Quite simply, one of the tastiest things I’ve ever made! This Easy Hungarian Beef Goulash features meltingly tender beef in an unbelievably delicious sauce, flavoured with bacon, garlic, paprika and caraway seeds. Quick and easy to prepare and very little washing up. What’s not to like?
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One of the tastiest things I’ve ever made!
Don’t you just love it when a recipe just works?
I love goulash, but some goulash recipes can be time-consuming and/or overly complicated. So I set about trying to come up with a really super tasty, super easy version of a goulash that I thought you, my wonderful Easy Peasy Foodie readers, would love…
…and this is the result. And it really is wonderful. I mean like, insanely wonderful – I can’t remember the last time I had something quite so nice!
Now, obviously I love all the recipes that feature on Easy Peasy Foodie. It is one of the key criteria by which I choose which recipes are allowed on my blog and which are not – if I don’t like it, it doesn’t get on! (And believe me, there are a whole load of duds which don’t make it anywhere near this website!)
But this recipe, it is like another level of deliciousness – I surprised myself!
And the most fabulous thing is this goulash recipe is really easy, I mean really, really easy – for a start it only has 8 ingredients and it’s basically a case of frying a few things, which takes less than 15 minutes, and then shoving it in the oven for 2 hours!
How to make Hungarian Beef Goulash
This beef goulash is so easy to make!
All you need to do is fry lardons, onions, paprika, caraway seeds and garlic. Then, add diced beef, tinned tomatoes, salt and pepper.
Next transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, add the chopped up peppers and cook for a further 1 hour.
And that’s it – easy peasy!
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
What to cook Hungarian Beef Goulash in
I highly recommend you cook this Hungarian Beef Goulash in a cast iron, hobproof casserole dish. This means it can go straight from the hob to the oven AND it’s attractive enough to be put on the table too.
But if you don’t have one, just use a regular saucepan. And then, when the goulash is ready to go in the oven, pop it into a regular casserole dish and add 5 minutes onto the cooking time to allow for the time it takes the casserole dish to warm up.
But if you possibly can, I recommend you buy a cast iron casserole dish because they are so useful!
Love quick prep, slow cook recipes?
If you love easy peasy recipes that require very little hands on time, and where the oven does most of the hard work, then you’ll love these quick prep, slow cook recipes:
- Traditional Beef Stew and Suet Dumplings
- Diced Pork and Apple Stew
- Slow Cooked Chunky Beef Chilli
- Easy Chicken Dhansak
- Easy Peasy Beef Curry
- Easy Peasy Pork Curry
Traditional Beef Stew and Suet Dumplings
Hungarian Beef Goulash – Cooking Tips
I have used lardons in this recipe, because it is such an easy shortcut: I use Tesco Finest Smoked Lardons, but if you prefer, just use smoked bacon, cut up small, instead.
I put the peppers in halfway through cooking to keep some of the lovely texture, but if you want to go out somewhere while your goulash is cooking, put the peppers in just before the goulash goes in the oven – the flavour and goodness of the peppers will still be in there, they will just be a bit softer!
And of course this is a great meal to make a double quantity of and either put the other half in the fridge for the next day, or freeze for the future. Or why not freeze in individual portions to microwave at work and make all your colleagues green with envy?
What to serve with Hungarian Beef Goulash
I have chosen to serve this beef goulash with brown rice as I think it goes brilliantly and helps to make it more healthy, but feel free to use white rice, pasta or mashed potatoes if you prefer. Or, for a super easy meal, just serve with crusty French bread.
I also love to serve my goulash with a blob of sour cream and a sprinkling of parsley, but feel free leave these out if that’s too much hassle!
What to drink with Hungarian Beef Goulash
This kind of stew goes really well with a Cotes du Rhone or southern French Grenache-based red. A Rioja would work quite well here too.
Make it your own…
This recipe is very flexible, so feel free to adapt it to suit your tastes! Here are a few ideas:
- Use lamb or pork instead of beef
- Use chicken instead of beef – see Easy Chicken Goulash
- Use passata instead of the chopped tinned tomatoes
- Add some dried chilli flakes for a bit of a ‘kick’
- Make this go further by adding in other vegetables, such as carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, cauliflower or aubergine. (Add in at the same time as the peppers.)
- Make this go further by adding in a tin of chickpeas, beans or lentils. (Add in about 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time.)
- Make this veggie, by using a combination of vegetables and tinned beans/lentils instead of the beef. (You won’t need to cook it so long, I recommend 1h total, with the beans going in for the last 15 minutes.)
(Did you adapt this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Let us know in the comment section below.)
What to do with leftover Hungarian Beef Goulash
This is one of those many, many recipes that actually tastes BETTER the next day, so a great make ahead option!
Put any leftover (or ‘made ahead’) goulash in a lidded container and place in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 3 days.
To reheat, simply tip the goulash into a saucepan with a splash of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until piping hot all the way through.
Alternatively reheat this goulash in the microwave until piping hot all the way through.
Can you freeze Hungarian Beef Goulash?
Absolutely! In fact, I recommend you make double the quantity and freeze half for some time in the future when you are super short on time, but still want to eat well!
Simply put the cooked and cooled goulash into a lidded container and place it in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Easy Hungarian Beef Goulash
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions sliced
- 90 g smoked lardons or chopped smoked bacon (I use Tesco Finest Smoked Lardons)
- 4 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
- 800 g diced stewing beef
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large red pepper chopped into chunks
- 1 large green pepper chopped into chunks
To Serve...
- Brown rice (or white rice/pasta/mash)
- Sour cream (optional)
- 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C fan / gas mark 3 / 325F.
- Put the onion and olive oil in an ovenproof saucepan or hobproof casserole dish and fry gently, with the lid on for 5 minutes, until the onions are softened but not brown.
- Add the lardons (or chopped streaky bacon) and turn up the heat. Fry for 3 minutes until the lardons and onions have a little colour.
- Turn down the heat and add the paprika, caraway seeds and garlic. Fry for 1 minute.
- Add the beef and fry for 2 minutes until starting to gain a little colour. Then add the tinned tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
- Put the lid on and transfer to the oven. (If you haven’t used an ovenproof pan, transfer to an oven dish before putting in the oven). Cook for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, remove from the oven and add the chopped up peppers and stir. Cook for a further 1 hour.
- Serve with brown rice, sour cream and a sprinkling of parsley.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Follow the instructions above, but instead of putting the goulash in the oven, place it in your slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. Add in the chopped peppers 1 hour before the end.
Notes
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
Alison says
I love goulash, not made it for ages though. Its great that you can make twice as much and freeze some
Eb Gargano says
Isn’t it just? I love meals like that. Anything to make my life easier! 🙂 Thanks for commenting Eb x
Jessica Cantoni says
This goulash looks super yummy! I love paprika! x
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Jessica – me too! Eb x
Mandy says
This really does sound like a perfect weeknight dinner and I’m all up for reducing the washing up! #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Haha! I’m all about reducing the washing up – to me it’s not an easy peasy recipe if you have to wash up seven pans and a whole cupboard full of bowls afterwards. I love watching the TV chefs, but I always do feel sorry for the poor soul who’s got to clean up afterwards 🙂 Thanks for your kind comments. Eb x
Corina says
It does sound gorgeous – I love all your one pot meals! And I really like the red casserole dish that keeps popping up. You know, I am getting quite tempted! Thank you once again for joining in with #CookOnceEatTwice.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Corina! I’m a HUGE fan of one pot meals – can you tell? 😉 And quite utterly obsessed with my red pot at the moment. It just makes cooking this kind of food so easy! Before I used to cook everything in a saucepan/frying pan and then transfer into a Pyrex dish to cook in the oven, now I just start it on the stove in my red pot and then clamp the lid on my pot and pop it straight in the oven, with no extra pan to wash up – hooray! Eb x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
I love a good old goulash but have not made one in such a long time! That needs to change! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Eb Gargano says
It’s such a fab dish, isn’t it? I’d forgotten just how good it is. Amazing flavours from the paprika and caraway and lovely melt in the mouth slow-cooked beef… Thanks for commenting 🙂 Eb x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
Rich, vibrant and gorgeous. I can see why it tastes so good just from the photos. I am assuming you could do the cooking in a slow cooker???
Eb Gargano says
Nope – just a casserole dish in the oven! I don’t own a slow cooker…yet – but I am tempted! Thank you for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x
Martin @ The Why Chef says
My wife and I went Budapest a few years back but somehow managed to miss trying authentic goulash the whole time we were there!! Fools! I’ve booked this in for a great dinner coming up as I adore goulash, and Emma loves paprika by the cup load.
Eb Gargano says
I’ve never been to Budapest, but I’d love to go one day…would you recommend it? Can’t believe you didn’t try an authentic goulash while you were there!!! Madness! 😉 Did you try any other local dishes instead? Thanks for commenting 🙂 Eb
Martin @ The Why Chef says
100% one of our favourite cities! So much to do there, and some decent food places! We did try some local cabbage and beef dishes, but much of it was commercialised where we went so was regular trendy food. We’re trying the goulash early next week though!
Eb Gargano says
Sounds amazing – would love to go one day. Oooh do let me know how you get on with the goulash 🙂 Eb x
Martin @ The Why Chef says
Cooked it last night, and already planning on when to cook it again!! 😀
We made it with white rice this time, but really fancy some new potatoes and a huge hunk of buttered bread when we next do this. My wife says thanks! 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Yey! So pleased you and your wife liked it!! Love the idea of serving this with new potatoes – might have to try that. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and tell me you enjoyed it – means a lot 🙂 Eb
Angela - Garden Tea Cakes and Me says
That looks absolutely delicious and like that you have served it with brown rice the healthier option. I have never made goulash although I have enjoyed it many times. Thank you for joining in with this weeks #Making Home.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Angela, I’m a huge fan of brown rice – I think it tastes amazing and it goes perfectly with goulash. If you like goulash, this version is a complete doddle to make! A few minutes prep and then into the oven to do its thing. 🙂 Eb x
Sue J ~ @SuzyHomemakerUK says
Oh my. I absolutely LOVE goulash! I haven’t had it for years, so I’ll definitely be trying this recipe. My mouth’s watering just thinking about it 😉 Sue #MakingHome
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Suzy! Goulash is fab, isn’t it? Would love to know how you get on if you try it 🙂 Eb x
Ilka says
My Mom used to make Hungarian Goulash and your recipe calls for the same ingredients. I haven’t had it in a while but know from experience that it is such a tasty dish! Pinning, tweeting and stumbleing it!
Eb Gargano says
It’s a gorgeous dish isn’t it? I love how simple spicing and long slow cooking results in a dish which is so tasty! Thanks for commenting and all the social media sharing 🙂 Eb x
Charlotte Oates says
This is definitely going on my “to make” list. I’ve never known you to gush so much about your recipes before so I’m expecting it to be amazing! 🙂
Loving the red pot too
Eb Gargano says
Haha – I don’t usually (though, having said that, I did get quite gushy about my Banana Bread), but I was absolutely bowled over by how good this tasted. Would love to know what you think if you try it 🙂 Eb x
Annie B says
I havent made this for such a long time. I will have to try soon and maybe give this version a go. 🙂 #MakingHome
Eb Gargano says
Oh do! I’d love to know what you think 🙂 Thanks for commenting 🙂 Eb x
Amanda J Singleton says
Hello. I have left over Sunday roast, could I chop it up and use that instead? Would I need to reduce the cooking time given that it’s already cooked once? Many thanks.
Eb Gargano says
Yes, you could – but I would definitely recommend reducing the cook time… I’d go for 1 hour total, with the peppers in from the start (so, basically missing out step 6!). Hope that helps… and let me know how you get on! Eb 🙂