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 dishes be sure to also try our Chicken Paprikash, 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.
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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!
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, tomatoes 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 our:
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
Mark Davies says
Any suggestions on what to serve with this? Do they typically make dumplings?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mark, typically no. Traditionally you’d eat the soup with bread and a cool cucumber salad is also popular (peeled, sliced thinly and tossed with an oil/vinegar dressing with dill, salt and pepper).
Cheryl Killion says
Hi Mark, my Nana was Hungarian,we loved her Goulash, and yes she always added dumplings to her recipe
Jo says
Hello, can this recipe be made in Instant Pot? If so, are there any changes to the recipe that should be made? Thanks!
Mary Martin says
Your recipe is close to Mom’s but she didn’t put peppers or carrots in it. She came here from Hungarian in 1911, aged almost 3 and was an excellent cook. She had 7 babies all at home, no hospital, and our family included Grandpa. She could make Retes by hand, pulling out the dough till you could see the tablecloth. In the early sixties she started complaining about the flour for the Retes. During the Depression she invented a ‘pork and bean’ soup because she had lots of canned pork and beans. She made something she called ‘E (long sound) stash’. She browned flour, put in slightly mashed potatoes with the cooking water, stirred and then put in very HOT lard. The mixture came up crumbly. We dished out this soft, crumbly mixture and poured the bean soup over. This was my favorite dish! Anyone know what this recipe was based off of in Hungarian cooking? She cooked on a modest budget, so she probably modified another Hungarian recipe.
Karl says
I’ve Aden this over and over w small tweaks here and there but always staying very close to the original recipe. This. Is. The. Perfect. Recipe! My family and all our friends I’ve made it for always just love it! Thank you so much for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Karl, thank you so much!
Lillian says
I’ve been trying for years to figure out how to replicate a goulash I had years ago in Beijing, of all places. It was my favorite dish at this one hotel restaurant until they stopped listing it on their menu, and as I recall the last few times I had it there it was disappointingly lacking in something, either the chef changed the recipe or they changed chefs.
I tried your recipe, and while it’s close, it’s missing something deeper and I can’t fathom what it is. I think maybe it winds up too sweet? Any suggestions?
That said, I love your version and have made it a few times now.
Ceylon Golden Cinnamon says
Thanks Kimberly… This looks delicious recipe, I will try this at home this holiday…
Thanks Again..
Kathy Bol says
About to try this after combing through a look many goulash recipes online. can
I use ghee in place of lard?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kathy, yes, you can use any oil/fat of your choice. Happy cooking!
Carol Golembiewski says
Loved this recipe. I never had or made Hungarian Goulash, so I thought I’d try it. Will definitely be making this again and add it to my recipe rotation. Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Carol, thanks so much!
Sandi says
Really good. I have never had it before. Made a few this-is-what-I-have-on-hand adjustments, but we really enjoyed it. Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad, Sandi, thank you!
Ash Ejjala says
the author is clearly quite passionate and hence the history lesson prior to the recipe ( which I thought was completely unnecessary. If I want to learn about history of Hungary I would just google that rather than a goulash recipe ). Will definitely try the classic dish with pork lard. I agree that the flavour (end result)would be much different (like goose fat for roast potatoes rather than cold pressed extra virgin olive oil)
Dorothy says
Perhaps I did something wrong but I followed the photos but the paprika got scorched when I added in the meat even though the flame was very low.Do you leave out the paprika and onions before browning meat, followed by pepper.,I put the onion paprika mixture back into the pot and then added meat for the prescribed time of browning on a low simmer like flame, followed by the red pepper. I added the broth and when stirring noticed a burnt smell although nothing was burned. What did I do incorrectly. It def has a burnt paprika taste..?
Ginny C says
Many thanks! Now to order some of that paprika!!!
Ginny C says
Is it possible to make this in a slow cooker?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ginny, after all the browning/sauteing, yes, at that point you can add everything to a slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 7-8 hours.
Phil Warner says
I just made your recipe following it exactly. Though it’s very good it didn’t have the depth of paprika flavor of the ones I had in Hungary. I used the paprika I got at the central market in Budapest, about 1/3 cup the whole bag. What did I do wrong?
Rob says
Wow! Everyone truly is a critic. This is an amazing recipe. In today’s world where most families eat fast food on a daily basis who really cares what kind of grass the cow ate, what soil the peppers came from, or what method was used.so what if it’s not traditional to the T. Most kids today are only familiar with big Macs, whoppers, chicken nuggets and will never get to experience this style of cooking. Great recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Rob, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)