Authentic German Goulash Recipe

authentic german goulash served with spaetzle on a small plate with a vintage fork.

4.60 from 10 votes

Authentic German Goulash Recipe

An authentic German goulash recipe just the way my mother-in-law makes it. Tender chunks of beef in a rich, hearty, delicious onion gravy.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2 20

Course: Beef, Pork and Lamb

Cuisine: German

Servings: servings

Calories: 799kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot

Ingredients

2.2 lbs beef chuck
2.2 lbs onions
2 medium carrots
1 piece celeriac or 2-3 celery stalks 2 oz/ 60 g
2 tablespoons clarified butter Note 1
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika smoked or unsmoked, to taste
3 cups dry red wine Note 2
1 ¼ cups low sodium beef stock
3-4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
½-1 teaspoon caraway seeds to taste
fine sea salt or Kosher
freshly ground black pepper

US - EU

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients: Cut the meat into cubes (about 1 inch/ 2 ½ cm). Set aside. Chop the onions, carrots, and celeriac.
2.2 lbs beef chuck + 2.2 lbs onions + 2 medium carrots + 1 piece celeriac or 2-3 celery stalks
Brown vegetables: Heat the clarified butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the vegetables and a pinch of salt, and cook, often stirring, for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat, until deeply golden brown. Don’t let them catch too much at the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring and turn down the heat a bit if necessary.
2 tablespoons clarified butter
Add tomato paste and stir it continuously for about 2 minutes to mix it with the vegetables and let it brown slightly. Add both kinds of paprika powder and stir well to combine.
2 tablespoons tomato paste + 1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + 1 teaspoon hot paprika
Pour in the wine and the stock, add bay leaves, marjoram, caraway seeds, and pepper. Don’t add salt now; it all depends on the stock you are using.
3 cups dry red wine + 1 ¼ cups low sodium beef stock + 3-4 bay leaves + 1 teaspoon dried marjoram + ½-1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Simmer: Add the meat, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the meat is perfectly tender.
Adjust the taste with fine sea salt or Kosher and freshly ground black pepper.
The gravy should be thick and glossy; if you want it to be thicker, you can cook the German goulash for 10-15 minutes more without the lid. This will allow the sauce to be reduced more. However, I seldom find that necessary; it’s usually as thick as we like after the initial cooking time.

Notes

Substitute clarified butter with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon oil.
Wine: Use a medium-price wine that tastes good; there is no need to buy something expensive, but it should not be the cheapest one either.

Nutrition