If you love a saucy and meaty main dish for dinner, this Polish goulash recipe if going to become one of our favourites. It’s easy to make and oh so tasty!
This Polish Goulash recipe is a traditional polish dish, spelled gulasz in Polish. I know that goulash means a few different things depending on where you’re from so let’s clarify.
This is similar to a beef stew in that it’s based on chunks of beef being cooked until tender in a sauce. But that’s where the similarities end.
The beef is cooked down to a tender delicious meat sauce that goes perfectly with just about anything.
I may be biased here but it’s the perfect comfort food and quite easy to make.
Here are all of the ingredients you will need. Most should be staples in your pantry by now if you’ve been following us for a little while.
Preparing Polish Goulash
Ingredients
Fresh Ingredients
Stewing beef: Chuck is the most common cut of beef used for stewing. It’s part of the neck, shoulder and upper arm. You want the meat to have some marbling to give it that perfect tender softness once stewed.
Onion: Onion is a very common vegetable that is used both raw and cooked in food preparation. It has a sharp flavour raw that often sweetens once cooked. There are many varieties of onions, some that are milder than others. We use the common onion or yellow onion in this recipe.
Garlic: Garlic is a bulb that is edible and is grown in soil. Though the green shoots it sprouts, called garlic scapes, are also edible, we are referring to the actual bulb that the scapes grow from. Garlic bulbs are made up of multiple cloves and depending on the variety you may have anywhere from 4 to 10 cloves, if not more.
Corn starch: Corn starch is a flour made from corn kernels. It is a white powder, finer than other flours and is most often used as a thickening, as it is in this recipe.
Pantry
Olive oil: I use olive oil for this recipe because of its mild flavour. Olive oil is the fat extracted from olives. The least processed is extra virgin olive oil, which I use in this recipe.
Beef stock: The beef stock carries a lot of flavour. Before putting it in the soup have a taste to test out how salty it is. You don’t want to add salt if you don’t need it. If you find the stock salty enough for you, skip the ½ tsp of salt that we call for near the end of the cooking process.
Bay leaf: Bay leaves are the leaves of the bay laurel tree. Bay leaves are most often added to dishes whole and then removed after cooking, before serving. When used in their dry form they don’t soften during the cooking process so are not pleasant to eat.
Paprika: I use sweet paprika, or just paprika which is most commonly found in grocery stores. It
is not sweet in the sugary sense, but compared to its spicy and smoked siblings it is definitely the sweetest of them all.Allspice: Allspice is a ground unripe berry that comes from a tropical plant called Pimenta diaoica. It is used in many cuisines including Mexican, Jamaican and middle eastern. It is a very strong, smoky and almost sweet flavour and should be used carefully as it can easily overpower a meal.
Marjoram: Marjoram is a perennial herb from the mint family. It has a strong flavour, especially in its dried form, that has similar undertones as oregano and thyme. Marjoram is native to the Mediterranean but has spread across many continents. It is typically grown for cooking purposes.
Tomato paste: Tomato paste is concentrated tomato sauce. As the name indicates it is a paste and therefore has a reduced water content. It’s rich in fiber, vitamin C, and potassium and is a great way to add tomato flavour without adding extra liquid.
How to Make Polish Goulash
We will start with prepping the meat to get it right into the pan. We don’t want to waste time prepping everything in advance because we’ll have a few spare minutes in between. So, let’s start!
In a medium-large bowl combine the flour, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper and whisk making sure the spices are evenly distributed.
Now add the stewing beef and toss to coat. I use pre-cut stewing beef to skip a few steps, otherwise, you’d probably have to add another 10-15 minutes to this recipe.
If the pieces are not even and/or are quite large cut them accordingly. You want them to be about 1”x1.5” max to make sure the meat is nice and tender within the recommended cooking time.
Heat a large deep pan on medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the beef and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side to brown. I was able to fit all of the beef in my 12-inch pan without crowding too much. You may need to do two batches if your pan is a bit smaller.
While the beef browns, prep your veggies. Dice the onion and peel the garlic. If you are adding any other veggies from the options we suggested, peel and dice/slice them now. For the carrots, you can choose to grate them instead.
Once the beef is browned, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
Now add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same pan, followed by the onions and any other veggies you are using. Sautee for a minute or two, just until the onion turns translucent, then press in the garlic and stir. Sauté for another 30 seconds to a minute, making sure the garlic doesn’t brown.
Add the beef back into the pan, pour in the stock then add the bay leaf, marjoram, allspice and paprika. Stir everything to combine, cover and simmer for 30 minutes stirring midway.
After 30 minutes, add the tomato paste and remaining salt and pepper and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Finally, make a slurry with ½ tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. Add the slurry to the pan and whisk vigorously to prevent clumping. Simmer for 2 minutes to thicken and you’re ready to serve.
Serving Polish Goulash
As I already mentioned, this beef in gravy is the perfect comfort food and pairs well with any carb. Try it with mashed potatoes, buckwheat, rice or couscous and don’t forget to add a veggie.
My personal preference, when pairing anything in a sauce, is to serve a cold side. Try this dish with a sauerkraut slaw, our creamy cucumber salad, or our carrot and apple slaw.
But honestly, just adding a pickle on the side is more than enough to tie it all off.
Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Polish Goulash (or Gulasz) Recipe
Equipment
- Medium bowl
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cornstarch + ½ tbsp
- 0.398 kg stewing beef
- 3 tbsp oil
- ½ cup yellow onion (half a medium onion)
- 1 large garlic clove 1 tsp
- 2 ½ cups beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp marjoram
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt divided
- ¾ tsp pepper divided
Optional Add-ins:
- 1 medium carrot (optional)
- 1 celery stalk (optional)
- ½ cup red bell pepper (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium to large bowl combine 1/4 cup cornstarch, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Whisk to combine.¼ cup cornstarch + ½ tbsp, 1 tsp salt, ¾ tsp pepper
- Add the stewing beef and toss to coat. If you find the pieces are not even and/or are quite large cut them accordingly. You want them to be about 1”x1.5”.0.398 kg stewing beef
- To a large deep pan add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat on medium-high heat. Once hot add the beef and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side to brown.3 tbsp oil
- While the beef browns, prep your veggies. Dice the onion and peel the garlic. If you are adding any other veggies, peel and dice/slice them now.½ cup yellow onion, 1 medium carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1/2 cup red bell pepper
- Once the beef is browned, remove it from the pan and set aside
- To the pan add 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the onions and any other veggies you are using. Sautee for a minute or two then press in the garlic. Sauté for another 30 seconds to a minute and add the beef back into the pan.3 tbsp oil, ½ cup yellow onion, 1 large garlic clove
- Pour in the stock and add the bay leaf, marjoram, allspice and paprika. Stir to combine, cover and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.2 ½ cups beef stock, 1 bay leaf, ¼ tsp allspice, ½ tsp marjoram, 1 tsp paprika
- Next, add the tomato paste, remaining salt and pepper, and simmer for another 15 minutes.2 tbsp tomato paste
- When the 15 minutes are up, make a slurry with ½ tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. Add the slurry to the pan and whisk vigorously to prevent clumping. Simmer for 2 minutes to let thicken.¼ cup cornstarch + ½ tbsp
- Serve with your favourite sides.
