Czech Goulash – Cesky Gulas
The aroma of this dish alone is intoxicating! It is probably one of top number one meals to have as back to school commences. On a quiet day with all the teenagers gone, working or away at school, I can put on this Czech Goulash dinner in advance and just let it slow cook on the stove. Also known as Cesky Gulas in Czech.
Cesky Gulas also know as Czech Goulash is basically a simple Hungarian goulash. It is one of the many goulash recipes Czech people have. I am hoping to get a chance to share many different goulash recipes with you as we proceed into the Fall and Winter.
Other Czech Goulash Recipes:
One of my recent favorites other than the Cesky Gulas is the Segedínský Guláš which is a pork instead of beef cooked with sauerkraut. It’s not a sour dish like one would think. The pork is tender with a vibrant but mild taste that pairs well with a beer (pivo).
I hope to learn how to make this dish when my soon to be mother in law makes it for my birthday. Would much rather have her cooking then go to a restaurant!
Cesky Gulas is generally paired with houskové knedlíky and a pivo (beer). The houskové knedlíky are bread dumplings made from stale french bread, milk, Wondra, eggs, and baking powder than boiled and sliced to serve.
They are wonderful! When we make these the entire family goes wild over them. You must have a good beer with it too. Something stout or with a stinky flavor like Shiner or Pilsner Urquell.
Time after time making this dish to photograph it’s been impossible. The family usually eats it all even the hidden dishes of it that I set aside. This time I made three times the recipe to be sure that I would have leftovers to share with you.
Oh! It’s also better on the second day once the flavors set into the meat overnight. This is a dinner with lunch the next day type of dish. Here is the recipe for the goulash. You can also make this in the instant pot.
Czech Goulash – Cesky Gulas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions chopped
- 3 lbs stewed beef in ½ inch cubes
- 4 to 6 tablespoons Hungarian paprika fresh is best
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons Wondra flour
- Water to cover
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Add the beef and allow it to brown on the outside.
- Top with paprika and stir till meat is covered. Add Wondra flour and tomato paste just until the juice is soaked up then add water to cover meat with some extra. Make sure to mix the flour in well to remove all lumps.
- Add in salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for about two hours. The sauce will gradually thicken and meat will become tender and fall apart. Once the sauce is thick and meat is tender it is ready to serve.
Notes
Pin Czech Goulash:
I love this recipe so much I’ve made it many times . I like to use wine as part of the water really adds to flavor
Glad you like the recipe! I would have never thought to use wine in the water. Might have to try that!
Loved this came out SO great! I used one beer for partial water really added flavor . Family loved it . Saving this recipe to make again
Dekuje….
How long will this keep in the refrigerator? Can you also freeze it?
The beef will keep up to two days in the fridge as long as it is put in there right after and not left to sit. Freezing is the time limit beef can be frozen for. I don’t freeze these types of foods so I would suggest looking at food administration chart for that.
Glad you liked it! The pressure cooker version is located here https://www.mooshujenne.com/instant-pot-czech-goulash/ Never thought Hungarian paprika to be spicy just more flavor.
This recipe came out amazing! I decided to do half Hungarian Paprika, half regular Paprika since my family does not like spicy food. I also cooked it in a pressure cooker to reduce cooking time. The meat melted in our mouths, and the flavors were insanely good! Thank you for sharing:)
How would you substitute Wondra flour? Also where would I purchase it?
Hi! It also tastes good with dumplings made of potatoes. Or with bread if you are too lazy. It’s one of my favourite dishes, and I always eat it with potato dumplings, because the guláš doesn’t soak the potato one as much as it does with bread one.
Jenne I am from Czech republic and can only recommended the goulash fro our country.The goulash is fantastic especial in winter time.
Hanka.
This was a pretty good recipe. I love the food in the Czech Republic . Thank a lot for sharing. You’re very beautiful too! hehe
No Cesky gulas – correct is Český guláš
Yes, I know but Yoast SEO doesn’t like the name. It throws an error.
Look for recipe for strapačky
how many people is the recipe made for? Thanks!
The serving size is 6 servings.
I am doing a country report on this and have to make a food thank you so much this is very helpful
Please let me know if you need anything! I would be happy to help!
Did you ever try the crockpot? I’d so like to just throw it into a crockpot, any ideas on how to adjust the recipe?
This recipe really doesn’t work well in a crockpot cause you don’t gain the thickness it needs. You can try and cook on low 8 hours then add the cornstarch and cook on high for 30 minutes or until thickened. We’ve tried and it just doesn’t taste as good as it does cooking it on the stove.
I went to Prague in july/august 2001. Was truly amazing! Food and people are so welcoming and know how to get right to your stomach 🙂
This is why almost 16 years later I still remember how much I loved the goulash and looking for recipes !! Ahoi
I’ve got this Czech goulash simmering right now & if the smell is anyth to go by it’s going to be AMAZING. Pretty simple, too & makes a lot – I’m always looking for inexpensive meals for 4 teenagers. Thanks, Jenne, I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
I discovered gulas while on a business trip to Vienna thanks to a Viennese colleague. Returning home, I’ve tried it here at various places and made it myself a few times. I would add red wine after sauteeing the beef and beef stock instead of water.
This is a traditional Czech recipe made with water as they have done it there for a long, long time which I am keeping true to with this recipe instead of making it a fusion recipes. Red wine would not make it authentic. If anything I would add beer over wine since Czech is HUGE on beer. If I was making a beef ragu (Italian/French) then yes red wine would be perfect. I don’t think paprika pairs well with red wine and there is a ton of it in this recipe.
My Mutter was German also. If Beef or Pork were not available. ..she would use chicken gizzards and it turned out soon good and the gizzards so tender!
I have a version here with chicken. You can view it here. https://www.mooshujenne.com/paprikas-csirke-nokedli-chicken-paprika-dumplings/
I just got back from a week in Prague and ate Czech Goulsh (and Pivo) almost daily. I came home and thought I’d attempt to replicate it. This is a great recipe and pretty much the real deal. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thank you Elisa! My mother in law taught me the recipe. She is from Praha (prague). I have a few other czech recipes on the site and more coming soon!
hope you ran into Locil… a local place for Czech food… Takes while… It typically is a great dinner choice for local food choices. I ate there… several times… the food was GREAT. But the Country shut down as I was leaving for Canada. 2 weeks in voluntary quarantine for my return to Canada…. i’m fine and a lover for Czech food! Give them a call… you won’t be disappointed….
Very similar to my Mom’s recipe. However, no onions. She did put carrots in the gravy. Still make it to this day. Every family has a variation on an old recipe. My mom made these awesome dumplings that were basically made from very thin rolled dough, similar to what you would make for strudel. They were like dumpling logs, lol. Best was when we had them the next day fried in butter.With the gravy on top, Yum! Comfort food at its best!
Scrumptious looking & sounding. I would appreciate the dumpling recipe as well. Want to pair it with the right stuff not so much a beer drinker but im willing to try everything once. Thanks bunches my mouth is salivating profusely.
Jenne, do you mean ‘tablespoons’ of paprika? That seems too much!
Hi Andy,
No it’s not too much paprika. It’s really what makes the sauce. Thanks!
What do you mean by fresh?Peppers or paste?
In the dumpling recipe you say stale 2 3/4″ piece of French bread. Is 2 3/4″ the diameter of the loaf? If so how long should the piece be? Do you mean a baguette? Can you be more specific about the bread type as well more clear about the quantity of bread to use? Also says boil it for 10 minutes then ‘flip it’ and boil 10 more. I assume that if the water is boiling the dumpling will sort of be rolling around in there with the movement of the boiling water – if that’s the case, what do you mean by ‘flip it’?
Thanks!!
Hi Paul,
This not my recipe. This is one from another site I shared. It’s about 2 cups of stale french bread. Not baguette. It’s a regular french bread you can pick up at any grocery store. The ball of dough is more of a loaf and no it really doesn’t roll. It’s a low boil not fast high heat boil so the loaf doesn’t roll. You roll it over after ten minutes just like what it says flip it. Hope this helps!
Hello Jenne,
I made your Cesky Gulas and the above dumpling for dinner last night. Delish. I purchased sweet Paprika in Hungary last winter and wanted to use it. How might I get my dumpling into the shape that’s in your picture, more like a slice of bread? instead of a log.
Thanks,
Suzanne
With the dumplings after you boil them as a log you use a piece of thread or baking twine to cut them into slices. My husband uses a very sharp knife. My mother in law has a special cutter for them from Prague. I’d love to find one but I haven’t here.
Thank you so much for posting this! I can’t wait to try it. We just got back from a trip to Czech Republic. I loved this dish and hoped to be able to recreate it here. Czech is a beautiful country! I can’t wait to go back!
I am of czech ancestry also and my aunts always made raw potato dumplings usually served with a pork roast. no bread in them, just grated potato, flour, and egg dropped into boiling water. do you have a recipe for that or have you heard of it?
Yes, I’ve heard of it and it’s potato dumplings also known as bramborove knedliky. I can ask my mother in law for the recipe. I think there is a few on youtube also 🙂
There is bramborove knedliky that is made with boiled potatoes in skins and peeled, flour added. Then chlupate knedliky with both raw and boiled potatoes with addition of bread cubes and flour. I make the bread dumlings but with yeas not baking powder. Also, I don’t use Wondra.
I’m a bit confused on the rolling of the dumpling. So just roll it out then drop the whole thing in the hot water? When it’s done you cut it? Sorry if silly question!
Yes, that’s correct. Usually the dough makes more than one roll. You roll about two or three out of this and then place them whole in the water. When done you slice. Basically like boiled bread 🙂
Thanks for your answer! I’ll check your other recipes, thank you 🙂
Have you been able to ask her? I would love to cook some czech recipes. I just came back from Praha and I already miss it so much! I’m also trying to find another recipe I tasted in Czech Republic, do you know about it? It was a plateful of buttery gnocchi-like potato pastas, served with fried cabbage and lardons (or maybe a mix of lardons and some sort of ham?), it was soooo delicious and I would love to try it at home!
I have a few more on the blog. I can ask her if she knows how to make that and if she knows about it. Most everything under this link https://www.mooshujenne.com/ethnic/czech/ would be czech food or czech fusion foods. I do have more coming. I do love special requests if there is any other recipes also you would like to know.
Hi Kloe– I think you might be looking for “halusky.” It can be prepared a few different ways, like with sheep’s cheese and lardons or with cabbage and lardons. Hopefully, searching for this will get you on the right track!
Thank you! Our Girl Scout troop is representing the Czech Republic for World Thinking Day so we plan to make this recipe for the event. Lots of little Girl Scouts thank you…especially the gluten free ones!
How exciting! My husband is Czech if you have any question about their country I would love to help!
Do I have to use Wondra flour? My daughter is gluten free and I have a terrific GF flour substitute.
Wondra is a specific type of flour that is for quick mixing. I would suggest corn starch for those that are Gluten Free. That’s what we use when someone is coming over that is GF.
Could I please have the recipe for the dumplings? I have been searching for one.
Thanks!
Ingredients:
2¾-inch piece of stale French Bread
1½ cup Wondra flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
½ cup milk
Instructions:
Cut bread into ½ inch cubes. Add to large bowl. Add Wondra, baking powder and egg and stir to combine. Add half of the milk and stir.
Add the remaining milk, a little at a time, and mix by kneading with the hands after each addition. When mixture adheres together, forming a dough, stop adding the milk. The dry ingredients should be fully incorporated into the mixture, but the dough should also not be too wet. It should be sticky and tough making a popping noise.
Sprinkle clean surface with flour and form dough into a 6 by 2½-inch roll by pushing and turning lengthwise with the palms of the hand. Continue until roll is smooth, pinching together any rough areas.
Fill a large pot ¾ full of water and bring to a low boil. Make sure to add dumplings with the water hot but not at a boil. Turn up heat and let boil.
Add the dumpling to pot. If it does not float to the top, lift it with a wooden spoon.
Boil the dumpling for 10 minutes, then flip it over and boil for another 10 minutes.
Cut the dumpling into ½ inch slices using a sturdy piece of thread or dumpling cutter.
do you remove the crust of the bread before mixing into dough?
No, I leave the crust on.
I always thought Czech Goulash was cooked in Pilsner beer? Is this right for a different recipe?
There is many different goulash recipes. This one is the most simple and it comes from my mother in law that is full blooded Czech born and raised. I can ask if there is one cooked in pilsner but that I know of none that I have had are cooked in pilsner.
Jenne, about how much water do I need to add?
Add water to cover meat with some extra. This varies because of the meat and the onions. Just simply fill above the meat but not by much.
This is so close to my “german version”. As a native german ( now living in Spain on the sunny island of Tenerife 🙂 ), I grew up with my grandmas Gulasch. there is few alterations compared to this reipe ( if beef is too expensive half/half with pork or even only pork is fine as well). Same amount in gramms of onion and meet, 1kg meat, 1kg onions, 1 big or 2 small red peppers chopped up small, 3 tbs sweet paprika and 2 tsp smoked paprika powder. 2 cloves of garlic etc as you wrote…. cook till onions and peppers dissolve…
One of my favourite recipes ever … 🙂
I love some of the other ones. Like pork with sauerkraut and paprika. Oh so good!
This looks so delicious and comforting for fall! Yum!
This sounds wonderful! Total comfort food!