Instant Pot Goulash (Hungarian)

Friends I have got the most amazing Instant Pot Goulash recipe to share with you! But before I do, so can I ask you this? Have you noticed that recipes can be a rather contentious subject?

Everyone is fighting to proclaim the ‘best’ way to make a recipe, the ‘authentic’ way that eveeeeeryone should follow because my great granny did it that way so it has to be right, the way that REAL chefs make it because it is THE way.

Easy Instant Pot Hungarian Goulash

Well, today I am entering the fray with my Instant Pot Goulash, authentic Hungarian style.

Seasoned with, of course, Hungarian paprika. And I have a good reason for my choice. So much yum.

I went to Budapest about 12 years ago and spent ages climbing up a hill to go see a castle (a 15-min trek in Freddy memory… 45-min trek in mine).

I was super tired on the way back down and wandered into a café for a big old bowl of Hungarian goulash. And everything was right with the world again.

This Instant Pot Hungarian Goulash recipe is my attempt to recreate the wonderful times we had.

So you see, I have a perfectly good excuse for making this version of goulash. And trust me, you are going to love how easy this recipe is. Just as easy as my Greek style Instant Pot Lamb Stew.

Cooking goulash in the Instant Pot makes the beef so tender and moist and locks in the gorgeous flavors.

Why You’ll Love It

• One-Pot Meal – brown the meat and cook the rest all in right in the same pot. And less washing up is always a good thing!
• Versatile – easily adapt this to serve as a soup, or add potatoes and carrots to make it an extra hearty main dish.
• Diet-friendly – suitable for those following Gluten-Free, Paleo, and Weight Watchers eating plans.

Tools Needed

Ready to gather your ingredients so I can show you….

How To Make Instant Pot Goulash

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Select sauté, heat half the oil in Instant Pot insert and quickly brown the beef in batches. Remove from the insert and set aside.
2. Add remaining oil and sauté the onion and peppers until soft (about 5 minutes), switch off and quickly stir in the garlic, followed by the caraway seed and paprika.
3. Add the beef stock and thoroughly deglaze the Instant Pot.
4. Add in the rest of the ingredients, including the diced tomatoes and the most amazing salt, cover the pot, seal, select stew setting, and set the time to 25 minutes.
5. Allow for a NPR (natural pressure release) of 10 minutes, and then perform a QPR (quick pressure release) to remove the rest of the steam.

How To Make Crockpot Goulash

Want to make this goulash in your slow cooker instead? Here’s how:

• Perform Steps 1 and 2 from above in a pan on medium-high heat.
• Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of beef stock.
• Add beef to the crockpot, then layer on the onions and pepper mixture.
• Then add the remaining ingredients (including stock used to deglaze the pan).
• Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low 8-10 hours) until beef is tender.

 Recipe Tips

• Don’t overcook beef when browning.
• Feel free to add more gorgeous paprika if you like.
• Add an extra 1- 1 1/2 cups of beef stock if you want a thinner soup.
• If you don’t have dietary restrictions, feel free to use regular flour instead of almond flour.
• Try adding cubed potatoes or diced carrots during Step 4.

Meal Prep and Prep Ahead

Folks, this is suuuuch a great recipe to add to your weekly meal prep routine!

Prep Ahead – make several days in advance and store in the fridge or freezer until needed.

Freeze – you can freeze this Instant Pot Goulash by following these steps;

• Allow it to cool down, then transfer into these very handy Ziploc freezer bags.
• Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
• Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer.
• Store in the freezer for 3 months.

Reheat – remove the Instant Pot Goulash from the freezer the night before needed and let it thaw in the fridge. Then either transfer into a microwave-safe container and reheat in the microwave, or place in a saucepan and reheat over low to medium heat on the stovetop.

FAQs

What is Goulash?

Goulash is a meat stew or meat soup. However, while it’s well-documented that goulash originated in Hungary (and it is one of Hungary’s national dishes), asking for goulash in Italy will get you an entirely different dish than in Poland, and especially different than in America.

What’s the Difference Between Hungarian Goulash and American Goulash?

Hungarian Goulash is very different from an American Goulash. Hungarian Goulash is a soup or stew that is traditionally made with tender beef, onions, and paprika.

The American version is more of a pasta (usually macaroni), tomatoes, and beef dish. It is sometimes referred to as American Chop Suey or slumgullion.

How Many Servings are in Instant Pot Goulash?

The number of servings this goulash recipe yields depends on what you do with it. If serving as a soup, there are 4 servings. If serving with a side dish, you will have 6-8 servings.

Please note that the nutrition information included in the recipe card below is based on 6 servings.

Serving Suggestions

• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
• Crispy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts.
• Instant Pot Green Beans.
• Instant Pot Rice.

More Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.
• Dump and Start Instant Pot Creamy Bacon Pasta.
• Instant Pot Chicken And Rice.
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken.
• Instant Pot Swiss Steak.

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

Looking for more delicious and easy to make soup recipes? Then you’ve got to check out my collection of 40 of the Best Instant Pot Soup Recipes!!

Weight Watchers Points

If you replace the oil used for frying with a calorie-controlled cooking spray, there are 6 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving.

Instant Pot Goulash Recipe Video*

How To Make American Goulash

I would like to end this post by telling you a little bit about a different kind of pressure cooker goulash recipe.

This American Style Instant Pot Goulash is rather different from the Hungarian version.

Ingredients needed;

• ground beef or ground turkey
• onions
• celery
• garlic purée
• Italian seasoning
• paprika
• soy sauce
• bay leaves
• beef stock
• pasta – like elbow macaroni
• marinara sauce
• diced tomatoes

Instructions;

1. Using the sauté function, brown the meat (mixed with the onion and celery) in the instant pot insert and when done drain the excess fat.
2. Mix in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and paprika and switch off the saute function.
3. Mix in the soy sauce, bay leaves, beef stock, and pasta.
4. The top with the diced tomatoes and marina sauce but don’t mix
5. Cover the pot, seal, 4 minutes, high pressure, select pressure cook or manual, and let cook until done.
6. Then do a quick pressure release, adjust seasonings, mix in the cheese, and serve.

Thank you for reading my pressure cooker goulash instant pot recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

Originally published July 2018

GET THE INSTANT POT GOULASH RECIPE