Hungarian Goulash

Name: Hungarian Goulash
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Hungary
Ingredients: 2 lb beef chuck, cubed; 3 tbsp lard or oil; 2 onions, diced; 3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika; 1 tsp caraway seeds; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 4 cups beef broth; 3 potatoes, cubed; 2 bay leaves; Salt and black pepper

6 servings20 min prep120 min cookMedium Hungary

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Hungarian Goulash

Story updated September 17, 2026

Hungarian goulash descends from gulyás, a simple stew cooked by Magyar herdsmen on the plains as early as the 9th century; paprika, now its signature spice, wasn't incorporated until the 18th–19th centuries after the pepper arrived in Hungary via Ottoman and Balkan trade routes.

Ingredients

Scale:· 6 servings

2 lb beef chuck, cubed
3 tbsp lard or oil
2 onions, diced
3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tsp caraway seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cups beef broth
3 potatoes, cubed
2 bay leaves
Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1Heat lard in a large pot and cook onions until soft and golden.
2Remove the pot from the heat briefly and stir in the paprika to prevent it from burning.
3Add the beef and caraway seeds, and cook to seal the meat on all sides.
4Stir in garlic, tomatoes, bell pepper, and beef broth, then add bay leaves.
5Cover and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours, until the beef is nearly tender.
6Add the potatoes and simmer 25-30 minutes more until everything is tender.
7Season with salt and pepper and serve hot with crusty bread.

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