Hungarian Goulash is tender beef in a flavorful sauce, served over egg noodles. This dish is comfort in a bowl.
My family has a long history of multiple generations gathering in the kitchen.
While formal dining rooms are nice, I have always preferred the “Eat-In” kitchen. I love for friends and family to be able to sit at the table while I cook or to be able to use the table for additional work space – making more room for more hands in the kitchen.
Over the years, I often had my kiddos helping make dishes. I find that kids are more apt to try new foods, if they are included in the cooking process.
One year, I took getting kids in the kitchen to a new level by having a Home Ec class with other homeschool kids. They had a ball with that, made memories, and learned a lot!
The recipe that I am sharing today is a simple dish that my mother made and I, now, make for my family. It is called Hungarian Goulash.
I honestly have no idea where she got the recipe, where it came from or how authentically “Hungarian” it is, but this is what it was called and I’m sticking with it!
How to Make Hungarian Goulash
Watch me cook this recipe:
To begin, finely dice a small onion and mince 3 cloves of garlic.
In a Dutch oven, sauté the onion, garlic, and the beef with some extra virgin olive oil until the beef is a little browned and the onion is tender.
Next, add in all the rest of the goodies. The first may sound strange, but trust me! You’ll add ketchup, water, brown sugar, paprika, dried mustard, some salt and pepper, and a couple dashes of hot sauce.
Stir this all together. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the Dutch oven keeping the lid slightly cracked and simmer it for about 2 1/2 hours.
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The beef will become melt-in-your-mouth tender.
When it is nearly done, cook some egg noodles or similar pasta to serve this with.
When the cooking period is done, combine 2 tablespoons of corn starch and 1/3 cup of cold water in a small dish. Whisk them smooth.
Turn the heat up to medium high and bring the contents in the pot to a rolling boil. Add in the cornstarch mixture.
Stir this all together and cook for a minute to let the cornstarch do its magic and thicken the sauce.
Place the cooked pasta or noodles and the sauce together in a large serving bowl, then toss to combine.
Serve and enjoy!
This recipe has been a favorite for as long as I have made it, which has been my entire adult life. I’m sure your family will fall in love with this simple dish as well. I like to serve this with a tossed salad on the side.
Did you Make this Recipe? I’d love for you to give me a 5 star rating in the recipe card below. If you share it on Instagram, please tag me!
Hungarian Goulash
Tender beef in a flavorful sauce, served over egg noodles. This Hungarian Goulash is comfort in a bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 lb stew meat or round steak cut up
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tb olive oil
- 3 c + 1/3 c water, divided
- 1 c ketchup
- 2 Tb brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 2 Tb corn starch
- cooked egg noodles for serving
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and add in the beef, onion, and garlic.
- Cook these over medium heat until the beef is browned and the onions are tender.
- Add in the ketchup, salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, mustard powder, Tabasco sauce, and 3 cups of water.
- Bring it to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a low simmer.
- Crack the lid just a bit and simmer for 2 – 2 1/2 hours.
- When it is almost done, cook your noodles.
- When the goulash has finished cooking, you will thicken the sauce.
- Increase the heat to bring the liquid to a boil. Whisk the corn starch and remaining 1/3 c water together in a small dish until smooth. Stir it into the sauce and let it cook for just a minute to thicken.
- Place the cooked noodles and the goulash in a large serving bowl and toss to coat.
- Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
Loved the meatloaf recipe, will try it….its similar to the way I make mine except I use some ground up pork also to mix with my beef….
You had another recipe on here also I wanted to try,,,,but don’t see it now…..guess I need to go back….
Have a question about your fire ants. Do the ants bother the chickens if they are picking in there, or the cat if it is using it as a bathroom, also what about your dogs….or do they just know to stay out of those beds ?
Thanks for this recipe to get rid of the ants, will give it to my SIL in case he may need it…..
That was cute about the Wal Mart remark your hubby made….you do see everything there….I only go there when I absolutely need something and can’t find it anywhere else…..I was there once and these people came in , in their PJ’s….!!!! I thought that was a bit much…..but like I told my daughter if I was in the middle cooking or baking and needed something in order to finish it, I would run there and not really care how I look especially in the early morning…..
I can see Wal Mart from my front porch….I’m less that a mile from it…..it is always busy…..never see parking lot empty…only on Christmas Day I think may be the only day closed…..you can find things there that you can’t find at other stores too….. but Cont. to MAGA…..:)
Your family pictures in the kitchen remind me of my family. It's always where we all gather! Oh, I could certainly go for a big bowl of this goulash tonight, temperatures are dropping.
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I love Hungarian Goulash, and this looks fantastic! What a great idea to do a home ec class for the home schooled kids. I bet that was so much fun!
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Great family photos. This sounds delicious and reminds me a of recipe my mom used to make that my dad absolutely loved.
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Thank you for commenting Mag! I have no idea where the recipe originally came from, it was just something my mother made often when I was a child. I always liked when she made it. I would love to find an authentic Hungarian Goulash recipe, and I imagine it is really good with potatoes. That sounds delicious!
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The goulash looks pretty excellent! And I love the family pictures!
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Thank you!
I love this post! Having your kids helping you in the kitchen and wow! you taught a Home Ec class with other homeschool kids?! How awesome is that?! I love it and this Hungarian Goulash . . looks delicious!
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Thanks!!
My recent post Hungarian Goulash | #SundaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable
I want a seat at the counter in your eat-in kitchen! Look how much fun your family is having. Awesome. This goulash looks soooo good!
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Love your photos! And Hungarian Goulash is quite a weird dish, but very tasty. I haven't had it in years, and now I am inspired to try it again.
So much fun! Love the pics and reading more about your adventures in cooking! I've never had a goulash, and can't wait to try yours :-)
I love the kitchen pictures – such great memories and time to pass on family traditions as well as values. Nice!
Oh, and your goulash looks so delicious p.
I so love that you put on a home-ec class – you rock! And so does this goulash (which I haven't had in years, btw). Your kichen(s) look like a very well-loved room :).
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Yum! I love the color and spices in your sauce. A Home Ec class is a great way to get kids in the kitchen. I remember making really awful biscuits in my Home Ec class. lol More like paste than dough. But, I learned and I love to make biscuits and breads now.
We made things like muffins, oven fried chicken, French toast and other goodies :)
Just added this to the "to try" list. I think everyone would be falling over themselves in the kitchen for a bowl!
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What a great idea, Constance to host a cooking class for homeschoolers! I'll bet that you make it so much fun!
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It was a blast :)
I love your photos!! What fun your family has had in the kitchen for generations. And I want to dive into that bowl of goulash right now. It's such a great comforting meal and perfect for fall and winter (it's one of my favorites too).
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All I have to say is that you are absolutely amazing! What a fun thing to do… having a home ec class at home. I love all your pictures. Especially the one with your son wearing the apron. Too cute!
I loved it! I have even thought about continuing them after my kids are grown and offering them to local homeschool groups.
My recent post Hungarian Goulash | #SundaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable
Love all the family pictures! It looks like you all have a lot of fun. I've made a different version of this before but I'll be honest, yours looks a lot better!
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What a terrific dish, Constance! And I love that you did a home ec class for the home schooled kiddos! I've been asked to teach some of the college boys my son's age to cook some entrees. This would be one they'd love!
Paprika is the famed spice of Hungary. I wonder if that has anything to do with your mother's dish. Whatever the origin, after reading the recipe, no one can quibble with your knack of harmonizing sweet with spicy.
P.s. The children were lucky to have a HomeEc class with you, Constance!
That could very well be where it gets its name!
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