Hungarian goulash, a paprika beef stew with potatoes

Hungarian Goulash for the Crew

Name: Hungarian Goulash for the Crew
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Hungarian
Ingredients: 3.2 lb beef chuck roast; 2 whole yellow onions; 2.6 tbsp sweet paprika; 7/8 tsp caraway seeds; 4 cloves garlic cloves; 1 3/4 tbsp tomato paste; 4.8 cups beef broth; 1.6 lb russet potatoes; 3/4 whole red bell pepper; 3/4 cup sour cream; 3/4 loaf rye bread

Paprika beef stew with caraway and potatoes for ten

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 120 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: easy

Beef chuck simmers with onions, potatoes, and a heavy hand of sweet paprika until the broth turns rust-red and meat breaks down tender. Serve in deep bowls with sour cream and rye bread.

Why crews like it: Goulash is cold-weather hall fuel. It is hearty without being greasy, spices are warm not blow-your-head-off, and one pot feeds everyone including the probie who always takes seconds.

480Cal

38gProtein

34gCarbs

20gFat

Ingredients

3.2 lb beef chuck roast
2 whole yellow onions
2.6 tbsp sweet paprika
7/8 tsp caraway seeds
4 cloves garlic cloves
1 3/4 tbsp tomato paste
4.8 cups beef broth
1.6 lb russet potatoes
3/4 whole red bell pepper
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 loaf rye bread

Instructions

Brown the beef: Season chuck cubes and brown in batches in a Dutch oven over high heat until deeply colored. Set aside.
Cook onions and spices: Reduce heat, add onions, and cook 8 minutes. Stir in paprika, caraway, garlic, and tomato paste, cooking 2 minutes until fragrant.
Simmer the stew: Return beef, add broth and bell pepper. Cover and simmer 1.5 hours until beef starts to tenderize.
Add potatoes: Stir in potatoes and simmer uncovered 30–40 minutes until beef and potatoes are fork-tender and broth thickens slightly.
Serve in bowls: Taste and adjust salt. Ladle into bowls with sour cream dolloped on top and rye bread on the side.

Tonight's spread

Goulash bowls with sour cream, rye bread, and pickled vegetables.
Simple cabbage salad with vinegar dressing.

Hall tips

A bay leaf in the simmer adds subtle depth—remove before service.
Csipetke noodles are traditional if you want an extra Hungarian touch.
Hot paprika on the side lets crews customize heat without changing the pot.

Meal prep

Cut beef uniform for even cooking. Stew tastes better the next day. Hold at 165°F in baking dishes with a thin broth layer so meat does not dry.

Leftovers

Thicken with a little flour and wrap in pastry for goulash hand pies.
Serve over spaetzle if you have egg noodles gone.

Dutch oven
Wooden spoon
Ladle
Cutting board
baking dish