Most cultures make different versions of beef stew, and I can understand why it's such a favorite. There's something so comforting about taking a bite of succulent, tender chunks of beef. There's nothing more Russian than adding onions and carrots to everything, and the addition of garlic and tomato paste brings a depth of amazing flavor. The delicate sauce is perfect to pour over mashed potatoes or pasta. While the goulash is simmering merrily on the stove filling your home with it's enticing aroma, you'll have plenty of time to make a side dish and salad, or even dessert. Or just put your feet up and relax with a good book.
Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 lbs beef, chuck
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 garlic clove
½ - 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 Tablespoons flour
3 cups broth, chicken or beef or water
1 dry bay leaf
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder, optional
oil, salt, pepper
Instructions:
Cut the meat into ½ inch cubes. Heat up 1 ½ Tablespoons of oil in a skillet over high heat. When the skillet is very hot, add the beef in a single layer. You will need to do this in batches. Brown all over. This will give tremendous flavor to the goulash.
Tips for browning meat:
Pat the meat dry with paper towels before searing it
Don't crowd the meat in the skillet, or it won't brown but will steam
Turn the meat only when it releases from the pan; don't worry - it won't burn
Add onions to the meat, season with salt, cover and cook on medium heat until softened. 
Add carrots, season with salt and pepper, then cover and cook on medium heat until softened. 
Add tomato paste, garlic, paprika and chili powder. 
Cook for about a minute and then add the flour. Stir until completely incorporated into the meat and vegetables. 
Add water or broth a little bit at a time, scraping the botom of the skillet and stirring so that there are no lumps. 
Add the rest of the liquid and bay leaf. 
Cover and cook on low heat for about 1 ½ hours, until meat is fork-tender. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Beef Goulash - Гуляш из Говядины
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef, chuck
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 carrots, peeled and shredded
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ - 1 Tablespoon of tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 3 cups broth, chicken or beef or water
- 1 dry bay leaf
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, optional
- oil, salt, pepper
Instructions
- Cut the meat into ½ inch cubes. Heat up 1 ½ Tablespoons of oil in a skillet over high heat. When the skillet is very hot, add the beef in a single layer. You will need to do this in batches. Brown all over. This will give tremendous flavor to the goulash.
- Add onions to the meat, season with salt, cover and cook on medium heat until softened.
- Add carrots, season with salt and pepper, then cover and cook on medium heat until softened.
- Add tomato paste, garlic, paprika and chili powder. Cook for about a minute and then add the flour. Stir until completely incorporated into the meat and vegetables.
- Add water or broth a little bit at a time, scraping the botom of the skillet and stirring so that there are no lumps. Add the rest of the liquid and bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on low heat for about 1 ½ hours, until meat is fork-tender. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Hi, I have been wanting to try this recipe out for quite a while. This recipe even inspired me to invest into some stainless steel pans since all I had were the teflon pans. The dinner was delicious but the browning part was horrible! I double the recipe to have left overs (thats how much I trust ur recipes, that I double them at my first try) and after one batch I was covered in greese :/ but it was so delicious that I will definitely make it again. And I normally dislike leftover beef but this was great even 4 days later!
Hi Liliya!
I'm so happy that you were pleased with the Beef Goulash. I am so touched by your kind words:).
I agree that it can be a pain to brown the meat, especially if you're doubling the recipe. It's definitely worth it for the flavor that it gives the Goulash, though.
Hi, I love your website! Do you ever use a natural MSG free meat tenderizer powder?
Hi Alison,
Thanks for visiting! I never use any tenderizing powder. If you use the correct cuts of meat and cook it the right way, the meat will be very tender without it.
Hi how important is it to use paprika? Does it give flavor or is it just used for color mainly? Thanks
Lenchik, Paprika does add a lot of flavor to the dish, but you can skip it if you'd rather.
I skipped paprika because i didn't have any and it still turned out amazing!
Dear Lenchik, without the paprika it's just not Goulash. Please don't skip it unless you just want to eat stew.
Hey Olga i just wanted to say thank you for sharing your recipes with us. I cooked so many recipes from here and they all turned out great. I made the beef goulash today and my husband loved it! Thank you so much and may God Bless you & your husband.
Hi Olga i want to try making this recipe for my guests. would it taste good if i use beef tenderloin instead of beef chuck?
Hi nelly,
I wouldn't recommend using beef tenderloin. It's a very lean meat, which will become very tough if you cook it for a long time. Beef chuck breaks down into tender, moist chunks of meat when it's cooked for a while.
Just made this for dinner and can't believe how good it turned out!! Thank you so much for taking your time and sharing this recipe! I will definitely be making this again 🙂
Hi Olya,
Just wanted to share: made this tonight for my gosti. It was pretty easy to make (esspecially with all the pictures and step by step instructions) and it was so good! Everyone enjoyed it and it's not a quick dish, but I will be making it more for sure! Thank you!
Olya, Question.
I have company coming on friday, but I work and don't have a lot of time. If I brown the meat thursday night and then cook the rest of the way friday night - would it work?
Thanks,
This sounds like an awesome recipe.......
Hi Olga! You can make the whole dish ahead of time and then just heat it up when your company arrives. I wouldn't brown the meat separately ahead of time. When you brown the meat, you get brown, caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan, called fond. You make the sauce by deglazing the pan with a liquid and it gives a huge amount of flavor to the dish. You can still brown the meat separately, but it won't be as flavorful.
That make sense. I think I will just make it the night before so that when my company is visiting I can enjoy spending time with them instead being their cook 🙂
I made this for dinner to-nite and had to come back and comment.
This is simply amazing! Ever since I got married (14 yrs ago), I've tried so many versions of gulash/podliva and was never completely satisfied. This recipe did it for me and that is huge!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes. Blessings to your family!
Thanks for taking the time to write. I am so glad to hear that you liked this recipe:)
I tried this recipe tonight! It was so very tasty! Thank you so much for your recipes. I am such a huge fan of this blog.
Thank you, Sira! I love hearing from readers:)
Olga that last photo is really making my mouth water. Oh yum!!
Olya, Thank you so much for sharing your amazing talent and yummy recipes! I just made your goulash and it is the best podliva I've ever had! My entire family loved it and even my three-year-old daughter, who doesn't like anything that is not chicken, asked for a piece and ate the entire meal. As she was, she said, " didn't think it will be good, but I am happy I tried. This is yummy, Mommy!" Olya, Thank you again and again this dish was such a success!!!! May God bless you for sharing so freely your treasured possessions, good recipes, they are so hard to come by. I used 2 cups of organic vegetable broth and 1 c water, 2 TBsp of tomato sauce since I didn't have tomato paste, and 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp paprika and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tsp of chilli powder added a nice flavor. This podliva is the ultimate! Thank you, you are an amazing cook!!!
Tanya,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm so glad you and your family liked the beef goulash! The best satisfaction from cooking is a happy family, who enjoys each bite:). Thanks for letting me know.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. Made it last night and everyone loved it. This is my new go to recipe for goulash.
Hi Olga<
Is it okay to use any other type of beef for this dish?
thanks
No, I would definitely use chuck. If you don't use the right type, the meat will be tough.
I finally made this, this dish has "home" infused in every bite. I added browned baby bella mushrooms because I love them in everything, the end result was ah just so comforting and yummy. Perfect for a bitter cold and windy winter weather.
This IS comforting and inviting on cold winter days, Natasha. Or whenever you want to get cozy:). I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know.
Dear Olga, I use rib fingers for stews in general. There's more fat, the flavor is more intense than other cuts, and, they're tender in 45 minutes. Please try them if you can get hold of some.
I was referred to your site by Natasha. My children want her Chicken Kiev again tonight :). My daughter thinks your Goulash looks delicious but today's my day off ( I run a butcher/deli ), so I won't be preparing your recipe until tomorrow.
Thanks posting it. We'll tell you how good it is in a couple of days.
Hi Willi!
I'm glad you stopped by. Hope you enjoy the Beef Goulash. I like cooking with rib meat also. You're definitely right that the meat becomes very tender.
Looks soooo good!!!! Have to make some soon!!!!!