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!
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 2 years as a young man, regularly wrote home to us about his experiences there, the beautiful scenery and architecture, and his love for the Hungarian people. When I visited Budapest 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. 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, and desserts. Today I’m going to share the national dish of Hungary: Goulash.
What is Hungarian Goulash?
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 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 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 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. (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
Cheryl Jordan says
I making today. I’ve made many times before I love this dish and this recipe. Wish I had some rye bread to go with it. But we’ll have saltines.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, Cheryl, I’m thrilled that this recipe has become a regular! <3
Dezso Bella says
What I like is the “Authentic Hungarian” part as there is 100’s of variance out there in Europe. If you want to make it Authentic Hungarian than this is the closest you can come to it, cauliflower, habanero pepper, shallot, florida green paprika are not even known to average hungarians until the late 80’s. Beef tallow ? Chicken, Duck, Gees, Mangalica(now days) and pork fat the most commonly available, beef not so much, maybe different region had it here and there but asking my mom and grandmother(they had 3 milk cow) they never tasted beef tallow…
Just start with good pork lard and (or smoked bacon fat, not the maple kind 😂) and use good quality sweet paprika, agree with the hard NO for the green paprika.
Made this 2nd time this year, both come out perfect with plenty of old age Hungarian’s approval.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much for the compliment, Dezso, I appreciate the feedback and so happy you enjoyed it!
Anonymous says
I made this recipe as stated. Delicious. I want take it to a soup supper. Any guidelines on making this in a crock pot? I work all day up until 15 min before the supper. I do realize I could make ahead and just reheat in the crock pot. Thanks for your advice.
We did add Gulyáskrem introduced to us by our Hungarian exchange student several years ago.
Dan says
Just a thought about the peppers; my neighbor lady was from Hungary and grew the most unusual, bell-like but more tapered yellow-white sweet peppers. I was lucky to get some seed from her but lost the variety one year in bad weather. The closest match I’ve found is the Gypsy variety. There is also Szegedi Giant seed available from heirloom stores. I agree, regular green bell pepeers will not work for Hungarian dishes.
Mark Moore says
As much as I love cooking with lard or ghee, I do think that this beef recipe calls for tallow.
I freestyled a lot of it using cauliflower and rutabaga instead of carrots and peppers. Next on my list is a good pörkölt.
Courtney Helland says
Really delicious! Making it for the second time tonight as my family ate it all up the first time around. No alterations to the recipe. I opted yes for caraway seed. So tasty.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much for the feedback, Courtney, I’m so glad it was a family hit!
Kim Hursey says
I’ve made Goulash many times but saw this recipe so I made it last night. I only used one onion, not sure of the recipe is correct with 1 and 1/2 pounds of onion? Anyway, also I used a lot less beef broth, only about 2 cups, for a thicker stew. I think 6 cups would have made it more like a soup. But very good overall.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Kim, I’m glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Contrary to what is called goulash outside of Hungary, traditional Hungarian goulash is actually supposed to be a thin and brothy soup, not a stew. Yes, 1 1/2 pounds of onions is correct; they cook down a ton.
Lila says
Yes, the real paprika makes a big difference. I happened to have bought that brand! Gives such a great texture and flavor! So silky and colorful.
Jane says
I have some tenderloin pieces. Wondering if I may use these instead of stew beef. I would assume it would need less time to cook. Please advise. Thank you!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Jane, yes you can and that is correct, it will need less time to cook. Just periodically check on it to assess when the beef is good and tender. Happy cooking!
Ami King says
I made this tonight and it was absolutely incredible. The 1/4 cup of paprika is a perfect way to go. The flavor is delicious and slightly exotic. I served it with rye bread topped with real butter. Husband loved every bit of it. Thank you for one of the best recipes we’ve tried in a long time!
Kimberly Killebrew says
I’m so thrilled you both enjoyed it, Ami, thank you!
Becca says
Made this last night and it tasted just like the gulyas I had last year in Budapest. Thanks for the recipe!
Kimberly Killebrew says
That’s wonderful, thank you so much, Becca!