Slow Cooker Beef Goulash

If you need a rich and comforting dinner then you’re going to love this gluten free slow cooker beef goulash recipe.

This slow cooker, Hungarian goulash has tender chunks of beef and is filled with smoky paprika and tomato flavours.

Serve it up swirled with soured cream and with a helping of rice or gluten free pasta for a comforting, winter meal.

Making this gluten free goulash in the slow cooker means it involves minimal effort and saves on cooking costs too.

It’s a lovely meal to batch cook and freeze too, so perfect to have in stock for those nights when you need something in a hurry.

I absolutely love using my Crock Pot at the moment so make sure you check out my other gluten free slow cooker recipes too.

Ingredients and substitutions

There’s a printable recipe card below with the method and quantities, but here’s an idea of the main ingredients and any substitutions.

• Beef Skirt – I find chopped beef skirt is one of the cheapest cuts of meat and lends itself well to slow cooking. Any form of chopped steak will work but this is my favourite one to use.
• Plain Gluten Free Flour – Any plain gluten free flour blend will work – I tend to use either FREEE, Juvela White Mix or the Asda flour because it’s cheapest!
• Large Onion – A plain ol’ white onion is all you need but you can use a red onion if that’s all you have.
• Red Pepper – Again, any colour pepper will work but I like red peppers as they’re a little less bitter.
• Chopped Garlic – I buy frozen chopped garlic for ease but you can use a garlic paste or peel and finely chop fresh garlic cloves instead.
• Paprika – This recipe calls for a mixture of smoked paprika and normal paprika which I think provides the perfect balance. You’ll also need some cayenne pepper but you can omit this if you don’t like any spice.
• Chopped Tomatoes – Tinned tomatoes are one of my favourite cheap cooking ingredients. Any variation will work – I tend to go for the cheapest option.
• Knorr Beef Stock Pot – Any gluten free beef stock cube or pot variation will work but these Knorr rich beef stock pots are my absolute favourite. They provide a lovely beefy flavour and are always gluten free.

I do serve this recipe up with soured cream but if you want to make it dairy free simply omit this and you’re good to go!

Gluten free beef goulash FAQs

Don’t forget the full printable recipe card is below, but here are some answers to the common questions I get asked about beef goulash.

What is the difference between beef stew and beef goulash?

If you’ve made my gluten free beef stew recipe you’ll know it’s filled with rich, meaty flavours and also uses root vegetables like carrots.

Goulash uses a tomato base and typically includes vegetables like onions and peppers instead.

And while my beef stew is flavoured with herbs like thyme and bay leaf, my goulash uses paprika and smoked paprika.

How do you thicken goulash in the slow cooker?

This gluten free slow cooker goulash does produce a nice thick gravy which shouldn’t need any extra thickener.

That being said, some slow cookers can produce a more watery dish – but this is easily fixed.

Simply add 1 tsp cornflour to a tiny bit of cold water and mix until it forms a liquid (aka a slurry).

Add the slurry to the hot goulash and stir well and it should thicken up nicely.

What is the difference between Hungarian and American goulash?

This recipe is for a Hungarian beef goulash, which typically includes beef steak, peppers, onions and smoked paprika.

Some recipes add potatoes too but I prefer to leave these out so I can serve it with rice.

American goulash is typically made with minced beef, with the addition of macaroni.

It’s sometimes called American Chop Suey – and as you can see is an entirely different meal altogether!

What do you serve with beef goulash?

I like to serve my gluten free slow cooker beef goulash with basmati rice, gluten free pasta, or even mashed potato.

You can also serve it with a steaming plate of green vegetables – and some people add potatoes to the stew during cooking.

I prefer not to do this as they can go a bit soft in the slow cooker given the beef skirt needs a slightly longer cooking time to tenderise it.

Which slow cooker do you use?

I use a Crockpot 3.7-litre slow cooker I was gifted from a family member – I think this is the newer model of mine.

I’m addicted to making things in the slow cooker at the moment, including my chickpea and potato curry and my slow cooker beef stew.

I know a lot of people are worried about the cost of living and looking for cheaper alternative to turning on the gas or electric oven.

The good news is slow cookers are actually pretty efficient to run!

I’ve done a bit of research online and it looks like a slow cooker costs roughly 16p a day to run, compared to 87p a day for an electric cooker.

What if I don’t have a slow cooker?

If you don’t have a slow cooker you can make this gluten free beef goulash in the oven.

To do this, cook the meat and veg as per steps 1 and 2 in the recipe, then add them back into a lidded casserole dish with all the other ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 160C / Gas Mark 3 and then place the dish, with the lid firmly on, in the oven for at least 4 hours until the meat falls apart.

But ultimately this recipe is made for the slow cooker so I’d definitely recommend it as the best and most efficient way to make it!

My gluten free slow cooker beef goulash recipe

This easy slow cooker beef goulash recipe makes enough to feed four people.

You can easily size the recipe up or down depending on the size of your slow cooker too.

Plus any leftovers can be frozen so it’s a great meal to batch cook when you’re meal prepping – and that makes it cheaper too!

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your creations!

And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.

Need more slow cooker recipe inspiration?

Here are some more gluten free slow cooker recipes you can try out once you’ve made this Gluten Free Beef Stew.

• Slow Cooker Butternut Sqaush Curry
• Harissa Chicken with Chorizo
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Chickpea and Potato Curry

If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram. 

If you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!

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