Good basic recipe that can be adjusted to taste. Hungarian goulash should be a flexible recipe, and you should taste it and adjust it when it is almost cooked, to suit your own taste. I am of Hungarian origin and these changes come close to my grandma’s goulash: there is no need to separate the onions from the meat, stir fry the onion, then add the meat, stir fry again, the add all other ingredients to the same pot except the water, stir fry again, then add the water last. Feel free to vary this according to what you have at home. Tomato instead of tomato paste, Or even no tomato!
I add 2-3 tbsp more paprika (the sweet kind, not the hot kind) half as much tomato paste, and may add some chopped green pepper (no more than 1/2 cup), a bit more garlic, I always add 2-3 tbsp soy sauce, and even a bit of spicy chili sauce...to enhance the beefy flavour.... the key is to let the 'gravy' form by stewing it until the juices thicken without any flour added; the cheaper cuts of beef are better for this, as they are more flavourful and provide more 'gravy'.( I use boneless short rib roast that I cube, so that I know the consistency will be uniform) if at the end the stew seems watery, then boil it down until you like the consistency, if it seems dry, then add some water.
I make this recipe all the time (with modifications) and it is always a crowd pleaser! I add: 3 tblsp Worcestershire Sauce, 2 tblsp brown sugar, 1 tblsp vinegar, 2 tblsp katsup and use beef broth as others suggested. I also use London Broil and slice itht thin then cut into chunks. Thanks for a fabulous recipe!
Very Tasty! I used only 2 teaspoons of salt instead of 3 and used beef broth for 1 cup of water. I ended up adding another 1/2 cup of water than the recipe called for to thin it. Beef was very tender. Will decrease oil by half next time. This dish was flavorful and hearty.Will make again.
I really liked this recipe. After browning the meat I put everything in a crock pot and cooked it for about 7 hours or so. I served it over egg noodles with a side of cottage cheese.
I am Hungarian and I make this dish quite often. However we do not call this goulash, just beef stew. We call goulash only the soup version.
Indeed this dish can be done in many different ways. With all due respect I would like to add some comments on how you can make it better (just in my point of view).
First of all it is said that you have to add the same quantity (in weight) of onions as you add of meat. So if you make goulash from 3 pounds you need to add at least six big onions or more. It makes the gravy thicker and better.
From the garlic you need to add at least a whole one not just a clove. You don't need to mince it because of the long cooking time. Just chop one clove to three-four pieces.
Please do not add tomato paste, instead add two or three tomato.
I recommend to add two sliced carrots to this quantity of meat.
This dish is best when it is a bit hot, so add some chilli to it.
Also it is very advisable to add red wine, half pint to this quantity of meat.
Carrots and garlic can be put in the pot after 45 mins. Tomato and chilli after one hour. Half of the red wine after 1 and a half hours, second half after a hour and 45 mins from the start.
Simply delicious a real treat! I winged it a little on both the cooking method and ingredients but not so much that it significantly changed the recipe. For instance I added more paprika and garlic added a little flour to thicken and used chicken broth for the water nearly double the amount called for. I added some mixed chopped bell peppers and fresh sliced mushrooms which proved to be a flavorful plus. Rather than simmering this on the stove I transferred it to the oven and cooked it at 325 degrees for 2 hours. The wonderful aroma while this was cooking was such a tease but the result was well worth the wait. The meat was fork tender and the sauce richly flavored. I served this over buttered egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of fresh minced parsley. Even after supper hubs was still raving about it! A definite "make again" dish.
I found this recipe to be extremely salty. My husband and I both of Hungarian decent couldn't even finish our leftovers. We're all for dishes with lots of spice and flavor - but this just had too much salt that over-powered the dish. Maybe we're just too used to the "real thing " we were just hoping to find a goulash recipe with less fat!
Yummy! I had never tasted Hungarian goulash before this so I was pleasantly surprised. It makes a thick beefy stew with a heavy dose of paprika. I think it would also be great with a few vegetables like carrots and potatoes but this way is probably the traditional way. The longer it stews the better so it doesn't qualify as quick. It's great for a cold drizzly fall day when you have nothing better to do than stay indoors and cook up some comfort! We served it with Rhonda's Spaetzel which was also very good. P.S. We just use enough oil to keep it from sticking so it's probably not 1/3 cup and we used half the amount of salt called for. We also passed on the sour cream garnish.
This was delicious! I took other reviewers suggestions and cooked the onions with the meat and used beef broth instead of water. I only used a pinch of salt and served with a garnish of sour cream. An absolute keeper! I served with the German Spaetzle Dumplings recipe on this site. Thanks Wendy!
