This comforting German beef Goulash is a rich and flavourful stew with tender cubes of beef in a rich gravy flavoured with paprika, lemon and oregano. This one pot dinner is a real winter warmer that is perfect for meal prepping.
Hearty and warming, this is real winter comfort food and perfect for those icy days! This goulash recipe has layers of flavour – the rich onion-beef flavours of a long, slow cooking; lightened up with the fresh lemon and paprika seasoning mix which adds a bright flavour to the dish, creating this wonderful stew with layer upon layer of flavour. Like my butternut and beef stew and Asian beef stew, this slow cooked beef recipe is perfect for cheaper cuts of beef as they cook down and become meltingly tender.
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Rindsgulasch, the German / Austrian version of the more well known Hungarian Goulash often doesn’t include potatoes; however this recipe, based on a recipe from an old German cookbook, does include potatoes. The potato absorbs all the delicious beefy paprika flavours from the goulash as they cook, creating a filling flavourful beef stew.
Like curries, this tastes better over time, making it perfect for making ahead to ease the load on busy nights.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.
- Beef – use a cut of beef such as beef shin, chuck steak, boneless osso bucco or beef cheeks. Use a tougher cut of beef that benefits from a long slower cooking time.
- Onions – this goulash is heavier on the onions than some recipes, however they melt into the stew and add a beautiful sweet flavour.
- Stock – I like to use chicken stock or homemade vegetable stock, but you can use beef stock for a richer stew.
- Pepper / capsicum – adding this makes it in to a Rindergulasch mit Paprika (beef goulash with pepper). You can use red or green peppers, or leave them out if you prefer.
- Cumin seeds – some traditional recipes call for caraway seeds, however on taste-testing we personally preferred the milder taste of the cumin, and in Australia and Britain, cumin seeds are more likely to be in your pantry than caraway seeds.
- Sweet paprika – not smoked paprika!
- Dried oregano – traditionally, German Rindsgulasch is made with dried marjoram, however this can be hard to find so I have substituted it with the more readily available dried oregano.
- Lemon zest – sounds like a strange addition, but a little fresh lemon zest really makes this goulash pop!
How to make beef goulash from scratch
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Heat the oil in a casserole dish or Dutch oven, then brown the beef all over. Remove from the pan, add the chopped onion and cook over a low heat until translucent.
- Add the garlic and cumin seeds and cook until they are fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for a few seconds to release more flavour.
- Return the browned meat to the pan and pour over the stock. Add the salt, bay leaf and ¼ teaspoon of sweet paprika.
- Turn the heat up, then once the goulash is boiling, turn the heat down to a gently simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for a couple of hours
- Add the chopped pepper / capsicum and potatoes to the goulash and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Adding them at this stage ensures that the pepper / capsicum and potatoes don’t over cook.
- Mix the lemon zest, dried oregano and sweet paprika together in a small bowl.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of the goulash sauce to the seasoning mix and stir until well combined. Stir this through the goulash then simmer with the lid off for 5 minutes.
- Serve the goulash straight away, sprinkled with parsley (optional).
FAQ
Yes! Goulash can be frozen for up to 3 months.
If your goulash is a little thin, or you have chosen to make it without potatoes and the gravy is a little more watery than you want, you can thicken it with a ‘slurry’ which is a mixture of flour and a little water. Stir the flour paste in to the goulash and then bring to the boil to cook out the taste of raw flour.
My recipe tips
- Browning the beef adds flavour – and gives the goulash a lovely rich colour.
- This goulash thickens as it sits – so if you are planning on meal prepping it or making it ahead, add a splash more stock or water when reheating.
- The seasoning mix is more vibrant in flavour when added towards the end of cooking, so if planning on making the goulash ahead, if possible add the seasoning mix just before reheating. If that is not possible, add per the recipe, it still tastes great!
Serving Ideas
As the potatoes are cooked in with the beef, this really is a one-pot meal! Of course you could add some veggies on the side, like steamed green beans or broccoli, or add a side of crusty bread or garlic bread (not a traditional German side, but very delicious!), or a crunchy creamy German cucumber salad.
Make ahead/storage
Fridge – This goulash will keep in the fridge, covered or in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
Freezer – freeze the goulash for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Reheating – reheat on the stove top or in the microwave until piping hot, adding a splash of water or stock to thin it out.
Variations
Potatoes – Leave out the potatoes and serve with crispy potatoes, baked potatoes, noodles (or spätzle, traditional German dumplings), pasta or rice.
Carrots – add 2 large carrots, roughly chopped, instead of the green pepper / capsicum.
Make it into a Goulash soup – add another 250-500ml / 1-2 cups of stock.
Why not try…
You may also like these other comforting family dinners:
German Beef Goulash
Author: Robyn
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or casserole dish with lid
Ingredients
- 700g (25 oz) beef shin or chuck steak Cut into 2.5cm / 1 inch cubes
- 3 medium onions peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree / tomato paste
- 750ml (3 c) chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 red or green pepper / capsicum roughly chopped
- 400g (14 oz) potatoes peeled and chopped in to 1 cm / ⅓ inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley for serving
Seasoning Mix:
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2½ teaspoons sweet paprika
Instructions
- Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil in to a medium-large casserole dish with a lid or Dutch oven and heat over a medium heat.
- Add the cubed beef and brown all over, then remove from the pan.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, lower to heat to low and add the onion. Cook until translucent – around 5-7 minutes. If the onion starts to catch, carefully add a splash of water and stir to scape the bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the garlic and cumin seeds and cook for a minute, until fragrent, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
- Return the browned meat to the pan and pour over the stock. Add the salt, bay leaf and ¼ teaspoon of sweet paprika.
- Turn the heat up, bring the goulash to a boil then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, add the chopped pepper / capsicum and potatoes. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Prepare The Seasoning Mix
- Mix the lemon zest, dried oregano and sweet paprika together in a small bowl.
- Take 2-3 tablespoons of the goulash sauce and stir in to the seasoning mix until well combined.
- Pour the seasoning mix in to the goulash, stir well, then simmer with the lid off for 5 minutes.
- Serve the goulash straight away sprinkled with fresh parsley, or cool and store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
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