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close up german beef goulash with spaetzle on a small plate with fork.
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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 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Beef, Pork and Lamb
Cuisine: German
Servings: 4
Calories: 799kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot

Ingredients

  • 2.2 lbs beef chuck 1 kg
  • 2.2 lbs onions 1 kg
  • 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 750 ml, Note 2
  • 1 ¼ cups low sodium beef stock 300 ml
  • 3-4 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • ½-1 teaspoon caraway seeds to taste
  • fine sea salt or Kosher
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Cut the meat into cubes (about 1 inch/ 2 ½ cm). Set aside.
  • Chop the onions, carrots, and celeriac.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 salt and 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 reduce more. However, I seldom find that necessary; it’s usually as thick as we like after the initial cooking time.

Notes

  1. Sub with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon oil.
  2. 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

Serving: 1g | Calories: 799kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 192mg | Sodium: 449mg | Potassium: 1533mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 5640IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 6mg