This slow cooker beef goulash is a hearty and warming beef and red pepper stew cooked in a smoky tomato-based paprika sauce. Perfect comfort food that the whole family will love.
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A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
🕒 Ready In: 6 hours 10 minutes
👪 Serves: 6
🍽 Calories: 302 per serving (excluding sour cream)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Braising Steak, Peppers, Onion, Passata, Paprika (Smoked and Hot), Beef Stock, Caraway Seeds
📖 Dietary Info: High in protein
👌 Difficulty: Easy
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Cooked low and slow in the slow cooker, the beef becomes beautifully melt-in-the-mouth tender while the paprika-rich tomato sauce develops deep, rich flavours - making this an ideal comfort food recipe for colder days and cosy evenings.
If you love slow cooker beef recipes, there's plenty more to see on the blog including slow cooker Chinese beef, slow cooker beef keema, and slow cooker pulled beef recipes.
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- An easy dump-and-go slow cooker recipe.
- Made with simple ingredients.
- Perfect for batch cooking and freezing.
- Rich, warming flavours the whole family will love.
🥘 Ingredients
A full ingredients list along with Metric and US Customary measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Braising steak - 1kg braising or stewing steak, cut into bite-sized pieces (chuck or shin also work well).
Onion - 1 large white onion, sliced (brown or red onion can be used).
Garlic - 2 cloves, peeled and finely chopped (or 1-2 teaspoon garlic paste).
Red peppers - 2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced into strips (yellow or orange peppers are fine too).
Passata - 400g passata for a smooth sauce (tinned chopped tomatoes can be used for a chunkier goulash).
Tomato purée - 2 tbsp, adds richness and depth to the sauce.
Sugar - 1 teaspoon to balance the acidity of the tomatoes (or use honey).
Beef stock - 450ml beef stock made with a good-quality stock cube or fresh stock.
Caraway seeds - 1 tsp, optional but adds an authentic goulash flavour.
Paprika - 2 tablespoon smoked paprika and 1 tablespoon hot paprika for deep, smoky warmth (use sweet paprika for less heat).
Salt and Pepper - for seasoning.
Thickening granules - 3 tablespoon to thicken the sauce (or dredge the beef in plain flour before cooking).
Soured cream and parsley - to serve, for creaminess and freshness.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
📖 Variations
- Pork goulash - use diced pork shoulder instead of beef for a slightly sweeter but equally tender slow cooker goulash.
- Lower-fat option - swap the soured cream for half-fat crème fraîche, or leave it out completely for a lighter dish.
- Extra vegetables - add mushrooms or carrots to bulk the goulash out and make it go further.
- Spicy goulash - increase the hot paprika or add a pinch of chilli flakes for extra heat.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the sliced onion, garlic and peppers into the slow cooker basin and sprinkle over the smoked and hot paprika.
Two: Add the bite-sized pieces of beef on top of the vegetables.
Three: In a bowl or jug, mix together the passata, tomato purée, beef stock, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Pour over the beef, give everything a gentle stir and put the lid on.
Four: Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is tender. Stir in the thickening granules and allow the sauce to thicken (if not using thickening granules, dredge the beef in plain flour before adding it to the slow cooker). Season to taste and serve with soured cream and parsley.
Top Tips
- Use the right cut of beef - Braising or stewing steak is ideal for slow cooking as it becomes tender over long, gentle heat; lean cuts will stay tough.
- Don't skimp on the paprika - Paprika is the key flavour in goulash, so use a good-quality smoked paprika for depth and hot or sweet paprika to suit your taste.
- Layer for best results - Placing the vegetables at the bottom of the slow cooker helps them soften properly and prevents the beef from sticking.
- Avoid lifting the lid - Every time you remove the lid, heat escapes and slows down the cooking process, so leave it covered until the end.
- Better the next day - Like most slow cooker stews, beef goulash often tastes even better after resting overnight as the flavours continue to develop.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve this easy slow cooker goulash with rice, pasta, air fryer roast potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes.
Storage
Store - Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze - Allow the goulash to cool completely, then freeze in a suitable container for up to 3 months. Portioning before freezing makes it easier to reheat.
Reheat - Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently in a pan over low heat or in the microwave until piping hot. Stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from separating.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Braising or stewing steak works best because these tougher cuts become tender and juicy when cooked slowly over several hours. Cuts like chuck, blade, or shin are ideal.
Browning isn't essential, but it adds extra flavour and colour to the goulash. If you have time, sear the beef in a pan before adding it to the slow cooker.
Slow cookers retain moisture, so only add the recommended liquid. If the sauce is too thin at the end, thicken it with a little flour or cornflour stirred in, or add thickening granules.
😋Related recipes
More slow cooker recipes to inspire you:
You might also like my chicken goulash recipe too!
Tried it? Let me know what you think and rate it ⭐️ below. Tag me @effortlessf00d-I'd love to see! Don't forget to subscribe for more recipes.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
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Equipment
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 kg Braising Steak cut into bitesize pieces
- 1 Onion peeled and sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
- 2 Red Peppers sliced.
- 1 tablespoon Hot Paprika
- 2 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 400 g Passata
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 450 ml Beef Stock
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds
- Salt and Pepper
- 3 tablespoon Thickening Granules (or use plain flour)
- Soured Cream and Parsely to serve
Instructions
- Place the sliced onion, garlic and peppers into the slow cooker basin and sprinkle over the smoked and hot paprika.1 Onion, 2 Garlic Cloves, 2 Red Peppers
- Place the beef on top of the onion mix.1 kg Braising Steak
- In a bowl mix together the paprika, passata, tomato puree, sugar, beef stock, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Pour over the beef and onion mix. Give everything a stir and put on the lid.1 tablespoon Hot Paprika, 2 tablespoon Smoked Paprika, 400 g Passata, 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree, 450 ml Beef Stock, 1 teaspoon Sugar, 1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds, Salt and Pepper
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in 3 tablespoon of thickening granules and mix until the sauce begins to thicken. Season and serve with soured cream and parsely.3 tablespoon Thickening Granules, Soured Cream and Parsely to serve
Angela says
Slow cooker recipes are my favorite thing in the fall for great dinners. The delicious smells that meet you at the door. Great dinner recipe.
Alison says
Goulash reminds me of the kind of home cooked meals my mom would make growing up! This slow cooker version looks simple yet super flavorful!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Love how easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for our family!
Erica Schwarz says
I love dump and go recipes too and this looks perfect even for a weekday. Thanks for the recipe.
Shelley says
I adore "dump-and-go" slow cooker recipes - so very easy for busy weeks! And this is such absolutely wonderful comfort food, just perfect as we're sliding into chilly weather here in Ohio! Even better that it easily doubles and can be frozen, so it's a great make-ahead recipe, too!
Janice Pattie says
A perfect Slow Cooker recipe, so easy to make and packed with flavour.