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A single serving of Austrian beef stew over buttery egg noodles.

Austrian Goulash

Tressa Jamil
Austrian goulash features boneless short ribs cooked Viennese-style in a paprika-spiced gravy until the meat is fork-tender.
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Austrian
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 755 kcal
Equipment
  • Instant Pot
  • Small Bowl
Ingredients
  
  • 6 tablespoons sweet paprika, divided
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
  • 5 pounds boneless short rib, cut into 1½- inch pieces
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
  • 2 garlic cloves, 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
 
  • Combine one tablespoon of sweet paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; then, coat the beef with the mixture and set it aside.
  • In an Instant Pot, melt butter on saute mode. Add onion and cook until they have a nice caramelized brown color and soften; this step will take up to 30 minutes, but you're building flavor!
  • 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 it becomes fragrant.
  • Slowly whisk in the water, Better than Bouillon, tomato paste, and then simmer on saute mode.
  • Next, add the reserved beef and bay leaves. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on manual high pressure for 60 minutes with a 20-minute natural release.
  • Let stand for 5-10 minutes. Deglaze with apple cider vinegar, finish with fresh dill, and stir to combine.
  • Garnish with more dill and sour cream. Serve with buttery egg noodles or cauliflower mash for a lighter meal.
Notes
Adapted:
  • This is based on a recipe from Milkstreet I simply had to try! I have a Dutch oven version that is similar to the original if you prefer cooking on the stove-top or oven.
Expert Tips: 
  • No flour or roux thickens the gravy in traditional Austrian Goulash recipes. Instead, onion creates a thick and flavorful base for the beef to cook. We follow the same method, and the onions can take 30-45 minutes to caramelize, but it's worth the wait!
  •  Traditionally, this recipe requires slow-cooking beef until tender. However, using the Instant Pot significantly cuts the time to 1 hour and 20 minutes, compared to the 3 hours needed for the Dutch oven Rindsgulasch. Despite the wait, the beef is still tender and flavorful, making it a worthwhile meal.
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.