Slow-Cooked Beef Goulash Recipe

Growing up in a country where the influences of the Austro-Hungarian Empire can still be encountered, I had my share of eating goulash recipes.

Then, I got the chance to travel to Hungary and Austria and discovered the different approaches each country has relating to this meal.

So, I took a little bit from every version and developed a goulash recipe close to our heart. Here is how to make goulash my way:

• In a skillet, heat up one tbsp of olive oil—fry the oxtail pieces for 1 minute on each side. You don't need to cook them. Just sear your meat.

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I personally use a slow cooker for my beef goulash recipe, but you can very easily cook it in a Dutch oven. Anyway, I will tell you how to handle both ways.

• Place the seared meat in the slow cooker/Dutch oven.
• Chop the onion, hot chili, and carrots and place them over your beef. Add the spices, the canned tomatoes, and the aromatic herbs.

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• Place the lid on your dish. If you make a slow cooker goulash, set your machine at low heat and let it sit for 4-5 hours. If you don't, and go for a traditional goulash way of cooking, bake it in the preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (400F) for 2 hours.
• Either way, check your food from time to time to see if you need to add more liquid.
• When you have just one hour left of your slow cooking or half an hour of the oven bake, take your meat out and debone it. Cut it into 2-3 cm pieces and return them to the pot for their final cooking.
• When ready, I like to take out the aromatic plants. As much as I like their aromas, I don't really like feeling them between my teeth.
• Take some of the liquid and transfer it to a bowl. Mix it with the double cream and the corn starch, then return everything to your pot and stir to combine. 

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• Here is when I add the rest of the olive oil and let it rest covered but off heat. I use olive oil as a spice and not as a fatty layer. If you don't want to add more, then just skip it.
• In the meantime, put a pot of salted water to boil.
• In a bowl, combine the noodles' ingredients. Pour the mixture through a Spaetzle grater into the boiling water. When the noodles start to rise, they are ready. This is almost an instant process.

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• Take the noodles out and add them to your goulash dish. Gently stir to combine.

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• You are ready to serve.

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• Plate it, sprinkle some fresh parsley or green garlic on your goulash, and some more double cream if you like. Serve with a crunchy bread.

Curious about the goulash origin? Then you should know that this is a Hungarian dish that dates all the way back to the 9th century when it was a shepherd's kind of food. Back then, it was mostly some dry meat that was cooked with just water.

However, during the years, it evolved, and by the 16th century, it started to include spices such as paprika. Now, regardless if you go with goulash in a crockpot or an old-fashioned goulash recipe, you will love this dish. It is true that it is mostly a cold season kind of food, but since summer refuses to show its face in Romania, I decided it is the perfect meal to find in the slow cooker machine waiting for us after a hard day at work.

* If you don't have a Spaetzle grater, you can use a quarter of a tsp to place your noodle mixture in the pot.

** Don't forget to tag us on Instagram when making this.