Description
This Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash is a hearty and flavorful stew made with tender beef, sweet Hungarian paprika, and a medley of fresh vegetables. Perfectly cooked in a slow cooker for hours, this comforting dish delivers authentic Hungarian flavors with minimal hands-on time. Serve it over buttered egg noodles and garnish with fresh parsley for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 lbs. cubed stew meat, or a chuck roast cubed
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt, divided
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 green pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 3½ Tbsp. sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 tsp. marjoram
- 1½ Tbsp. minced garlic (about 4 plump cloves)
- ¾ tsp. crushed caraway seeds
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
Optional Ingredients
- Fresh parsley, ¼ cup plus more for garnish
- Sour cream, ½ cup or to taste
- Buttered egg noodles
Instructions
- Coat the Beef: Place the cubed roast pieces in a bowl and toss with the flour, 1½ tsp. salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. This step helps thicken the stew later and seasons the meat.
- Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: Transfer the coated beef to the slow cooker. Add crushed tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, red and green peppers, chopped onions, sweet Hungarian paprika, minced garlic, marjoram, crushed caraway seeds, and fresh parsley if using.
- Pour in Broth and Add Bay Leaves: Pour the low sodium beef broth over the stew mixture. Add the bay leaves to infuse additional flavor during cooking.
- Cook Slowly: Cover and set the slow cooker to high for 6 hours or low for 9 hours. If the stew looks too thick or ingredients are not fully submerged, add additional beef broth as needed during cooking.
- Thicken the Stew: About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, ladle some liquid into a medium bowl and whisk in the tomato paste thoroughly. Return this mixture to the slow cooker and continue cooking for the last half hour to thicken the stew. Adjust salt to taste.
- Temper Sour Cream (Optional): If adding sour cream, remove some hot stew liquid during the last 5 minutes and slowly stir in the sour cream to temper it, preventing curdling. Then stir the tempered sour cream back into the slow cooker.
- Serve: Serve the goulash hot over buttered egg noodles and garnish with additional fresh parsley for a beautiful presentation and extra freshness.
Notes
- This dish is enhanced by adding beer or red wine for deeper flavor. Use 1 cup of beer or red wine by subtracting 1 cup of beef broth. If you prefer no alcohol, just use beef broth.
- The generous amount of paprika and caraway seeds is authentic and essential for that distinct Hungarian goulash flavor.
- Adjust salt and seasoning to your preference at the end of cooking.
- For a thicker stew, remove more liquid and whisk in additional tomato paste if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 560mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
