Hairy Bikers Slow Cooker Goulash Recipe

This Hairy Bikers Slow Cooker Goulash is a rich and tender recipe, which is made with braising steak and three types of peppers. It’s the ultimate comfort food recipe, ready in about 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Hairy Bikers Slow Cooker Goulash Ingredients

• 1kg good braising steak, preferably chuck steak
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 medium onions, cut into 12 wedges
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp hot smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 beef stock cube
• 600ml cold water
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• flaked sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

How To Make Hairy Bikers Slow Cooker Goulash

1. Prepare and brown the beef: Preheat the oven to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3½. Trim any hard fat off the beef and cut the meat into rough 4cm chunks. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the steak and fry over a high heat until nicely browned all over.
2. Sauté the aromatics: Tip the onions into the pan and cook with the beef for 5 minutes until softened. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute, stirring regularly.
3. Simmer the goulash: Sprinkle both paprikas over the meat and crumble the beef stock cube on top. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato purée, and bay leaves. Season again, stir well, and bring to a simmer.
4. First cook: Cover the dish with a tightly fitting lid and transfer it to the oven. Cook for 1½ hours.
5. Add peppers and finish: While the beef is cooking, deseed the peppers and cut them into chunks of about 3cm. After 1½ hours, carefully remove the dish from the oven. Stir in the peppers, put the lid back on, and return the goulash to the oven for a further hour, or until the beef is meltingly tender.
6. Serve: Serve with small portions of rice and spoonfuls of soured cream if you like.

Recipe Tips

• What is the best beef for goulash? Braising steak like chuck or shin is perfect because it has a good amount of fat and connective tissue that breaks down during the long, slow cook, making the meat incredibly tender.
• Can I make this in a slow cooker? Yes. Brown the beef and onions in a pan first, then transfer everything (except the peppers) to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Add the peppers for the last hour of cooking.
• How to get the richest flavour? Don’t skip browning the meat. This step creates a deep, caramelized flavour base (the Maillard reaction) that is essential for a rich and savoury stew.
• Can I use a different type of paprika? The combination of hot smoked paprika and regular sweet paprika is key to the flavour. If you don’t have both, use all sweet paprika and add a pinch of cayenne for heat.

What To Serve With Goulash

This hearty Hungarian stew is a complete meal, but it’s traditionally served with:

• Fluffy white rice or buttered egg noodles
• A dollop of soured cream
• Crusty bread to mop up the sauce
• A simple green salad

How To Store Goulash

• Refrigerate: Let the goulash cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavour is often even better the next day.
• Freeze: Goulash freezes exceptionally well. Let it cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. It can be stored for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

FAQs

• What’s the difference between goulash and a regular beef stew? The main difference is the heavy use of paprika. Authentic Hungarian goulash gets its signature flavour and colour from a generous amount of both sweet and sometimes hot paprika.
• Why is my beef tough? This usually means the beef hasn’t been cooked for long enough or the heat was too high. The key to tender braising steak is a long, slow cook at a low temperature. If it’s still tough, simply give it another 30 minutes in the oven.
• Can I use a different liquid instead of water? Yes, for an even richer flavour, you can substitute the water with a good quality beef stock.

Try More Recipes:

• Hairy Bikers Spanish Chicken Recipe
• Hairy Bikers Cottage Pie Recipe
• Hairy Bikers Macaroni Cheese With Bacon Recipe

Hairy Bikers Slow Cooker Goulash Recipe

Course: DinnerCuisine: Britiish

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

2

hours 

30

minutes

Calories

400

kcal

A rich, tender, and deeply flavourful Hungarian beef goulash, slow-cooked in the oven for meltingly tender meat

Ingredients

• 1kg braising steak, cubed
  

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  

• 3 medium onions, in wedges
  

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  

• 2 tsp hot smoked paprika
  

• 1 tbsp paprika
  

• 1 beef stock cube
  

• 600ml cold water
  

• 400g can chopped tomatoes
  

• 2 tbsp tomato purée
  

• 2 bay leaves
  

• 3 mixed-colour peppers, chunked
  

• Salt and pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3½. Season the beef.
  
• Heat oil in a casserole dish. Brown the beef all over. Add onions and cook for 5 mins. Add garlic and cook for 1 min.
  
• Stir in the paprikas and crumble in the stock cube. Add water, tomatoes, purée, and bay leaves. Season and bring to a simmer.
  
• Cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hours.
  
• Stir in the chopped peppers, cover again, and return to the oven for 1 more hour until the beef is tender.
  
• Serve with rice and soured cream if desired.