Goulash frequently showed up on my childhood dinner table. Why not? My mom’s recipe tasted delicious, and the meal fills everyone up without argument. Fun added bonus… when things were “tight”, the meal could be stretched ….. more sauce, some added veggies, and less meat. Served over everyone’s favorite homemade Spätzle, Goulash was a crowd pleaser. I can hear it now, “Goulash isn’t German, it’s Hungarian”. Well, I’m sure that at one point the concept of cooking pieces of meat in a sauce flavored with paprika floated west from Hungary to Germany… but that time was very long ago, and now you’ll find Goulash with all of its variations (Wild, Pork, and even Würstchen!) on restaurant menus and dinner tables across Germany.
Now, I realize that like Potato Salad, there isn’t one “official” German Goulash Recipe. Regional differences, personal preferences from the cooks, even availability of ingredients means that what my mom makes might be different from what your Oma makes. But the beauty of a dish like this, is that it’s open to interpretation and variation. Don’t like carrot? Leave them out. Want it “spicey”? Add a dash of Cayenne pepper (it’s delicious, trust me). I’ve even seen a Silesian version made with Sauerkraut (intriguing). I started using Ghee (an Indian clarified butter) for browning the meat, instead of oil, because I like the flavor it imparts. (Don’t panic, oil is just fine.) Use this recipe as a starting place, then experiment, if you like.
German Goulash Recipe
A delicious way to warm hearts and fill stomachs.
German Goulash Recipe
This rich and tasty German Goulash is made with chunks of tender beef in a delicious sauce flavored with paprika. Serve with Spätzle, Klöße, or even mashed potatoes.
3TablespoonsVegetable Oil or GheeI love the rich flavor Ghee imparts
1 1/2lbsLean Rump Roast
1Yellow Oniondiced
2cloveGarlicchopped
1Carrotcut to 1 inch chunks
3TablespoonsTomato Paste
3/4 cupRed Wine
3TablespoonsSweet Paprika
1teaspoonMarjoram
1 3/4cups Beef Stock
Salt to tasteI used 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
Slice the beef into 1 inch chunks. It's best to start by cutting with the grain, then go to across. I find the outcome is better this way. (And yes, you can purchase stew meat... leaner is better)
Heat 2 tablespoons oil (or Ghee) in a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot over high heat. Add half of the beef chunks to brown. Don't crowd it. You want the beef to just brown, not cook. Remove the pieces to a bowl and set aside, then brown the other half. When done add to beef in bowl. Reduce heat to medium.
Add remaining oil or Ghee to pot. Add onions and garlic, stir to scrape up any bits in the pot. Cook 3-4 minutes to soften. Add carrot pieces if using. Add tomato paste, stir and cook for another minute.
Add red wine, stir, scraping up any cooked bits from the bottom of the pot. Keep the heat on medium, and stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half.
Add the beef, paprika, marjoram, and beef stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Put the lid on the pot, and let it cook for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.
Take the lid off of the pot, and let the Goulash simmer for another 30 minutes to reduce. Taste for seasoning, and add salt if needed. It should thicken a bit as it reduces. If you want it thicker, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a few tablespoons of water, and add to the pot. Stir. It will thicken right up.
Serve over Spätzle, Klöße, or even mashed or boiled potatoes..
Notes
Carrots may not be traditional in all families. My mother always added carrot to the Goulash, both to add flavor, and also to "stretch" the meal a bit further. You can leave them out without affecting the flavor. The recipe says 4 portions, but these aren't MASSIVE portions. Feel free to multiply the ingredients to fill/feed your family properly. Goulash always tastes great hot off the stove, and is extra tasty as leftovers. You can also freeze it.
I must copy your goulash recipe! My ancestors were also from Schlesien-Near Landeshut. So wish I could go to Wroklow to see the church records for this city. Enjoy Schlesien when you go. Where did your ancestors live there? Love your website! Anything German!!
My mom made her Goulash like you, but she never added vegetables to her Goulash. It always looked like yours. We aeted with potato’s and Gurken salad. That rich brown gravy was gabbled up in no time. Never had any leftovers. My 2 daughters’ friends always wanted to be invited when I made Goulash. Sunday was family days and we trasher’d it.
I recently bought your Easy German Cookbook and have made the Easter Lamb of God cake in an antique mold I recently bought. Turned out delicious. Today I made your German Goulash over egg noodles and we loved it. I didn’t have time to cook it on the stove so I followed the directions except I cooked it in my slow cooker on low for 6 hours. Delicious! I think the sauce wasn’t quite as thick but otherwise excellent. Reminds me of how my grandmothers house smelled when she made it! Thank you!
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
0
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
0
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
0
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
0
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
I must copy your goulash recipe! My ancestors were also from Schlesien-Near Landeshut. So wish I could go to Wroklow to see the church records for this city. Enjoy Schlesien when you go. Where did your ancestors live there? Love your website! Anything German!!
Thank you so much! My family comes from the Glatz region (a little appendix that sticks into the Czech Republic)
My mom made her Goulash like you, but she never added vegetables to her Goulash. It always looked like yours. We aeted with potato’s and Gurken salad. That rich brown gravy was gabbled up in no time. Never had any leftovers. My 2 daughters’ friends always wanted to be invited when I made Goulash. Sunday was family days and we trasher’d it.
I recently bought your Easy German Cookbook and have made the Easter Lamb of God cake in an antique mold I recently bought. Turned out delicious. Today I made your German Goulash over egg noodles and we loved it. I didn’t have time to cook it on the stove so I followed the directions except I cooked it in my slow cooker on low for 6 hours. Delicious! I think the sauce wasn’t quite as thick but otherwise excellent. Reminds me of how my grandmothers house smelled when she made it! Thank you!
I’m so glad you like my recipes! Thank you!