Best Slow Cooker Beef Goulash Recipe
This slow cooked beef goulash is a simple, easy and effortless recipe that produces fork tender, melt in the mouth meat that’s richly flavored with garlic, cloves and caraway before slow cooking for hours. Traditionally served with noodles but goes equally well with mashed potatoes or steamed rice.
The BEST Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
A beef goulash is originally an Hungarian beef and vegetable stew slow cooked by herds men aka Hungarian Shepherds. The word goulash is derived from the Hungarian word guliyas which means herdsmen. Over year the dish has come to be known as Gulash meat.
Slow cooking was very common back in the olden days when workers who worked hours outside the house either in the fields or with their cattle had not time to come back and cook. Before they left home they’d put food on a safe fire to slow cook for hours so when they got back they would have something to eat.
Personally, I love slow cooked meats over anything roast or fried. Meat falling off the bones, soaking up all those exotic spices and juices. How can you not like such melt in the mouth meat?
While the original dish is a stew with meat and veggies, today I have skipped the veggies and made a thick Beef Goulash with only melt in the mouth meat. This is how I like my goulash.. thick sauce with loaded with meat flavors. Don’t get me wrong you can add veggies too!
Slow cooker Hungarian Beef Gulash Recipe, Best Beef Goulash Recipe EVER
Video – Slow Cooker Beef Goulash Recipe
Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)
- Beef – I like to use lamb shoulder meat that works great for slow cooking but if you ask the butcher he will give you a good meat that does really well for slow cooking and it is not necessarily expensive.
- Flour – This helps not just sear the meat but also as a sauce thicker. BUT if you want to keep it gluten free? Just substitute the flour with cornstarch. It will help sear the meat as well as thicken the sauce.
- Spices – today I am using cloves, caraway seeds and rosemary as my main flavors but if you prefer you can omit any of these. I love the depth of flavor the beef gets from the cloves and caraway seeds.
- Balsamic Vinegar – This isn’t just any vinegar! It’s gives a very special flavor and color to the beef goulash that matures even more with slow cooking. While I do think you should stick to balsamic vinegar, if you must substitute I’d rather you use apple cider vinegar instead of lemon.
- Stock – Beef is full of flavor so adding stock only adds more depth of flavor. You can use any stock chicken, beef or vegetables. If you want you can even add water instead of stock.
Slow cooker Hungarian Beef Goulash Recipe, Best Beef Goulash Recipe EVER
Don’t have a slow cooker?
Of course you can make this Beef Goulash even if you don’t have a slow cooker!! I did it for years before I got mine. All you do is use a heavy bottom casserole pan or Dutch oven instead of a saute pan and follow the same process
- Season the beef pieces with salt, pepper and flour
- In a heavy bottom pan (or dutch oven) sear the meat on all side with the oil on high heat. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan saute the onions and garlic.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients followed by the beef.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Let the whole thing come to a boil.
- Then lower the heat to a slow simmer.
- Continue to simmer covered on low for 2 hours until the meat is fork tender.
- Enjoy!
Slow cooker Hungarian Beef Gulash Recipe, Best Beef Goulash Recipe EVER
Recipe – Slow Cooker Beef Goulash Recipe (Save/Pin)
Tools
Ingredients
- Beef – 1 kg (2 lbs)
- Flour – 2 tbsp
- Cooking oil – 3 tbsp
- Onion – 1/2 cup chopped (1 medium)
- Garlic – 3 cloves sliced
- Worcestershire sauce – 2 tbsp
- Balsamic vinegar – 3 tbsp
- Tomato paste – 2 tbsp
- Stock – 1 cup
- Water – 1 cup
- Bay leaves – 2 medium
Spices
- Cloves powder – 1/8 tsp (or two cloves)
- Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp (or 10 corns)
- Caraway seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Dried rosemary – 1/2 tsp
- Dried thyme – 1/4 tsp
Method
Prepare
- Cut beef into large bit size pieces.
- Season with salt and pepper
- Then add flour and toss well to coat.
- Chop onions fairly small
- Mince garlic fine
- If using whole spices crush them with a mortar and pestle – set aside.
Pan Saute’
- Heat 2 tbsp oil to a saute pan
- Sear the floured beef pieces on all side. – Lay them in a single layer, turning only when needed letting them get a bit of colors.
- Remove seared beef from pan – keep warm.
- In the same saute pan add the remaining oil and saute onions and garlic.
- Cook for 2 minutes – remove and set aside
- De glaze the pan with the water removing any caramelized onions and beef residue
- Add, sugar, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar – cook another minute
- Remove from heat.
Set slow cooker
- Into the slow cooker – Add meat
- Followed by onion and garlic mixture.
- Ground spices
- De-glazed pan mixture
- Stock
- Bay leaves
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Use a spatula to ensure the meat is well tucked into the liquid
Slow Cook
- Set the slow cooker on low for 8 hours OR
- Set the slow cooker on high for 4 hours.
- I prefer to set it on high for 2 hours then on low for 4 hours.
- Beef goulash is traditionally served with Noodles but I love to have it with mashed potatoes or even steamed rice..
- Enjoy!
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The BEST Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
The BEST Slow Cooker Beef Goulash Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg Beef
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 3 tbsp Cooking oil
- 1/2 cup Onion chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic sliced
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 cup Stock
- 1 cup Water
- 2 Bay leaves
Spices
- 1/8 tsp Cloves powder or two cloves
- 1/2 tsp Pepper powder or 10 corns
- 1/2 tsp Caraway seeds
- 1/2 tsp Dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp Dried thyme
Instructions
Prepare
- Cut beef into large bit size pieces.
- Season with salt and pepper
- Then add flour and toss well to coat.
- Chop onions fairly small
- Mince garlic fine
- If using whole spices crush them with a mortar and pestle - set aside.
Pan Saute'
- Heat 2 tbsp oil to a saute pan
- Sear the floured beef pieces on all side. - Lay them in a single layer, turning only when needed letting them get a bit of colors.
- Remove seared beef from pan - keep warm.
- In the same saute pan add the remaining oil and saute onions and garlic.
- Cook for 2 minutes - remove and set aside
- De glaze the pan with the water removing any caramelized onions and beef residue
- Add, sugar, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar - cook another minute
- Remove from heat.
Set slow cooker
- Into the slow cooker - Add meat
- Followed by onion and garlic mixture.
- Ground spices
- De-glazed pan mixture
- Stock
- Bay leaves
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Use a spatula to ensure the meat is well tucked into the liquid
Slow Cook
- Set the slow cooker on low for 8 hours OR
- Set the slow cooker on high for 4 hours.
- I prefer to set it on high for 2 hours then on low for 4 hours.
- Beef goulash is traditionally served with Noodles but I love to have it with mashed potatoes or even steamed rice..
- Enjoy!
Love Slow Cooking? Me too!
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BEST beef goulash I ever made. Thanks
Thank you, Taylah. So happy that this recipe worked well for you and you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Love to hear from those who tried my recipe.
You are such a talented lady. I follow your cake stuff now I’m a fan of your foodstuff. I make this often and this is now our family favorite.
Thank you, Grady. Thanks for the kind words. So happy that this recipe worked well for you and you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Love to hear from those who tried my recipe.
I love goulash! I grew up eating it and there is something just so comforting about it! Love your recipe – Can’t wait to try this
Thank you Sarah. We love goulash too. I hope you give this a try.
I love all the gadgets ..which makes our life so easy!! This Recipe looks so delicious and inviting.. can’t wait to my it in my instant pot 😉
Thank you Soniya. I’m sure it will turn quicker in an instant pot and just as soft and tender.
This looks so delicious. I would sub for a different meat maybe a pork shoulder. I love it even more because you do it in a slow cooker.
Oh yes, pork would do really well with this slow cooking too!
This goulash looks delicious, I always think people in olden time makes delicious and easy dishes without much work to put on. I like your version of Beef goulash without veggies. You are right, crockpot make meat dishes perfect and juicy.
Thanks Swathi. Yes in the olden days they worked hard in the fields so the food was often these kind of dishes.
Now this is exactly what I call a perfect Family Comfort Meal. The flavors sound amazing and all that slow cooking is going to magically transfer it into this juciy-flaky delicious meal.
Thank you Molly. True is definitely a perfect family comfort meal for us. We love this on the weekend. Slow cooking is my favorite to cook on the weekends.
This looks so hearty and full of flavor! I love that you’ve paired this with potatoes.
Thank you Joanna. Yes, it is very hearty and full of flavor.
When I think of beef I think of Sunday meals. That was always a special meal. Your goulash looks incredibly tender — I think I would put it on polenta. Of course I put just about everything on polenta. 🙂 This is a classic meal that will never go out of style.
Yes Marisa. We do red meat mostly on Friday here – Friday for us is the weekend here. Goulash does cook until it’s really tender.!! Polenta would be perfect too!
What a comforting meal on a cold winter day. This looks and sounds delicious, Veena.
Thank you Catherine. yes definitely comfort food for winter.
I love all the spices you have added here. Slow cooker recipes are fun and relaxing during weekdays.
Slow cooker is sure fun for such dishes.. Thanks Uma
Slow cooked meats are my favorite too. They have time to soak up all the seasoning and flavoring (balsamic is awesome in this kind of cooking method, like you mentioned!). YUM
Absolutely Kylee. I love slow cooked meats too.. Thanks
This looks SO amazing! There’s nothing better than thick chunks of meat in a nice, thick stew sauce. I’m pinning and making this one for sure
Absolutely Karyl. I love meat in a thick sauce too!
What a hearty and comforting meal this is.
Thank you Pavani
Oh yes! That looks mouth watering good! I love beef recipes like this. So comforting. Pure deliciousness!
Me too April. Love beef slow cooked like this. So comforting
My mom used to made a similar version of this. Now it reminds me that it has been too long since I made it myself. This is perfect during comfort food season, and leftovers are always great too.
Thank you Gloria. I love Goulash and my mom often made it like I did too with no veggies too. I love left overs with such recipes.
Such a lovely classic and what a great idea of making it in the slow cooker, that technique really helps the meat to be tender and full of flavor.
The slow cooker is such a blessing Adriana. I love slow cooked meat that soft and tender.
This is so tempting and yum. I can do this using my instant pot. Yes! I can tackle this on weekends.
Absolutely Calleigh. I’m sure an Instant Pot would work too!
This looks so much better than what I had in mind. I use my crockpot often and this is something I definitely would make over and over again.
Thank you Mirlene. Yes I love using my crockpot too! Simple and easy work for the weekends.
This goulash looks SO good. We need hearty dishes like this here during our stormy, cold winter months!
Absolutely Marlynn. I know what you mean. It’s cold and rainy here so such dishes are sure comfort food
This looks great! I love anything that can be made in the crockpot so this is perfect!
Absolutely Lauren. I love using my crockpot especially for weekend meals