Oven-Baked Beef Goulash with Potatoes

Few dinners say comfort like this oven-baked beef goulash: tender chunks of beef chuck slow-baked in a smoky paprika sauce with hearty potatoes that soak up every drop of flavor. Everything cooks together in one oven-safe pot, so the beef turns meltingly soft while the sauce thickens into a rich, glossy gravy. If you love hearty one-pot beef dinners, you will also enjoy our Baked Cabbage Steaks with Beef and Mushrooms and Potato and Minced Meat Shepherd’s Pie.

Ingredients

• 800 g (1.8 lb) beef chuck, cubed
• 1 kg (2.2 lb) potatoes, quartered
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 500 ml (2 cups) beef broth
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• salt, pepper, bay leaves

Instructions

1. Brown the beef cubes in hot oil in an oven-safe pot; remove. Proper browning builds deep, savory flavor — Serious Eats explains the science behind a great sear.
2. Sauté the onions until golden, then stir in the paprika and tomato paste and cook for a minute.
3. Return the beef to the pot, add the broth, caraway seeds and bay leaves; bring to a simmer.
4. Nestle the potato quarters in, cover, and bake at 170°C (340°F) for 1.5 hours until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick.

Tips

• Sear the beef in batches without crowding the pot — crowded meat steams instead of browning.
• Stir the paprika in over moderate heat for just a minute; scorched paprika turns bitter. The USDA also has handy guidance on selecting well-marbled chuck for braising.
• Let the goulash rest for 15 minutes before serving — the sauce thickens as it cools slightly.

Nutrition: per 100 g: 142 kcal, protein 10 g, fat 6 g, carbs 11 g