The Best Slow Cooker Goulash Recipe (Hungarian Inspired)

The best slow cooker goulash, featuring savory ingredients like paprika, beef bone broth, and chuck eye roast. Only 20 minutes of prep time and 8 simple steps. 

Goulash (pronounced goo-laash) is a traditional Hungarian meat and vegetable soup or stew that’s made with beef, tomatoes, and a generous amount of paprika. It’s comfort food at its finest: hearty, savory, rich, and warming.

The History of Hungarian Goulash

Goulash is traced all the way back to the ninth century when it was eaten by shepherds in Hungary and Central Europe. Back then, a beef goulash recipe wasn’t a whole lot more than a “meat and liquid” soup, consisting mainly of beef, broth, onions, and in some cases, potatoes. It was made in what you could call a prehistoric slow cooker or crockpot: a cauldron.

Although paprika is a hallmark ingredient of goulash, it wasn’t likely added to the recipe until the 16th century. Diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, or tomato paste are also said to be modern-day goulash additions.

Since the 16th century, traditional goulash has evolved, and many variations are enjoyed all over the world. Today, it’s still one of the most popular dishes in Hungary and Central Europe.

While goulash consistently gets its signature taste and color from smoked paprika, you can find it made with a variety of different veggies—such as bell peppers, peas, and celery—and different types of meat other than the usual beef (like veal, pork, or lamb).

Goulash can be served as soup or over your favorite starchy carbohydrates like rice, mashed potatoes, egg noodles, garlic bread, or pasta al dente.

Slow Cooker Goulash: Hungarian Style vs. American Style

An American goulash recipe can be quite different from a traditional Hungarian goulash. It’s more likely to be a lean ground beef, tomato served over elbow macaroni noodles and topped with cheddar cheese. It can be somewhat comparable to an American chili made with beef and tomato paste.

In this recipe, we’re using traditional ingredients like chuck eye roast, beef bone broth, and paprika, so it can be considered more of a Hungarian-style goulash. I didn’t include potatoes in this slow cooker goulash recipe, but if you want to go the traditional route, you can serve it over mashed or regular potatoes instead of the suggested rice or egg noodles. You can also add potatoes (or cornstarch) to the soup to thicken it up.

What’s the Difference Between Beef Stew and Beef Goulash?

If goulash is considered Hungarian beef stew, you may be wondering what the difference is between American beef stew and goulash. The difference is mainly in the seasoning. Goulash is known for its predominant smoked paprika taste, while beef stew contains a greater variety of vegetables and savory seasonings like Italian seasonings, caraway seeds, black pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce (sometimes soy sauce), and red wine. Stew is also often thickened with flour, while goulash is thickened only with potatoes or cornstarch.

How to Make Beef Goulash in the Slow Cooker (8 Easy Steps)

It takes just 20 minutes to prepare this goulash. All you need to do is combine the aromatics in a skillet on the stovetop and season the beef with salt and pepper.

Then, you’ll leave it to slow cook for eight hours as the chuck eye beef roast becomes perfectly tender and the broth rich, savory, and flavorful. I didn’t think this was possible, but it tastes even better when you reheat it the next day.

Note: If you want to serve the goulash on top of potatoes, rice, or egg or rice noodles, prepare the side dish according to the package directions (if applicable) as the goulash cooks.

Step one:

Add onion, paprika, salt, tomato paste, garlic, and cumin to a non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the onions are soft and lightly browned.

Step two:

Add cornstarch to the skillet and mix until it’s fully incorporated.

Step three:

Add beef bone broth or beef broth to the skillet and stir until the mixture begins to thicken.

Step four:

Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Lightly season beef with salt and pepper and add the beef and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for eight to ten hours. If you want to speed up the process a bit, you can also cook on high for five to seven hours.

Step five:

Once the cooking time is up, let the cooking liquid set for a few minutes and skim as much fat as possible from the surface with a spoon. Remove the bay leaf.

Step six:

Put aside one cup of the cooking liquid in a small bowl. Add peas and cover the slow cooker for another five minutes.

Step seven:

Add sour cream to the small bowl of the cooking liquid. Mix well until blended.

Step eight:

Once the peas are cooked, add the sour cream mixture back into the slow cooker. Dish up the slow cooker beef over cooked egg noodles, rice, or potatoes.

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