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 hadn’t any real experience with authentic Hungarian Goulash, since the ‘goulash’ I was served as a child was a ground beef, macaroni noodle, sort of “hamburger helper” type dish. Recently I went to Germany and Austria and had goulash there, which was much more meat-centric. I was curious about the hungarian version, when I found your recipe. I’ve made it twice now, once for our family Christmas gathering. It was a hit and didn’t have any for leftovers. :( Thanks for sharing!
Oh that’s wonderful, Lisa, I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it, thank you so much for the feedback!
suggest dredge the meat in equal amount of flour to fat. maybe reduce fat by 1/2 .Brown meat first before adding onion. add peppers with onions . follow the recipe from here . Also consider a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar . just a suggestion . flavor good , just too much fat .
My dad was born in Budapest and came to America 72 years ago with my mother (she was born in Germany) I absolutely love Goulash and yes…. the real kind is a soup and not made with noodles and sauce. My Hungarian grandma (Nana) made it also and it was almost the exact same ingredients but she never put tomatoes in it? 🤔
This is the best goulash I have ever made or eaten. So flavorful and it is very authentic when I compare it to what I’ve had in Budapest.
Thank you so much, Nan, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it!
made this for all my friends while we’re sitting around watching the game. you think I struck a bell and instituted Pavlov’s law they were all drooling to dig in. didn’t have pork lard so I use pancetta to saute the onions and the beef. I use my instapot to speed up the process. I never made authentic Hungarian goulash before I’d always Americanized it. It was absolutely delicious.
Pancetta-sauteed onions…you rock, Spud Fed! I’m so glad you decided to make this and even more glad that it was such a hit – thank you very much!
This time I actually went to the store and bought 2 lb of pork fat and rendered it down into lard. I’m from Idaho. Spudfed is a given nickname. I have family in Kiel cousin from America was born there as were all of his brothers. my uncle was a professor at Heidelberg University in Frankfurt. I have German blood but it’s from the 8th or 9th century Saxon, Normands when they immigrated to England. mixed with Scotch Irish Dutch Native American African American you name it probably in my blood. I will make it to Germany Romania Hungary the Czech Republic before I’m too old.
That’s terrific that you rendered your own lard, Steven. If you haven’t already used lard to make oven roasted potatoes you’ve got to try it – crispiest potatoes ever! I hope you do make it to all of those beautiful countries <3
We had just come home from a trip to Budapest and I was really craving this dish! It was just as amazing as the very first time I had it. This recipe was sooooo good. (You really need the Hungarian paprika for this recipe, it makes all the difference. Will make this again and again. I will next try the Chicken Paprikash! Can’t wait!!!!
I’m so glad, Linda, thank you very much and I hope that you enjoy the Chicken Paprikash as well! <3
Thank you for the lovely recipe Kimberly! I made it in memory of my hungarian godfather Ladislaz Racz, he taught me that one must always remove the little green shoot from the garlic so that it not repeat 😬
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Giles, thank you! Those little nuggets of family wisdom should always be passed down :)
This is a great recipe. I have an old staple recipe but thought I would try this one. Great as instructed with no changes. The caraway seed is new to me and adds a new dimension. I will be making this with a few modifications going forward.
For the second time making this I am using a mixture of pork and beef, the recipe I normally use is for game meat so I’m used to a mix of at least two of the following: beef, venison, pork, or wild hog. I also added a bit (about 1 tblsp) of hot paprika paste from Hungary to spice it up a little. I also added about a tablespoon of savory. It’s getting close to being ready and the flavor profile is already off the chain.
I simmered all the veggies except potatoes (my wife doesn’t like cooked carrots so I diced them and cooked with the other vegies) until almost all of the liquid was gone, cooked the spices for a few minutes until it got thick, then added meat back and then the stock. Cooking the paprika down into a paste seems to bring the flavor out but you do have to be very careful about not overdoing it.
I normally make spaetzle to go with goulash but I’m sticking with potatoes in it this time.
Thank you, Aharon, I really appreciate the feedback and am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I think a mix of meats is a nice touch. And I wish I had access to some wild hog!