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!
Absolutely incredible! I haven’t had goulash this good since I was in Hungary, thank you!
Thanks so much, Tammy!
Hi I haven’t tried your recipe yet, but I am going to make it today. It sounds delicious. I would like to know if I want to make 8 servings at a time is it ok to simply double every ingredient??
Hi Sandi, yes, simply double everything. Happy cooking!
This was absolutely incredible, everything I remembered from the homestyle goulash we enjoyed during our trips to Hungary. My husband has already requested it again for this weekend :)
Awesome food! I love Hungarians food.
Gulyás does not have tomato in it. A base with tomato, onion and peppers is called “lecsó”. Despite that a number of Hungarian households do use tomato in what they call a gulyás, however you would never find it in quality restaurants.
Hi Csaba, correct, most Hungarians include tomatoes at home and my objective here is to share a traditional Hungarian gulyás, not a contemporary restaurant version.
Question: if you get a tough kind of meat and you have to cook it the additional time before the vegetables, don’t you need to add the liquid? I would think you could not cook beef for 40 minutes without some liquid.
I am eager to try this recipe! I went to Hungary last summer and I had goulash everywhere I could, bought a lot of paprika and I have been waiting for a good recipe to try because I love it!
Hi Daniela, yes, you’ll still add the beef broth, you’ll just be adding the vegetables later. And depending on how tightly your pot seals at the lid, you may need to add a little bit more liquid at the end if you think it needs more.
I made it & omg soooo good! Savory, authentic, hearty meaty goodness with earthy sweetness & not spicy, fed 8 people! I used all organic stuff, including inside round beef. After adding all the things, I let it cook a full two hours. Will definitely make again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Daniela, thanks so much for the feedback!
I am so looking forward to making this tomorrow! Thank you my mouth is already watering yum. We will be in Budapest in March and looking forward to the Grand Market. I have one concern and I think you can answer my concern. My traveling companion uses a walker and can’t climb stairs will she be able to get up to the first floor and the food stalls and delicious coffee?
Hi Julie, how wonderful, I’m so glad you’ll be visiting Budapest! You know, I’ve never taken notice whether or not the market has an elevator going up to the top floor but it would be hard to imagine that not being the case. Perhaps one of our readers can offer some insight here.
Hi Kimberly –
I just returned from Budapest and loved it as well!
While there, I purchased goulash paste and was wondering if you ever used it to make your goulash and if so how much? It is pretty concentrated.
Thank you.
Hi Lynda, you can add some to the goulash but it isn’t meant to take the place of any of the other ingredients, including the paprika powder. This would just be used in addition to and it’s simply used according to taste – so stir in a little, taste, and add more if you like.
We had amazing goulash on a blizzardy night in Budapest…a wonder memory!
Besides paprika, I brought home a tube of Gulyáskrém Csmege (mild goulash cream?). Do you have any advice on how to use this?
Hi Jane, a blizzardy night is the best way to enjoy a bowl of hot goulash for sure! The goulash creme is a versatile seasoning paste that you can add to dishes for a boost in flavor, like stirring some of it into sauces, gravies, stews, etc, according to taste.
Hubby and I just finished cooking this – delish! We’re holding off eating it until the next day so the flavors can meld together some more. We just came from Budapest and of course bought paprika (hot and sweet). So happy I found your recipe and liked it – definitely not a waste of that precious paprika which I now wish we bought more of!
Wonderful, Kathy! And yes, this tastes even better the next day. Thanks for the feedback!
I love goulash, but haven’t tried this specific recipe. I would however like to stress the importance of using good quality paprika powder because it is very important to the flavor of goulash. Please spend time and money to find good paprika powder as it really is important to the flavor of this dish. It isn’t expensive, but good paprika powder is key to making goulash taste great! Preferably from Hungary, but other Eastern European versions are also good.
I couldn’t agree more, Mats!
Someone else may have already said this, but I did not want to read all 178 comments. Something is missing in “Heat the pork lard . . . in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until they’re beginning to brown.” I think the onions should have gone in the lard to brown.
Hi Ron, thanks for catching that. It was worded correctly in the actual recipe box directions but I made a typo in the step-by-step pictures.
Hi there, I am of Hungarian birth so do make a lot of Hungarian dishes, just a bit of a correction though. We do occasionally use noodle in This dish. They are cooked into the soup, we call them pinched noodles. Never used garlic in this soup but am willing to try.
Can this be made in a slow cooker/ crock pot?
Hi Sally, you can but the sauteing of the meat, spices and veggies makes all difference in flavor. So the point where you would add it to the slow cooker is in Step 2 after the final ingredients have been added.
This dish reminded me of some of the dishes my grandma would cook. Her parents moved to the US from Hungry after WWI. I doctored it a little bit. We always had it served with egg noodles. I made it twice in one day one with beef and one vegetarian. My wife doesn’t eat meat and they were both Amazing! I could eat either one and be happy.
Fantastic, Owen, I’m glad you enjoyed it, thank you!