Authentic Hungarian Goulash (Gulyás)
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A thoroughly authentic Hungarian Goulash recipe with a depth and richness of flavor that will satisfy both body and soul. Hungary’s national dish, this traditional gulyás captures everything that has made this dish so beloved across the globe. It is simply out-of-this-world delicious!
For more traditional Hungarian recipes be sure to also try my Chicken Paprikash, Bean Goulash, 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.
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!
What’s the Best Dutch Oven to Use?
For this recipe, I recommend using a Dutch oven because it seals in the flavors and heats evenly, ensuring consistent cooking results. I love this 6-quart, budget-friendly option from Lodge, which you can get on Amazon for around $80. Or, if you’re looking for a worthy splurge, I also have this one from Le Creuset, which sells for around $300.
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 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 my:
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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
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Sounds like comfort food to me! My mom used to make a dish she called goulash but from what I remember it was basically spaghetti using elbow noodles instead.
Tonia, I don’t know how or where the macaroni noodles tradition ever started but yes, that’s what many Americans have come to think Goulash is.
The ground beef and elbow macaroni version dates from the late 60’s- early 70’s and was a faster way to make goulash and a way to make ground beef(which many couldn’t afford in large quantities) stretch to feed the entire family and while no it’s not traditional that doesn’t mean that if it’s prepared well it’s not delicious…. I have made both and the only difference in mine is the cut of meat, either way if you use loads of quality paprika and make sure that all ingredients are of decent quality it’s a wonderful dish oh and side note I make homemade spetzle with my goulash… it’s a fantastic combination
Hi Brandy, agreed – the Americanized hamburger macaroni rendition tastes great. My only point is that it isn’t Hungarian goulash. Speaking of making homemade Spätzle, another terrific Hungarian dish you may be interested in is Marhapörkölt, which is served with a Hungarian pasta that’s virtually identical to German Spätzle. Here’s the recipe link: http://www.daringgourmet.com/2015/03/18/hungarian-beef-and-onion-stew-marhaporkolt/
Hiya! Finding a good goulash recipe turned out to be harder than I expected but in the end I decided to try yours. The end result was very tasty – a hearty dish for the autumn. It was even better when I reheated it the next day! Will definitely make this again, but I will make an effort to find proper paprika powder to replace my generic version in order to take the dish to the next level. A Hungarian friend of mine once said that they pour in ridiculous amounts of paprika when making goulash so I used it generously. Would smoked paprika powder work? I also used slightly less beef broth as my Dutch oven ran out of space.
I was especially pleased that I managed to recreate the lovely reddish-brown colour as I was slightly nervous about this part. Good bread js also essential as you can sop up the broth with it. You have a nice site, I will check out your other recipes too.
Thanks, Jani, and welcome to The Daring Gourmet! Most definitely yes, as I mentioned in my article Hungarians measure their paprika by the handful, not the teaspoon ;) And yes, good paprika makes a huge difference. You don’t want to use smoked paprika in its place, it has an overwhelmingly strong flavor – that you DO want to use by the teaspoon, or even the half teaspoon. I’m so happy you chose and enjoyed my recipe and really appreciate your feedback. I hope to see you around often!
I often follow on-line recipes and am almost always off with the suggested preparation time. In this case, my first attempt, the ten minutes were closer to 40 minutes. And agree that any recipe online or traditional can have any number or variations. I used pork, to zip it up added pinch cayenne pepper, organic veggie broth and paprika, sweet vidalia onions. Ate it with fresh sourdough baguette. Yummy. Should even be better tomorrow, like any stewed dish.
Don’t do smoked!….ever lol….it just doesnt work imo. I do sweet and hot, 50/50
….or just do all sweet or all hot (not recommended)…..but never smoked.
Thank you for this recipe, I have used it a few times, and really enjoyed it.
The children also love it.
I’m so glad to hear that and appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Very authentic. Really tender, the only thing that I didn’t add was the garlic as a family find it too over-riding but was very good.
So happy to hear it was a hit, Angela, and I really appreciate the feedback, thank you!
And where are the noodles? Though you may have the name correct, that’s about all. This is not a traditional recipe. This has been “Americanized”.
What you think is authentic – the addition of noodles – is in fact the “Americanized” version you’re accusing this to be. Noodles have no place in authentic Hungarian goulash. This is the real deal.
Kimberly, kudos to you for the polite way you handled the “noodle” remark. Might I ask if the equal amounts of onions and meat is correct in the recipe? And where would one find true Hungarian paprika? Many thanks.
Hi Jim! Yes, the proportions are correct and key to the flavor outcome. In the recipe box at the very bottom of the post you’ll see that the paprika is hyperlinked – click on it and it will take you some authentic Hungarian paprika for sale on Amazon. You may be able to find it, or another brand, at a local specialty shop, but I usually just buy it online.
We definitely use homemade noodles called nokedli in our gulyás.
That’s correct!!!
Great recipe. I used kudu meat and only 2 cups broth, 1 red pepper and it was awesome. Great pics too
That’s wonderful, Oliver, thank you so much for the feedback!
I love hungarian goods. I found your recipe and am making it for dinner. In the past when making goulash I add different veggies. I like to add cabbage to mine
Wonderful, hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Dear Kimberly, As you can tel from my name I am a Hungarian from 1956.
I am in Wash.DC now.I love your recipes.
As you know Hungarians make Fozelek from all vegetable’
I like to sugjest to make a special section in your cooking recipes just for this
Best to you, Tibor Sarkady
Hi Tibor, thank you for your comment and compliment, I really appreciate it. Thank you also for reminding me about Főzelék, that’s wonderful Hungarian comfort food. I’ve made a note of your request :) Kind regards, Kimberly