Hearty Austrian Rindsgulasch

Thick cuts of tender beef simmer to perfection in a rich and flavorful gravy infused with traditional hot and sweet paprika and peppery caraway – finish our rindsgulasch recipe with butter-infused egg noodles or mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort meal.

What You Need to Make this Recipe

• Paprika: Responsible for the bright color, paprika is the primary flavor, and you’ll love the combination of sweet and hot paprika. For authentic flavor, use fresh Hungarian-sourced paprika. If you can only purchase one, make it sweet paprika and add a teaspoon of cayenne to balance the sweetness. Check out this article for more information about the different types of paprika and how to use them.
• Boneless Short Rib: The tenderness of the short rib as it cooks down in the gravy is unrivaled, so if you can find it on sale-go for it! However, chuck roast is a more affordable option. We’ve made this recipe with chuck roast a handful of times with great results.
• Butter: Sauté the onions in creamy butter.
• Onion: Traditional goulash doesn’t use flour or roux, so the onions thicken the gravy beautifully, resulting in a rich and concentrated flavor. It is very similar to a cooking technique in Indian cuisine called bhooning. Karahis, curries, and biryanis all begin with cooking down onions, tomatoes, garlic, and ginger (or a combination) until it reduces into a flavorful gravy, also called salan or curry; this is kind of like that.
• Caraway Seed: Caraway seeds provide a peppery-citrus finish.
• Garlic: I suggest using two garlic cloves, but measure with your heart!
• Better Than Bouillon: I use Better Than Bouillon and water in place of beef broth. It’s flavorful and easy, and I always keep it in my pantry. Use beef or chicken stock if that’s what you have available.
• Tomato Paste: Adding a spoonful of tomato paste intensifies the flavor and deepens the color of the gravy.
• Bay Leaves: Subtly flavor the dish with clove-like aromatics.
• Fresh Dill: Dill compliments the beef and caraway. You may want to leave it out, but don’t! Make it as is, and enjoy the tasty combination of rich gravy and bright, fresh dill.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar provides the right amount of acidity to highlight the richness of the gravy.

Expert Tips

• Both boneless short ribs and chuck roast take time to break down. I recommend setting aside at least 3 hours for the meat to become fork-tender.
• Traditional Austrian rindsgulasch does not contain flour or roux. Instead, it relies on onions as a thickening agent to create a flavorful gravy. We do the same in this recipe, so reserve enough time for the onions to caramelize and reduce. It can take 30-45 minutes, but it’s worth the wait!

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Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Can I Make This Recipe in the Instant Pot?

Don’t have the time to wait for this recipe to slow-cook in the oven? Cut the cooking time in half by making Instant Pot Austrian goulash instead!

Serving Suggestions

• Egg Noodles, Traditional Spätzle
• Mashed Potatoes, Boiled Potatoes, Mashed Cauliflower, Roasted Potatoes, Potato Pancakes
• White Rice, Brown Rice, Polenta
• Pressgurka
• Sauerkraut
• Semmel Knoedel (Bread Dumplings)

What to do With the Leftovers

It is a well-known fact that goulash tastes better the next day. If you enjoy this meal on night one, wait until you dig into the leftovers! 

• Refrigerate – Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 4 days.
• Freeze – I suggest freezing the beef and gravy separately and preparing fresh noodles when you’re ready to serve. First, let the stew cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Rindsgulasch freezes for three months.
• Thaw – Defrost the beef in the refrigerator overnight.
• Reheat – Warm the leftovers on the stovetop, and prepare your sides.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Beef Recipes:

• Beef Pares
• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Aloo Gosht

Rindsgulasch (Austrian Beef Stew)

Tressa Jamil

Thick cuts of beef simmer to perfection in a rich gravy infused with hot and sweet paprika and peppery caraway to make Austrian beef rindsgulasch.

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Austrian

Servings 8 servings

Calories 841 kcal

Equipment

• Small Bowl
• Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6 tablespoon sweet paprika, divided
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
• 5 pounds short rib or chuck roast, boneless, cut into 1½- inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons butter, salted
• 2 large yellow onions, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons caraway seed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon hot paprika
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon Beef Better Than Bouillion
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 3 bay leaves
• ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 package egg noodles, cooked according to package
• sour cream, for garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C) and combine one tablespoon of sweet paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Coat the beef with the mixture.
• In a Dutch oven, melt butter on low-medium heat. Add onion and cook until caramelized and softened, for about 20 minutes.
• Stir in the caraway seeds and minced garlic. Then, add hot paprika and the remaining five tablespoons of sweet paprika. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Slowly whisk in the water, Better than Bouillon, and tomato paste. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Next, add the reserved beef and bay leaves to the Dutch oven. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours.
• Remove the pot and give it a quick stir, then return it to the oven uncovered to cook for 1 hour.
• Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then stir in the apple cider vinegar and finish with fresh dill.
• Garnish with more dill and sour cream. Serve with buttery egg noodles.

Notes

Adapted:

• This is a recipe from Milkstreet I simply had to try! I loved it so much I also made an Instant Pot version of the same recipe. 

Expert Tips:

• Both boneless short ribs and chuck roast take time to break down. I recommend setting aside at least 3 hours for the meat to become fork-tender.
• Traditional Austrian rindsgulasch does not contain flour or roux. Instead, it relies on onions as a thickening agent to create a flavorful gravy. We do the same in this recipe, so reserve enough time for the onions to caramelize and reduce. It can take 30-45 minutes, but it’s worth the wait!

Nutrition Disclosure:

• The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 841 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 61 g | Saturated Fat: 27 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 230 mg | Sodium: 1038 mg | Potassium: 562 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 75 IU | Vitamin C: 46 mg | Calcium: 11 mg | Iron: 25 mg

Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and follow @thejamilghar or tag #thejamilghar on Instagram!