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.
I certainly can't claim that this rich beef goulash is authentically Hungarian, but I can tell you that it's tasty and warming and a recipe you'll keep coming back to! Best of all it's made in the slow cooker so has minimal hands-on time!
👩🍳 Love your slow cooker? Why not try my slow cooker hunter's chicken too!
Jump to:
✔️ Why should you try it?
- An easy dump and go slow cooker recipe.
- Suitable for home freezing.
- The recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd.
🥘 Ingredients
- Braising Steak - 1kg of braising or stewing steak cut into bitesize pieces.
- Onion - 1 white onion, sliced.
- Garlic - 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped.
- Red Peppers - 2 red peppers, cut into long slices.
- Passata - alterntively tinned chopped tomatoes can be used, but this will result in a chunkier stew.
- Tomato Puree - brings a richness to the dish.
- Sugar - helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes (you could also use honey).
- Beef Stock - 450ml of beef stock is needed for the recipe.
- Caraway Seeds - 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds (if you can't get hold of them just leave them out).
- Hot Paprika and Smoked Paprika - both types are used for maximum flavour.
- Thickening Granules - or alternatively dredge the beef in plain flour before putting it into your slow cooker basin.
- Soured Cream and Parsley - to serve.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the onion, garlic, peppers and paprika into your slow cooker basin.
Two: Add the bite size chunks of beef on top.
Three: In a bowl mix together the passata, tomato puree, caraway seeds and beef stock and pour on top of the beef. Give everything a mix and put the lid on.
Four: Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours until the beef is tender. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of thickening granules and wait for the sauce to thicken up (if you are unable to find thickening granules, dredge the chunks of beef in plain flour before putting them into your slow cooker). Season and serve with soured cream and parsely.
🍴 Serving suggestions
I like to serve this easy slow cooker goulash with rice, pasta, air fryer roast potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes. Sometimes I serve leftovers as a topping for jacket potatoes the next day.
📖 Variations
Try using pieces of pork shoulder instead of beef for a change.
For a lower-fat alternative to soured cream, use half fat creme fraiche instead, or leave it out altogether.
🥡 Storage
The slow cooker goulash can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
🧊 Suitable for freezing?
The goulash can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once the goulash has cooled completely, spoon into a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating in the microwave until piping hot.
❓ FAQS
Although long established as the national dish of Hungary, its origins actually go back as far as the 9th century, when herdsmen would prepare a supply of meat before they left home on long journeys. This was cooked and seasoned, along with onions, on an open fire until all the liquid was gone. Then all that needed to be done was to add boiling water when they were ready to eat!
By the 16th century, explorers had begun to bring back peppers to Europe from Mexico, which could also be dried to make the spice paprika. Goulash thus evolved to become more stew-like with the addition of peppers, tomatoes and paprika, which is how we know it today.
Cheaper cuts of beef are best for slow cooker goulash. Braising or stewing steak will become tender and fall-apart on slow cooking, and are ideal for this dish.
😋Related recipes
Some more slow cooker recipes to inspire you;
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
- Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Lamb Breast
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker Macaroni Cheese
- Slow Cooker Pulled Beef
- Slow Cooker Vegetable and Chickpea Curry
- Honey Garlic Chicken
You might also like my chicken goulash recipe too!
Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
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
- 3 tablespoon Thickening Granules (or use plain flour)
- Salt and Pepper
- Soured Cream and Parsely to serve
Instructions
- Place the onions, garlic, peppers and paprika spices in a slow cooker basin.
- Place the beef on top of the onion mix.
- In a bowl mix together the passata, tomato puree, sugar, beef stock and caraway seeds. Pour over the beef and onion mix. Give everything a stir and put on the lid.
- 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.
Notes
I'm linking this recipe up to #CookBlogShare which this week is hosted by Lost in Food.
Janice Pattie
A perfect Slow Cooker recipe, so easy to make and packed with flavour.
Shelley
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!
Erica Schwarz
I love dump and go recipes too and this looks perfect even for a weekday. Thanks for the recipe.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
Love how easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for our family!
Alison
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!
Angela
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.