German Goulash

German Goulash is my new favorite. Beef chunks simmer for hours in a wine-enhanced broth along with a few special ingredients that take it way beyond your basic beef stew. Known locally as rindergulasch, it’s a cousin to Hungarian Goulash, but has its own unique character.

Well, we’re certainly kicking stew season off with a bang! First we brought you the fully loaded, Southwest inspired Cowboy Stew. Next came the iconic East African Doro Wat. Now, today’s recipe is German Goulash, and it may be the best beef stew you’ve ever had.

What is German Goulash?

German Goulash is a dish where beef is stewed in wine and broth, along with a variety of veggies. What makes it really unique is a few seasonings that you won’t find in other beef stews.

As I mentioned, it does have similarities to Hungarian Goulash, but it tends to be more of a thick stew as opposed to a soup. There is a soupier version, called gulaschsuppe, but today we’re going with the more hearty dish.

Ingredients

• Beef – We generally use chuck roast for stews, cut up into chunks. If you really want to go all out, short ribs would be great here too.
• Garlic – It’s always a staple.
• Vegetables – Onion, potato, carrots and red bell pepper.
• Red wine – Pick something you would enjoy drinking the leftovers of!
• Beef broth – I use Better than Bouillon.
• Tomato paste – It adds a nice little tang to the stew.
• Seasonings – This is where things really get interesting. Along with your basic salt, pepper and bay leaves, German Goulash also has caraway seeds, dried marjoram and sweet Spanish or Hungarian paprika. Please don’t try to use regular paprika, the results won’t come out the same.
• Lemon zest – It’s optional, but I’ve tried both with and without and find that it does adds a nice little background flavor.
• Parsley – For garnish.

German Goulash Recipe

First, I season the beef pieces with salt and pepper, then sear then until they are browned up. If making a big batch, which I usually do, I do this in batches. When they’re ready, I remove them to a plate.

Next I add the chopped onion and sauté it for 4-5 minutes, followed by the garlic for about a minute.

Then, I add in sweet paprika, tomato paste, and seared beef pieces along with any juices on the plate. I give everything a good mix and cook for 5 minutes.

After that, I add lemon zest, along with red wine, beef broth, marjoram, caraway seeds, bay leaves, and remaining salt and pepper. I bring this to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about one hour.

Then, I add in carrots, cover again, and cook for another 1 to 1.5 hours until the meat is almost tender.

Finally, I add in potatoes and bell peppers and cook for another 30-40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and beef is very tender.

If I feel like a thicker stew, I cook it uncovered at this point, but sometimes I leave it covered for a thinner consistency. It’s up to you and what you crave that day.

At the end, I always taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

Serving Suggestions

This time around, we served our goulash with spätzle, which are a type of German egg noodle. They carry them at Aldi this time of year because of Octoberfest. But it would also go equally good with any type of egg noodle.

It’s also great on top of mashed potatoes, or with a side of crusty bread. Alpana also says to eat it with rice. She’s a rice eater.

So the next time you get a craving for beef stew, go the German way. I promise, this goulash will not disappoint!

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German Goulash, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

More Stew Recipes:
Brown Stew Chicken
Carbonnade Flamande
Pork Stew
Sancocho
Meatball Stew
Carne Guisada
Fesenjan

German Goulash

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes

My German Goulash is the ultimate stew to keep you warm and cozy in the chilly months.

Print

Ingredients

• 2.5 to 3 pounds chuck roast, cut into chunks
• 2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 tsp black pepper, divided
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp Spanish or Hungarian sweet paprika
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 lemon zest (optional)
• 1.5 cup red wine
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 large potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
• parsley, chopped for garnish

Instructions

1. Season beef pieces with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Sear the beef chunks in batches to brown all over and remove them to a plate.
2. Add a splash of oil if needed then add chopped onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté for a minute. Add in sweet paprika, tomato paste, seared beef pieces along with any juices on the plate. Give everything a good mix and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add lemon zest, if using, along with red wine and beef broth. Stir in marjoram, caraway seeds, bay leaves, and remaining salt and pepper. Bring this to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about one hour.
4. Add in carrots, cover again, and cook for another 1 to 1.5 hours until the meat is almost tender.
5. Add in potatoes and bell peppers and cook for another 30-40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and beef is very tender. You can cook the last 45 minutes without a lid to thicken the stew, if desired. Similarly, if it's getting too thick, you can add a splash of water.
6. Taste and adjust the seasonings and garnish with parsley before serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 541Total Fat 30gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 141mgSodium 1354mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 3gSugar 3gProtein 45g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.