Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
Adventures in cold weather cooking!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission should you purchase anything through the link.
The days are still warm but overnight is reaching into the 40’s and 30’s Fahrenheit here. I’m ready to wear my Fall clothes and accessories, and if that means sweating in boots and a blanket scarf when it reaches 72 degrees by three p.m., so be it.
It’s also time for chilly weather cooking, whether or not it’s strictly warranted — including this recipe, a paprika-packed Slow Cooker Beef Goulash.
This recipe for a semi-traditional version of Goulash is adapted from Kitchen Sanctuary’s Beef Goulash recipe (minus a couple ingredients which sound tasty but are disliked by some of our household, and a few things added to bring it closer to a traditional recipe), and their website has some great additional info about this originally Hungarian dish.
I love this crockpot meal: I can “set it and forget it” for the day while I spend the free time skipping through leaves or whatever you’re supposed to do in Autumn.
The smell is enticing and you just know it’s going to warm you right up! It’s sweater-weather food, for sure. I like to grab some Irish woolies from my closet and snuggle up with a big bowl of paprika-laden goulash.
On the subject of paprika: it’s a fascinating rabbit hole to dive down if you’re interested in spice routes and trading and highly debated flavor categories. (If instead of “fascinating” you read “a snooze-fest”, feel free to skip the next couple paragraphs. But it really was interesting, promise!)
I did some research of my own, and discovered that while there are a few main categories of this ground peppers-based spice, no one can agree on exactly what they are.
The varieties can seem endless, especially in Hungarian paprikas. One lineup of the general types is Hungarian (often associated specifically with the sweet varieties, but there is a big range), basic (what you typically see in the grocery store, rather mild), and smoked hot (this smoky spice is also called Spanish paprika, which also has a range of heat from sweet to spicy).
My cupboard has Sweet Hungarian, though my favorite spice vendor The Spice House has different varieties and as well as suggestions for what type of dishes to use them in. Maybe Spanish style in a new dish will be my next move!
But for now, back to the crockpot goulash at hand. It might not be the most traditional recipe, but is delicious nonetheless.
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 lbs beef, cut into bite-size chunks (meat of your choice: I’ve used chuck roast and tri-tip with success)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
2 yellow onions, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste mixed with 1 tbsp water
3 tbsp paprika (sounds like a lot, but it’s not)
28 oz canned chopped tomatoes in juice. My store is usually out of this so I’ve used the canned diced tomatoes (practically the same thing, just a little smaller). This is optional if you don’t like tomatoes, I’ve made it without and it’s still delicious.
2 cups beef stock
2 red bell peppers, de-seeded and sliced into strips
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium Russett potato, peeled and diced
1 cup sour cream
*Note: some traditional recipes will call for more or less ingredients. This is a simplified recipe and very convenient! This was my first time adding the potatoes and carrots, but I wasn’t about to be intimidated by a few root vegetables so in they went.
To Serve/Garnish:
It can be served by itself per tradition, or accompanied by bread, wide egg noodles, or pasta.
chopped parsley
Extra sour cream
Goulash served the un-traditional way, on top of pasta without broth. (Check out my Pretzel Post for the soft pretzel recipe)
Instructions
Votes for a new cutting board? I think it’s time.
Flour-coated beef, ready to be cooked!
Coat the cut beef in the flour and salt. Cook cut up beef pieces on medium in multiple batches until the outside is lightly browned. Remove and place in a dish.
2. Add the diced onions to the pan and fry 3 minutes. Stir in the watered-down tomato paste then put the beef back in. Warm for a couple minutes to let flavors combine, then remove to slow cooker.
3. Add the other ingredients except sour cream and noodles to the slow cooker and stir with wooden spoon.
4. Cook in slow cooker on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
5. If making noodles: Cook egg noodles or pasta on the stove to your desired tenderness. Time it for the noodles to be warm when served.
6. When ready, add sour cream on top of goulash in the slow cooker, and then serve, sprinkling with parsley and extra sour cream.
7. Feel the chill of cold weather run away in the face of a spicy goulash!
What cold weather food are you most looking forward to this year?