Making German Goulash is a satisfying and wholesome experience. Tender meat, infused with red wine and aromatic spices and herbs. Rindergulasch ( German beef goulash) is an easy meaty stew that can be prepared on the stove, slow cooker (affiliate link) / crockpot (affiliate link) or pressure cooker.
German Goulash is a hearty beef stew that is slow-cooked until the meat is tender. The stew is flavoured with onions, garlic, red wine and spices such as marjoram, thyme, and caraway seeds.
In Germany this dish is not called "German Goulash" but "Rindergulasch" (beef goulash) or "Saftgulasch"
No, goulash as a dish had its origins in nomadic times. However, it is mostly associated with Hungary, when it started cultivating paprika powder as a cheap alternative to pepper.
Goulash was introduced to Germany via the Austrian-Hungarian empire. At first, it was known as a dish for the poor but then was associated with the military during the first world war.
How to make German Goulash
This is a recipe for an authentic German Goulash just as my mum makes it. Like many traditional recipes, every family in Germany has their own recipe that travels down generations and is adjusted to personal taste.
Ingredients:
- Stewing beef - it is important that you buy cuts of beef that are suitable for stewing. Best from the beef chuck, shoulder, rib, topside or silverside.
- onions
- garlic cloves
- tomato paste
- flour
- clarified butter- can be substituted with vegetable oil and a tablespoon of butter
- red wine - use a wine that you would choose to drink. For the best flavour, I recommend a strong red wine.
- beef broth
- sweet paprika powder
- marjoram (affiliate link) - this can be substituted with sage (affiliate link)
- thyme
- spicy paprika powder (optional - you can use cayenne pepper instead)
Recipe- Step by Step
Cook on the stove
- Ensure that the meat has acclimatised to room temperature before frying. Remove it from the fridge at least an hour before cooking. Never fry the cold meat straight in hot oil, as it will cool down the oil and the bottom of the pan. This will cause too much meat juice to escape and makes the meat dry.
- If necessary, chop the meat into 2-3 cm big cubes. Peel the onions and roughly chop them. Peel and finely slice the garlic.
- In a large saucepan, heat the clarified butter (or oil with 1 tablespoon of butter) and fry the onions until they are brown. Then remove them from the saucepan.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoon of oil and sear the meat at a high temperature. It should brown from all sides to develop some roasting flavour. If you have a lot of meat, it is better to fry the meat in batches. Otherwise, the meat will cook rather than sear and too much of the meat juice will escape.
- Place the onions back into the saucepan with the meat. Add the tomato paste and briefly mix it together. Now dust with the flour and mix again so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
- Pour in the red wine to deglaze the stew. Leave to bubble away until the red wine is reduced to ⅔.
- Now add the garlic, paprika powder (sweet and spicy), marjoram (affiliate link), and thyme and briefly mix it in with a wooden spoon.
- Add in the beef broth and then leave the goulash to cook for about 90 minutes with the lid on. Stir occasionally to ensure the bottom does not burn. After an hour, you can check the skew and if it is too liquidy, you can leave the lid off for the last half an hour.
Cook the German goulash in the slow cooker / crockpot
- Follow the instructions to cook the goulash in a saucepan until step 5.
- Pour the cooked ingredients into your slow cooker (affiliate link)/ crockpot (affiliate link) and add the beef stock/ beef broth. Pour in the wine.
- Cook in the slow cooker (affiliate link) (affiliate link) for around 5-6 hours until the meat falls off the fork. To thicken the goulash sauce, carefully stir in a tablespoon of cornflour / plain flour. Increase the heat, as this should thicken the sauce. If the sauce is still too thin, stir in another tablespoon of cornflour/ plain flour, until the desired consistency is achieved.
Make in a pressure cooker
- Follow the instructions to cook the goulash in a saucepan until step 7.
- Add the lid to the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 45 minutes.
- Once the lid is removed, mix in a tablespoon of cornstarch/cornflour to thicken up the sauce. Bring the goulash back to boil with the lid removed to thicken the sauce. Should the sauce still be too thin, add an additional tablespoon of cornflour until the desired consistency is achieved.
Expert Tips for the BEST German Goulash
What red wine to use?
There is no particular type of wine that Germans use for their goulash. However, I would advise you to choose one that you are happy to drink. Do not opt for cheap wine, as the food can only be as good as its ingredients. In general, a dry red wine will do. For a German wine try a Spätburgunder. Alternatively, you can also use a Spanish Rioja or an Italian Primitivo.
Do I have to sear the beef before cooking?
Strictly speaking no, but I would strongly recommend you do. The searing of the meat will give the dish a lovely roasted flavour. This intensifies the natural taste of the Goulash. The browned onions and slightly caramelised tomato paste will round off the flavour.
Oil or clarified butter for German goulash
Whether you fry in oil or clarified butter is a matter of personal taste. Clarified Butter (Butterschmalz) may not be easily available in the UK and US. You can use ghee instead but it has a nuttier taste. I like clarified butter as gives the meat a sweet buttery taste. Regular butter is not suitable for frying as it burns at high heat. A tip for those of you who cannot get hold of clarified butter but want the taste: Add 1 tablespoon of butter to your oil. It will give it a buttery flavour.
Add lemon peel to goulash.
The addition of lemon peel gives the goulash stew a nice fresh kick. It adds a fruity flavour. Compared to lemon juice, lemon peel maintains its flavour when cooked. At first, the taste is subtle, but the longer you chew the more pronounced it gets. Make sure to use an unwaxed lemon, where the peel is suitable for eating.
What to serve with goulash?
Goulash is perfect for side dishes that soak up the gravy. We can divide them up into:
Potato side dishes: Such as boiled or mashed potatoes, German fried potatoes (Bratkartoffeln), German Potato Dumplings
Starchy foods: Such as Spätzle, pasta, Semmelknödel or rice
Vegetables: Such as German Red Cabbage, sauerkraut, Brussel sprouts, green beans, mushrooms or root vegetables, such as carrots or parsnips.
You can also offer this mushroom stroganoff, which can double as a side dish and as an alternative for vegans.
Salads: Gurkensalat (German cucumber salad), Krautsalat (German coleslaw), green salad.
Storage Instructions:
In Germany, you say that the taste of goulash improves the more you reheat it. You can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Goulash is great for freezing. Just divide it into portions, and place it into an airtight freezer bag. It stays good for up to 3-5 months.
More German-style Goulash recipes
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Recipe
Old Fashioned German Goulash (Rindergulasch)
Ingredients
- 600 g stewing beef (21 oz) best cuts are beef chuck, shoulder, rib, topside or silverside.
- 250 g onions (8.8 oz)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 tablespoon clarified butter can be substituted with vegetable oil. To get the buttery taste you can add 1 tablespoon of butter with the oil.
- 250 ml red wine (8.4 fl oz )dry red wine such as Spätburgunder, Rijoa, Merlot
- 400 ml beef broth (13.5 fl oz)
- 3 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon majoram dried
- ½ tsp thyme dried
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
- ½ teaspoon spicy paprika powder optional
- 1 teaspoon lemon peel grated - make sure you use a organic lemon and that the skin is suitable for eating.
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoon cornflour/starch (optional)
Instructions
- Ensure that the meat has acclimatised to room temperature before frying. Remove it from the fridge at least an hour before cooking. Never fry the cold meat straight in hot oil, as it will cool down the oil and the bottom of the pan. This will cause too much meat juice to escape and makes the meat dry.
- If necessary, chop the meat into 2-3 cm big cubes. Peel the onions and roughly chop them. Peel the garlic.
- In a large saucepan, heat the clarified butter (or oil with 1 tablespoon of butter) and fry the onions until they are browned. Then remove them from the saucepan.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoon of clarified butter (or oil) and sear the meat at a high temperature. It should brown from all sides to develop some roasting flavour. If you have a lot of meat, it is better to fry the meat in batched. Otherwise, the meat will cook rather than sear and too much of the meat juice will escape.
- Place the onions back into the saucepan with the meat. Add the tomato paste and briefly mix together. Now dust with the flour and mix again so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
- Pour in the red wine to deglaze the stew. Leave to bubble away until the red wine reduced to ⅔.
- Now add the garlic, paprika powder (sweet and spicy ), lemon zest, marjoram (affiliate link), thyme and caraway seeds. Briefly mix it in with a wooden spoon.
- Add in the beef broth and then leave the goulash to cook for about 90 minutes with the lid on. Stir ocassionally to ensure the bottom does not burn. After an hour, you can check the skew and if it is too liquidy, you can leave the lid off for the last half an hour.
- If the sauce is still too thin, stir in another tablespoon of cornflour/ plain flour, until the desired consistency is achieved.
To cook in a slow cooker / crockpot
- Follow the instructions to cook the goulash in a saucepan until step 5.
- Pour the cooked ingredients into your slow cooker (affiliate link)/ crockpot (affiliate link) and add the beef stock/ beef broth. Pour in the wine.
- Cook in the slow cooker (affiliate link) for around 5-6 hours until the meat falls off the fork Remove the lid, if necessary for the last hour to thicken the stew. If it is still to liquidly, stir in 1 tablespoon of corn flour / corn starch and bring to a boil.
Make in a pressure cooker
- Follow the instructions to cook the goulash in a saucepan until step 7.
- Add the lid to the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 45 minutes.
- Once the lid is removed, mix in a tablespoon of cornstarch/cornflour to thicken up the sauce. Bring the goulash back to boil with the lid removed to thicken the sauce. Should the sauce still be too thin, add an additional tablespoon of cornflour until the desired consistency is achieved.
Anya says
This Rindergulasch came out so rich and tasty!! I had smoked sweet paprika only, so this is what I used instead of a combo of sweet and spicy. I am saving this one to my favorites.
Marita Sinden says
Hi Anya, thanks! I am so glad you enjoyed it!