Hungarian Pörkölt Recipe; Tasty Beef and Onion Stew

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Hungarian Pörkölt Recipe is one of the well-known dishes. Pörkölt, also known as Peur-keult, is a Hungarian Beef and Onion Stew made by braising meat and simmered with onions in a tomato-based sauce. It’s served warm, over noodles, and it’s really delicious. To make this tasty Hungarian stew, stay with Cooking County.

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Table of Contents

How to Make Hungarian Beef and Onion Stew?

Ingredients for Beef Porkolt Recipe

4 slices thick bacon
1 large onion
1 green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 large tomato
450 grams stewing beef
4 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
1 bay leaf
Water as needed
Oil as needed

Directions

Step One

To make Pörkölt:

Chop the bacon into small pieces.
Take a large pot, pour oil into it, and fry the bacon.
Wash the onion, chop and add it to the pan containing the bacon and fry it on medium heat until golden.

Step Two

Wash bell pepper and garlic well, then chop and add to the rest of the ingredients. Bell pepper makes the Pörkölt smell better. Fry the ingredients for another two minutes until they are well cooked.

Step Three

Take the beef, wash it well and cut it into medium cubes. Then add it to the pan containing onion, bell pepper, and garlic and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until it turns brown. Add the paprika ingredients, fry for another 1 minute, and then turn off the flame.

Note1: we do not want the meat to be completely cooked at this stage.

Note2: Hungarian Paprika is sweet paprika and can be found at the grocery store or on amazon. If you have hot paprika, note that the flavor will change slightly. So, If you are using hot paprika, add a few paprika to the stew.

Step Four

Add chopped tomatoes (or tomato paste), salt, pepper, caraway, and bay leaf to the pot and stir well until all the ingredients are mixed.

Step Five

Add water to the ingredients until it covers half of the stew (not all). Put the pot back on the flame with high heat until it reaches the boiling temperature. After it starts to boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat and let it cook for 90 minutes.

Note: If the Pörkölt was not thick enough, boil it for a few more minutes until it thickens, and then put the lid on it.

How to Serve Pörkölt?

Your Hungarian Beef and stew is ready. This dish is often served with noodles in Hungary; if you don’t like it, you can serve it with rice and enjoy.

Pörkölt vs Goulash, What are the Differences?

These are two iconic Hungarian dishes that are often confused because of their similar ingredients. However, they differ significantly in preparation, cooking methods, and cultural significance. The key differences are:

Pörkölt: Thicker stew with a rich sauce, It’s ingredients are Primarily meat, onions, paprika, with a focus on a rich, thick sauce. and the cooking method is Slow cooking with less liquid, resulting in a thicker sauce.
Goulash: Thinner, more soup-like consistency. It’s ingredients Includes more vegetables (carrots, potatoes, tomatoes) and has a broth-based consistency. Goulash Cooked with more liquid, making it more like a soup.

Do not forget to make this recipe and share it with us. Please do not hesitate to ask if you also have any related questions about the Hungarian Pörkölt recipe.

FAQs About Hungarian Pörkölt Recipe

How much time does Pörkölt need to get ready?

It takes about 3 hours to get ready, but the more it cooks, the better it tastes.

Can I try chicken pörkölt recipe?

Depending on your taste, you can use any meat you like when making Pörkölt.

Is there a vegetarian version of Pörkölt?

This dish is traditionally meat-based. For similar vegan dish recipe, you can try Lecsó

Hungarian Pörkölt Recipe; Tasty Beef and Onion Stew

Recipe by Sara ShademaniCourse: Main coursesCuisine: HungarianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

Learn the Hungarian Pörkölt Recipe, one of the most delicious stews, made with beef, bacon, onion, tomato, and some tasty spices.

Ingredients

4 slices thick bacon
1 large onion
1 green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 large tomato
450 grams stewing beef
4 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
1 bay leaf
Water as needed
Oil as needed

Directions

To make Pörkölt:
Chop the bacon into small pieces. Take a large pot, pour oil into it, and fry the bacon. Wash the onion, chop and add it to the pan containing the bacon and fry it on medium heat until golden.
Wash bell pepper and garlic well, then chop and add to the rest of the ingredients. Bell pepper makes the Pörkölt smell better. Fry the ingredients for another two minutes until they are well cooked.
Take the beef, wash it well and cut it into medium cubes. Then add it to the pan containing onion, bell pepper, and garlic and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until it turns brown. Add the paprika ingredients, fry for another 1 minute, and then turn off the flame.
Note1: we do not want the meat to be completely cooked at this stage.
Note2: Hungarian Paprika is sweet paprika and can be found at the grocery store or on amazon. If you have hot paprika, note that the flavor will change slightly. So, If you are using hot paprika, add a few paprika to the stew.
Add chopped tomatoes (or tomato paste), salt, pepper, caraway, and bay leaf to the pot and stir well until all the ingredients are mixed.
Add water to the ingredients until it covers half of the stew (not all). Put the pot back on the flame with high heat until it reaches the boiling temperature. After it starts to boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat and let it cook for 90 minutes.
Note: If the Pörkölt was not thick enough, boil it for a few more minutes until it thickens, and then put the lid on it.
Your Hungarian Beef and stew is ready. This dish is often served with noodles in Hungary; if you don’t like it, you can serve it with rice and enjoy.