Beef · Slow cooker

One Pot Chef Slow Cooker Beef Goulash

A dump-and-go beef goulash with sweet paprika, peppers and a generous tin of tomatoes. Eight hours on low turns a cheap cut into fork-tender stew with almost no effort.

R By Richard · Adapted from OnePotChefShow · Published 10 June 2026
👁 289.4k source views ❤️ 3.6k source likes
🍲Slow cook 8 hr (Low) / 4 hr (High)
Slow Cooked Beef Goulash | One Pot Chef

Source video by OnePotChefShow on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules.

This is a true dump-and-go slow cooker goulash from the One Pot Chef. A kilo of cheap stewing beef goes in raw with onions, garlic, red peppers, tinned tomatoes, tomato paste and sweet paprika, plus beef stock and water. No browning, no fuss. Cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high) until the sauce thickens and the beef pulls apart with a fork. Stir through a blob of sour cream just before serving and plate up with rice, pasta or mash.

Ingredients

Main
  • 1 kgbeef (gravy beef or other cheap stewing cut), cut into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces
  • 2 smallbrown onions, diced
  • 1 clovegarlic, crushed (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 2red peppers (red capsicums), deseeded and diced
  • 400 gtinned diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsptomato paste (concentrated tomato puree)
  • 2 tbspsweet paprika (Hungarian paprika)
  • 125 mlbeef stock
  • 125 mlwater
  • salt
  • pepper
  • sour cream (add late)

Method

  1. Cut the beef into roughly 5 cm (2 inch) pieces and put them in the slow cooker. Browning first is not necessary.

  2. Add the diced onions, crushed garlic and diced red peppers to the slow cooker and give it a quick stir.

  3. Add the tinned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sweet paprika, beef stock and water. Season with a little salt and some pepper, then stir well to combine.

  4. Put the lid on and cook for 8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high. Low is recommended for more tender beef.

    ~480 min

  5. Just before serving, stir through a blob of sour cream for a thick, creamy finish.

  6. Serve hot with rice, pasta, vegetables or mashed potato.

Frequently asked

Do I need to brown the beef first?
No. The recipe says browning is unnecessary in a slow cooker because the long low-heat cook does not cause the moisture loss you get on the stove or in the oven.
Can I cook it on high instead of low?
Yes. The source gives 4 hours on high as an alternative to 8 hours on low, but recommends the low setting because the beef becomes more tender.
What can I serve it with?
The source serves it with rice and suggests pasta, vegetables or mashed potato as alternatives.
Is the sour cream essential?
No. The source describes it as entirely optional, stirred through just before serving for a thicker, creamier finish.
Extraction notes (transparency): Prep time not stated in source. Servings not stated in source. Salt and pepper quantities not specified ('a little salt', 'some pepper'). Sour cream quantity given only as 'a nice blob'.