Amelia Grace There’s a particular warmth to goulash that goes beyond just temperature — it’s the kind of dish that seems to fill the whole kitchen with comfort while it cooks.
This is a proper, generous one-pot stew, built on a good amount of sweet paprika and slow-cooked beef until everything is tender and the sauce has thickened into something rich and deeply savoury.
It’s not complicated, but it does reward a decent simmer time, and the paprika needs to be treated with a little care to get the best flavour out of it, rather than just tipped in and forgotten.
Why Blooming the Paprika Makes All the Difference
Paprika is the defining flavour of a good goulash, and how you handle it matters more than most people realise.
Ground paprika contains fat-soluble flavour compounds that only fully release their aroma and colour when briefly cooked in fat, rather than simply stirred into a liquid stew.
Adding the paprika to the pan and cooking it gently for a minute or so in the fat left from browning the onions and beef — before any liquid goes in — draws out a much deeper, rounder flavour than adding it later.
Skip this step, and the paprika flavour stays comparatively flat and one-dimensional, however much you use.
Ingredients for Delia Smith Beef Goulash
- 1kg braising steak, cut into large chunks
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 red peppers, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 500ml beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 150ml soured cream, to serve
- Fresh parsley, chopped, to finish
How to Make Delia Smith Beef Goulash — Step by Step
Step 1 — Coat and Brown the Beef
Toss the beef in the flour, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole dish and brown the beef in batches over medium-high heat. Set aside.
Step 2 — Soften the Onions and Peppers
In the same pan, cook the sliced onions and peppers for 6–8 minutes, until softened, adding a splash more oil if needed.
Step 3 — Add the Garlic
Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute.
Step 4 — Bloom the Paprika
Reduce the heat slightly and stir in the paprika and caraway seeds (if using), cooking for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Take care not to let it burn, as burnt paprika turns bitter quickly.
Step 5 — Add the Tomato Purée and Tomatoes
Stir in the tomato purée, followed by the tinned tomatoes.
Step 6 — Return the Beef and Add the Stock
Return the browned beef to the pan, pour in the beef stock, and add the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Step 7 — Cover and Cook Low and Slow
Cover and simmer very gently, either on the hob or in an oven preheated to 150°C (130°C fan / Gas 2), for 2½ to 3 hours, until the beef is completely tender.
Step 8 — Check and Adjust
Once tender, check the consistency of the sauce — if it’s too thin, simmer uncovered for the final 15–20 minutes to thicken.
Step 9 — Serve
Remove the bay leaf, scatter with fresh parsley, and serve with a generous dollop of soured cream on top.
My Top Tips for the Best Delia Smith Beef Goulash
Always bloom the paprika in the fat before adding liquid. This one step makes a genuinely noticeable difference to the depth of flavour in the finished dish.
Use good quality sweet paprika, not a small, stale jar. Paprika loses its potency over time, so if yours has been in the cupboard for a couple of years, it’s worth replacing before making this dish.
Watch the paprika closely while it cooks. It can burn and turn bitter within seconds if the heat is too high, so keep the pan at a gentle heat during this step.
Don’t rush the braising time. The beef needs those hours of slow cooking to become properly tender, so resist the urge to turn up the heat to speed things along.
Add the soured cream at the table, not in the pot. This keeps the dish looking beautifully rich and marbled when served, and lets everyone adjust the amount to their own taste.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with buttered egg noodles, rice, or simply good crusty bread to mop up the sauce, always with a generous dollop of soured cream on top. A simple green salad on the side is a nice contrast to the richness of the stew.
How to Store Delia Smith Beef Goulash
In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The flavour deepens further after a day or two in the fridge.
At room temperature: Not suitable — cool and refrigerate promptly after cooking.
In the freezer: Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge before reheating gently on the hob until piping hot throughout. Add the soured cream fresh when serving, rather than freezing it in the stew.
Delia Smith Beef Goulash Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Toss beef in flour, salt and pepper, then brown in batches. Set aside.
- Soften onions and peppers, then add garlic.
- Stir in paprika and caraway seeds, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add tomato purée and chopped tomatoes.
- Return beef to the pan with stock and bay leaf.
- Cover and braise at 150°C (130°C fan) for 2½ to 3 hours.
- Reduce uncovered if needed to thicken the sauce.
- Remove bay leaf, scatter with parsley, and serve with soured cream.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions About Delia Smith Beef Goulash
What’s the difference between goulash and a regular beef stew?
The defining feature of goulash is the generous amount of paprika, cooked gently in fat before the liquid goes in, which gives it that distinctive rich, warm colour and deep flavour that sets it apart from a plainer beef stew.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the beef and soften the vegetables as described, bloom the paprika, then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 7–8 hours.
Why does my goulash taste bitter?
This usually means the paprika was cooked at too high a heat and burnt slightly before the liquid went in. Keep the heat gentle during that step and stir constantly.
Can I use pork instead of beef?
Yes, diced pork shoulder works very well in a goulash and is a traditional variation — follow the same method and timings.
