Hungarian Style Goulash is one of those dishes that I really love to prepare and I do that pretty often. It’s fairly easy to make, all the magic happens in one pot and you can cook it in larger quantities without making any compromise when it comes to the quality.

It’s the perfect choice for parties, gatherings or whenever you need to cook in advance for several days as this goulash can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Some people even claim the taste is the best on the 3rd day.

Alternatively, you can also freeze it, but the structure and taste of cooked potatoes tends to change when frozen. So if you plan to freeze the leftovers, you might want to skip the potatoes and add more meat for a thicker goulash version.

There are 100s of versions of goulash and even though this dish likely originated in Hungary, there are localized versions to be found all across the world. I’ve seen goulash recipes named after a town or country they were popular in, or even holding the name of a particular cook. 

One way or another, all the recipes have something in common. Goulash is always a thick soup-like or stewy dish consisting of meat, vegetables (especially onions) and strong broth or stock. All kinds of meats are used, but to me, the true goulash must be cooked with beef.

TIP: Try my Hungarian Lagos Recipe too. And if you are after some more thick soups/stews, my Bean Soup With Pork should be a nice fit.

What Meat To Use For Hungarian Goulash?

One word: BEEF! Some people are using pork too, but that’s simply not right 🙂 When choosing a cut for your goulash, look for something with a bit of fat and connecting tissue. Lean meat is great for many recipes, but not for a goulash.

Why is that? Lean meat has no collagen in it, or very little and that’s a problem. We need that collagen in goulash! While cooking, it slowly melts and releases the lovely gelatin-like substances, creating the most delicious sauce.

In my opinion, Beef Shank is the best cut for a Hungarian goulash. It cooks longer, but it’s well worth the wait. Chuck or brisket is a great choice too… simply pick a cut with some fat in it. Doesn’t have to be a super expensive cut of meat either, goulash is a slow-cooked dish, so even the cheaper cuts will have enough time to soften and cook properly.

Enough of the theory, let me show you how I cook my version of the Hungarian goulash. As always, I changed some things and modified it to my likings 🙂

Hungarian Goulash Ingredients

This recipe is calculated for about 4-4.5 liters or 4-5 quarts of goulash, which is enough for about 12-15 solid servings.

2kg (4.5 pounds) beef shank
5 larger onions
3 large ripe tomatoes
3 green peppers
1 large carrot
1 large root parsley
1-1.5kg (2.5 – 3 pounds) potatoes
100g (1/2 cup) lard (or vegetable oil)
4 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
3 tablespoons of mild mustard
2 teaspoons ground caraway seeds
2 teaspoons of salt or to taste
1-2 teaspoons of black pepper
4 teaspoons of sweet paprika
1-2 teaspoons of dried marjoram
1 pint (500-600ml) of beer
1.5 liter (6 cups) beef broth or stock
5 cloves garlic
flat leaf parsley
chilli to taste
water

How To Make Hungarian Beef Goulash

Watch the video or scroll down for step by step instructions:

1. Start with the onions, no need to chop them all that finely, they will pretty much dissolve during the cooking process anyways. There is one rule here. Depending on how much meat you are about to use, you need about half as much onions. But we’re not talking about the weight, but the volume.

Some people suggest even more, but that can result in a sweet taste of the finished goulash. For the amount of meat I used, 5 or 6 larger onions was just about right. Start sautéing the onions with a good portion of lard on medium heat, we are looking for a nice golden brown color.

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2. In the meantime, prepare the meat. Cut it into cubes, about 2cm (just under 1 inch) big. In a bowl, mix it with soy sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, caraway seeds, olive oil and sweet paprika. Paprika is a super important ingredient in any Hungarian goulash recipe! Make sure you use some quality brand and look for the Hungarian variety. Let it marinade for a few minutes, while the onions continue to sauté.

3. The onions are ready, it’s time to add the meat. Turn the heat up and roast the meat for a few minutes. Give it a mix often, so the meat doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to medium and let the meat braise slowly. Do not add any water or broth yet, we want to braise the meat in it’s own sauce that it will start to release in a few minutes.

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4. t’s time to prepare the veggies. I’m using green peppers, tomatoes, carrots and root parsley. Finely chop the pepper and tomatoes. Remove the skin of the tomatoes! As for the carrots and root parsley, you can skip these as they are not traditional ingredients for a goulash, but I do add them to give the sauce a more deep flavor.

As you can see, I don’t cut the carrots and root parsley into small pieces as I do not actually eat them. I’m just looking for the extra flavor they can provide. You can remove these once the goulash is cooked, leave them in or eat them… up to you entirely. Dice your potatoes to a size you prefer and put them into cold water.

5. Once the meat becomes somewhat soft, which should take about an hour, it’s time for the next step. Add about a pint of lager/pilsner beer (0.5-0.6l). The alcohol will cook out and the goulash will gain a specific taste. Beef stock or broth comes next, we need about 1.5L (6 cups). Add water to reach the volume you are looking for, I added about 1 liter (4 cups). Alternatively, you can use just water and bouillon cubes, the goulash will be just as good and you will save a few bucks 🙂

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6. Now add all the vegetables, they need to cook for a while in order to release all the tastes and to partially dissolve. Add about ⅓ of the potatoes, we want to overcook these, so they start breaking apart and dissolve during cooking, which will thicken the final goulash. We will add the rest of them later on.

7. Once the first batch of potatoes are fully cooked and start to break apart, it’s time to add garlic and flat leaf parsley. Use a garlic press and drop the garlic directly into the goulash. Finely slice the flat leaf parsley and add it to the pot as well. Add the rest of the potatoes too. Cover again and keep cooking until the potatoes are fully cooked. This should take about 30 minutes or less.

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8. Give the goulash a taste and add salt or pepper if needed. You can also add some chilli, if you like spicy food. The truth is, proper Hungarian goulash should be at least a bit spicy! But since I have kids, I usually resort to adding chilli directly to my bowl when serving, which works just as fine.

TIP: In case the first batch of potatoes didn’t overcook and break apart properly, the goulash might be too thin. It’s simple to fix this, just add a bit of starch slurry.

9. The final step is to add dried crushed marjoram, which will make the goulash more fragrant and delicate. Cook for 10 more minutes and we are done. I’m serving my goulash with thin slices of purple onion, some flat leaf parsley and a touch of chilli. Use bread as a side.

Optional Tips For This Goulash:

1. Don’t want to use tomatoes or you didn’t get properly ripe ones? Add 3-4 tablespoons of tomato puree. 
2. Adding a fist full of dried mushrooms will make your Hungarian goulash taste even better. Throw them into the pot along with the veggies.
3. Beer gives the goulash a specific taste that I love, but I understand some might not enjoy it. If that’s the case, you can skip it or replace it with about 250ml (1 cup) of red wine.