Hungarian Beef Goulash with Homemade Nokedli
Updated: 2 days ago
By Chef Jon Ashton | Published April 10, 2025
Why you'll love it: meltingly tender beef · no flour needed · sweet Hungarian paprika · homemade nokedli.
I have always enjoyed a dish that asks for patience rather than complicated technique.
Hungarian goulash is a wonderful example.
A generous quantity of onions, a few good pieces of beef, some sweet Hungarian paprika, and a heavy pot on the stove. Nothing particularly extravagant, yet given a little time, those humble ingredients become something rather special.
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Before you start: Goulash starts with well browned beef and a mountain of finely chopped onions. Both are covered in my Kitchen School, and each lesson takes about five minutes to read. How to sear meat · Knife skills · Salt 101
Hungarian Beef Goulash with Homemade Nokedli
Serves 4 to 6
Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 2½ to 3 hours
Total: 3 to 3½ hours
Level: Easy
Equipment: Dutch Oven, Chef's Knife, Wooden Cutting Board, Stock Pot for the nokedli, and a Saute Pan. Also useful: Digital Scale.
Ingredients
For the Hungarian Beef Goulash
2 pounds (900 g) beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes
2 tablespoons pork lard
1½ pounds (700 g) yellow onions (about 4 medium), peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
½ teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika, optional
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed
1 medium red bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 mild Hungarian wax pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 small ripe tomato, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1¼ cups (300 ml) low sodium beef stock, plus extra if needed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, optional
For the Homemade Nokedli
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
½ cup (120 ml) water, plus a little extra if needed
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, optional
To Serve
Fresh flat leaf parsley
Sour cream, optional
Hungarian cucumber salad or pickled cucumbers, optional
Instructions
Brown the beef: Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of pork lard in a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the beef in batches, allowing each piece to develop a golden crust. Transfer the browned beef to a plate. You'll know it's right when each piece has a deep golden crust on at least two sides. If the beef is giving off liquid and turning grey, the pot is too crowded. Brown fewer pieces at a time.
Cook the onions slowly: Reduce the heat to medium low and add the remaining tablespoon of pork lard. Add the finely chopped onions and a small pinch of salt. Cook gently for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and lightly golden. You'll know it's right when the onions are very soft, sweet and only lightly golden. Don't rush this. The onions become the sauce, so the slower they cook, the richer it will be.
Add the peppers, garlic and caraway: Add the red bell pepper and Hungarian wax pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and crushed caraway seeds. Cook for approximately 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the tomato: Add the tomato paste and chopped fresh tomato. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomato begins to soften.
Stir in the paprika off the heat: Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sweet Hungarian paprika and optional hot paprika. Mix thoroughly, allowing the warmth of the onions to release the paprika's fragrance. Immediately add approximately ⅓ cup (100 ml) of the beef stock, stirring well to prevent the paprika from scorching. Always take the pot off the heat before adding paprika. It burns easily, and scorched paprika can make the entire sauce taste bitter.
Return the beef: Return the beef and any collected juices to the pot. Add the remaining beef stock (about ¾ cup / 200 ml) and the bay leaf. Stir gently to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over low heat. The liquid should come partway up the beef rather than completely cover it.
Braise gently: Cover the pot and cook gently for approximately 2 to 2½ hours, stirring occasionally. Add a small splash of stock or water whenever necessary to prevent the sauce from catching on the bottom. If the sauce starts to stick, add a splash of stock or water and turn the heat down a touch.
Reduce the sauce: When the beef is almost tender, remove the lid and continue cooking for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken naturally. Once the beef is tender enough to yield easily beneath a fork, remove the bay leaf. You'll know it's right when the beef yields easily beneath a fork and the sauce is thick, glossy and rich with paprika.
Season and rest: Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper. If the sauce would benefit from a little brightness, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and allow the goulash to rest for approximately 10 minutes.
Make the nokedli batter: While the goulash rests, bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Place the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and water. Pour the egg mixture into the flour and stir until a thick, sticky batter forms. Allow the batter to rest for approximately 10 minutes. You'll know it's right when the batter is soft enough to pass through a nokedli maker but not so thin that it pours like pancake batter. If it is too stiff to push through, stir in a little extra water, a spoonful at a time.
Cook the nokedli: Position a nokedli maker or spaetzle maker over the simmering water. Working in batches, push the batter through the holes into the water. If you do not have a nokedli maker, place a little batter on a chopping board and use the edge of a knife to scrape small pieces into the water. Cook the dumplings for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, until they float and are cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon. You'll know it's right when the dumplings float to the surface and are cooked through.
Butter the nokedli: Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the cooked nokedli and toss gently until coated in the melted butter. Stir in the parsley if using.
Serve: Spoon the warm nokedli into serving bowls and ladle the beef goulash over the top. Finish with fresh parsley and a spoonful of sour cream if desired. Serve immediately.
Tips & Chef's Notes
Chop the onions finely rather than slicing them, so they melt into the sauce.
Use sweet Hungarian paprika, and avoid smoked paprika in this recipe. Its smoky character can overwhelm the delicate sweetness.
Start with just 1¼ cups (300 ml) of stock. This is not meant to be a soup.
If pork lard is unavailable, use a neutral vegetable oil.
How to Store
Make ahead: The beef goulash is particularly good when prepared a day in advance. Allow it to cool promptly, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.
Reheating: Reheat gently over low heat, adding a small splash of beef stock if the sauce has thickened too much.
Nokedli: I prefer to make the nokedli shortly before serving. However, they can also be cooked ahead and reheated gently in melted butter.
Freezer: The goulash freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently. Make the nokedli fresh.
Key Ingredients
Beef Chuck: Well marbled, so it turns meltingly tender during a long, gentle braise.
Yellow Onions: Almost as much onion as beef. They melt into the sauce and thicken it naturally.
Sweet Hungarian Paprika: Deep colour, gentle warmth and a slightly fruity fragrance.
Pork Lard: The traditional Hungarian cooking fat, with a lovely savoury richness.
Caraway Seeds: A classic Hungarian partner for beef and paprika.
Peppers and Tomato: A red bell pepper, a mild wax pepper and a little tomato add sweetness and body.
Nokedli: Simple egg dumplings made from flour, eggs, water and salt.
The Secret Is in the Onions
One and a half pounds (700 g) of onions might seem rather excessive for 2 pounds (900 g) of beef. But trust me, they have an important job to do.
As the onions cook slowly, they become soft, sweet, and wonderfully fragrant. During the long simmer, they gradually break down into the cooking liquid. The result is a rich sauce with a lovely natural thickness.
There is no need for flour.
And because we are relying on the onions to create the sauce, I prefer to chop them finely rather than slice them.
Chef's Secret: Buy the Best Paprika You Can Find
Good Hungarian paprika makes an enormous difference. I prefer sweet Hungarian paprika for its deep colour, gentle warmth, and slightly fruity fragrance.
If you enjoy a little heat, add half a teaspoon of hot Hungarian paprika.
Avoid smoked paprika in this particular recipe. Its smoky character can overwhelm the delicate sweetness of the Hungarian variety.
Always remove the pot from the heat before stirring in the paprika. It burns easily, and scorched paprika can make the entire sauce taste bitter.
Why I Use Pork Lard
Pork lard is a traditional cooking fat in Hungarian kitchens. It contributes a lovely savoury richness and works particularly well with onions and paprika.
I use two tablespoons, one for browning the beef and another for gently cooking the onions. If pork lard is unavailable, you can substitute a neutral vegetable oil.
Why I Use Less Beef Stock
This is not meant to be a soup.
The beef releases its own juices as it cooks, while the onions gradually soften into the sauce. I begin with just 1¼ cups (300 ml) of beef stock. That is enough to start the gentle braising process without drowning the meat.
Check the pot occasionally and add a little more liquid only when necessary. By the time the beef is tender, the sauce should be thick, glossy, and rich with paprika.
What Are Nokedli?
Nokedli are small Hungarian egg dumplings made from flour, eggs, water, and salt. They are similar to German spaetzle, although they are usually smaller and wonderfully irregular.
The batter is pushed through a special maker directly into simmering water, where the dumplings cook in just a few minutes.
I like to toss them in melted butter before serving. Their soft texture makes them particularly good with rich beef stews.
Goulash, Soup or Stew?
In Hungary, traditional gulyás is generally a hearty soup made with beef, paprika, and vegetables.
The thicker beef stew that many of us know as Hungarian goulash is more closely related to pörkölt. Pörkölt contains less liquid and develops a concentrated sauce from slowly cooked onions, meat juices, and paprika.
Our recipe follows that tradition, while retaining the familiar name Hungarian Beef Goulash.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Rushing the onions: they need the full 25 to 30 minutes to turn soft and sweet.
Adding paprika over the heat: it scorches quickly and turns the sauce bitter.
Drowning the beef: the stock should come only partway up the meat.
Crowding the pot when browning: the beef steams instead of colouring.
Using smoked paprika: it overwhelms the sweetness of the Hungarian variety.
Twists to Try
Make it a soup: add more stock with diced potatoes and carrots for a gulyás-style bowl.
Try pork: use boneless pork shoulder in place of the beef.
A little heat: add the hot Hungarian paprika, or a little extra wax pepper.
Swap the nokedli: serve over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
What to Serve with Hungarian Goulash
I like to serve everything in warm bowls, with a scattering of parsley and perhaps a spoonful of sour cream.
Buttered homemade nokedli, of course
A sharp Hungarian cucumber salad or pickled cucumbers to cut the richness
A spoonful of sour cream
Crusty bread for the sauce, or a tray of Tomato Focaccia
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of beef is best for goulash?
Beef chuck. It is well marbled with connective tissue, which melts during the long, gentle braise and leaves the meat tender and juicy.
Why is there no flour in this goulash?
The finely chopped onions break down during the long simmer and thicken the sauce naturally.
Can I use smoked paprika?
I would avoid it here. Its smoky character overwhelms the sweet, fruity flavour of Hungarian paprika.
What can I use instead of pork lard?
A neutral vegetable oil works well.
Can I make nokedli without a nokedli maker?
Yes. Spread a little batter on a chopping board and scrape small pieces into the simmering water with the edge of a knife. A colander with large holes also works.
Are nokedli the same as spaetzle?
They are very similar. Nokedli are usually smaller and more irregular.
Is goulash a soup or a stew?
In Hungary, gulyás is usually a soup. This thicker version is closer to pörkölt, the stew many of us know as goulash.
Can I freeze goulash?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Make the nokedli fresh when you serve it.
The Story Behind This Goulash
The onions are important. I use almost as much onion as beef, allowing them to soften slowly in pork lard until they become sweet and tender. During cooking, they gradually disappear into the sauce, giving it a lovely richness without needing a spoonful of flour.
Then comes the paprika.
Good Hungarian paprika has a wonderfully fragrant sweetness, with a deep red colour that seems to promise something delicious long before dinner is ready.
I add fresh peppers, garlic, a little tomato, and caraway seeds, then allow the beef to simmer gently until it is tender enough to yield beneath a fork.
And instead of serving it over ordinary noodles, I make nokedli.
These little Hungarian egg dumplings are soft, buttery, and wonderfully good at catching the rich paprika sauce.
I like to serve everything in warm bowls, with a scattering of parsley and perhaps a spoonful of sour cream.
Nothing fancy.
Just a beautiful bowl of food that has been given the time it deserves.
The Last Spoonful
By the time the beef is ready, the onions have almost disappeared into the sauce, leaving behind their sweetness and a lovely silky texture.
The paprika has turned everything a beautiful shade of red, and the beef is tender enough to fall apart beneath a fork.
I like to spoon the goulash over a generous helping of buttered nokedli.
A little parsley, perhaps some sour cream, and dinner is ready.
It is the sort of meal that makes you appreciate the pleasures of cooking slowly.
And if someone asks for a second helping, I would take that as a very good compliment.
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