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    Home » Recipes » German Main Dish Recipes

    Bavarian Beer Goulash

    Published: Jan 31, 2018 · Modified: Jun 14, 2022 by Angela Schofield · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Bavarian Beer Goulash is a traditional German dish that is a crowd-pleaser every time. The delicious German beer adds depth of flavor to the gravy, making it ideal for a Sunday night dinner with family and friends.

    This classic German goulash recipe is made with beer and is known by the name Biergulasch (beer goulash) or Brauerei Gulasch (brewery goulash) or Bayerisches Gulasch (Bavarian goulash).

    Bavarian beer goulash with boiled potatoes, parsley garnish and a mug of German beer.

    If you love goulash you should also try this traditional German beef goulash called Rindersaftgulasch.

    Jump to:
    • Culinary Development
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Serving Ideas
    • Storage
    • Cooking Video Tutorial
    • Top Tip
    • Recipe
    Who Invented Goulash?

    Cow shepherds invented goulash, as it is nowadays known in Hungary. The word "goulash," which is commonly used today, originally came from the Hungarian word "gulyás," which meant cow shepherd. The dish itself was actually called "gulyáhus," which means goulash meat. This refers to a simple meat dish that the Puszta shepherds prepared. This was done in a cauldron over an open fire, and originally the dish didn’t even include paprika.

    Culinary Development

    Hungarian cowboys in traditional outfit riding horses in the Puszta.

    The shepherd’s original very easy cauldron goulash (the preparation probably occurred during the great migrations or came to Europe through the Huns, whose cultural circle has included many dishes that have been similar for generations, such as the Mongolian korma) is most similar to what we would know as a goulash soup today, and apart from the name, the original goulash hardly compares to today’s.

    From the medieval ages to the late 19th century, Puşzta was an empire of giant herds of cows, that were driven to big markets all over Europe, for example to Moravia, Vienna, Nuremberg, or even Venice in large numbers. While traveling, the shepherds always made sure to have an "ill" animal with them, so they would be able to slaughter it and prepare a hearty meal with its meat.

    How is goulash called in German?

    Goulash is called Gulasch (n), das Gulasch, in the German language.

    How to pronounce Gulasch in German?

    Click on the play button to learn how to say Gulasch in German.

    Bavarian beer goulash with bread dumpling and sour cream garnish.

    Who wrote the recipes? The Czechs!

    The first goulash recipe was not found in a Hungarian cook book, but, in fact, in a collection of recipes from Prague. This is due to the fact that recipe books didn’t exist in Hungary yet in 1819. The people of Prague decided to put the recipe out into the open and write it down – with huge success! Goulash was mentioned in a Viennese cook book in 1827.

    And since it became popular in Vienna, goulash made its way to Germany. It was first found in a German cook book in the mid-19th century.

    Modern goulash owes much of its improved flavor profile to the contributions of German and Austrian chefs. Many different variations of the original goulash were developed by adding spices, beer, wine, and other ingredients, as in this traditional Bavarian recipe.

    Ingredients

    The ingredients for this dish are simple but make an amazing meal.

    Ingredients for Bavarian beer goulash: clarified butter, onion, tomato paste, salt, pepper, paprika powder, mustard, leek, carrots, beef, honey, caraway seeds and garlic paste.
    • beef
    • clarified butter
    • coarse Kosher salt
    • pepper
    • paprika powder
    • caraway seeds
    • garlic paste
    • mustard
    • tomato paste
    • honey
    • onion
    • carrots
    • leek
    • beer

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Follow these easy steps to learn how to make this authentic Bavarian beer goulash from scratch.

    Bavarian Beer Goulash Step 1: melting clarified butter.

    Heat clarified butter on high heat in a large pot. If you don´t have clarified butter you can use 1 tablespoon of butter plus 1 tablespoon of neutral vegetable oil instead.

    Bavarian Beer Goulash Step 2: Adding beef to pot.

    Cut the beef into 1-inch large cubes and fry them until they are browned on all sides.

    Bavarian Beer Goulash Step 3: Adding spices to the meat in a large pot.

    Add coarse Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, paprika powder, and caraway seeds. Combine everything well.

    Bavarian Beer Goulash Step 4: adding garlic paste, mustard, tomato paste and honey to the meat in the large pot.

    Stir in tomato paste, mustard, honey, and garlic paste and let simmer on medium heat for a couple of minutes while you are prepping the vegetables.

    Bavarian Beer Goulash Step 5: Peeling leak, onion and carrots on a wooden board.

    Peel the carrots and the onion. Remove outer layer from leek and wash well.

    Bavarian Beer Goulash Step 6: Cutting leek into fine stripes on a wooden board.

    Finely cube the onion, shred the carrots and cut the leek finely.

    Bavarian Beer Goulash Step 7: adding beer and vegetable stripes to the large pot.

    Add vegetables and beer to the meat and mix well.

    Bavarian Beer Goulash Step 8: simmering goulash in a large pot with lid.

    Simmer the goulash for about 2 hours with a closed lid.

    Hint: Add additional beer if the meat appears to get too dry.

    Substitutions

    • Beer - the beer's alcoholic content will evaporate during the cooking process. In place of the beer, you could use apple juice if you prefer not to cook with alcohol.
    • Vegetables - If you don´t like leek or carrots you can omit them from the dish but this will result in a less flavorful gravy.
    • Leek - Instead of leek you can use green onions.
    • Carrots - Instead of carrots you can use bell peppers and/or tomatoes.
    Bavarian beer goulash with boiled potatoes. Fork and parsley garnish.

    Variations

    Change the flavor profile with these ideas:

    • Spicy - Add chili powder or hot sauce to the dish to spice it up.
    • Creamy - add a ¼ cup of heavy cream at the end of the cooking process to make a creamy version of this goulash.
    • Mushrooms - The addition of mushrooms add an additional portion of veggies and flavor to your meal.

    Equipment

    To make this delicious beef goulash you don´t need to dirty a lot of dishes.

    • cutting board
    • cutting knife
    • spoon
    • large pot with lid

    Serving Ideas

    Spaetzle, Salzkartoffeln (German boiled potatoes), bread dumplings and potato dumplings are wonderful side dishes for goulash. But a simple slice of bread or noodles make a great side too.

    In Germany goulash is always served with a veggie side like cabbage salad, carrot and peas or a German salad plate.

    Storage

    You can keep the goulash refrigerated for at least 3 days. The dish also freezes well.

    Cooking Video Tutorial

    Top Tip

    Your favorite beer can be used to create a unique flavor twist on this dish.
    Drink choice: for the best pairing, use the same beer that you used in the dish or serve sparkling Apfelschorle as a non-alcoholic drink.

    Recipe

    Beer Goulash Recipe

    Bavarian Beer Goulash

    Angela Schofield
    German comfort food at it`s best!
    4.84 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Share on Facebook Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins
    Course Entrees
    Cuisine Bavarian, German
    Servings 10 portions
    Calories 538 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 pounds beef cut into 1-inch cubes
    • 2 tablespoon Butterschmalz (clarified butter) alternative: 1 tbsp. butter plus 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
    • 2 tablespoon coarse Kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • 2 tablespoon paprika powder
    • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
    • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
    • 2 tablespoon mustard
    • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 1 large onion
    • 2 medium carrots
    • 1 stalk leek
    • 2 cups beer

    Instructions
     

    • Heat Butterschmalz (clarified butter) on high heat in a large pot.
    • Add the beef and fry until browned on all sides.
    • Add salt, pepper, and paprika, caraway seeds and mix well.
    • Add tomato paste, mustard, honey, and garlic paste and let simmer on medium high.
    • Peel the carrots, clean the leek, and peel the onion.
    • Finely cube the onion, shred the carrots and cut the leek finely.
    • Add the vegetables and the beer to the meat and simmer for about 2 hours with a closed lid.

    Notes

    Serving Tip: Serve with spaetzle, dumplings or Salzkartoffeln (boiled potatoes).

    Nutrition

    Yield: 1PortionCalories: 538kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 32gFat: 40gFiber: 2gSugar: 4g
    Keyword authentic, easy, quick
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More German Main Dish Recipes

    • Crock Pot Pork & Sauerkraut - Easy Pork Belly Sauerkraut Recipe
    • Gulasch Austrian Beef Goulash Vienna Style
    • Schnitzel and Spaetzle - The Ultimate German Comfort Food
    • Chicken Doner - Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ray says

      June 18, 2019 at 8:40 am

      Hello, how much tomato paste, honey is needed for your goulash recipe

      Reply
      • Angela says

        June 18, 2019 at 10:31 am

        Hello Ray,

        Thank you for your question, tbsp. of tomato paste (not ketchup) and one 1 tbsp. honey.

        Have a great day & Guten Appetit

        Angela

        Reply
    2. Gerlyn says

      February 01, 2020 at 5:47 pm

      Hello you can put any kind of beer??

      Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        February 02, 2020 at 10:49 am

        Thank you for the question. Yes, you can use any kind of beer. Even stale beer would do if you have leftovers.

        Reply
    3. Caroline K. says

      September 15, 2020 at 5:38 pm

      Hello, how much does my steam pot cut down the 2 hours cooking time? Is this even an option? Dankeschön.

      Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        September 18, 2020 at 3:23 pm

        Hi Caroline, I am sorry, but can not answer that question as I never use steam pots. But I think it should work if you use as a guidance the time that you usually use for stews.

        Reply
    4. Nicholas Romano says

      October 20, 2022 at 2:31 am

      Hello, what cut of beef do you typically use for this?
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        October 20, 2022 at 11:38 am

        Hi Nicholas, I typically use beef chuck or top round for this dish. I would suggest to buy the beef as a roast in a single large piece instead of cut-up stew meat that is cheaper and you will get better meat that way. Hope that helps 🙂 Guten Appetit!

        Reply

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    Herzlich willkommen! I'm glad you've stopped by.

    It is a joy to share with you some of my all-time favorite authentic German recipes and tell you a little bit about the cultural background of my home country, Germany.

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