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 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 recipes be sure to also try my Chicken Paprikash, Babgulyas, 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!
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!
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 )
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.
If using chuck steak do you cook all the other ingredients along with the beef for the initial 45 minutes then add the carrot, tomato, potato and peppers? This won’t affect the flavour of the paprika if you cook it for so long?
I’ve just ordered some good quality hungarian paprika and my girlfriend is half hungarian so I can’t wait to cook this for her.
Hi Rob, yes that’s correct – cook everything together minus those veggies and then add the veggies to cook for the final 40 or so minutes. That’s awesome that you’ve got the good paprika. Happy cooking and please let us know how it goes!
So I made this today and we ate it this evening. My Hungarian girlfriend was very impressed. We both ate 2 bowls with sourdough bread😋. She said it was the real deal.
I’ll be honest, I have cooked with paprika quite a few times but cannot believe the difference in taste the sweet Hungarian paprika gives. The cheap one i usually buy just doesn’t compare. This imported stuff smells like fresh sweet peppers and has a lovely vibrant colour.
Thanks so much for the recipe, I expected it to taste good but not this good!
That’s wonderful, Rob, I’m so happy you both enjoyed it, thanks so much!
I’m using this recipe tonight. I normally make my grandmother’s recipe (my grandparents are from a small village east of Budapest. But, browsing the web, I saw this and it looked pretty good. Only thing I changed was double the Paprika …. other than that, using your recipe. Yours is a bit more like I would expect to get in Munich than Budapest. It brings back memories of winters in Garmisch and Tirol …. making Knoedel with it :-)
It’s been on the stove an hour or so and the house smells right!
Hi Eric! Which village? I’m from that part of the country.
As for the recipe: in our region it’s much closer to a soup than a stew. Also, we don’t really stick to using beef. Making gulyás is not just an exact recipe, but also a method, to make a specific kind of soup. We sometimes make it from turkey, pork and even lamb.
One important thing: as far as I know, this food starts the same way as many other hungarian recipe: that you make a “stew-base”. Heat the grease, add onions, 5-6 minutes, then add tomato and pepper, chopped to very small pieces. Give it 7-8 mins, then remove it from the stove, add paprika, stir it, you’ll get a thick, dark red/brown mixture, then add water (about 1dl) and put it back to the stove, cook this mixture slowly until almost all water evaporates, then add the meat and follow the recipe above. Paprika contains flavours that will only dissolve in grease and this is the way you’ll get the most out of it. If you don’t remove it from the stove when adding paprika, it’ll become bitter. That’s how I learned from my wife. :)
Quick comment: I always use parsnips as well, same amount as the carrots. Also, as you mentioned it in the note section, always cook the beef first until it’s almost done. It can be cooked with the peppers and tomatoes but the rest of the vegetables goes in for the last half hour of cooking time.
tips:
Use Pork fat rendered into lard ( in a fry pan). Use it to seal the beef, then the onions and celery ( omitted in this recipe, but very enriching)
Use Caraway seeds in abundance… ( you wont believe how rich the aroma is whilst cooking)
Mix sweet paprika powder with smoked paprika powder in equal quantities… (dont use picante “spanish” paprika… that will only turn your dish into chilli… and that is to miss the point of classic Gulas.
remember… use plenty of caraway/kummel… the aroma will lift your and your guests spirits… to the stratosphere…
I used pork and it was very good. I cooked it in my Instapot. I also served it with klukski noodles, my husband likes it that way.
Very authentic since true Hungarian goulash is more of a soup not stew. Excellent blending of flavors.