Savory With Soul

  • Summer
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Summer
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Entrees

    Old Fashioned Goulash Recipe

    Published: Apr 1, 2019 · Modified: Oct 9, 2020 by Sally · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

    100 shares
    • Facebook
    • Mix
    • X
    Jump to Recipe

    This old fashioned goulash recipe is the epitome of comfort food. The saucy, rich broth with layers of flavor along with the tender chunks of beef ... Oh. So. Good!

    Beef goulash with egg noodles and veggies on plate

    Slow cooking melds the wonderful paprika with all the other ingredients to make this a hearty, nourishing, satisfying meal.

    I have had some amazing goulash in my life ... namely the goulash I had in the late 1980's in small-town Austria.

    Hence, my quest to re-create that recipe.

    I found that the key is paprika and more paprika. And also tender beef and just overall savory goodness ...

    Oh, and slow cooking, which is the best way for foods to meld and simmer and mix flavors to create the best recipes that have your family (or guests) licking their chops and praising you endlessly.

    Well ... not exactly ... but this is an extremely flavorful goulash that is so simple to make and will have you coming back to it again and again for that easy, delicious recipe you all want for dinner.

    I rarely cook the same dish exactly the same way, as I love to experiment, but this old fashioned goulash is so perfect (in my opinion) that I keep making it again and again just as it's written.

    Beef and veggies over egg noodles

    What You'll Need

    1 tablespoon bacon fat or olive oil

    1 medium onion, chopped

    1 yellow or green bell pepper, chopped

    1 pound beef stew meat, cut in ½-inch pieces

    2 Tablespoons paprika

    1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

    ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste

    ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, more to taste

    1 large carrot, sliced

    2 cups beef broth

    1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, slightly drained

    8 ounces uncooked egg noodles

    Making goulash in Dutch oven pot with noodles

    How to Make

    First, you will heat a heavy pan or Dutch oven (my favorite) to medium heat.

    Add bacon fat or olive oil, onion, bell pepper, and meat and cook for 5-10 minutes or until meat is browned on all sides.

    Next, you will add your paprika, fennel, salt, and black pepper and stir (still cooking on medium heat).

    Add carrots, broth, and tomatoes and cover. This you will cook on low-medium heat for 1 hour, checking and stirring occasionally. Serve over hot egg noodles.

    Beef goulash served with noodles

    What to Serve with Goulash

    This old fashioned goulash is a great served over egg noodles or the pasta of your choice. It's also great as a meal all by itself. To make it complete, you can serve it with your favorite side salad and bread.

    I recommend my Mediterranean Cucumber Salad and Cheese Toast. Other good suggestions include my Brussels Sprout Salad and Cheddar Biscuits.

    Tips

    For best flavor, use bacon fat if you have it (instead of other oils).

    Cut your meat pieces small for best results. If they're too big they may end up tough in the recipe. Smaller is always better so you get more flavors in each bite and so the meat ends up more tender in the end.

    To crush the fennel seeds, simply grind them lightly with a mortar and pestle or crush them with the side of a chef's knife just so they are bruised a bit to release flavor.

    Make it tonight, and let me know what you think!

    You may also love my Spaghetti Bolognaise.

    Other Recipes to Try:

    Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake

    Corn Potato Chowder (Easy, Hearty & Delicious!)

    Baked Mahi Mahi Recipe (Simple & So Flavorful!)

    Authentic Jambalaya Recipe (Lots of Spicy Flavors!)

    Turkey Ala King (Using Leftover Turkey or Chicken)

    London Broil Crock Pot Recipe (with Built-In Gravy)

    📋 Recipe

    Beef goulash with egg noodles and veggies on plate

    Old Fashioned Goulash Recipe

    This old fashioned goulash recipe is the epitome of comfort food. The saucy, rich broth with layers of flavor along with the tender chunks of beef ... Oh. So. Good!
    4.88 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Hungarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 488kcal
    Author: Sally

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon bacon fat or olive oil
    • 1 medium onion , chopped
    • 1 yellow bell pepper or green, chopped
    • 1 pound beef stew meat , cut in ½-inch pieces
    • 2 tablespoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds , crushed
    • ½ teaspoon salt , more to taste
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper , more to taste
    • 1 large carrot , sliced
    • 2 cups beef broth
    • 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes , 1 can, slightly drained
    • 8 ounces egg noodles , uncooked
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Heat heavy pan or Dutch oven (my favorite) to medium heat.
    • Add bacon fat or olive oil, onion, bell pepper, and meat.
    • Cook for 5-10 minutes or until meat is browned on all sides.
    • Add paprika, fennel, salt, and black pepper and stir, still cooking on medium heat.
    • Add carrots, broth, and tomatoes and cover.
    • Cook on medium heat for 1 hour.
    • Serve over hot egg noodles.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 970mg | Potassium: 1129mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4997IU | Vitamin C: 67mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 6mg
    Tried this Recipe? Share it Today!Mention @SavoryWithSoul or tag #savorywithsoul!

    Don't Forget to Pin for Later!


    More Main Dish Recipes

    • Soup with potatoes and carrots in bowl.
      Potato Carrot Leek Soup (quick & hearty)
    • Goulash with rotini pasta, ground beef, and cheese.
      Slow Cooker Goulash Recipe
    • Pulled pork sandwich with apple slaw on sesame seed bun
      Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ
    • Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta (browned & full of flavor)

    Comments

    1. Sue Hommel says

      November 26, 2024 at 12:42 pm

      5 stars
      This is a straight-forward, easy, flavorful dish every time!
      Now it’s on the rotation of most requested dinners!

      Reply
      • Sally says

        November 27, 2024 at 3:43 am

        I'm so glad - Thank you for letting me know, Sue!

        Reply
    2. Kathy says

      April 26, 2023 at 8:35 pm

      5 stars
      Wonderfully flavorful! I've served it with cooked basmti rice, also with mashed potatoes or noodles.
      Do you cover the pan when cooking it?

      Reply
      • Sally says

        April 26, 2023 at 11:06 pm

        Yes, you would cover during the one-hour cook time - this keeps in the moisture. Thanks for your feedback, Kathy!

        Reply
    3. Lyndsay says

      June 18, 2019 at 2:42 am

      5 stars
      This was the perfect dinner for a cool and rainy day! My whole family loved it. Thank you for the great recipe 🙂

      Reply
    4. Beth Pierce says

      June 18, 2019 at 2:36 am

      5 stars
      What a savory dish! Looks so flavorful and heartwarming; this will be perfect for dinner tomorrow night!

      Reply
    5. Jen says

      June 18, 2019 at 2:20 am

      5 stars
      This totally brings me back to my childhood and staying with my Grandma. The perfect comfort food.

      Reply
    6. jordan says

      June 18, 2019 at 2:16 am

      5 stars
      I've never tried making Hungarian food before, but I do love it!

      Reply
    7. Veena Azmanov says

      June 18, 2019 at 2:11 am

      5 stars
      Amazing presentation and a flavorful dish. Yummy.

      Reply
    4.88 from 8 votes (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    I'm Sally, and I love great food! Whole foods, specifically, and savory, yummy eats! I love using spices and trying new combinations - in fact, I consider it an art form, as I smell and taste my way through each dish.

    More about me →

    Summer Recipes

    • Potato Salad with Bacon Recipe
    • Four corn zucchini fritters with red peppers stacked on plate.
      Zucchini and Corn Fritters (2 ways!)
    • Mediterranean Cucumber Salad with Lemon Dressing
    • Pulled pork sandwich with apple slaw on sesame seed bun
      Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ
    • Chicken Divan Crock Pot Recipe
    • Macaroni salad with tuna and corn on a plate
      Pasta Tuna and Sweetcorn Salad (quick & easy)

    Trending Recipes

    • Cooked flaky biscuits stacked on plate ready to serve.
      Easy Homemade Biscuits Recipe (Southern Style)
    • Crock Pot Great Northern Beans - Southern Style
    • Bojangles Dirty Rice Recipe (easy copycat)
    • Creamy linguini with chicken and bacon served on plate with salad
      Creamy Chicken Bacon Pasta (quick & easy)
    • Tuna and Rice Casserole Recipe (quick stovetop)
    • Panera Turkey Chili Recipe (copycat)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    FEATURED ON

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility

    SIGN UP for emails and updates

    Recipe Index

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Savory With Soul, All Rights Reserved

    100 shares

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.