Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics and Base
- 30 g pork lard
- 300 g yellow onion, finely chopped
- 15 g garlic, minced
Meat and Spices
- 600 g beef chuck, cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 30 g sweet hungarian paprika
- 3 g caraway seeds, lightly crushed
- 10 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Vegetables and Liquids
- 1000 ml water
- 100 g tomato, diced
- 100 g green bell pepper, diced
- 400 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- 150 g carrots, peeled and sliced into 1cm rounds
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 439 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 1147 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 108 mg
- Potassium
- 1460 mg
- Calcium
- 109 mg
- Iron
- 6.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 91 mg
- Phosphorus
- 439 mg
- Zinc
- 13.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 505 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 52 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 18 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 4.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.28 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.42 mg
- Niacin
- 9.3 mg
- Folate
- 47 mcg
- Water
- 564 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Melt the pork lard in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook slowly until they are deeply golden brown and very soft. Do not rush this step, as the caramelized onions form the sweet, thick base of the stew.
Remove the Dutch oven entirely from the heat source. Add the sweet Hungarian paprika and stir constantly until the onions are evenly coated and fragrant. This prevents the delicate paprika sugars from burning and turning bitter.
Return the pot to the heat. Add the beef cubes, minced garlic, and crushed caraway seeds. Stir well to coat the meat in the paprika mixture and cook until the outside of the beef has browned lightly.
Stir in the diced tomato, bell pepper, salt, black pepper, and 200ml of the water. Allow the mixture to simmer and reduce until the liquid is almost entirely evaporated and the meat begins frying in its own fat.
Pour in the remaining 800ml of water. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer gently around 90 Celsius (195 Fahrenheit) until the beef is nearly tender.
Add the cubed potatoes and sliced carrots to the stew. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are cooked through and the meat is completely fork-tender.
Remove the stew from the heat and let it rest for a few minutes. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with additional salt if necessary before ladling into deep bowls.
Chef's Notes
- The soul of this dish relies entirely on the quality of your paprika. Seek out authentic sweet Hungarian paprika (Édes Anna) rather than generic supermarket paprika, which often lacks the vibrant color and profound pepper sweetness.
- Do not be tempted to thicken the stew with flour or finish it with sour cream. Authentic Hungarian gulyás relies solely on the generous amount of slowly cooked onions and the starch from the potatoes to give the broth its signature velvety body.
- Using pork lard rather than cooking oil provides a rich, foundational savory note that vegetable oils cannot replicate, anchoring the bright aromatics of the caraway and paprika.
- If you prefer a fiery kick, serve the goulash with a side of hot paprika paste (Erős Pista) or a fresh hot chili pepper so guests can adjust the heat in their individual bowls.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Flavors will deepen and improve the next day. Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months — Potatoes may change texture and become slightly grainy when frozen, but the stew remains safe and flavorful.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until thoroughly warmed, adding a splash of water if the broth has over-thickened.
Troubleshooting
Broth has an intensely harsh or bitter flavor
Cause: The sweet paprika was burned by being added over direct, high heat or into fat that was too hot.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always remove the pot entirely from the heat source before stirring in the paprika, and add a splash of liquid shortly after returning to the heat.
Broth is too thin and watery
Cause: Not enough onions were used, or the onions were not cooked down thoroughly before adding liquid.
Fix: Remove a ladle of potatoes, mash them completely, and stir them back into the stew to naturally thicken the broth.
Prevention: Ensure the ratio of onions to meat is correct by weight, and sauté the onions until they almost melt into a paste.
Beef is tough and chewy
Cause: The stew boiled too vigorously or was not simmered for long enough.
Fix: Add a splash of water if the liquid is low, cover, and continue simmering for another 30-45 minutes until tender.
Prevention: Maintain a gentle, lazy simmer (never a rolling boil) and rely on time to melt the collagen in the tough cuts of beef.
Cultural Context
Goulash (gulyás) translates literally to 'herdsman', reflecting its origins as a hearty, practical meal cooked by Hungarian cattle herders in cast-iron cauldrons (bogrács) over open fires on the Great Hungarian Plain. True authentic Hungarian goulash is actually a rich, robust soup rather than a thick stew, relying on the natural starch of potatoes and melting collagen from the beef to provide its velvety body. It remains the ultimate symbol of Hungarian culinary heritage, celebrating the vibrant flavor of locally grown paprika.
