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This rich, hearty Hungarian-style stew has a heaps of warming flavours but is ridiculously easy to make. Simply prep ahead of time by throwing everything in the slow cooker, then a deliciously satisfying Beef Goulash is ready a few hours later.
You can’t beat a throw-it-all-in slow cooker recipe for those days when we need a hearty and nutritious meal but have little energy or time available.
Here is another beauty of a dump (dump it all in, get it?!) recipe my friends!
With chunks of beef and only a few other simple ingredients, we have a new take on a traditional beef stew or casserole.
This Slow Cooker Beef Goulash is perfect for the whole family, with plenty of flavour and a dense tomatoey sauce.
Why you’ll love this Beef Goulash recipe
⭐️ Super low effort – throw it all in (to the oven or slow cooker)
⭐️ A hearty warming dinner
⭐️ Perfect for batch cooking and freezing
How we came up with this recipe
I wanted to make a new type of low cost slow cooker recipe with beef that involved plenty of flavour but not a lot of faffing.
Even better, if it could be turned easily into a ‘dump’ recipe – AKA dump it all in a bag and freeze ready for cooking later.
I have simplified this traditional Hungarian dish to fit in with what works for an easy midweek family meal.
Usually Goulash is made with meat, paprika and caraway seeds (like this traditional Hungarian Goulash recipe here), I have left out the caraway seeds here as we felt most people probably wouldn’t have this in their cupboards.
However, if you DO have them, add a teaspoon to the slow cooker and it will be delicious.
You could always make this in the oven instead of the slow cooker if you prefer – the method for this is below.
Our Beef Goulash Ingredients
- Diced beef – Usually called casserole beef or stewing steak in the supermarkets. No browning necessary. Any kind of beef suitable for slow cooking will work here.
- Onion and Garlic – Frozen or fresh is fine
- Beef stock cubes – No need to dilute these! Just add them dry as they are.
- Paprika AND Sweet smoked paprika – Using both gives us a little spice and also that smokey flavour that adds depth.
- Red peppers – See notes below about adding these
How to make Beef Goulash
1. Put all of the slow cook ingredients into the slow cooker and cook as per the recipe below.
2. Add the peppers and cook as per the recipe below.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or on the hob before serving.
In the freezer This recipe freezes well when cooked. Just wait until it’s totally cold and then put it into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the microwave or hob.
Top tips
When to add the peppers
I like to add my peppers near the end of the cooking time in the slow cooker as I’m not a fan of them being overcooked.
If you prefer them cooked more, feel free to add them at the start of the cooking time. Also, you can cook them briefly in the microwave, add them to the finished stew and eat immediately if you prefer.
How to cook this Beef Goulash in the oven
Put all of the ingredients into a lidded ovenproof pan and cook at 160C between 1.5-2.5 hours, depending on how hot your oven is.
After one hour, add a splash of water if the dish is looking dry.
Toppings
Some sour cream and fresh chopped parsley finish off this dish nicely.
What to serve with Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
You could go for couscous, mashed potato, rice, cooked orzo or crusty bread.
FAQs
The Morphy Richards Sear & Stew Slow Cooker is my all-time favourite and works really well for this recipe and it’s really light.
I have written a whole post reviewing slow cookers, so have a read of this here. You might discover what works best for you in that!
Convenience is key, but then again, even slow cookers have to be filled and switched on!
You could always get the ingredients ready the evening before, put everything in the slow cooker pan and store in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, simply place in the slow cooker frame and switch on, or use this WiFi plug to switch on later in the day remotely!
I sure do! Try my Slow Cooker Beef Joint, my Slow Cooker Beef Curry or my Chinese-Style Beef and Broccoli or you can find all of my Slow Cooker Beef recipes here.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Beef Goulash {Slow Cooker or Oven Recipe}
Ingredients
To slow cook:
- 700 g Diced beef
- 1 Onion, Peeled and chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Peeled and crushed
- 400 g Tinned tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Tomato puree
- 2 Beef stock cubes, No need to dilute
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 2 tbsp Sweet smoked paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To finish:
- 2 Red peppers, Deseeded and thinly sliced
Instructions
To Slow Cook:
- Put all of the slow cook ingredients into the slow cooker and cook for 4-5 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW.
- Add the peppers and cook for a further 45-60 minutes on HIGH.
To Oven Cook:
- Put all of the ingredients into a lidded ovenproof pan and cook at 160C between 1.5-2.5 hours, depending on the size of your beef cubes. After one hour, stir and check. Add a splash of water if the sauce is looking dry.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this tonight with mashed potatoes as a side and it was incredible. It was simple to make and went down a treat – very popular with my wife too! Thank you.
This was a winner – absolutely delish. Everyone had a clean plate – served with lots of green veg, mashed potato and crusty bread. Thank you for recipe. The meat was melt in the mouth soft and loved the crunch of the peppers as a varied texture. Highly recommend this one for a cold winter evening.
Made this on Monday – very tasty & minimum effort. Will be trying more of your recipes!
Made this on the weekend – absolutely delicious. Great to have an alternative to beef stew and it’s so easy.
So easy and quick and really delicious.