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Hearty beef goulash is a wholesome and satisfying family favorite, full of tender beef chunks in rich, dark gravy. Cozy comfort food never tasted so divine!
A Rich and Savory Dish with a Global Twist
Goulash originally hails from Hungary, but my husband became familiar with this particular variation when he lived in Denmark. It is traditionally made with stew meat, root vegetables like carrots and potatoes, and lots of savory seasonings in a dark, rich sauce.
Now, some of you may be scratching your heads, because there’s another favorite type of Goulash (called “American Goulash”) which includes lean ground beef, elbow macaroni noodles (or similar pasta), and cheese (think homemade Hamburger Helper). There are dozens of delicious variations of goulash, but in the end, there’s no wrong way to prepare a warm, nourishing Goulash dinner.
Beef Goulash Ingredients
Traditional beef goulash can be made a variety of ways. For this recipe we use:
- Stew meat – two pounds cubed steak or a package of stew meat works great.
- Salt and black pepper – to taste.
- Onion – one medium yellow onion, chopped or finely diced.
- Potatoes – I like to serve this goulash over mashed potatoes, but you could serve with a side of roasted red potatoes as well.
- Carrots – About four or five regular sized carrots, peeled and cut, or one and a half cups baby carrots.
- Onion soup mix – one package dry onion soup mix.
- Beef broth – 3 to 4 cups or one box of beef stock or broth.
- Browning – half a tablespoon of browning juice. You can also use soy sauce for a deep, rich color and flavor.
- Paprika – Paprika is the Hungarian word for pepper. If you see a recipe calling for Hungarian paprika, it’s more of a sweet paprika, and easy to find in the spice aisle of the grocery store. You can use regular smoked paprika too.
- Worcestershire sauce – one or two teaspoons, but you can add up to a tablespoon of this delicious sauce for a dark, rich gravy.
- Cornstarch – one quarter cup. Mix one third cup water with the cornstarch to thicken up the gravy.
Additional Ingredients or Substitutions
- Diced tomato – you can use a can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning or regular fresh tomatoes.
- Bell Peppers – red peppers or green peppers works great in this recipe.
- Garlic – a few cloves of diced or chopped garlic.
- Tomato Sauce – or a jar of spaghetti sauce.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – add shredded cheddar cheese on top.
- Ground turkey – you can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the stew beef.
- Italian sausage – substitute stew beef with sausage for a different flavor.
- Bay Leaf – add one or two bay leaves while the meat simmers. Just make sure to remove the leaves before you serve.
- Sour cream – stir in a dollop of sour cream for an extra creamy gravy texture.
- Oregano, basil or thyme – add a teaspoon of dried oregano, basil or thyme for extra herbal flavor.
- Red wine vinegar – adding a dash of red wine vinegar gives the gravy a nice bright flavor.
What Goes with Goulash for Dinner?
- Green beans or peas – serve as a side or mixed in with the savory meat gravy.
- Extra veggies – roasted vegetables like zucchini, squash, asparagus or corn pair so well with this rich meat and gravy.
- Serve with rice, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, over egg noodles or any other starch you like.
- Try dishing the Beef Goulash over thick slices of Texas toast or sourdough bread.
It’s All About the Gravy
My husband ate this a lot when he was living in Denmark. He loved the tender chunks of beef swimming in dark, savory, creamy gravy. Over the years I tried to perfect that dark color and flavor, but it wasn’t until I added a few shakes of dark soy sauce that I finally achieved the rich flavor he loved. In Denmark, they often use “browning” for the dark coloring so that can also definitely be used. The result is a classic, velvety rich swoon-worthy gravy.
Make it in the Crock Pot
- Beef Goulash can easily be made in the Crock Pot! On the stove top, just sear your beef on all sides, making sure it’s a nice crusty brown. Then throw it in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and cook for four to six hours.
- We also love the convenience of the Instant Pot! Try our Instant Pot Beef Goulash and enjoy dinner in no time!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover Beef Goulash can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Heat by putting individual servings in the microwave. You can freeze leftovers too! Just store in a freezer safe bag or container for up to three months. To reheat, thaw completely in the refrigerator, then warm on the stove top or microwave.
A Gluten Free Goulash
Goulash can be a gluten-free dish with the substitution of a few ingredients. Use gluten free soy sauce, dry onion soup mix, and beef broth for a delicious, gluten-free goulash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional goulash consists of stew meat, root vegetables like carrots and/or potatoes, and lots of savory seasonings in a dark, rich sauce.
Practically speaking, they really aren’t that different. In my opinion goulash should be thicker than a stew and have more of a “gravy”-like consistency. Stew is often served as its own meal whereas goulash is often served over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Any kind of stew meat will work great for goulash. This includes beef chuck roast, bottom sirloin, shank, or even short ribs.
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More Comfort Food Recipes Using Beef
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Beef and Noodles Skillet
Crockpot Beef Stew
Oven Roast Beef
Easy Beef Stroganoff
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Italian Beef Sandwich
How to Make Beef Goulash
Beef Goulash
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds steak cubed (stew meat works great)
- salt and pepper
- 1 onion medium, chopped or diced
- 1 package dry onion soup mix
- 3-4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 tablespoon browning (or soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4-5 carrots peeled and cut (or about 1-2 cups of baby carrots)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water
- 8 cups mashed potatoes (optional)
Instructions
- Braise beef in oil over medium high heat until just brown on all sides. Remove beef from skillet and set aside.
- Add onions to skillet and saute until onions become clear and tender
- Transfer beef to a large pot or Dutch oven and add onion soup mix, beef broth, browning (or soy sauce), paprika, and Worcestershire.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour. If you want the beef to be really tender, simmer for even longer. About 20 minutes before serving, add carrots and simmer until ready to serve.
- Right before serving, add cornstarch to water and stir until smooth. SLOWLY stir cornstarch mixture into the goulash until reaching desired consistency (you want it to be like a thin gravy consistency). Add beef broth to thin out or more cornstarch to thicken.
- Add salt and pepper to taste before serving. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or toast. *You can also throw everything in a crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Notes
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- We love to serve goulash over mashed potatoes, but it would be delicious on buttered rice or thick slices of sourdough toast.
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- Turn this recipe into a beef stew by adding some cut up potatoes. Delish!
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- Leftovers can easily be frozen and stored in a freezer safe bag or container for up to three months. To reheat, thaw completely in the refrigerator, then warm on the stove top.
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- Goulash can be a gluten-free dish with the substitution of a few ingredients. Use gluten free soy sauce, dry onion soup mix, and beef broth for a delicious, gluten-free goulash.
Wonderful
Looks like a very tasty beef stew. I’m confused about why you decided to call this Danish or goulash. There are many dishes that have Paprika in them and that doesn’t make them Hungarian. This dish doesn’t seem to have any national identity except maybe American. Americans like to take something from somewhere else and strip away all of the nuances that make it what it is and turn it into a mutt without any identity. It’s just beef stew. The ingredients you put in it are some interesting cheats, like the onion soup mix. But this recipe basically looks like an American bastardization of homemade beef stew.
It is a dish that my uncle ate all the time while living in Denmark, and that’s what the locals called it. Sorry you didn’t identify with this particular dish.
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it turns out perfectly every time (I use the Crock-Pot option). It is 100% company-worthy! Thank you for an amazing recipe. ☺️
I Made this for our family game night, everyone loved it! I used a little bit of cooking wine to deglaze the pan, beef consomme instead of beef broth and soy sauce; my gravy was very dark and delicious. And just for fun, I threw some parsnips in with my carrots, which when my grandma ate one happened to trigger a memory she had about her grandma 🥰 I would also highly recommend soaking toasted buttery crusty bread in the sauce. That was my favorite part, I wished I didn’t put so many mashed potatoes on my plate and just ate the soaked toast with the sauce.
Hello! I am going to make this tonight for NYE! I’m using a crockpot… can I throw carrots in at the same time as meat or will they get to soggy? Should I wait a bit to add them? Figured I’d ask and see if somebody would get back in time! 😂 HAPPY NEW YEAR
I am so sorry we didn’t get back to you in time! We were spending time with family over the holidays. What did you end up doing?
I didn’t read all of the comments but perhaps beef consommé would get you that dark gravy flavor that you were looking for without using the soy. I have this recipe on my list to try. Thank you.
That is a great idea– that would definitely give it a deeper, richer flavor! Thanks for the suggestion!
Kitchen Bouquet is a liquid my mother always used to make her gravy darker I used it for years too it is very dark and it makes your gravy beautiful Restaurants use it
Delicious!
Could you convert this to a pressure cooker recipe?
Why yes, yes you can. In fact, here is EXACTLY how to do it!: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/instant-pot-beef-goulash/
I made this and it was delicious. Instead of using the Dark Soy sauce, I used 1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon. The Soy sauce is salty but the Cinnamon neutralizes the sweetness of all the carrots and you already have a salty flavor from the Onion Soup mix. Plus the cinnamon enriches the color.
This article mentions the kulor
http://scandinavtoday.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-to-make-danish-brown-gravy-or-brun.html?m=1
Being a “beginner cook” my two issues are: How much oil was I to use to braise the beef and is it supposed to be a true braise? Secondly, when were you supposed to add the onions to the pot? I ended up putting them in there right away, since I prefer a very soft onion for texture.
You only need a couple Tablespoons of oil to braise the beef. Yes, you definitely want to add the onions to the pot. You did it right. How did it turn out for you?
My Danish mother makes this all the time – I tend to invite myself over for dinner when I know she is making it and when I had my baby, she cooked up a big pot of it for me so I had something good to eat in those early days when you can barely find time to think let alone eat.
In Australia we have a product called “Parisian Essence”. It gives the gravy a really rich colour and adds just slightly to the taste. If you have something similar in the US it would be worth trying.
Thank you so much for those suggestions — I will have to try out “Parisian Essence” I have never of that before.
Yes, I believe it is very close to “Kitchen Bouquet” here in the states. It doesn’t add a lot of flavor, but just a little bit will add a deep, rich color. It’s a vegetable and herb concentrate.
That sounds delicious, but is not Danish goulash. You need an original:
1kg Beef stew
50g butter
2T L salt
pepper
2dl coffee boiled (strong Nescafe)
4dl cream
2 dl tomato paste
½dl of liquor (aquavit), or grain
We made something similar when we were in the camps in Siberia. We used reindeer meat, it’s all we had. Everyone in factory 17 loved it, because we only had meat once in 2 weeks. We made military vehicles that didn’t work, but it was hard work so we were always hungry. This made everyone happy.
When you cook it in the crockpot, when do you add the cornstarch?
You will want to add it a little at a time right at the end. Allow it to thicken before serving. Hope this helps!
Can I add potatoes to the recipe and throw it all in the crock pot?
Love your recipes!!!
Hi Nicole– Thank you! Yes, you can definitely add potatoes, and YES, Crock Pot also works great 🙂 Hope this helps!