When you say goulash, your thoughts are flying to Hungary. Let’s show you a traditional Hungarian goulash recipe, as I like to do and how we love it in our family.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Traditional Hungarian Goulash Recipe
- Let’s Make the “Gulyás” Authentic Hungarian Goulash
- Finishing the Goulash Soup
- Serving the Goulash
In Hungary, goulash is one of the national dishes, with the Hungarians taking great pride. It is an old, medieval recipe, which can be cooked outdoors, in a traditional goulash kettle, called “bogracs”.
There are two variants of goulash; the first is the goulash soup, which I will present here, and a type of goulash stew, which is more constituent and thicker. You can also make it from pork, beef or lamb meat.
But the traditional Hungarian goulash recipe is a soup with beef meat, potatoes and vegetables.
If you are interested you can try another delicious potato soup recipe that you can find here.
Ingredients for Traditional Hungarian Goulash Recipe
The main ingredient is beef meat, I used about 600 g of beef shin cut in cubes.

We still need vegetables, I used about three carrots, two parsley roots, two medium-sized onions, one tomato and one sweet red pepper.

We will need 5-6 medium-sized potatoes, which is about half a kilogram, and one green pepper.
Let’s Make the “Gulyás” Authentic Hungarian Goulash
Make a Stew
First, we clean and finely chop the two onions.

In a soup pot, heat two tablespoons of pork lard (or 100 ml of oil), in which we put the chopped onion to fry.

We roast a little the onions, until it becomes translucent, after which we put the meat to fry.

Mix the meat to fry on both sides, until it turns colour. Season with two teaspoons of sea salt, one teaspoon of freshly ground pepper and two teaspoons of caraway powder (or whole seeds).

We also add a tablespoon of sweet paprika powder, a tablespoon of gulyas paste and a teaspoon of sweet pepper paste. They give a Hungarian flavour to the dish.

Mix and add a glass of water, do not burn the paprika powder, and leave to boil everything over medium heat.
In the meantime, clean and chop the sweet red pepper.

We also proceed with green pepper.

After we finish chopping the peppers, add them to the pot over the meat.

Mix, and let boil for about five minutes. If needed, add a little more water.

Chop the tomato, which we also add to the pot.

We add water to cover everything and let boil for about an hour, stirring occasionally. We have to be careful not to evaporate all the water, otherwise, it will burn. If necessary we add more water.

The boiling time depends on the type of meat used, some are made faster, and others require a longer time.
Make a Soup
While the meat is boiling, we can start preparing the other vegetables. We clean and cut into cubes the carrots and parsley roots.

We check, and if the meat is half boiled, add the carrots and parsley roots. Mix and boil for about 10 minutes.

Add the Potatoes
Also, add the potatoes cut into cubes and season with two teaspoons of sea salt.

Finishing the Goulash Soup
After adding the potatoes, add more water to cover everything well and boil for about 15-20 minutes. Everything must have the consistency of a soup. In fact, we only cook until the potatoes are done.

I also added a tablespoon of vegetable mix, for added flavour. Taste, and if necessary add more sea salt because the potatoes will absorb the flavours.
And with this I finished, this is the traditional Hungarian goulash recipe, in my version.
Serving the Goulash
It is served hot, with fresh bread and who wants with chilli peppers.

You can find on our blog other delicious recipes for soups such as:
- White Bean Soup With Smoked Ribs
- Romaine Lettuce Soup
- Greek Lemon Soup Recipe
- Pork Meatballs Vegetable Soup
- Tripe Soup Recipe
- Semolina Dumplings Soup
- Creamy Chicken Soup With Vegetables
- Best Mushrooms Soup Recipe
- Best Healthy Cauliflower Soup Recipe
- Hungarian Green Bean Soup Recipe
- Best Green Pea Soup Recipe
- Creamy Kohlrabi Soup Recipe

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Traditional Hungarian Goulash Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 600 g beef shin cut in cubes
- 3 pieces carrots
- 2 pieces parsley roots
- 2 pieces onions medium-size
- 1 piece red sweet pepper
- 1 piece green sweet pepper
- 1 piece tomato
- 500 g potatoes
- 2 tbsp pork lard or 100 ml vegetable oil
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 2 tsp caraway powder or caraway seeds
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika powder
- 1 tbsp gulyas paste
- 1 tsp sweet paprika paste
- 1 tbsp vegetable mix
Instructions
- First, we clean and finely chop the two onions. In a soup pot, heat two tablespoons of pork lard (or 100 ml of oil), in which we put the chopped onion to fry. We roast a little the onions, until it becomes translucent, after which we put the meat to fry. Mix the meat to fry on both sides, until it turns colour.
- Season with two teaspoons of sea salt, one teaspoon of freshly ground pepper and two teaspoons of caraway powder (or whole seeds). We also add a tablespoon of sweet paprika powder, a tablespoon of gulyas paste and a teaspoon of sweet pepper paste. Mix and add a glass of water, do not burn the paprika powder, and leave to boil everything over medium heat.
- Clean and chop the sweet red pepper and also proceed with green pepper. Add them in the pot over the meat. Mix, and let boil for about five minutes. If needed, add a little more water. Chop the tomato, which we also add in the pot. Add water to cover everything and let boil for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Clean and cut into cubes the carrots and parsley roots. check, and if the meat is half boiled, add the carrots and parsley roots. Mix and boil for about 10 minutes. Also, add the potatoes cut into cubes and season with two teaspoons of sea salt.
- After adding the potatoes, add more water to cover everything well and boil about 15-20 minutes. I also added a tablespoon of vegetable mix, for added flavour. Taste, and if necessary add more sea salt.
Raine
Friday 28th of January 2022
Traditional Hungarian Goulash is a simple recipe. Equal amounts of meat and onions, caraway seeds, paprika and wine. The finished goulash is served over Spaetzle or Semmel Knoedel. Our family recipe came from my Hungarian great grandmother. I'm sure this is a great stew, but it's not goulash.
Elfy
Wednesday 9th of February 2022
@Raine, About what you talking is pörkölt, not Gulyás. The Traditional Hungarian Gulyás is a very thick soup. This recipe is almost perfect to be traditional, one thing is missing only, and that is the pinched noodle (csipetke). Otherwise, yes, this is the Gulyás what is called Traditional. What is shown as goulash internationally, it a stew, is pörkölt, which is the base of the gulyas, but isn't gulyas. Not traditional for sure.
Laci
Friday 28th of January 2022
What you say, Raine is true, but it has changed in the meantime; the old Gulyas recipe has remained in common parlance like a stew (pörkölt), today when you say goulash, you say, "goulash soup", which is prepared with potatoes and usually in the kettle.
John
Sunday 28th of June 2020
Hey Timea,
thanks for sharing this goulash recipe. I am definitely going to try that. My wife often cooks a stew, and I have to say it isn't my favourite dish. But, that is because it can be a bit bland. But with your recipe and the mention of the chilli, I think I have found a great alternative as I love chilli.
thanks again for sharing
Timea
Sunday 28th of June 2020
Thanks for the appreciation, John.