This Instant Pot Beef Goulash is a rich, hearty meal for any day of the week. The beef tastes like it has simmered all day but is actually made in less than an hour!
Instant Pot Beef Goulash
Instant Pot Beef Goulash is my new favorite thing. We served this over mashed potatoes and my kids couldn’t get enough! The chunks of beef are so tender and flavorful, everyone will think it has been stewing all day. The gravy is nice and thick, just how gravy should be. The veggies are tender, but not TOO tender. I know that in some Instant Pot recipes the vegetables can get too mushy. That is not the case with this recipe! You could serve this over rice, noodles, thick slices of Texas toast, biscuits or in a bowl all its own. This is a terrific meal any night of the week!
Tips for Making Goulash in the Instant Pot
- If you have a pressure cooker, but no instant pot, you can still make this beef goulash recipe! There are hardly any adjustments that need to be made. Really, the only adjustment is that instead of using the “meat/stew” function, you just cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. No biggie. Most pressure cookers have a “saute” function but if yours doesn’t, you can sear the meat and cook the onions in a separate pan first. Or you can just throw it all in without sautéing. Either way you will be just fine.
- If you wanted to make this goulash more of a “one pot” meal, you can always add some cubed potatoes in with the carrots. It will make it more like a stew but it will still be delicious!
- To make this recipe gluten free you will just want to make sure that the onion soup mix and beef broth you are using is GF. Sometimes those can be tricky to find. Herb Ox brand has a great GF beef broth. Wylers has a gluten free onion soup mix that we love. It does contain soy though so be careful if you have a soy allergy as well.
Try some of our Other Instant Pot Recipes
Be sure to try some of our other easy Instant Pot recipes! If you like this Beef Goulash recipe, you will be sure to love our Instant Pot Sunday Pot Roast recipe. Here’s a few more of our very favorites:
- Instant Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Instant Pot Lemon Custard Cups
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Goulash

Instant Pot Beef Goulash
Equipment
- 6-Quart Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (See Instant Pot Note Below)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef roast (or steak) cubed, stew meat works great too
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 onion peeled, cut into pieces
- 6 carrots peeled, cut into pieces (or 2-3 c. baby carrots)
- 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions
- Sprinkle beef with salt and set aside.
- Set Instant Pot to "saute" function. Add oil.
- When oil is hot, add beef. Turn beef every 15-20 seconds or so until all sides are browned.
- Add onions and sauté for another minute.
- Add carrots, soup mix, Worcestershire, paprika, and beef broth.
- Place lid on Instant Pot, turn to close, and set tab to "sealing".
- Press "meat/stew" setting (or high pressure for 20 minutes).
- Allow to naturally release for 8-10 minutes before switching tab to "venting".
- Allow Instant Pot to release pressure and remove lid. Press "saute" function.
- Combine cornstarch and water, creating a "slurry". Slowly add to the Instant Pot, stirring constantly until thickened (you want a gravy consistency).
- Serve with mashed potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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This was absolutely fantastic!!! Thank you so much for a recipe that my kids gobbled up!
In your instructions You should include “Deglaze pot” when sautéing is complete.
Not only will it add flavor, it will prevent a possible BURN notice with an accompanying failure to pressurize. I would Deglaze between steps 4 and 5, using some of the broth from step 5.
Red wine or a little dark beer would also work, if you just happen to have some handy! Always remember: “Alcohol Consumed While Cooking Does Not Count!”
Experienced IP will know to deglaze. Newcomers to IP cooking may not.
Made your Danish Goulash in my pressure cooker tonight and my husband and I loved it!! I used Kitchen Bouquet instead of soy sauce and it gave it that rich dark color without adding any flavor. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
Thank You.
We are so glad you liked it!! Thanks for the 5-star rating!
I cooked this tonight in instant pot. It was delicious. I had it over brown rice. Oh so good. Glad I tried it. Definitely will make again.
So glad you liked this recipe! Great idea to serve over brown rice, YUM!
Can you use a slow cooker for this dish to make on sunday
Yes, you can make it this way (see link) and just add it to a slow cooker for 4-6 hours: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/danish-goulash/
Can you cook in slowcooker
Yes, you can use this recipe and put it in a slow cooker: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/danish-goulash/
This is not Goulash. Goulash is Hungarian not Danish. Secondly it does not contain any Paprika which is an absolutely essential ingredient in Goulash.
Hi John- you are absolutely right. It definitely needs paprika. I will add it to the recipe. I do know that Goulash does not originate in Denmark but that is the only style we are familiar with. Thanks for your comment!
I use “Pride of Szeged” sweet Hungarian paprika. It is widely available, but any genuine Hungarian paprika is a very important part of goulash to me!
I do not understand why recipes are labeled “goulash” when they have nothing to do with this dish. They should be called a stew. Just because a recipe contains paprika, it is no a goulash. Calling a dish with ground beef is an insult to the wonderful versions of Hungarian Gulyash, Hungarian Porkolt, and German Gulaschsuppe.
I can’t wait to cook it. and I am happy that you are cooking our national dish (I am from Hungary).
But are you sure, it has Danish origin? 😉
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goulash
haha maybe it does has more Hungarian origin. My husband has only been to Denmark so that is all he knows. Would love some tips to making it more authentic if you have them!
hello, I am subscribed for a while now, I would love to make a beef goulash or stew with no onions no msg no sauces or marination, no nutmeg or soy no thyme no chicken anything I am severely deathly allergic to these ingredients. Is there a way I can make it without these other things. I would like be a stew like this I am so limited it is really sad. Your stew looks Delicious and Love mashed potatoes!. Thank you Ginger Carco
I think you could just season with salt and pepper? What do you mean by “marination”? You shouldn’t have to marinate with this recipe anyway so you should be good. I think just leaving out the onions and getting organic seasons should do the trick. Hope this helps! Sorry your all these allergies are so limiting. Hopefully you will be able to enjoy this recipe!