Smokey Hungarian Goulash (with a Balkan Twist)

This smokey Hungarian goulash recipe is perfect for those cold winter nights. Authentic Hungarian goulash is a chunky, hearty soup. It's full of tender beef, smokey capsicum (or peppers, if you're in the Northern hemisphere), and lots of paprika. Not only is it comforting and delicious, it is so simple to make (it's a one-pot meal!!!). Trust me, this will become your new favourite winter dish!

Close-up photo of a pot of the Smokey Hungarian Goulash garnished with parsley, with a wooden spoon lifting some up, showcasing the bits of capsicusm and tender beef. Red and white tea towel in the background, on a wooden table.

There are so many variations on goulash, depending on what part of the world (or what family) you are from. I'm just showing you the version I make in our home, and we love as a family!

However, there are a few non-negotiable ingredients in a proper goulash - beef, capsicums, onions, paprika, paprika, more paprika...you get the idea. Part of me wants to call this a 'paprika soup', but that doesn't quite roll off the tongue!

Close up photo of the Smokey Hungarian Goulash, served in a white bowl, with sour cream and fresh parsley on top. A metal spoon is lifting some up to the camera, and the bowl is set on a red and white striped tea towel.

American vs Hungarian Goulash

My smokey Hungarian goulash is different to the American versions of goulash you might see online. The American versions of goulash still have some kind of stewed meat (typically ground beef) with vegetables, tossed through pasta. This is not what I'm showing you here today. My version is the authentic Hungarian version, which is more of a thin stew or chunky soup!

Overhead photo of a pot of Smokey Hungarian Goulash, garnished with fresh parsley, on a red and white stripey tea towel.

It also has a slight Balkan twist with the addition of smoked speck and a hint of Vegeta powder. I owe a lot of this recipe to my dear husband who loves goulash. If you've been following along my blog, then you'll know he is Serbian. So my version of goulash is still authentically Hungarian, but makes the Balkan in him extra happy (and reminds him of the goulash he ate growing up)! And I must say, those extra few ingredients really make this goulash uniquely special and delicious!

Overhead photo of a bowl of Smokey Hungarian Goulash served in a white bowl, toppd with sour cream and fresh parsley, on a red and white tea towel. Spoon is to the right of the bowl.

History of Hungarian Goulash

Hungarian goulash dates back to at least the 9^th century. The Magyar herdsman of Hungary (known as the gulyás - sometimes translated as 'cowboys'!) would make simple stews of meat (usually mutton) and onions. It's now probably the most famous Hungarian dish! Interestingly, paprika wasn't actually introduced to Hungary until the 16^th century by the Ottoman Empire.

An overhead photo of a blue bowl filled with Hungarian sweet paprika against a wooden table.

So original Hungarian goulash wasn't made with paprika! The more you know! Nowadays, paprika is the star ingredient in an authentic Hungarian goulash, and what gives it that deep, vibrant red colour.

Ingredients for this Goulash

Overhead photo of all the ingredients needed to make Smokey Hungarian Goulash, on a wooden table.

Beef and Bone Broth

I like to use diced chuck beef for this smokey Hungarian goulash. It comes from the neck/shoulder area of the cow. Because it is quite a hard-working, tough muscle, it really benefits from slow-cooking to become tender and falling apart. But I suppose you could use any cut of beef that is suitable for stewing!

I love browning off the meat in beef tallow, as it's full of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, as well and healthy fatty acids. Aside from being healthy, it just tastes delicious!

Close up photo of raw diced beef chuck in a glass bowl on a wooden table.

For the liquid, I use a combination of beef bone broth, with water to thin it out. You can just use beef stock for the entire liquid base, if you like. But I love using beef bone broth for the extra nutrients it provides.

Bone broth is full of collagen, which breaks down into gelatin. It's made by simmering bones for over 12-24 hours (some even longer) to extract all the nutrients and minerals from the bones. These include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and amino acids (the building blocks of protein) like glycine and glutamine. A fantastic superfood!

A cup of bone broth set on a wooden table, with a metal spoon lifting some bone broth up to the camera. — I usually drink a hot cup of bone broth on its own!

Vegetables and Balkan Ingredients

Onions, garlic and carrot form the vegetable base for this smokey Hungarian goulash. You could add celery if you like, but I like to keep things simple! The smoked speck adds an extra layer of smokiness to the dish, and is a widely used ingredient in Balkan cooking, along with Vegeta powder.

Now, Vegeta does contain MSG, which some people are sensitive to, and excess amounts can be damaging. At the end of the day, everyone is different and you personally cannot tolerate MSG or are avoiding it, just substitute with salt! The goulash will still be absolutely delicious!

Photo of a can of Vegeta powder, on a wooden table, with a small white scoop showing some of the powder.

Paprika, Capsicum, and More Paprika!

Now for the star of the dish - the paprika. Fun fact! In Serbian, 'paprika' is what you would call a capsicum. Paprika the spice is made from grinding up dried capsicusm. So, the English word for 'paprika' comes from Hungarian and Serbo-Croatian roots. This is why I love using capsicums and paprika in this recipe.

The capsicum is smoked/charred for extra smokey flavour, and the paprika, well, there's a lot of it. Six tablespoons of it, to be exact. Plus a dash of smoked paprika. But the paprika is the hero of the dish, and is what thickens the sauce and gives is that beautiful, deep red colour. Just be sure to use Hungarian sweet paprika - not the normal kind! The Hungarian sweet paprika is sweeter and more flavourful. Told you it makes sense to call this 'paprika soup'!

Close-up photo of a blue bowl of Hungarian sweet paprika, a smaller bowl of smokey paprika, on a wooden table, and 4 red capsicums in the background.

Making the Goulash

This smokey Hungarian goulash is really simple to make. Plus, it's a one-pot meal, so less dishes to clean up! You start off by browning the beef to get that caramelised fond (the crusty brown bits) at the bottom of the pot. Next, you sauté the speck until some of the fat is released, then throw in your vegetables, and bay leaves.

Meanwhile, you'll be charring your capsicums, peeling the blackened skin, and cutting them into chunks. Alternatively, you can buy a jar of charred capsicum. But there's just something magical about making it fresh! Plus, you get to make them extra smokey.

Once the vegetables are soft, you toss through your paprika and spices, to coat everything. Then it's back in with the beef, and the chunks of charred capsicusm, beef bone broth, and water. Let it come to the boil, then pop it in the oven on a low heat for 2.5-3 hours.

The result is tender beef that falls apart, swimming in a delicious paprika-flavoured, smokey broth. It really is the ultimate comfort food!

How the Smokey Hungarian Goulash looks like as a final product once out of the oven: a chunky soup or thin stew. Shown in the pot in thi s overhead photo, with a ladle of it brought up to the camera, garnished with fresh parsley.

Serving your Smokey Hungarian Goulash

In authentic Hungarian style, you can simply serve this piping hot in a large bowl - it's eaten as a soup, after all! I always serve with a dollop of sour cream on top, and some fresh parsley for garnish. Because my recipe is more of a chunky soup or thin stew, it also pairs perfectly with a thick slice of crusty sourdough bread, for mopping up all that delicious paprika-flavoured broth.

Close up photo of this Smokey Hungarian Goulash served in a black bowl, topped with sour cream and fresh parsley, with a thick slice sourdough bread dipped into the sauce to show how red the paprika makes it.

For an even heartier meal, you can serve the goulash alongside some pasta, rice, noodles, polenta, or with some buttery mashed potatoes for a truly rich, comforting meal.

Close up photo of this Smokey Hungarian Goulash served in a rustic brown bowl, on a bed of mashed potatoes, topped with sour cream and fresh parsley, with a metal spoon lifting some up to the camera.

In any case, I hope you love this recipe! xxx

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 3 hrs

Total Time 3 hrs 15 mins

Cuisine: Balkan, Hungarian

Courses: Dinner, Lunch, Soups, Stews & Curries

Difficulty: Beginner

Servings: 6

Description

This one-pot meal of smokey Hungarian goulash is full of tender beef, smokey capsicum and lots of paprika. Slow-cooked in the oven, the result is a deep red, paprika-flavoured broth with beef that melts in your mouth. Top with sour cream and fresh parsley, and you've got a cosy, comforting winter meal!

Ingredients

1 kg diced beef (chuck roast is best, but any cut that's suitable for slow-cooking will be fine)
200 g smoked speck (cut into lardons/thin strips)
4 medium red capsicums (see Note 1)
2 carrots (diced)
3 large brown onions (diced)
8 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
6 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika (See note 2)
2 tsp smokey paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tsp vegeta powder (or, substitute with salt - see Note 3)
500 ml beef bone broth (or, use beef stock instead of bone broth+water. See note 4)
500 ml water
2 tbsp beef tallow (or butter, or ghee)

Method

1
Preheat your oven to 160°C fan.
2
Melt the tallow in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and sear for a few minutes until brown on all sides. You may need to work in batches. See Note 5.
3
Meanwhile, char your capsicums by placing them on a gas stove on an open flame, turning every few minutes. You want the skin to be blackened. Do not leave them unattended! Once charred, set aside on a plate until cool enough to handle. Peel the blackened skin (have a bowl of water next to you to dip your hands in, to make it easier!). Then discard the seeds and stem, and cut into chunks.
4
When the beef is browned, remove from the pot, and add in your smoked speck. Sauté for a few minutes until the fat starts to render. Then, throw in the garlic, onion, carrot, and bay leaves along with a small pinch of salt to help the vegetables soften.
5
Once softened, lower the heat and add your paprika, smokey paprika, pepper, vegeta (or salt), and toss everything for 30-60 seconds. Any longer than this and the paprika may burn.
6
Then return the beef to the pot, and the chunks of capsicum, along with bone broth and water (or stock, if using). Scrape any caramelised bits off the bottom of the pot. Pop the lid on and bring to the boil. Then place in the oven for 2.5-3 hours, until the beef is tender. Check in the last hour whether you might need to add a splash more water (depending on your desired consistency - see Note 6).
7
Remove from the oven, and serve with a dollop of sour cream and fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Note

You can also buy a jar of store-bought charred capsicum, but they are usually sitting in seed/vegetable oils which I avoid for health reasons (they can be inflammatory and are prone to becoming oxidised and rancid). Plus, they often don't taste especially smokey. So charring your own means you have total control over how smokey they get!
Make sure the label says Hungarian sweet paprika - not just regular paprika! The Hungarian paprika is much sweeter, and has much more flavour.
If you are avoiding MSG, then feel free to substitute the Vegeta powder with salt instead!
You can also use beef stock instead of bone broth+water. Because bone broth is full of collagen, which breaks down into gelatin, it can be a little too thick for the goulash. So that's why I thin it out with some water. If using stock, just be mindful of how salty it is if buying store-bought (every brand is different!).
Make sure the meat is actually caramelised on the outside (see pictures in recipe post) - not just a pale brown/grey! This caramelisation happens due to the Maillard reaction, and gives incredible depth of flavour to food.
If you want the goulash to be more soupy, add some water (or stock if you don't want to dilute the flavour). But there have been times where I've just left it in the oven and it's thickened, and it's still beautiful as a thick stew. Just a matter of preference!

Keywords: smokey, Hungarian, goulash, Balkan, one-pot meal

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