Beef Goulash

A hearty, comforting dish that falls somewhere between a stew and a soup, goulash has been enjoyed throughout Europe for centuries – it’s even been considered Hungary’s national dish since the 1800s. And for good reason. This goulash recipe has more similarities to the Hungarian version than the versions found in Austria or Germany. It’s heavy on the paprika (ideally use Hungarian paprika) and loaded with beef, vegetables and tinned tomatoes.

Beef Goulash Cooking Tips

Goulash requires the beef to be slow-cooked until tender, although not necessarily falling apart. Any beef labelled as ‘stewing’ beef or steak will work well for this, as will chuck steak. For something a little different, oxtailalso works well (although it’s worth removing the bones before serving), as does ox cheek. Both oxtail and cheek will produce a dish with much richer beef flavour, however, which may not be to everybody’s taste.

For the meat element, you could alternatively use pork, veal or lamb.

This goulash recipe calls for Hungarian sweet paprika, which is fairly easy to source in the UK. Alternatively use sweet paprika or even a mild chilli powder as an alternative.

Paprika burns very quickly, so after adding it to the pan it’s crucial that you add the liquid elements of the dish quickly after to prevent burning. If you’re not confident, you can remove the pan from the heat once the garlic and paprika are added. Stir for 30 seconds or so to fully combine, add the liquids, then return the pan to the hob.

Coating the beef in flour before cooking will help thicken the sauce element of the dish without making it claggy or gloopy. Using a zip-lock bag will make the process far less messy.

Cooking the beef in batches is recommended. This will prevent too much beef in the pan, lowering the heat and adding far too much water to the pan, ultimately preventing browning. It’ll take another 5-10 minutes, but will be well worth the additional time.

Goulash can be cooked in the slow-cooker, either for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Prepping the dish to the recipe, up until it goes into the oven, is highly recommended, however, to brown the beef and sauté the vegetables sufficiently. Using the slow-cooker will also yield slightly different overall results and the sauce element may be much looser. Optionally thicken by adding a slurry made from cornflour and water.

Print Recipe

Beef Goulash

A classic, comforting European dish loaded with beef, vegetables, tomatoes and paprika.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: European

Keyword: Beef, Beef Goulash, Goulash, Soup, Stew

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 700 g stewing beef cut into cubes
• 1 large potato peeled
• 1 large white onion roughly chopped
• 2 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 bell peppers seeds removed and roughly chopped
• 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 3 tbsp Hungarian paprika alternatively use sweet paprika
• 500 ml beef stock
• 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• Fresh parsley to serve
• Sour cream to serve
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.
• Begin by adding the flour to a bowl or ziplock bag. Season with salt and pepper, then add the beef and mix to coat.
• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large, oven-proof saucepan over medium heat and add half of the beef. Cook for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan. Repeat with the remaining beef.
• Add the rest of the oil to the same pan and throw in the chopped potato, onion, carrots and bell peppers. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for around 8-10 minutes, until softened but not browned.
• Add garlic and paprika to the pan, season with more salt and continue to cook for 30 seconds or so, until the garlic and paprika are fragrant but not burnt.
• Add the tinned tomatoes, bay leaves and stock. Increase the heat and season generously with salt and pepper. Return the beef to the pan, bring to a boil, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. (Alternatively transfer to a slow-cooker and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, but for best results cook in the oven).
• Cook for 3 hours, until the beef is tender and the sauce thickens. Remove from the oven and divide between bowls.
• Optionally garnish with chopped fresh parsley and sour cream.