Hungarian Beef Stew (Marhapörkölt) with Hungarian Dumplings

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

For the Beef Stew

  • 600 g beef, cut into cubes
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 500 ml beef broth or water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds (optional)
  • Fresh parsley for garnish

For the Hungarian Dumplings

  • 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 100 ml water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Stew

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until soft and golden.

Step 2: Add the Spices

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the Hungarian paprika. Add the garlic, tomatoes, green bell pepper, salt, black pepper, and caraway seeds.

Step 3: Cook the Beef

Add the beef cubes and stir well until coated with the spices. Pour in the beef broth or water. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the beef is tender. Add a little water if necessary.

Step 4: Make the Dumplings

In a bowl, mix the flour, eggs, water, and salt to form a thick, sticky dough.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop small spoonfuls of dough into the boiling water and cook for 3–5 minutes, until the dumplings float and are cooked through. Drain well.

Step 5: Serve

Serve the hot beef stew with the Hungarian dumplings. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with pickles on the side.

Serving Suggestion

Enjoy this traditional Hungarian comfort food with crusty bread or pickled cucumbers.

Tip: Use authentic Hungarian sweet paprika for the rich color and distinctive flavor of the stew.

I can also give you a shorter, easy-to-copy English recipe or a traditional Hungarian chicken paprikash recipe.

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