About this Dish
Hungary's national dish and one of the defining stews of Europe — beef slow-braised with paprika, onions, tomatoes and peppers in a rich, brick-red broth. The paprika is not optional or decorative — it is the primary flavouring and must be good quality sweet Hungarian paprika. Originally a shepherd's stew cooked in a bogrács (cauldron) over an open fire, goulash became a symbol of Hungarian national identity in the 19th century.
IngredientsServes 6
🥩Beef shin or chuck, 800g cut into 3cm cubes
🧅Yellow onions, 3 large, finely diced
🫑Green or red peppers, 2 medium, diced
🍅Ripe tomatoes, 2 medium, roughly chopped
🌶️Sweet Hungarian paprika, 3 heaped tablespoons
🧄Garlic, 3 cloves, crushed
🥔Waxy potatoes, 400g, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
🧂Caraway seeds, 1 teaspoon
🫙Beef stock or water, 800ml
🧈Lard or sunflower oil, 2 tablespoons
Method
1
Heat the lard or oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook slowly for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until they are completely soft, golden and sweet — this is the flavour base of the whole dish, so don't rush it.2
Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for one minute — this is important. Add all the paprika at once and stir vigorously for 30 seconds until it coats the onions and becomes fragrant; taking the pot off the heat prevents the paprika from burning and turning bitter.3
Return the pot to medium-high heat, add the beef cubes and stir to coat everything in the paprika-onion mixture. Season generously with salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is sealed on the outside.4
Add the crushed garlic, caraway seeds, diced peppers and chopped tomatoes, then stir everything together. Pour in just enough stock or water to barely cover the meat — roughly 800ml — and bring to a gentle simmer.5
Reduce the heat to low, put the lid on slightly ajar and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, until the beef is completely tender and beginning to fall apart. Check occasionally and add a splash of water if it looks dry — the final broth should be thick, rich and brick-red, not watery.6
Add the potato chunks for the final 30 minutes of cooking, pushing them into the broth. Taste and adjust salt, and add a little more paprika if you feel it needs more depth.7
Serve the goulash in deep bowls with crusty bread or egg noodles on the side. A spoonful of sour cream on top is traditional and adds a lovely cooling richness against the paprika broth.User Reviews
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