Traditional Hungarian Pörkölt 🇭🇺

Hungarian Pörkölt is a classic rustic stew made with tender pieces of meat slowly cooked with onions, sweet Hungarian paprika, peppers, and tomatoes. Rich, deeply savory, and wonderfully comforting, pörkölt is one of the dishes that truly represents traditional Hungarian home cooking.

Unlike goulash, which is generally more soup-like, pörkölt has a thicker, concentrated sauce that clings beautifully to the meat. It is traditionally served with nokedli, dumplings, potatoes, or fresh bread.

Ingredients

For the Pörkölt

• 2 lb (900 g) beef chuck, pork shoulder, or lamb, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
• 2–3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 tsp caraway seeds, optional
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1–1½ cups water or beef broth

To Serve

• Hungarian nokedli
• Boiled potatoes
• Egg noodles
• Fresh crusty bread
• Pickles or Hungarian cucumber salad
• Fresh parsley, optional