe I’ve ever found in English! Greetings from a Hungarian 😉
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you very much, Szandra! :)
John Alexander says
My mother had a recipe I’ve used successfully a couple of times. It used equal quantities of lean beef and pickled pork, diced of course. She added a cautionary note not to add extra salt.
Angela Schmidt says
Can I cook this in the slow cooker?
Bruce in Brisbane Australia says
Yep. made it. loved it.
Then rather than go big with stock, I decided to add capers and chopped stuffed olives towards the end.
This added to the depth of flavor.
Tunde says
Very good recipe, but there are missing 3 important, main ingredients, as we speak about authentic Gulyas. Authentic Gulyas is never made without potato, pinched noodle and caraway seeds. Also Gulyas is never, ever served with sour cream.
Except this is almost a authentic Gulyas recipe :-)
Nuala Robinson says
I decided to jump right in and make a triple batch! Outstandingly delicious! Even my teenage son said, “Wow”. Not only will we eat well for a few days, but we’ll share with a family merry who lives alone and is going through cancer treatments.
I used stewing beef and a combination of hot Hungarian paprika and regular paprika.
It’s so tasty I need to put it away before I sit with a spoon and eat it all night.
Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Nuala, I’m so glad you all enjoyed it and that you’ll be able to share it with your other family member also – thank you so much for the feedback!
Zoltan says
Hey,
As a Hungarian I love to see your passion and knowledge about our cusine. I love making Gulyás, and I think your recipe is almost perfect :) I’d add a few notes based on how my family has been making it:)
I’d say caraway seeds are essential for a truly authentic flavour (cumin is not a great substitute) I would also always make hand pinched egg noodles too, the flour in them adds extra thickness to the broth. (one egg with as much flour so you get a playdough like dough that no longer sticks to zour fingers. Zou pinch pea sized little noodles and add to the soup in the last 1ö minutes of cooking
Someone here asked about the beef broth, traditionally Hungarian people just use water, or water and red wine.
I know most Hungarian recipes end with “and add a dollop of sour cream” but I’d say it is rare to see Gulyás served with it. It is more common with Jokai bean soup :)
Felishia says
I do not like stew meat. Is there any other substitution for stew meat in this recipe? I’d love to give it a try!
ed laughlin says
you dont say where the broth comes from ….
what about using soup mix powder or beef cubes to make the sauce ? ( not omitting what youve already prescribed )
Stella says
This is similar to my recipe, only I don’t use carrots. I also add cumin. I buy the cheapest meat, usually a roast and cut it up and use my pressure cooker. Even the cheapest if meat comes out nice and tender in the pressure cooker.