The snow was coming down hard last February when Emma trudged in from playing outside, his cheeks bright red and his mittens soaked through. "Mom, I'm freezing! Can we have that really thick soup with the soft meat?" He meant my German Goulash, the one I make when the temperature drops and we need something that sticks to your ribs. After thirteen years of cooking professionally, including a year working in a German restaurant in Munich, I've learned that real goulash isn't the American version with macaroni. It's a rich, paprika-heavy beef stew that simmers for hours until the meat falls apart and the sauce gets thick and velvety.
Why I Love This German Goulash
This German goulash hits every note I want in a cold-weather meal. The beef gets so tender after that long simmer that it practically melts on your tongue. The sauce is thick and rich, almost gravy-like, with this deep paprika flavor that's sweet and earthy without being spicy. Those caramelized onions break down completely and add this natural sweetness that balances the acidity from the tomatoes and wine. When you take a bite, you get tender beef, that velvety sauce, and if you serve it over spaetzle or egg noodles, those little dumplings soak up every bit of that incredible liquid.
I love it because it's one of those recipes where the longer you ignore it, the better it gets. Just brown the meat, add everything else, and let it simmer for two hours while you do literally anything else. No constant stirring, no babysitting, just occasional checks to make sure it's not boiling too hard. When I made this for my husband's family last winter, his German grandmother actually teared up and said it reminded her of home. She gave me her recipe card with handwritten notes in German, which is basically the highest compliment I've ever received in the kitchen.
Jump to:
- Why I Love This German Goulash
- Ingredients You'll Need For German Goulash
- How To Make German Goulash Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for German Goulash
- German Goulash Variations
- Equipment For German Goulash
- Storing Your German Goulash
- Why This German Goulash Works
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- Comfort That Warms You Through!
- Related
- Pairing
- German Goulash
Ingredients You'll Need For German Goulash
For the Goulash:
- 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
- 3 large onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional Add-ins:
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 2 medium potatoes, cubed
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Splash of red wine vinegar
For Serving:
- Fresh dill or parsley
- Spaetzle or egg noodles
- Crusty bread for dipping
- Sour cream dollop
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make German Goulash Step By Step
Brown the Beef:
- Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels
- Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat
- Brown beef in batches
- Remove beef and set aside
- Don't skip this step — it adds flavor
Build the Base:
- Lower heat to medium
- Add onions to the same pot
- Cook 10 minutes until soft and golden
- Add garlic and paprika, stir 1 minute
- Stir in tomato paste
Simmer and Cook:
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
- Return beef to pot with any juices
- Add broth, wine, bay leaves, caraway, and marjoram
- Bring to boil, then reduce to low simmer
- Cover and cook 2-2.5 hours, stirring occasionally
- Meat should be fork-tender when done
Smart Swaps for German Goulash
Healthier Options:
- Lean beef → Beef chuck (less fat but drier)
- Less oil → Regular amount (still works)
- Low-sodium broth → Regular broth (better control)
- Skip the wine → Use all broth (less depth but fine)
Dietary Needs:
- Chicken or turkey → Beef (totally different but still good)
- Vegetable broth → Beef broth (for pescatarian)
- Mushrooms → Half the beef (vegetarian version)
- Gluten-free noodles → Regular noodles (celiac-safe)
Meat Options:
- Pork shoulder → Beef chuck (sweeter, more tender)
- Lamb → Beef (gamier, very traditional)
- Venison → Beef (leaner, wilder taste)
- Mix of beef and pork → All beef (richer)
Flavor Twists:
- Fresh marjoram → Dried (more potent)
- Smoked paprika → Sweet paprika (deeper flavor)
- Beer → Red wine (more Germanic)
- Apple cider vinegar → Wine vinegar (fruity tang)
German Goulash Variations
Goulash Soup:
- Add 2 more cups of broth
- Make it thinner and more soup-like
- Serve in bowls with crusty bread
- Add diced potatoes
- Perfect for cold winter nights
Slow Cooker Version:
- Brown beef and onions first
- Transfer everything to crockpot
- Cook on low 6-8 hours
- Comes home to dinner ready
- Makes the house smell amazing
German Goulash with Dumplings:
- Skip the noodles entirely
- Make traditional bread dumplings
- Drop them in last 20 minutes
- They soak up all that sauce
- More authentic and hearty
Spicy Bavarian Style:
- Add hot paprika with the sweet
- Throw in diced jalapeños
- Use dark beer instead of wine
- Top with horseradish cream
- My husband's favorite version
Equipment For German Goulash
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (5-6 quart)
- Sharp knife (for cutting beef)
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Tongs (for turning beef)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Ladle (for serving)
Storing Your German Goulash
Refrigerator (4-5 days):
- Cool completely before storing
- Store in airtight container
- Reheat gently on stovetop over low heat
- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking
- Actually tastes better the next day
Freezer (3-4 months):
- Cool completely first
- Freeze in portions for easier thawing
- Leave headspace in containers
- Thaw overnight in fridge
- Reheat slowly on stovetop
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Make full batch up to 3 days ahead
- Store without noodles or dumplings
- Add fresh sides when serving
- Flavors get even better with time
- Reheat gently to avoid toughening meat
Best Reheating Practice:
- Takes about 15 minutes to heat through
- Always use stovetop, not microwave
- Add splash of broth if too thick
- Low heat prevents meat from drying out
- Stir gently to avoid breaking up beef
Why This German Goulash Works
The magic of German goulash comes down to understanding what happens to tough meat when you cook it low and slow. Beef chuck is full of collagen that's the connective tissue that makes it chewy when cooked quickly. But when you braise it gently for two hours, that collagen breaks down into gelatin, which is what makes the meat tender and the sauce thick and silky. This is why you can't rush German Goulash. High heat seizes up the proteins and makes the meat tough. Low heat over time transforms it into something you can cut with a spoon.
The paprika isn't just for color or mild flavor it's actually doing chemical work. Paprika contains carotenoids that are fat-soluble, meaning they need fat to release their full flavor. That's why you bloom it in the oil with the onions before adding liquid. Those compounds bind with the fat and distribute throughout the dish, giving you that deep, earthy-sweet flavor in every bite. The onions break down completely during cooking and add natural sugars that caramelize and balance the acidity from the tomatoes and wine. That's why you need so many onions — they basically dissolve into the sauce and create the body.
Top Tip
- Back making this at least 40 times, here's what makes the difference between okay and amazing. First, don't cut your beef too small. I used to cut it into tiny cubes thinking smaller pieces would cook faster, but they'd dry out and get tough. You want 1.5-inch chunks they seem huge at first but they shrink during cooking and stay juicy. Also, really dry your beef with paper towels before browning. Wet meat steams instead of sears, and you lose all that flavor. I pat each piece dry now, and it makes a huge difference in how much color I can get on them.
- The paprika needs to be fresh and high-quality. I can't stress this enough. Old paprika from your spice rack that's been there since 2019? Throw it out. It loses flavor fast and can even turn bitter. Buy new paprika from a European deli or online, and keep it in the freezer to maintain freshness. When you add the paprika to the pot, cook it for just one minute with the garlic.
- Any longer and it burns and turns bitter. I scorched a whole batch once by letting the paprika cook for three minutes while I answered the phone, and the whole pot tasted acrid and wrong.Don't let it boil. This needs to be a gentle simmer you should see just a few bubbles breaking the surface every few seconds. A hard boil makes the meat tough and seizes up the proteins. I keep my burner on the lowest setting that maintains a simmer, and I check it every 30 minutes or so.
FAQ
What is German goulash made of?
German goulash is made with chunks of beef (usually chuck roast), lots of onions, sweet paprika, tomato paste, beef broth, and often red wine. The key ingredients are the beef and paprika everything else is just supporting players. You brown the beef, cook down the onions until they're sweet and soft, add paprika and tomato paste, then simmer everything in broth for a couple hours until the meat falls apart.
What is the difference between German goulash and American goulash?
Completely different dishes that just share a name. American goulash is ground beef with elbow macaroni, tomato sauce, and maybe some cheese basically a one-pot pasta dish. German goulash is chunks of beef braised for hours in a paprika-heavy sauce until tender, served over noodles or dumplings. American version takes 30 minutes and tastes like spaghetti. German version takes 2+ hours and tastes like a rich beef stew.
What is the difference between German and Hungarian goulash?
Hungarian goulash (gulyás) is thinner and more soup-like, traditionally made by Hungarian shepherds. It has more liquid, often includes potatoes, and is served as a soup. German goulash is thicker, more stew-like, with less broth and a richer sauce. Hungarian version is all about the paprika broth. German version is about tender meat in thick sauce. Both use tons of paprika and long cooking times, but the texture and serving style are different.
What are the different types of goulash?
There are dozens of regional variations across Central Europe. Hungarian gulyás is the original soup version. German goulash is thicker and stew-like. Austrian goulash often includes vinegar for tang. Czech goulash sometimes has beer instead of wine. Szeged goulash adds sauerkraut. There's also goulash soup versus goulash stew, beef versus pork, with potatoes versus with dumplings.
Comfort That Warms You Through!
Now you have all the tricks to make perfect German goulash from browning that beef properly to simmering it low and slow until it falls apart. This German goulash recipe proves that the best comfort food can't be rushed. Just good beef, lots of paprika, patience, and time create something that tastes like it came from a cozy German gasthaus on a snowy night.
Craving more hearty comfort food? Try our Best Broccoli And Potato Soup Recipe for creamy, cheesy bowls that warm you from the inside out. Need easy party appetizers? Our The Best Ham and Cheese Pinwheels Recipe delivers flaky, buttery bites everyone loves. Looking for grilled dinners with bold flavors? Our Best Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers Recipe brings tropical magic to your backyard!
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with German Goulash
German Goulash
Equipment
- 1 Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (5–6 qt) (For browning and simmering)
- 1 Sharp knife (For cutting beef and vegetables)
- 1 Cutting board (For prepping meat and veggies)
- 1 Wooden spoon or spatula (For stirring)
- 1 Tongs (For turning beef while browning)
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons (For accurate seasoning)
- 1 Ladle (For serving)
Ingredients
For the Goulash:
- 2 lb Beef chuck - Cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoon Vegetable oil or lard - For browning beef
- 3 large Onions - Diced
- 4 cloves Garlic - Minced
- 3 tablespoon Sweet paprika - Fresh preferred
- 1 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 2 cups Beef broth - Low-sodium or regular
- 1 cup Dry red wine - Optional; adds depth
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon Caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon Dried marjoram
- To taste Salt and black pepper
Optional Add-ins:
- 2 Bell peppers - Diced
- 2 Medium potatoes - Cubed
- 1 teaspoon Hot paprika - For heat
- To taste Fresh parsley - For garnish
- Splash Red wine vinegar - Adds tang
For Serving:
- To taste Fresh dill or parsley - Garnish
- As needed Spaetzle or egg noodles - To soak up sauce
- As needed Crusty bread - For dipping
- 1 dollop Sour cream - Optional
Instructions
- Brown beef in batches until deeply seared for flavor
- Cook onions and garlic, bloom paprika, and stir in tomato paste
- Simmer beef gently in liquid and spices until tender
- Incorporate optional vegetables and seasonings for extra flavor
- Plate goulash over noodles with garnish and serve warm
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