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Traditional German Goulash with Sour Cream and Green Onions
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Home-style German Goulash

This recipe produces a rich, concentrated sauce. If you prefer a more "soupy" Gulasch, simply add a bit more broth or red wine during the simmer.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: German, Hungarian
Keyword: german cuisine, goulash, home-style, Hungarian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 595kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1.5 lbs Stew beef cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 tbsp Clarified butter or vegetable oil for high-heat searing
  • 1 to 2 Medium yellow onions finely chopped
  • 1 Red bell pepper finely diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 cup Dry red wine for deglazing
  • 2 cups Beef broth
  • 2 tbsp Tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp Sweet Paprika powder use high quality for the best color!
  • 1 tsp Chili powder or red pepper flakes adjust to your heat preference
  • 1 to 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt plus more to taste

Instructions

  • The Sear: Heat the clarified butter in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches. Do not crowd the pan; you want a dark brown crust on the cubes, not grey steamed meat. Remove the meat and set aside.
    Searing the meat in badges for Goulash
  • The Aromatics: In a second bigger pot, add the finely chopped onions and sauté with olive oil until they are translucent. Add the garlic and tomato paste, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
    Saute the onions with garlic and tomatoe paste
  • Deglaze: Pour in the red wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to release the Fond. Let the wine reduce by about half.
    Deglazing the Pan with red wine
  • Build the Braise: Add the beef to the pot. Add the beef broth, diced red peppers, paprika, chili, black pepper, salt, and bay leaves.
    Seasoning the Goulash with paprika, salt, bay leaves, pepper
  • The Long Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours. You know it’s ready when the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has naturally thickened into a dark, rich gravy.
    Now the long simmer of the Goulash begins
  • The Final Check: Taste the sauce. This is when I usually add a bit more chili powder if I want more kick. Remove the bay leaves.
  • Serve: Ladle the Gulasch over your favorite side—Spätzle, bread dumplings (Knödel), or even rice. Top with a spoonful of cold sour cream and serve the apple sauce on the side.

Notes

The 2 hours of cooking time is a absolute minimum! I recommend rather 3+ hours.