Goulash Recipe (Hungarian) • Food Folks and Fun (2024)

Make this hearty beef stew recipe to get the true taste of ultimate Hungarian comfort food. This recipe is the closest-tasting Hungarian Goulash out there.

It costs approximately $21.94 to make this goulash. The recipe makes four servings and costs about $5.48 per serving.

After visiting Hungary and falling in love with the goulash there, I knew I had to make my own copycat version. I have repeatedly tested this recipe to get the tastes and flavors right. Once you make this recipe, I am positive you will love it as much as I do and almost feel like you are in Hungary while enjoying this cuisine.

What makes a Traditional Hungarian Goulash Recipe

While there, I tried a few different versions of Goulash (gulyás) (not to be confused with American Goulash), and each one was slightly different.

Some of the Hungarian Goulash meals I enjoyed were more of a beef stew, some were more of a soup, some had very few veggies, and others loaded up on the veggie content. I’m not going to lie, while in Budapest, I never met a bowl of goulash that I didn’t like!

When I got back home, I quickly got to developing my Goulash recipe because, unfortunately, I never knew my great Hungarian grandmother, and my mom didn’t have any of her recipes to pass down to me.

I have been working on this Hungarian Goulash for quite some time, and today I’m finally ready to share it with you!

Authentic Hungarian Goulash recipes use tomatoes that are cooked and simmered for hours. For my recipe, I wanted to get the same excellent tomato flavor that a long simmer provides, but in a fraction of the time.

That’s why I opted for using tomato paste! I get robust, tomato flavor without spending all day at the stove!

What spices do you put in Goulash?

Sweet Hungarian paprika is the star spice of this dish. Additionally, salt, pepper, and crushed caraway seeds season the soup.

Don’t worry if you haven’t made a trip to Hungary lately to stock up on Sweet Hungarian Paprika; Amazon has a top Hungarian brand available.

Goulash Hungarian Ingredients

Traditionally, Hungarian Goulash has beef, onions, and vegetables. Most use paprika to flavor it. My recipe calls for bell peppers, garlic cloves, tomato paste, beef broth, carrots, and potatoes.

How to make Traditional Hungarian Goulash

You make goulash by sautéing the meat and aromatic vegetables and then simmering it in a tomato broth mixture until the liquid is slightly reduced and thickened. The meat and veggies are nicely tender.

What beef is best for this Hungarian Goulash Recipe?

When shopping for the meat for this goulash, look for a lean beef chuck. You should avoid buying cut-up stew meat and look for a single cut of meat instead.

Using a single hunk of meat will yield the best results. The inexpensive cuts are the best to use because they have lots of flavors and result in soft bites of beef.

Recipe for Hungarian Goulash Tips

This recipe doubles nicely. You’ll just need to make sure you use a large pot. Additionally, you’ll probably have to sear and cook the meat in batches because it won’t all fit in the bottom of the pot at once. Since the volume of the soup will double, it will take longer for it to reach a boil. Outside of those changes, the times noted below should still be the same.

How do you thicken goulash?

You can thicken goulash by adding cornstarch to some water and stir until thoroughly combined. Then slowly stir cornstarch mixture into the goulash until it reaches the appropriate consistency.

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