Beef Goulash
Aromatic, hearty, quick, simple - goes with any side dish! It’s most often served with mashed potatoes or boiled pasta. A tasty lunch or dinner for any day.
Updated : 27 January, 2026
Easy
About 20 min.
Preparation
Step 1
First, prepare the required ingredients from the list. If you’re using frozen meat, thaw it properly beforehand on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Tomato paste can be replaced with ketchup. You can use any vegetable oil; I used sunflower oil.
Step 2
Wash the meat and pat it dry with paper towels; otherwise excess moisture will prevent browning and the meat will steam instead of sear. Cut into small pieces.
Step 3
Peel the onion and dice it into small cubes.
Step 4
Heat vegetable oil in a thick-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and fry, stirring, until golden brown.
Step 5
Add the onion and fry everything together until the onion turns translucent, about 3 minutes.
Step 6
Add tomato paste and salt to the skillet. Stir everything together.
Step 7
Pour in about half of the hot meat broth or water, so the liquid slightly covers the meat. If you want more gravy, increase the broth to the amount you need.
Step 8
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour (or longer) until the beef is tender. The exact time depends on the cut and the age of the animal. If needed, add a little more broth during simmering.
Step 9
Separately, in a dry skillet, toast the flour over constant stirring until golden and fragrant with a pronounced nutty aroma.
Step 10
Pour the remaining broth or water into the flour and quickly stir until smooth. If you still can’t get rid of lumps, strain the sauce through a sieve.
Step 11
Pour the flour mixture into the skillet with the meat and stir. Then add bay leaves and whole peppercorns. Simmer the grandma-style goulash, covered, for another 10-15 minutes.
Step 12
Spoon the finished grandma-style beef goulash with gravy onto plates and serve with any side dish. Enjoy your meal!