Classic Czech Beef Goulash with Chilli and Bread Dumplings

Step-by-step method

At a glance

You're looking at a weekend project that fills your home with the most amazing aromas—the beef simmers for three hours while you casually prepare and let the dumpling dough rise on the side, so everything finishes at the same time. The tricky part that makes all the difference is steaming the dumplings instead of boiling them (they stay beautifully soft that way), and skipping the roux thickener to keep the sauce tasting pure and rich. Raw red onion and fresh chilli on top give you that sharp, fresh bite that makes this dish truly special.

1/16

Brown the beef

Cut the trimmed beef into cubes and toss thoroughly with salt and pepper. Melt the lard in a pot and sear the beef over high heat on all sides until golden, so it's nicely sealed.

For this step
0/4

1 kilogram
Beef Shin

2 tablespoon
Pork Lard

1 teaspoon
Salt

1 teaspoon
Black Pepper
2/16

Fry the onion base

Set the seared beef aside. Add the chopped onion to the pan drippings and fry, stirring constantly, until golden. This is the key foundation for the colour and flavour of the whole goulash.

For this step
0/1

1 kilogram
Yellow Onion
3/16

Add the spices and deglaze

Lower the heat. Add the sweet paprika, chilli flakes and caraway seeds to the onion, stir briefly until the spices become fragrant, then immediately pour in the beef stock, as the paprika would otherwise turn bitter.

For this step
0/4

3 tablespoon
Sweet Ground Paprika

1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes

1 teaspoon
Caraway Seeds

500 milliliter
Beef Stock (Clear)

4/16

Simmer the beef for the first two hours

Return the beef to the pot, let the mixture bubble gently, cover with a lid and lower the heat. Simmer for about 2 hours, checking regularly that the goulash isn't catching on the bottom and has enough liquid.
5/16

Mix the dumpling dough

While the beef simmers, put the coarse flour, salt and dried yeast in a large bowl and mix them dry. Then pour in the lukewarm milk and crack in the egg.

For this step
0/5

500 gram
Coarse Wheat Flour

2 gram
Salt

7 gram
Dried Yeast

1 piece
Chicken Eggs

300 milliliter
Fresh Whole Milk (3.5% Fat)
6/16

Knead a smooth dough

Knead the dough thoroughly with a wooden spoon or a food processor with a dough hook for about ten minutes, until it is smooth, glossy and starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
7/16

Fold in the bread

Cut the day-old bread roll, crust included, into small cubes, add them to the dough and fold in very gently so the pieces are evenly distributed.

For this step
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70 gram
Fatty bread roll
8/16

Let the dough rise

Cover the bowl with a clean, damp tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled in size. In a warm spot it may go faster, so keep an eye on it.
9/16

Simmer the goulash until completely tender

After two hours, check how tender the beef is and keep simmering it under the lid for about 1 more hour, until the pieces start to fall apart and the sauce has a deep, rich flavour.
10/16

Shape the loaves

Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface, knead lightly into a smooth ball and divide into two equal halves. Roll each into a neat log about six centimetres wide.
11/16

Let the dumplings rise again

Place the loaves on a tray or baking sheet lightly greased with oil, cover with a damp tea towel and let them rise for another 30 minutes or so, so they gain volume before cooking.

For this step
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1 tablespoon
Sunflower Oil
12/16

Set up the pot and steam

Pour two centimetres of water into a wide pot, set a steamer insert in it and bring the water to a boil. Line the steamer with a clean tea towel so the dough doesn't stick during cooking.

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0/1

1 liter
Water
13/16

Steam the dumplings

Place the loaves in the steamer with enough space between them, as they will swell considerably while cooking. Cover with a lid and steam over strong steam for exactly 25 minutes. Check now and then that the water hasn't boiled dry.
14/16

Thicken and season the goulash

Stir the starch into a little cold water and slowly pour it into the pot. Add the dried marjoram, rubbed between your palms, and the crushed garlic, and let it simmer for just a short while.

For this step
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2 tablespoon
Potato Starch

1 tablespoon
Dried Marjoram

4 clove
Garlic
15/16

Slice the dumplings

Transfer the cooked dumplings to a board and slice them with a strong thread or a really sharp serrated knife, so you don't damage the fluffy texture inside.
16/16

Serve with onion and chilli

Divide the goulash among deep plates and add slices of dumpling. Generously top each serving with thinly sliced red onion and add fresh chilli to taste.

For this step
0/2

1 piece
Red Onion

1 piece
Mixed chilli peppers

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Classic Czech Beef Goulash with Chilli and Bread Dumplings

Name: Tender Czech Beef Goulash with Dumplings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 228 min
Total time: 358 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Czech
Ingredients: 1 kilogram Beef Shin; 2 tablespoon Pork Lard; 1 teaspoon Salt; 1 kilogram Yellow Onion; 1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds; 500 milliliter Beef Stock (Clear); 2 gram Salt; 70 gram Fatty bread roll; 1 piece Red Onion; 1 teaspoon Black Pepper; 500 gram Coarse Wheat Flour; 7 gram Dried Yeast; 1 teaspoon Chili Flakes; 4 clove Garlic; 1 piece Mixed chilli peppers; 300 milliliter Fresh Whole Milk (3.5% Fat); 1 liter Water; 1 tablespoon Dried Marjoram; 3 tablespoon Sweet Ground Paprika; 1 tablespoon Sunflower Oil; 1 piece Chicken Eggs; 2 tablespoon Potato Starch

everydaybyyumsto

Prep 30 min Cook 3 h 48 min

Plus 1 h 30 min of resting (not counted in active time)

22 Ingredients

16 Steps

Hard Difficulty

Equipment

What you'll need besides the ingredients.

Tea towel

Steamer

Baking sheet

What's in it?

1198 kcal

Calories

145 g

Carbohydrates

36 g

Fats

76 g

Proteins

The nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on the specific ingredients used.

About this recipe

Beef that falls apart on your fork, a thick, dark sauce with a hint of heat in the background, and a fluffy dumpling ready to soak it all up. Oh my. The scent of marjoram and garlic drifts through the whole home around the third hour of simmering, and that's exactly when everyone starts wandering into the kitchen "just to have a look." I've combined a classic beef goulash and a bread dumpling made with coarse flour into one recipe, and timed them to finish together: while the meat simmers, you can calmly knead the dough and let it rise. I always steam the dumplings rather than boil them. They won't crack, they won't turn slimy on the surface, and they stay beautifully soft inside. And I don't thicken the goulash with a roux but with starch right at the end, so the sauce keeps the pure flavour of the meat and paprika. On the plate, there's raw red onion and fresh chilli on top, a sharp, fresh contrast I no longer serve it without at home 🌶️ So come on, this weekend lunch will make your whole home smell amazing 💜

Beef Pork Warming & cozy Sunday family lunch Hearty & filling Comfort food Czech Main Course High-protein

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Step-by-step method

At a glance

Brown the beef

For this step

Fry the onion base

For this step

Add the spices and deglaze

For this step

Simmer the beef for the first two hours

Mix the dumpling dough

For this step

Knead a smooth dough

Fold in the bread

For this step

Let the dough rise

Simmer the goulash until completely tender

Shape the loaves

Let the dumplings rise again

For this step

Set up the pot and steam

For this step

Steam the dumplings

Thicken and season the goulash

For this step

Slice the dumplings

Serve with onion and chilli

For this step

How it went

Nobody has tried this recipe yet

Classic Czech Beef Goulash with Chilli and Bread Dumplings

Ingredients — what you'll need

Equipment

What's in it?

About this recipe

Want a recipe like this every Thursday?

Similar recipes

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