Hungarian goulash is a classic stew type dinner that is packed full of flavor. You start with roasted vegetables and then create a sauce that is rich and savory. Serve your goulash over egg noodles for a delicious meal everyone will love.
Traditional Hungarian Goulash Recipe
Do you have a recipe that brings back a ton of memories when you make it? Once you take a bite you are flooded with memories of times with family hanging around the kitchen. That’s how I feel when I make this Hungarian goulash for my family. I can’t help but think of the good times we’ve had together.
Hungarian goulash is a type of stew that is made with meat and vegetables. It’s very different than American goulash, and has an even more dramatic flavor. It’s a versatile recipe that is a comforting and hearty meal.
Why you’ll love this Beef Goulash recipe:
- FILLING MEAL: This easy dinner recipe is a meal that sticks to your ribs. It is filling and one that will leave everyone satisfied.
- FULL OF FLAVOR: Hungarian goulash is full of flavor thanks to the roasted vegetables, soy sauce and tomato paste. Together these ingredients create an amazing depth of flavor.
- GREAT FOR LEFTOVERS: This goulash recipe is delicious fresh, but it’s also great for leftovers the next day.
One of the best things about this homemade goulash recipe is that you use fresh vegetables. You start with fresh vegetables and then roast them in the oven to bring out their flavor. The roasted vegetables then get added to a hearty meat sauce and served over your favorite starchy side dish.
How to make Hungarian Goulash
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Coat the sliced vegetable in the spices and olive oil.
- Roast the vegetables for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender.
- Add the roasted vegetables, tomato paste, vinegar, spices and juices from the roasting pan into a food processor.
- Pulse until smooth.
- Season the beef in a bowl.
- Add the beef, chicken stock, vegetable puree, soy sauce, thyme, tomato paste, bay leaf and red wine.
- Cover in a Dutch oven and cook for 2 1/2 – 3 hours.
- Serve over egg noodles.
Hungarian goulash is savory stew that uses roasted vegetables to create a thick and hearty meat sauce. It is a flavorful dish that everyone will love.
Chuck roasts are the best type of beef for goulash. It’s an easy to find meat that breaks down and becomes tender when cooking. You can use a shoulder roast, blade roast or any other similar roast in this recipe.
Yes! You can make this goulash in a slow cooker. Roast the vegetables and puree them as directed. Then pour the sauce over the meat and other ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for up to 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
You can easily make this goulash vegetarian. Roast your vegetables and then puree them. Instead of a roast, you can use lentils or chickpeas in place of the beef.
Serving Suggestions
This goulash is a meal in itself, but some sides that would pair well with it are:
After you roast your vegetables, be sure to save a few carrots for a garnish later. Save 4 carrots and slice them into 1/4 inch slices and reserve them for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Tips!
- For best flavor, use a fresh container of sweet paprika.
- You only need 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for this recipe, so freeze the left over paste for other recipes.
- You can sear the beef before cooking it. Place a bit of oil in the Dutch oven and sear until the outsides are browned. This will help lock in flavor and keep the meat juicy.
- Serve over egg noodles, rice, or even mashed potatoes.
- Top your Hungarian goulash with fresh herbs or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
- Store any leftover goulash in a Tupperware in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
You can check and see if the goulash is ready by testing a piece of the beef. Remove a piece of beef and see if it shreds easily. If the meat shreds easily with a fork and is heated all the way through, your goulash is ready.
Hungarian goulash is a classic dinner that is hearty and full of flavor. It is an easy dinner recipe that everyone will love. This goulash is one that your family will ask for over and over again.
More Cozy Dinner Recipes we Love
- Swedish Meatballs
- Meat Sauce Lasagna
- Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
- Beef Lo Mein
- Crockpot Beef and Noodles
- American Goulash
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Hungarian Goulash Recipe
Ingredients
For the Roasted Vegetables
- 4 yellow or Spanish onions peeled and cut into 1-inch strips top to bottom
- 2 small-medium celery stalks trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 red bell peppers cut into ½-inch slices
- 7 medium carrots trimmed & peeled, divided
- 4 cloves garlic cut in half
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
For Processing the Roasted Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- Juices from the roasted vegetables
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Goulash
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 pounds whole boneless beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup sweet paprika
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock homemade or store-bought
- Puréed roasted vegetables from the food processor
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 6 ounces tomato paste 1 standard can
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅓ cup good red wine such as an enjoyable Cabernet Sauvignon
For Serving and Garnishing
- 8 ounces egg noodles cooked (1 standard package)
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400°F.
- Prepare the onions, celery, red bell peppers. Peel and cut carrots in half vertically.4 yellow or Spanish onions, 2 small-medium celery stalks, 2 red bell peppers, 7 medium carrots
- Place the vegetables, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 3 tablespoons oil, and 3 tablespoons soy sauce in a large bowl and gently toss until vegetables are coated. Pour the oiled vegetables onto a large sheet pan and roast until tender, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to the touch.4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 3 tablespoons canola oil, 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
- Transfer four of the roasted carrots to a cutting board and cut into ¼-inch slices. These will be added to the goulash in the last 5 minutes of cooking; set aside until ready.
- Squeeze the softened garlic out of the garlic skins and into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the roasted vegetables, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and all the pan juices from the roasted vegetables. Pulse the mixture until the vegetables are smooth, about 15-20 seconds total.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, Juices from the roasted vegetables
- Place the beef in a bowl and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat the beef.4 pounds whole boneless beef chuck roast, Kosher salt, ⅓ cup sweet paprika, Freshly ground black pepper
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium heat. Add the seasoned beef, chicken stock, puréed roasted vegetables from the food processor, 1-tablespoon soy sauce, thyme, tomato paste, bay leaf, and ¼ cup red wine. Stir.2 tablespoons canola oil, 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, Puréed roasted vegetables from the food processor, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 6 ounces tomato paste, 1 bay leaf, ⅓ cup good red wine
- Cover and cook at 300°F for 2½-3 hours or until the beef is fork-tender.
- Add the sliced ¼-inch slices of carrots and stir.
- If the goulash is too thin, place on the stovetop, over very low heat, and simmer up to 15 minutes to reduce to the desired consistency.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Serve over a bed of cooked egg noodles and sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top.8 ounces egg noodles, Chopped fresh parsley
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
Nutrition Information
This tasted incredible and not a single leftover to be eaten. This is a down-home, stick to your ribs recipe and everyone asked for the recipe. I don’t care what you call this recipe. If you take the time to make it and devour it, trust me, you won’t care what this recipe’s name is.
Thanks for your kind words, Ryan!
WOW!!! What a bunch of rude, disrespectful, trolls! I’m amazed by how many nasty people are living in their Grandma’s basement just trolling the recipe sites and leaving such angry, horrible comments for innocent, unsuspecting people. They should all be banned, the world has far more nasty, ignorant, mean people than it could ever possibly do away with.
Nem jo! Not Hungarian. You can call this American but don’t call it gulyas.
I’m sorry but like others have said this is not a Hungarian dish. To call it “Traditional Hungarian Ghoulash” is deceitful. You should instead say it is your take on Hungarian Gyulas. I’m not trying to be insulting or demeaning towards you. I’m sure this is a tasty stew but it’s just not Hungarian in any way, shape of form. The true, original Hungarian gyulas was cooked over a fire in the fields by shepards using the most basic of ingredients. Hungarians today pretty much cook it the same way except on a stove instead of a camp fire. Although, if possible, some do make it outside. This gyulas is a form of pride for Hungarians and when the ingredients and way of making it are so vastly changed yet called “Traditional Hungarian” is sort of an insult thus the negative feedback you have been getting.
I don’t know where you got this recipe from but it is not for true Hungarian Goulash. My mother was 100% Hungarian and I am 44% Hungarian and I know for a fact that your recipe is wrong. True Hungarian Goulash does not have roasted vegetables, vinegar or tomato sauce in it.
TOO much paprika. Holy moly this was too spicy hot. Inedible. What a waste of expensive products. I will try to tone it down with some dairy tomorrow. The meat was tender, but flavors were way off. What a disappointment.
I am sorry this didn’t work out for you!
Try sweet paprika next time not hot Hungarian paprika
As Hungarian, I refuse this is a Hungarian meal. It is not goulash, it is a pigwash. The Hungarian goulash is a soup. You might like this meal, but do not name it Hungarian goulash. It is offensive.
I am sorry to hear you do not like this recipe!
Exactly!First i was angry then deeply sad how can someone ruin our National dish like this!
It is already enought that American people took the Name of the Gulyas ,and created a mince meat based pasta dish with it.
But call this a Hungarian Gulyas is just offensive to our deep culture for this food!
Gulyas came from shepherds and people who worked in the fields long days,they put carrot,veggies and meat together in a big pot outside under the fire.
It is a hearty deep flavoured soup to warm up your soul and get you through the hard days on the fields!
Butchering this beautiful recipe like this is just sad for me.
Just go on Youtube ,there is loads of videos Hungarian people doing with english subtitles,if you want to learn it !
If you want a pasta kind of dish try Pörkölt ,it is a deep meaty flavour with paprika and really delicious on pastas with a little sour cream on top!
Hope that helpes.
I bet its a nice meat recipe but please dont associated this with Hungarians.
Ps:And for the people who are saying we are rude and stuff,try to think about if someone would take your favorite dish what you loved and learned from your grandma ,(and she learned from hers and it was like this for decades going back to your roots )and someone would take it and give it a disrespectful turn ,i dont think you would appreciate it !
I may not be Hungarian but this is delicious.We had it for dinner and everyone wanted more,no leftovers!!!
Thank you for sharing, Rosemary!
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I am sorry it’s not working for you!
As an American/Austrian/Hungarian, and a chef, this is not Hungarian Goulash. I’m sure it’s a great beef stew recipe. Authentic Hungarian Goulash is a very simple recipe. The trick is in the onion to meat ratio – 1:1, the paprika (sweet Hungarian), and I add caraway seeds when I saute the onions. There are no vegetables, and it is typically served over Spaetzle.
No veggies in Gulyas 😃? It is a meat and veggie soup.
At least you should check how its made before you comment on it ;)