Hungarian Goulash Porkolt + Video

If all you've ever had is the American version of Hungarian Goulash, this authentic Porkolt recipe is going to change your mind forever about Goulash! Warm, comforting, and redolent with sweet paprika, this is the perfect stew for cooler weather.

Why Should You Make This Instant Pot Goulash Recipe?

• Quick. While this recipe isn't ready in under 30 minutes like most of our recipes, you will still be impressed by how quickly the flavor is developed
• Easy. Brown the pork, saute the aromatics, and pressure cook. You'll love the convenience of doing this all in your Instant Pot.
• Delicious. Deep, rich flavors your whole family will love.
• Authentic. An authentic Hungarian recipe that will have you making it again and again.

It's real Hungarian Goulash, not whatever is billed as Goulash across any old recipe. It's a thick meat stew, with meat, onions, and a few other vegetables, fragranced and flavored with Hungarian Paprika, and cooked until it's soft and fork-tender.

The pressure cooker is perfect for tenderizing meat and infusing the flavor of the aromatics and the sweet paprika all into the stew. So if you've really wanted to try an authentic Hungarian Goulash or Hungarian Porkolt, here's a super simple recipe that should work for you.

This recipe came to me from Adri Lewis, who I met via my blog and my facebook page. Without her, I'd have had no idea how to make this authentically. I mean, at all.

She posted this Hungarian Goulash recipe on the Twosleevers page and it looked so delicious that I immediately asked her if I could share it with all of you. I was so happy when she agreed, and here we are.

I mean, how many different recipes have you seen all over social media that bill themselves as a Hungarian Goulash recipe? It's hard to know what's authentic and what's not.

Adri's recipe matches up very closely with what I've read about an authentic Hungarian Goulash recipe so I'm delighted to be able to share it with you.

What Is The Difference Between American and Hungarian Goulash?

If you are assuming that the difference between the two goulash recipes is just where you prepare it, you're going to be in for a surprise.

American Goulash is traditionally tomato sauce, noodles, and beef cooked together. Sometimes people will refer to this as American Chop Suey.

Hungarian Goulash is more of a stew. The primary ingredient will be deliciously tender pork. It is often seasoned with onions and paprika for a deep and rich flavor.

What Is The Difference Between Hungarian Goulash and Beef Stew?

Well, first of all, it uses two different types of protein. One uses pork while the other uses beef.

As you know from my explanation above, Hungarian Goulash is pork seasoned with onions and paprika in a thick sauce. It is traditionally served over tarhonya to make a complete meal.

Beef stew may seem similar considering you use beef as the main ingredient and they both have a flavorful sauce. With Beef stew, you typically cook it with potatoes, carrots, and onions and the flavor is heavily dependant on the beef.

What Is Tarhonya?

So I decided to serve this Hungarian Goulash over tarhonya. Now if you aren't familiar with tarhonya, it is an egg-based pasta that is often found in Hungary and Central Europe. It is sometimes referred to as egg barley or egg drops, and it's absolutely delicious!

Tarhonya isn't low carb, so if you're living a low carb lifestyle you can omit the tarhonya. You can eat it by itself, with low carb noodles, or with any other low carb noodle alternative.

What Is The Recipe For Hungarian Goulash?

1. Sprinkle meat chunks with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Turn your Instant Pot or pressure cooker to Sauté wait until hot, then add cooking oil.

3. Brown the meat — leave it alone for a few minutes to get a nice color.

4. Remove to a bowl when nicely browned, and add the onion and bell pepper to your pressure cooker. Cook for about 5 minutes.

5. Add garlic and sauté til fragrant (30 sec or so)

6. Add remaining salt, tomatoes, stock/broth and paprika, and add the meat along with any juices. Stir well

7. Cancel the saute. Seal the lid

8. Push the meat/stew button and adjust the time to 25 minutes.

9. Allow it to release pressure naturally for 10 minutes, and then release any remaining pressure.

10. Cancel the keep-warm function and turn on Sauté

11. Mix the cornstarch with a little water, and add this to the stew. Bring to a brief boil to thicken

12. Serve over starch of your choice with a big dollop of sour cream. Traditionally it would be Tarhonya but you can also use potatoes or rice.

How To Make Tarhnoya

1. Sauté tarhonya in butter until deeply toasted. Some of the nuggets should be pretty dark brown

2. Heat the broth in a separate pot or the microwave until boiling

3. Pour hot broth over the tarhonya.

4. Cover and simmer on low for 20 min until tender

5. Season to taste

Tips and Tricks on Making Hungarian Goulash

• You can make this with beef rather than pork without adjusting cooking times. 
• It is very important to use SWEET Hungarian paprika and not hot or smoked. Otherwise, you are going to blow the top of your head off.
• I often don't brown the pork, but rather chuck everything into the pot in one go and cook it, and it tastes JUST fine.
• If you're having trouble finding tarhonya, try searching for egg barley or egg drop noodles instead (both are alternate names for tarhonya). You can also purchase it online.
• If you don't want to bother with tarhonya, you can also serve this over steamed rice or regular noodles like a standard goulash.
• If you want to keep this low carb, you can eat it without the tarhonya or over low carb noodles instead.

Watch a video on How to Make Hungarian Porkolt with Tarhonya

Want To Try More Amazing Authentic International Dishes In Your Instant Pot? Check These Out!

• Try out this Authentic Russian Borscht! It's delicious!
• Another fantastic international recipe to try in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker is my Chicken Vindaloo. Make this delicious dish from scratch in less than an hour!
• This Nigerian Fried Rice recipe is absolutely bursting with flavor! Make it in a fraction of the time by making it in your Instant Pot.

If you love this Hungarian Goulash recipe as much as we do, make sure to share this recipe with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can enjoy it as well!