German Beef Goulash Stew with Spaetzle Recipe | EatSimpleFood.com

This braised German Beef Goulash stew with spaetzle recipe is made with chunks of chuck roast, carrots, pearl onions, tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves, and red wine.

This delicious German Beef Goulash recipe comes from my mother in law in Germany and is her traditional family recipe.

But GASP! This beef goulash with spaetzle has no paprika. But this is what she cooks and she is 100% German 🙂 Alas, it is one of my favorite braised beef recipes and reminds me of an easy Beef Bourguignon.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 ½ lb beef chuck roast, chunked
• 1 ¼ lb carrots, peeled & chunked
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tablespoon e.v. olive oil
• 8 ounces frozen pearl onions
• 1 ½ cup red wine
• 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
• 16 ounces (1lb) Spaetzle

Instructions:

Stovetop:

• Pre-heat oven to 300F.
• Add salt and pepper to chuck roast
• Add vegetable oil to 6 qt stockpot. When hot, add chunked chuck roast and sear beef for 2-3 minutes per side until browned. Beef does not need to be cooked through.
• Remove beef to plate, reduce heat, and add a light layer of olive oil (~1 Tbsp). Add carrots, onions, ¼ teaspoon salt, pinch black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, red wine, and diced tomatoes.
• Bring to a boil and cook ~ 5 minutes uncovered.
• Put a lid on it and transfer to the oven and cook at 300F for 2 hours or until beef is fork tender.
• Cook spaetzle according to package instructions (cook it like pasta).
• Serve Beef Goulash over Spaetzle and add salt to taste.

Crockpot:

• Add all ingredients, except Spaetzle, into a 6 quart crockpot. Stir & cook on low 6-8 hours.
• 20 minutes before you want to eat: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add spaetzle.
• Serve Beef Goulash over spaetzle. Add salt to taste. Guten Appetit! Beckie

Beef Goulash can be cooked in a stock pot or a crockpot
This beef goulash with spaetzle recipe is slow cooked (also called braising) in a stockpot on the stovetop and then transferred to the oven.

Having said that, beef goulash can also be cooked in the crockpot. The spaetzle is cooked on the side like pasta.

The slow cooked stovetop version concentrates and develops the flavors a bit more. The crockpot version is easier.

Both versions create a tender flavorful beef goulash, so try it both ways sometime to see the difference.

If beef stew is cooked on the stovetop or oven, consider watching it and adding more canned tomatoes or broth if it reduces too much and dries out. The heat may also need to be reduced.

This German beef stew with spaetzle recipe doesn’t have a lot of sauce but it should not be dry either.

How To Sear Beef For Beef Goulash
Searing beef is best done when the pan is not crowded. Sometimes I will sear in a large non-stick skillet that’s not deep and will later transfer to the larger pot to braise.

A large shallow skillet ensures that the beef doesn’t steam. Basically, it promotes a nice sear because of it’s shallow depth.

If there is fond on the skillet, I will let the beef sit in it long enough to release a little liquid to make it all loose and then throw everything in the larger stock pot or dutch oven.

Searing beef only takes a couple minutes. Bring the pan to a medium high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, sear beef chunks undisturbed for 2-3 minutes on each side or until beef is caramelized.

Beef does not need to be cooked through as it will be thrown back in with the rest of the ingredients and cooked longer.

Spaetzle substitutions for German Beef Goulash
Can’t find spaetzle? Cool, use egg noodles instead.

Don’t have egg noodles? Substitute regular pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Want a one pot meal? Throw potatoes in the crockpot or stockpot with the beef instead of cooking the spaetzle on the side.