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 have used this recipe now 10 times. it is simply the best one! And that is only my personal opinion. Thanks for sharing it with all of us! I appreciate your site.
Ruth
That’s fantastic, Ruth, thanks so much!
I have made this many times….and I made it again tonight….still super delicious. Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe…I always have a perfect batch every time. I like to cook white jasmine rice to go with this soup/stew.
That’s fantastic, Deb, thank you so much!
This is the first Hungarian recipe I ever tried… But with lamb! It came out awesome. My family loves it and we make it often. I would suggest lamb as a replacement for Beef if you are adventurous like me!! :)
Fantastic, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Lamb is a such a flavorful meat and makes a great substitute.
Hello, I’ve tried your recipe today with pork meat. I’m confused about the goulash texture, should it be like a thick or thin? Is this dish a stew or a soup? I added some slurry to the goulash because the outcome of mine is too watery. But taste wise it was delicious, will try again next time with your recipe.
Hi Elijah, yes, the consistency of traditional goulash is soupy, no thickener added. But you can certainly thicken it if that’s your preference. I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor, thank you!
I have been in Budapest..love the city…old buildings guard by modern ones…can’t have enough of Goulash…thank you for the recipe, now I can make traditional Goulash here in Australia.
Wonderful, Reni, I hope this brings back the memories!
I always go back to this recipe when I make Goulash. I made it again last night for my seven year old, who is from Hungary. He loves it! As you write about Paprika, I am very, very liberal with it and I sometimes combine venison with the beef. Always delicious. Thank you for posting this and other recipes!
Wonderful, EJ, thank you so much!
i was to make the goulash and bought dried Marjoram leaves imported from Turkey that is named as a must in the preparing of this dish, you also did not mention caraway seeds.
Are these not part of an authentic goulash dish ?
And how about mixing bacon grease and ghee, will this give it a different taste?
Hi Iwanowich, caraway seeds are not traditionally included in this form of goulash though there are other Hungarian dishes that do. While caraway seeds would greatly alter the flavor, marjoram wouldn’t and it would be fine to add a little. Bacon grease will certainly give the goulash a different taste but that’s not necessarily a bad thing :) And at the end of the day what matters most is that YOU like it. Happy cooking!
After a trip to central Europe, I tried your recipe and wow, it is AWESOME. If anyone out there gardens, I suggest the “Magyar” pepper seeds from Renee’s Garden. Last year we grew our own, dried them as we harvested them, and then ground them fresh each time we made gulyas. It was fantastic. I am on my last batch right now and I have to say, growing your own is SO WORTH IT. That, or buy from Spice House or Penzey’s to get the good stuff. Or you could always bring some back from Hungary!
Thanks so much for this!
–Cari M
Awesome, Cari, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! And thanks for tip about the Magyar pepper seeds.
This was exquisite and as good or better than the best versions we’ve had in Hungary. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that, Cami, thank you!
Just stumbled across your page! My husband and I are going to Budapest in May so I thought I’d try to make a goulash before we go to compare to the real thing! lol Can’t wait to make it…if I do it well enough, I can bring back some of the good paprika, I don’t have a lot of experience cooking with it. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Hi Sandi, bringing back a big stash of Hungarian paprika is a must! Have a great time and happy eating!
I lived in West Germany during the cold war, for eight years. American goulash, frankly, turns my stomach, being nothing more than crudely-rendered chili-mac. When we went out to restaurants as a family, we sampled the cuisine of all of Europe, and Hungarian was SO good.
Sadly, now I have to consider things like sodium and trans-fats, and will adjust the recipe accordingly. My experience in the kitchen, which spans from 1968 (when I was eight, and asked my mother to teach me to cook) to the present, says that this shall prove a most tasty dish.
I never eat at restaurants anymore. I always cook my own food. Sometimes a single meal takes me as many as eight hours to cook. If you do the job right, there’s no such thing as “too much time.” You have to have patience. Otherwise, you should just buy stock in McDonald’s.
Made this last night. Clearly when you say it serves 4 it is BIG servings, there are 5 of us, 9, 12, 14 and two adults. I never server anything that is said to serve 6 without doubling it. Needless to say I doubled this. I am SO glad I did!!! I served it over Spätzle with sour cream as not all of us like a lot of heat. I added some smoked Paprika too, just a tsp or two. Luckily I have enough for a whole other meal so we will have it over the weekend or early next week. On a budget, so I just picked up stew meat and cut it smaller, it was so tender! The last time I had Goulash I was a kid and it was American, so I was thrilled to make and eat this, as was my whole family. I texted my mother the recipe before bed! As to the traditional nature of this…. simmer down folks… I traditionally change up my own recipes based on cost and availability. And EVERYONE traditionally cooks to their tastes, so if some like more onion, or less or green pepper or not tomatoes…. heck I had 1 red, 2 orange, and 2 yellow peppers. Cooking to taste is why Chili is not one recipe, and Caesar dressing can have anchovy or not….. I realize there is pride that comes with ethnic foods, but relax….. it is food. It is meant to be enjoyed, which means it must be altered at times. Thanks so much for the recipe, it is going in the keep binder for sure!!!
Fantastic, Emily, I’m so glad it was a family hit, thanks for the feedback!
This recipe is great, it tastes the same as the ones I had several times in a hungarian restaurant in Germany.Your recipes usually follow the traditional way, I love that. I will take the opportunity to tell you that your recipe for injera is awesome, I lived for two years in Ethiopia and that is the way the make them at homes, I love the fact that you did not take shortcuts.I love your recipes
Thank you so much, Claudio, I’m thrilled to hear that!
Fantastic. Thank you for the recipe. I tweaked it just a little to be a little more like the gulyas that I have in Brno and Prague. Added one more onion and 3 tbs more paprika with one tbs of hot paprika. My wife and daughter were so happy to have this and remember our trip to CZ. I also made langos to go with it.
Thank you again.
Awesome, Garrett, thank you!
I made this last night and everyone LOVED it! Just finished off the last of the leftovers and it’s even better today. THANK YOU!