Instant Pot Goulash. Hearty Hungarian beef and paprika stew, ready in about an hour thanks to pressure cooking.
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Beef Goulash is a classic recipe from Hungary, chunks of meat stewed with paprika and vegetables, usually served over noodles or with dumplings. An Instant Pot Goulash recipe is a natural, replacing the long stewing time with pressure. Here is my take on Certified Angus Beef's Goulash Recipe: Hungarian Goulash
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One thing is still bugging me. We have a lot of great Eastern European restaurants here in Northeastern Ohio, and I've been eating Goulash and Paprikash for years. But I have a question.
What's the difference between Goulash and Paprikash?
Both goulash and paprikash are Hungarian dishes, meat stewed with paprika and served with noodles or dumplings. The only consistent difference I could find is that paprikash has sour cream stirred late in the cooking process, and goulash doesn't. (The sour cream is served as a topping at the table with a goulash.) Other than that, the recipes were all over the place. A goulash usually has beef cubes, and a paprikash usually has pieces of chicken…except when they don't. If anyone is of Hungarian descent and knows the difference, please let me know in the comments.
Whatever it's called, goulash is the definition of old-world comfort food and is easy to make in a pressure cooker. The Instant Pot recipe makes short work of the total cooking time, replacing hours of simmering with minutes under pressure.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- Butter
- Beef Bottom Round Roast
- Fine Sea Salt
- Onions
- Paprika
- Caraway Seeds
- Beef Broth (Homemade or Low-Sodium Store Bought)
- Petite Diced Tomatoes
- Water
- Cornstarch
How to Make Instant Pot Goulash
Season and sear the beef: Heat the vegetable oil and butter in an Instant Pot over medium heat (Sauté mode set to medium in an Instant Pot) until the butter stops foaming. Sprinkle the beef cubes with 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Sear the beef in 3 batches, and only sear each batch on one side. (Don't crowd the pot, or the beef will steam). Move each batch to a bowl after it is done searing.
Sauté the onions: Add the onions to the pot and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions soften, about 8 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally with a flat-edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of beef.
Everything in the pot: Stir in the beef and any juices in the bowl. Sprinkle the paprika and caraway into the pot and stir to coat the beef. Stir the beef broth and tomatoes into the pot.
Pressure cook for 15 minutes with a Natural Release: Lock the lid on the Instant Pot, and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. ("Manual" or "Pressure Cook" or "Pressure Cook - Custom" mode in an Instant Pot), Let the pressure come down naturally for at least 15 minutes. (If you're in a hurry, you can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.)
Thicken, season, and serve: Whisk the water and cornstarch together to make a cornstarch slurry, and then stir the slurry into the stew. Stir in salt and pepper: If you used store-bought beef broth, add ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt; if you used homemade beef broth or water, add 1½ teaspoons of fine sea salt. Also, add ½ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper. Serve over egg noodles with a spoonful of sour cream on top. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Goulash is a simple recipe: beef, onions, paprika, and tomatoes. Take the time to brown the meat and sauté the onions, because they add complexity to the dish.
- The caraway seeds are traditional but also optional. If you don't have them, skip them.
- Store-bought beef broth can be very salty; that's why I have two different salt amounts at the end of the recipe. Of course, Homemade Beef Broth is best, but Homemade Chicken Broth is also good, and store-bought broth comes after that. (Or you can use water, but the broth adds body to the stew liquid.)
- The cornstarch slurry makes up for the thin sauce we get from pressure cooking. There's no evaporation, so the sauce doesn't thicken as part of the cooking process. It is also optional; skip it if you don't mind a thin sauce.
Instant Pot Goulash
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 quarts of goulash 1x
Description
Instant Pot Goulash. Hearty Hungarian beef and paprika stew, ready in about an hour thanks to pressure cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 pounds of beef bottom round roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 large onions, diced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup paprika
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 cup beef broth (homemade or low-sodium store bought)
- 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- ½ to 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt (see instructions about canned broth)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Cornstarch slurry (optional)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Accompaniments
- Extra-wide egg noodles, cooked according to the directions on the package
- Sour Cream
Instructions
- Sear the beef in three batches: Heat the vegetable oil and butter in the pot over medium heat (Sauté mode set to medium in an Instant Pot) until the butter stops foaming. While the pot heats, sprinkle the beef cubes with 1½ teaspoons salt. Add ⅓ of the beef in a loose single layer and sear until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. (Don’t crowd the pot or the beef will steam, not brown). Transfer the browned beef to a bowl, add half of the remaining beef to the pot, and sear until browned on one side, about 3 more minutes. Transfer the browned beef to the bowl. Add the rest of the beef to the pot and sear until browned on one side, about 3 more minutes. Transfer the browned beef to the bowl.
- Sauté the onions: Add the onions to the pot and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions soften, about 8 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally to loosen any browned bits of beef.
- Stir everything into the pot: Stir in the beef and any juices in the bowl. Sprinkle the paprika and caraway into the pot and stir to coat the beef. Stir the beef broth and diced tomatoes into the pot.
- Pressure cook the stew for 15 minutes with a natural pressure release: Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (Use “Manual”, “Pressure Cook”, or "Pressure Cook - Custom" mode in an Instant Pot), or for 12 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 more minutes. (If you’re in a hurry, you can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.) Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam.
- Thicken, season and serve: Whisk the water and cornstarch together to make a cornstarch slurry, and then stir the slurry into the stew. Stir in salt and pepper: If you used store-bought beef broth, add ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt; if you used homemade beef broth or water, add 1½ teaspoons of fine sea salt. Also, add ½ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper. Serve over egg noodles with a spoonful of sour cream on top. Enjoy!
Notes
The downside to pressure cooking is a thin sauce. The sealed pressure cooker lets us build pressure, but we don’t get any evaporation to thicken up the sauce. The cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce and gives it the mouthfeel of a long-simmered stew.
You can substitute chuck roast for the bottom round roast if that’s what’s available; everything else cooks the same.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Eastern European
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What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
More Instant Pot Recipes
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My complete Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Recipes list
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Peachyjo says
I’d love to try this recipe but is it possible to substitute different cuts of meat for this recipe? I was hoping to use my beef chuck? Could I cut into cubes from the beginning, sauté it and continue on? Or is beef round the only cut of meat for authentic goulash?? Thank you.
Mike Vrobel says
You can substitute chuck roast for the bottom round roast if that’s what’s available; everything else cooks the same.
Diana Solymossy says
My Hungarian (born in Budapest) remembers that Goulash is always beef, and Paprikash is always chicken. And his mom (RIP), a great cook, always made Beef Goulash and Chicken Paprikash. So that's the authentic answer from this family! Thanks much for all your great recipes!
Diana Solymossy says
Sorry -- I somehow missed the word "husband" in my comment. It's my Hungarian (born in Budapest) HUSBAND, LOL!
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you for the Hungarian follow up!
Aurora says
This is such a fantastic recipe. I've made it about five times now and it always turns out perfectly delicious. I never bother with the cornstarch slurry but I do sometimes add some carrots to the mix.
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you, glad you like it!
Yummy in my tummy!! says
I love this recipe! I didn’t have caraway seeds so I just went without. I did add 4 carrots. Everything else I left as is. It was perfect!!!
Micki says
Looks like a legit goulash recipe...very similar to mine. As others have stated, I use tomato paste as thickener and it works great! Also, I always add a couple of bay leaves to my goulash...it infuses the dish with great flavor. Just be sure to fish them out afterwards, as they're not edible (due to their texture).
Lori says
delicious! used a can of tomato paste instead of chopped tomatoes and an extra 1/4 cup of water- no need to thicken after pressure release! Thanks, this one is a keeper 🙂
TJ says
I modified the recipe with what I had on hand. Didn’t have tomatoes or beef broth. Substituted 1 red bell pepper diced and chicken broth. Also added half smoked and half sweet paprika, petite gold potatoes, garlic , 1 tsp of Marjoram, Bayleaf and a few Pepperoncinis. It is delicious. If you like it a little more spicy. I’m positive that the original recipe is very tasty as well, which I will try next time.
anja says
Hi Mike,
Why only sear the meat on one side?
Mike Vrobel says
It gives me the browned flavor I love without spending all day sauteing. If you want to brown the meat more, go right ahead!
Truly says
Fantastic a definite winner! So easy and superbly delicious without huge effort. Our guests were very impressed and went for third helpings. Thank you Mike! Another great recipe
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome!
Gary says
Hi Mike,
Planning to try this in my stovetop Fagor Duo.
Question: Do you drain the tomatoes or use the liquid as well?
Thanks!
Mike Vrobel says
Use the liquid.
Carrie says
Delicious! Easy! My husband who rarely compliments any meal loved this! Thanks for a great recipe, a keeper!
Nancy Miller says
This was my first time using my Instant Pot. I am amazed at how rich and flavorful this dish came out, with a great texture too, meat tender and sauce just right thickness. Thank you so much!!!
Razzy 7 says
Nor Hungarian but here's what I found. "As nouns the difference between goulash and paprikash is that goulash is a stew of beef or veal and vegetables, flavoured with paprika while paprikash is a hungarian dish resembling goulash (a paprika-based potato stew), but without potatoes and using meat instead, often chicken and sometimes veal.
Goulash vs Paprikash - What's the difference? | WikiDiff
https://wikidiff.com/paprikash/goulash
Whatever the difference, I say delicious.
Kathie says
Thanks Mike for your timely recipe. I always make some version of goulash on Halloween, but call it "Ghoulash." I'm trying your Instant Pot recipe next Wednesday. Happy Haunting.
Mike Vrobel says
Ha, I love it!
Ted says
My wife can't have seeds, so I'm going to drop in a half star anise. Should be easy to find and fish out.