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Authentic Hungarian Goulash in white serving bowls with spaetzel in the background
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3.25 from 137 votes

Authentic Hungarian Goulash

Tender chunks of meat are cooked in a rich sauce that's packed with flavor, making this Hungarian Goulash a recipe that must be tried!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soups & Stews
Cuisine: European
Keyword: beef stew, goulash, hungarian goulash, paprika, stew beef, stewing beef
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 373kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2.5 pounds stewing beef
  • 4 cups onions sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cups beef broth or stock, unsalted
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 tbps paprika
  • 1 tsp smoked hot paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil divided
  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour optional
  • 3 tbps water optional

Instructions

  • Heat half the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Liberally season the stew meat with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the beef chunks in the oil until brown on each side. About 5 minutes. Set aside.
  • Add the remaining oil to the skillet and add the onions and garlic. Cook the onions until they're soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the paprika, smoked paprika, and thyme to the pan and mix well with the onions, cooking for an additional minute. Set aside.
  • Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and some of the beef broth. Loosen up all the bits of flavor and spice. Put this liquid into the Crock Pot.
  • Add the beef chunks, onion mixture, tomato paste, broth, and bay leaves to the Crock Pot. Cook on high for about 4-6 hours or until the beef is tender. Enjoy!
  • Optional - thicken the sauce with a flour slurry. Mix 1 tbsp of all purpose flour with 3 tbsp of water until well mixed. Add this to the sauce and bring it back to a boil to thicken. Let it simmer for about 10 more minutes then serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cup | Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 301mg | Potassium: 1046mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 339IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 5mg