Hungarian Style Beef Goulash

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4.95 from 17 votes

Slow cooked, tender chunks of beef simmered in a rich and flavorful sauce.

Prep Time1

Cook Time3 20

Total Time4 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Hungarian

Keyword: beef, soup, stew

Servings:

Calories: 666kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

3-4 pounds boneless chuck roast trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup sweet paprika (do not use hot or smoky paprika)
12 ounces jarred roasted red peppers (packed in water) drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons low or no salt tomato paste
3 teaspoons red wine vinegar divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 ounces small mushrooms cleaned and sliced
3 large onions diced small
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 4 fresh thyme sprigs
14 ounces canned low-salt diced tomatoes do not drain
3 cups low-sodium beef broth divided (up to 4 cups if needed)
4 medium potatoes peeled and halved or quartered
4 large carrots cut into 2-inch pieces (optional)
2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional for thickening if desired)
¼ cup sour cream (optional - may be stirred in at the end or dolloped on individual bowls when serving)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley leaves chopped for garnish

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 325°F. Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature.
In a small food processor, combine the paprika, drained red peppers, tomato paste, and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Process until smooth. Set aside.
Pour the vegetable oil into a large Dutch oven set over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until browned on one side. Stir then add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft but not browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and add the garlic and thyme. Sauté until fragrant. Add the paprika mixture and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the diced tomatoes with juice, the beef cubes, and 2 cups of the beef broth. Stir well to combine. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is almost tender, about 2 hours, stirring half way through.
Add the potatoes and carrots if using. Add 1 cup (2 cups if needed to cover) of the remaining beef broth to the pot. Cover and return to the oven and cook for about 60 minutes, stirring halfway through until the beef and potatoes are tender. Remove from the oven.
Place the Dutch oven on the stovetop and heat on medium. Allow the stew to settle a minute then skim off and discard any fat that pools on top. Remove the thyme sprigs and discard. Mix the cornstarch with ¼ cup of the remaining beef broth. (SEE NOTES) Drizzle the slurry into the stew while stirring gently to combine. Heat for about 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Off heat, stir in remaining 1 teaspoon vinegar. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the sour cream, if using, or serve each bowl garnished with a dollop of sour cream, parsley and fresh ground black pepper.

Notes

You may only need about 3 1/4 cups of beef broth for the entire stew. However, if you add carrots and if you started with a larger roast, you may need the extra 3/4 cup of broth.
If you only purchased 3 cups of beef broth, mix the cornstarch slurry with 1/4 cup of cold water. No worries. Let me know if that does not make sense.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition