Smoked Paprika Goulash for the Slow Cooker
This Hungarian-style goulash, prepared in a slow cooker, presents a sumptuous and highly flavorful beef dish immersed in a thick, smoky-tasting, red sauce. It's ideal for preparing in advance and reheating. Rather than noodles, consider serving it over rice or potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 onions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ cup smoked Spanish paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 3 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (10 ounce) package egg noodles
- ½ cup sour cream (Optional)
- 8 sprigs fresh parsley (Optional)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onions until they soften and begin to brown at edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a slow cooker. Cover and set cooker to Low heat.
- Mix together paprika, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss meat cubes in the paprika mixture until evenly coated.
- Heat one tablespoon of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Put a third of the beef cubes into the skillet and cook until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer to the slow cooker. Pour 2 tablespoons of water into the skillet and scrape browned bits from the pan; pour liquid into the slow cooker. This prevents paprika from burning when you brown next batches of beef. Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook next batch the same way; repeat for third batch.
- Stir tomato paste and the rest of water into the slow cooker, cover. Cook on High for 4 to 5 hours (or on Low for 6 to 9 hours).
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in egg noodles and cook uncovered, occasionally stirring, until noodles have cooked through, but are still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain.
- Serve goulash over noodles with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of parsley.
Notes
- To prepare a day in advance, transfer the goulash to a pot after cooking in the slow cooker and refrigerate overnight. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until goulash comes to a low simmer, 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 643kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 59gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 182mgSodium: 795mgPotassium: 1231mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 10mg
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