Classic American Goulash Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional goulash made of? ›

Goulash (Gulyas) is the most famous Hungarian dish and a national staple. This is a traditional beef goulash soup recipe with a detailed step-by-step guide. It is made with simple ingredients like meat, peppers and root vegetables elevated to perfection by the use of Hungary's most famous spice: paprika.

Goulash Around The Globe

Hungarian Goulash is a beef and onion soup seasoned with Hungarian paprika and sometimes containing potatoes and/or carrots (often made without vegetables). American Goulash is old-fashioned goodness. It's a simple dish with ground beef and elbow macaroni in tomato sauce.

Hungarian Goulash is a thick meat and vegetable stew with a broth that's heavily seasoned with paprika, while American Goulash is a quick dish made from ground beef, tomato sauce, herbs, and elbow macaroni noodles. It also goes by the name of American Chop Suey.

The first is to submerge meat in cooking oil (sunflower or olive oil) before you start cooking. The oil is absorbed and softens the meat. The second method is to add some vinegar while you're cooking and the vinegar will begin to tenderise the meat.

Goulash (Hungarian: gulyás) is a soup or stew of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is one of the national dishes of Hungary and a symbol of the country.

American goulash is usually referred to in the midwestern and southern United States as simply "goulash". As a descendant, of sorts, of Hungarian goulash, the only real connection seems to be the name, and the inclusion of beef and paprika.

American goulash is a one-pot dish of ground beef, pasta (often elbow macaroni), tomatoes and cheese. Sometimes it includes paprika, like its Hungarian counterpart. Since American goulash calls for ground beef, it cooks much faster than Hungarian goulash which relies on low-and-slow cooking to render the beef tender.

American goulash, sometimes called slumgullion, American Chop Suey, or even Beef-a-Roni, is an American comfort-food dish popular in the Midwest and South. Besides the name, there is no real connection to Hungarian goulash in terms of the flavor or ingredients.

American Goulash has many names, depending on the region you're from – Slumgullion, American Chop Suey, Johnny Marzetti, and even Beefaroni.

The best side dishes to serve with American Goulash are crispy green beans, country gravy, mashed sweet potatoes, butternut squash, watermelon cucumber salad, caramelized carrots, Tabasco sauce, corn salsa, grilled asparagus, cornbread, roasted Brussels sprouts, cucumber salad, garlic bread, biscuits, and macaroni ...

Which country has the best goulash? ›

Goulash is the most famous Hungarian dish in the world. It's one of Hungary's national dishes -- the symbol of their country. And it is for a good reason. It's a dish made with basic ingredients like meat, peppers and root vegetables elevated to perfection by the use of Hungary's most famous spice: paprika.

Traditional goulash is a stew/soup, usually using a cheaper cut of meat suited to slow cooking. It usually contains potatoes and other vegetables, as well as noodles. A true stroganoff consists of paprika-dusted fillet steak quickly pan fried with mushrooms and onions in a sour cream and brandy sauce.

Work Faster with Baking Soda

Tenderizing with a baking soda solution is faster than using a saltwater brine. Meat only has to sit in a baking soda solution for 15 to 20 minutes, but a brine solution can take at least 30 minutes to start working.

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

As for flavour, I describe it as a beef stew with a sauce that reminds me of chorizo flavours thanks to a big hit of paprika and savouriness from a good amount of garlic, capsicum (bell peppers) and onion. It's really, really good. Bolder than typical beef stew!

Two other ingredients which set goulash apart from regular stew are tomato paste, and paprika. The tomato paste will help with the rich taste, and the paprika will give it a nice spicy kick, perfect for those cold winter evenings. Try to get Hungarian sweet paprika if you can.

At its most basic, goulash is a beef stew. but what a glorious one it is. Elevated by the addition of sweet paprika, which gives it a round, fruity yet slightly acidic flavour and rich red colour. Unlike other beef stews that are thickened with flour, a goulash has a thin sauce – in fact, it can be served as a soup.