Slow cooker goulash is the ultimate comfort food, where hearty beef chunks melt into a rich, paprika-scented sauce that fills your kitchen with irresistible warmth.
Perfect for chilly nights or cozy weekends, this dish combines tradition and convenience in every spoonful, delivering a deeply satisfying Hungarian-inspired meal with minimal effort.
Key Players in This Slow Cooker Goulash
- Beef chuck roast – The star of the dish, this cut becomes fall-apart tender after hours of slow cooking, soaking up every bit of the savory sauce.
- Onion – Sliced into soft, sweet rings, it creates a flavorful base and lends a subtle caramelized depth as it cooks down.
- Paprika – Essential to goulash, sweet paprika provides the signature warmth, color, and earthiness that define the dish.
- Garlic – Minced fresh for pungency and depth, it infuses the sauce with bold, aromatic flavor.
- Tomato paste – Adds body and a gentle acidity, balancing the sweetness of the paprika and onions.
- Beef broth – The liquid gold that binds everything together, enriching the sauce with savory complexity.
- Cayenne pepper – Just a pinch to offer a delicate heat that plays in the background without overwhelming the dish.
Let’s Get Cooking: How to Make Slow Cooker Goulash
Start by layering onions, beef, and garlic into your slow cooker, then season generously with salt, pepper, paprika, and a hint of cayenne. Pour in the broth and stir in the tomato paste until evenly combined.
Set the slow cooker to HIGH for 3 hours, or LOW for a gentler 7-hour simmer. Once the beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender, mix a quick slurry of cornstarch and water and stir it into the goulash.
Let the stew thicken on HIGH for about 15–30 minutes more if needed. Then serve hot, preferably with buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, or rustic bread to mop up the rich sauce.
Goulash Tips & Flavorful Variations to Explore
For the best results, always use fresh paprika—its potency fades quickly, and this dish depends on its vibrancy for both flavor and color. A high-quality sweet paprika (not smoked or hot) brings the dish to life with its aromatic complexity.
Don’t hesitate to tweak the heat—if you love spicy food, increase the cayenne slightly or add a touch of hot paprika. For a smoky edge, a pinch of smoked paprika can enhance the depth without overpowering the dish.
To make it more vegetable-forward, add chunks of bell pepper or carrots during the last hour of cooking. This will soften them just enough to blend into the stew without losing structure.
Serving this goulash over egg noodles or mashed potatoes adds a creamy contrast to the robust sauce. For a low-carb take, serve it with roasted cauliflower or even a spoonful of sour cream for a tangy finish.
How to Store and Reheat Your Slow Cooker Goulash
Goulash makes excellent leftovers and actually improves in flavor after a day or two. Store any extras in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
To reheat, microwave gently at 50% power to keep the meat from drying out, or warm it on the stovetop over low heat until just heated through. This dish also freezes beautifully—portion it into freezer-safe containers, and store for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Slow cooker goulash is the kind of meal that hugs you from the inside out—rich, warm, and packed with bold, nostalgic flavor.
Slow Cooker Goulash
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic finely minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 large onion sliced into rings (approximately 8 oz)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast trimmed of fat and cut into 1.5-inch chunks
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt Diamond Crystal preferred, or 1 teaspoon regular salt
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place the beef pieces, sliced onion rings, minced garlic, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, salt, beef broth, and tomato paste into the basin of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Toss the ingredients gently to ensure even coating and distribution throughout the pot.
- Secure the lid and set the slow cooker to HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 7 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the beef to become tender.
- Once the cooking time concludes, whisk the cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water until no lumps remain, creating a smooth slurry.
- Incorporate the slurry into the cooked stew, stirring well. If cooked on HIGH, the mixture should thicken promptly. If not, or if using the LOW setting, increase the temperature to HIGH, cover again, and continue cooking for an additional 15–30 minutes until the sauce thickens to your preference.
- Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
The nutritional values account for fat-trimmed meat.
For a 3-pound cut of beef, increase the cooking time to 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW, and consider adjusting seasoning and liquid accordingly—an extra tablespoon of paprika and half a cup more broth are recommended.
Leftovers improve in flavor and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat gently in the microwave, covered, at 50% power to maintain tenderness.
