Hungarian Beef Goulash with Caraway and Sweet Paprika

Steps

1. Step 1

   Pat the beef cubes dry and season them all over with salt and pepper.

   5 min

   • 2 1/2 lb boneless beef chuck
   • kosher salt
   • black pepper
2. Step 2

   Heat the lard or oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in two or three batches so the pan isn't crowded, brown the beef on two sides, about 6 minutes per batch. Move the browned beef to a bowl.

   18 min

   • 2 1/2 lb boneless beef chuck
   • 3 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
3. Step 3

   Lower the heat to medium and add the onions with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until the onions have collapsed to about a third of their volume and turned soft and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. If they stick, add a splash of water.

   25 min

   • 2 1/2 lb yellow onions
4. Step 4

   Stir in the garlic and caraway and cook 1 minute. Take the pot off the heat, then stir in the sweet paprika, the hot paprika if using, and the tomato paste until everything is coated. Off the heat the paprika won't scorch and turn bitter.

   2 min

   • 4 cloves garlic
   • 1 tbsp caraway seeds
   • 1/4 cup sweet Hungarian paprika
   • 1 tsp hot paprika or cayenne
   • 2 tbsp tomato paste
5. Step 5

   Return the pot to medium heat. Add the beef with any juices, the tomatoes, broth and bay leaves. Bring to a bare simmer, then cover and cook gently, stirring every 30 minutes or so, for 1 hour 45 minutes.

   1 hr 45 min, hands-off

   • 2 1/2 lb boneless beef chuck
   • 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
   • 3 cups beef broth
   • 2 bay leaves
6. Step 6

   Stir in the bell peppers, cover again and simmer until the beef is spoon-tender and the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon, 30 to 45 minutes more. Fish out the bay leaves, stir in the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

   40 min, hands-off

   • kosher salt
   • black pepper
   • 2 red bell peppers
   • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
7. Step 7

   While the peppers cook, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles until just tender, about 7 minutes. Drain, return them to the pot and toss with the butter and parsley.

   12 min

   • 12 oz wide egg noodles
   • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
   • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
8. Step 8

   Spoon the goulash over the buttered noodles, with a dollop of sour cream on top if you like.

   • 1/2 cup sour cream

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 4, 2026