This 1954-style classic beef goulash is old-world comfort in a bowl: tender chunks of beef simmered low and slow in a rich tomato sauce until they practically melt. Made with humble pantry staples — onion, tomato paste and bay leaves — it delivers deep, savory flavor with almost no fuss. If hearty beef dinners are your love language, you will also enjoy our Oven-Baked Beef Goulash with Potatoes and Potato and Ground Beef Casserole.
Ingredients
- 700 g (1.5 lb) beef, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 800 ml (3 1/3 cups) water
- Butter, for sautéing
- Vegetable oil, for sautéing
- Bay leaves
- Black pepper and salt, to taste
- Flour, for dusting
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion and sauté it in butter with a splash of vegetable oil. Add the diced beef and brown for 20 minutes, letting each piece develop a deep golden crust — Serious Eats explains why that hard sear builds so much flavor.
- Dust the meat with flour and fry for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste dissolved in water, season with salt, add the bay leaves and black pepper.
- Reduce to the lowest heat and simmer, covered, for 1.5 hours, until the beef is meltingly tender. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Tips
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels before browning; dry meat sears instead of steaming, which means a richer, deeper sauce.
- Keep the simmer at the barest bubble — a rolling boil will toughen the meat, while gentle heat keeps it meltingly tender. The USDA has helpful basics on braising cuts if you want to dig deeper.
- Let the goulash rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving; the sauce settles and thickens, and the flavors come together. Round out the meal with our Baked Cabbage Steaks with Beef and Mushrooms.
Nutrition: per 100 g: 266 kcal, protein 15.9 g, fat 19.9 g, carbs 5.7 g.