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Hungarian goulash classic beef

Classic Hungarian Beef Goulash

A rich, deeply flavored beef goulash. Let me introduce you to Hungary's national dish — one just about everyone has heard of since childhood. But authentic Hungarian goulash isn't the meat-in-gravy we usually picture. It's a hearty, thick soup: a stand-alone meal with vegetables and potatoes that's part soup, part main course. It's simple to make and incredibly tasty.

Anna

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Beef

500

Bell pepper

Potatoes

500

Onion

Carrots

Tomato sauce (I used crushed tomatoes in their own juice)

Garlic

Paprika

Cumin

0.5

Salt

Water

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 36 % 5 g

Fats 21 % 3 g

Carbohydrates 43 % 6 g

68 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make classic Hungarian beef goulash? Gather the ingredients listed. For the beef, go with a chuck (shoulder) cut, a rump cut, or another braising cut — I'm using beef already cut for stew. You'll also want a large bell pepper and dried paprika, plus a medium carrot and onion. The dish comes together by braising, so have a deep, heavy-bottomed sauté pan or Dutch oven ready. It works in a slow cooker, too.
Step 2:

My beef came pre-cut for stew. For goulash it's better cut a bit smaller. Rinse the beef under running water, pat it dry, and cut it into small pieces.
Step 3:

Peel the onion and garlic and chop them finely. Pour vegetable oil into a preheated heavy-bottomed pot and sauté the onion. Add the dry spices and cook everything together briefly.
Step 4:

Add the cut-up meat to the pot and brown it on all sides until golden. It's best to add the meat in batches.
Step 5:

Add the tomato sauce (I used crushed tomatoes in their own juice) and pour in a little water if needed. Stir, then simmer gently over low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, adding more water as necessary.
Step 6:

Wash and peel the potatoes and carrots. Cut the potatoes into cubes and the carrots into half-moons. Add the vegetables to the meat, raise the heat, cook for 10 minutes, then season with salt.
Step 7:

Wash the bell pepper, remove the seeds, and cut it into cubes. Add it to the pot and stir. Pour in the water. Bring the goulash to a boil, lower the heat, and cook covered for another 15 minutes. Let the finished dish rest in the pot for 10 minutes.
Step 8:

Serve the Hungarian goulash hot. It's a meal on its own, and a good crusty bread is all it needs on the side.

Hungary's national dish: pieces of beef or veal stewed with smoked bacon, onion, pepper, and potatoes. It falls into the category of thick soups. Originally, this soup with its various add-ins was the everyday food of Hungarian herdsmen, cooked in kettles over an open fire.
Every oil is only good up to a certain temperature — its smoke point — beyond which it starts to burn and forms harmful compounds, including carcinogens. Choose an oil with a smoke point suited to how hot you'll be cooking.
One thing to note: the wrong pan can ruin even the best recipe, so pick one that suits the dish.
Since everyone's tolerance for salt, sweetness, bitterness, heat, and acidity is different, always adjust the spices and seasonings to your own taste! If you're using a seasoning for the first time, remember that some are easy to overdo — chili pepper especially.