This pörkölt is a delicious Hungarian meat stew cooked in a savory onion sauce. It is simmered until it reaches juicy and tender perfection that will make it fall off your fork and melt in your mouth!

If you love a recipe that warms you up and fills your belly, then this pörkölt is it! Add in this salad, rolls and carrots and you have a meal that is hearty and filling that the whole family will love.

What IS Pörkölt?

Pörkölt is a traditional Hungarian dish. It comes from the name pörkölini, which means “to roast.” This beef stew is traditionally served over egg noodles, but it can be served over rice or mashed potatoes. You make a sauce to pour over the meat and simmer it for almost 2 hours. That’s how the beef ends up so tender and juicy! The sauce has a bit of a kick because it uses Hungarian sweet paprika.

This recipe is so hearty and filling. It only takes about 15 minutes to prep, and the rest of the time, it’s just simmering on the stove. So it really isn’t time-consuming, and you end up with something delicious at the end of it all! Stews are a great meal for the family and go with just about any and all sides, especially vegetables. Try this out. It is SOO GOOD. 

Ingredients You Need to Make Pörkölt

The name makes it sound complicated but it’s actually pretty simple. And so are the ingredients! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all of the measurements.

• Olive oil: This is what you will sear the meat in before cooking it in the sauce.
• Beef: You can get a cut of chuck roast or stew meat for this recipe.
• Salt and pepper: You will season the meat before putting it into the sauce.
• Onion: I used a vidalia onion and thinly sliced it.
• Tomato sauce: This is the base of the sauce.
• Beef broth: The beef broth is used to cover the meat.
• Hungarian sweet paprika: This adds a spicy kick to the recipe. If you don’t want the spice then use normal paprika instead.
• Vinegar: The vingegar adds a slight tangly taste.
• Bay leaf: You only need one bay leaf to season up this sauce.
• Sour cream: This is just to garnish the top. One dollup for each serving.
• Wide egg noodles: This dish is traditionally served on egg noodles but you could also serve it on rice or mashed potatoes too!

How to Make Pörkölt

This recipe is really simple! Cook all of your sides while it’s simmering on the stove and you’ll have a delicious, hearty meal ready to go in under 2 hours!

1. Brown the meat: Add oil to a large pot, and heat over medium high heat. Add the cubed beef to the hot pan. Season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat on all sides until seared and no longer pink. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
2. Make the sauce: Using the same pot, add the sliced onions, and cook for about 8 minutes or until golden. Add a little more oil if needed. Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, paprika, vinegar, bay leaf, and prepared meat. 
3. Cover and let simmer: Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until meat is tender. 
4. Allow to cool and prepare noodles: Remove from heat, discard the bay leaf, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes while you prepare and boil the noodles. Before serving, taste and add salt and pepper if needed. The stew should be nice and thick. Serve with egg noodles and a dollop of sour cream on the side.

More Delicious Stew Recipes to Try

If you loved this pörkölt then you must try a few more of my stews! They are perfect for the winter months and some of them are even one-pot recipes so you don’t even need to worry about adding any sides! Cook them up on a snowy day and these will warm you right up.

Soup Recipes

One-Pot Chicken Stew

Dinner

Beef Stew with Bacon

Soup Recipes

Tuscan Vegetable Chicken Stew

Dinner

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Stew

Print

Simple and Easy Pörkölt (Hungarian Stew)

This pörkölt is a delicious Hungarian meat stew that is cooked in a savory onion sauce! It is simmered until it reaches juicy and tender perfection that will make it fall off your fork and melt in your mouth.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Hungarian

Keyword Pörkölt

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 6 people

Calories 357kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds Beef (chuck roast or stew meat) cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 sweet onion (Vidalia), thinly sliced
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 cup beef broth (enough to cover the meat)
• 4 Tablespoon Hungarian Sweet Paprika
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup sour cream, divided (a dollop for each serving)
• 16 ounces wide egg noodles

Instructions

• Add oil to a large pot, and heat over medium-high heat. Add the cubed beef to the hot pan. Season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat on all sides until seared and no longer pink. Remove the beef from the pan and set it aside.
• Using the same pot, add the sliced onions, and cook for about 8 minutes or until golden. Add a little more oil if needed. Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, paprika, vinegar, bay leaf, and prepared meat.
• Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until meat is tender.
• Remove from heat, discard the bay leaf, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes while you prepare and boil the noodles. Before serving, taste and add salt and pepper if needed. The stew should be nice and thick. Serve with egg noodles and a dollop of sour cream on the side.

Notes

Traditionally, Pörkölt is served with egg noodles, but you can also serve it with mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles of choice.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 947mg | Potassium: 440mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2511IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 3mg