Hungarian · Soup / Stew · Testada 8 vezes

Goulash húngaro (gulyás)

Not the thick stew the rest of the world calls goulash — the real Hungarian gulyás is a soup: tender beef and potato in a paprika-stained broth, deeply warming, built on a foundation of slowly sweated onions and a mountain of sweet paprika.

Por Alex Bauer · Technique editor · Publicada 2026-01-25 · Atualizada 2026-05-10
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Preparo
20 min
Cozimento
130 min
Total
150 min
Rende
6 servings
Dificuldade
Easy
#hungarian#soup#comfort#make-ahead
Resposta rápida · Resposta em 30 segundos

Sweat a lot of onions slowly in lard until soft and golden. Off the heat, stir in a heap of sweet Hungarian paprika (it burns if too hot). Add beef chuck, caraway, garlic, and tomato; brown briefly. Cover with stock and simmer gently 1.5–2 hours until the beef is tender, adding potato for the last 30 minutes. It's a soup — keep it brothy.

  • Add the paprika OFF the heat — paprika scorches in seconds and turns bitter, ruining the pot.
  • Real gulyás is a soup, not a thick stew. Keep it brothy; don't thicken with flour.
  • Low and slow. The onions and the long simmer do all the work — there's no shortcut to the depth.

Equipment

  • Heavy pot or Dutch oven
  • Wooden spoon

Ingredientes

Goulash

  • 40 g lard or oil
  • 3 large onions, finely diced
  • 30 g sweet Hungarian paprika, plus 1 tsp hot paprika, optional
  • 800 g beef chuck, in 3 cm cubes
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 g caraway seeds, lightly crushed
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped (or 2 tbsp tomato paste)
  • 2 carrots, in chunks
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1.5 L beef stock or water
  • 3 potatoes, in 2 cm cubes
  • Salt and pepper

Modo de preparo

  1. ETAPA
    01

    Melt the lard in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly, stirring, 12–15 minutes until very soft and pale gold. This base is the foundation — don't rush it.

  2. ETAPA
    02

    Take the pot OFF the heat. Stir in the sweet (and hot, if using) paprika — it should sizzle gently in the residual warmth, not fry. Paprika burns and turns bitter in seconds over direct heat, so this step is crucial.

  3. ETAPA
    03

    Return to medium heat. Add the beef cubes, garlic, and crushed caraway. Stir for a few minutes to coat the meat and let it take a little color.

  4. ETAPA
    04

    Stir in the chopped tomato, carrots, and green pepper. Pour in the stock to cover. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook low 1.5–2 hours until the beef is fork-tender. Top up with water if it reduces too much — it should stay soupy.

  5. ETAPA
    05

    Add the cubed potatoes for the last 30 minutes of cooking, until tender. They also lightly thicken the broth as some break down.

  6. ETAPA
    06

    Season well with salt and pepper. Let it rest 10–15 minutes off the heat before serving — like all such dishes, it deepens as it sits. Serve in bowls with good bread.

Make ahead

Ideal made a day ahead — the paprika and beef flavors marry and round out overnight. Reheat gently and adjust the liquid.

Storage

5 days refrigerated and better every day. Freezes 3 months. Reheat gently; loosen with a little stock as the potatoes drink up the broth.

Variations

With csipetke

Add small pinched egg-noodle dumplings (csipetke) in the last 10 minutes for the fully traditional gulyásleves.

Pörkölt (the thick stew)

For the thick 'stew' most people picture, use less liquid and no potato — that's pörkölt, often served over nokedli (Hungarian spätzle).

Pork goulash

Use pork shoulder instead of beef; reduce the simmer to about 75 minutes.

Serve with

Crusty breadA dollop of sour cream (optional, not traditional in gulyás)Pickled vegetablesA glass of Hungarian Kadarka or Egri Bikavér

Nutrition per serving

420 kcal 22 g fat 26 g carbs 30 g protein 7 g sugar 5 g fiber 700 mg sodium
Diet: Gluten-free, Dairy-free

Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.

Perguntas frequentes

Is goulash a soup or a stew?

In Hungary, gulyás is a soup (gulyásleves) — brothy, with beef and potato. The thick stew the rest of the world calls 'goulash' is closer to the Hungarian dish pörkölt. This recipe is the authentic soup.

Why add paprika off the heat?

Paprika is high in sugar and scorches almost instantly over direct heat, turning acrid and bitter — it can ruin the whole pot. Pulling the pan off the flame and stirring it into the warm (not hot) onions blooms the flavor and color safely.

What paprika should I use?

Genuine sweet Hungarian paprika (édesnemes) — it's fresher, sweeter, and more vivid than generic paprika. A spoon of hot paprika adds warmth. Smoked Spanish paprika is a different flavor profile; use it only if you want a smoky twist.

What cut of beef works best?

A well-marbled braising cut — beef chuck or shin. They become meltingly tender over the long, gentle simmer. Lean cuts stay tough and dry; avoid them.

Can I make it in a pressure cooker?

Yes — sweat the onions and bloom the paprika as written, then pressure-cook the beef 35 minutes, release, add potatoes, and simmer until tender. The stovetop version has slightly more depth but pressure works well.

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