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Beef goulash with potato chunks, mushrooms and red bell pepper pieces on spiral pasta on a white plate on a dark wooden table

Gluten-Free Instant Pot Beef Goulash

This gluten-free goulash is a one-pot stew made in the Instant Pot: browned beef chuck, onions, mushrooms, red bell pepper and large potato chunks cook for 30 minutes under pressure in a sauce of sweet paprika, tomato paste, caraway and marjoram, with a little red wine (or extra broth) and beef broth.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Hungarian
Calories: 594
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 800 g beef chuck roast (stewing beef), cut into 1.5-inch cubes 1.75 lb; 1.5 inches is about 4 cm
  • 2 medium onions, chopped about 220 g in total (our assumption for the nutrition estimate)
  • 250 g white or brown mushrooms, quartered 8.8 oz. The original recipe says 8 oz (226 g), which is about 10 percent less; we use the metric amount
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced about 150 g (our assumption for the nutrition estimate)
  • 5 small to medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks about 500 g (1.1 lb) in total. Cut into chunks of about 1.5 inches (4 cm)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or lard, for sautéing 30 ml, about 27 g of olive oil. The original recipe gives no amount per batch. If you use lard, check the label
  • 3 tbsp sweet paprika powder 45 ml, about 21 g. Check the label
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika 5 ml, optional, for depth. Check the label
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed or ground 5 ml, about 2 g. Check the label if it is a ground spice blend
  • 1 tsp dried marjoram or thyme 5 ml. Check the label if it is a spice blend
  • 1 tsp salt 5 ml, adjust to taste
  • ½ tsp black pepper 2.5 ml
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste 30 ml, about 33 g. Check the label
  • 500 ml beef broth, certified gluten-free about 2 cups. Must be certified gluten-free, see the notes
  • 120 ml dry red wine, or extra beef broth ½ cup. If you use broth instead, it must be gluten-free too. Check the wine label
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch, gluten-free 30 ml, about 16 g, for the thickener. Cornstarch, not wheat starch; check the label
  • 3 tbsp cold water 45 ml, for the cornstarch slurry
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper or chili flakes 2.5 ml, optional, if you like it spicy. Check the label
  • fresh parsley optional, for garnish. Named in the last step of the original recipe but missing from its ingredient list, so the amount is not given
  • 400 g Barilla gluten-free penne, dry 14 oz, for the whole batch (about 80 g per serving at 5 servings). Check that the package is labeled gluten-free

Method
 

  1. Sauté the meat. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté (High). Add the oil. Once it is hot, brown the beef cubes in batches. Do not overcrowd the pot. Remove the beef and set it aside.
  2. Sauté the aromatics. Add the chopped onions to the empty pot and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic and the tomato paste. Stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw tomato flavor.
  3. Deglaze. Pour in the red wine (or a splash of broth). Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. This step matters: it prevents the 'Burn' message on the Instant Pot.
  4. Combine. Turn off the Sauté function. Add the beef back into the pot. Add the red bell pepper, mushrooms and potatoes.
  5. Season. Sprinkle the sweet paprika, smoked paprika (if using), caraway seeds, marjoram, salt and black pepper over the ingredients. Add the bay leaf.
  6. Add the liquid. Pour in the beef broth. Stir gently to combine, making sure the potatoes and meat are mostly submerged.
  7. Pressure cook. Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook (or Manual) on High Pressure for 30 minutes.
  8. Natural Release. When the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes (Natural Release). Then carefully turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam.
  9. Thicken. Open the lid and remove the bay leaf. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the cold water to make a slurry (a smooth mix of starch and cold liquid, so it does not clump). Turn the Instant Pot back to Sauté. Stir the slurry into the bubbling goulash and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
    Orange-brown goulash sauce with mushrooms and bell pepper pieces bubbling in a stainless steel Instant Pot
  10. Cook the pasta in its own pot per the package directions, in fresh water and with a clean colander, so it does not come into contact with gluten.
  11. Serve. Spoon the goulash over the pasta and garnish with fresh parsley, if you like. Serve immediately.

Notes

To keep it gluten-free, the beef broth must be certified gluten-free (the original recipe says so). Also check the labels on stock cubes, tomato paste, sweet and smoked paprika, caraway and marjoram or spice blends, the red wine, the lard (if you use it), cayenne or chili flakes, and the cornstarch.
Thickener: use cornstarch (corn flour in UK terms), not wheat starch. Wheat starch is a different product and some starches are made from wheat, so check that the cornstarch is labeled gluten-free.
Cross-contamination: use a clean pot, lid sealing ring, spoons and board, especially if you also cook with gluten.
Potatoes: cut them into larger chunks (about 1.5 inches, 4 cm). If they are too small, they will disintegrate during the 30-minute pressure cook cycle.
Spice level: if you like it spicy, add ½ tsp (2.5 ml) of cayenne pepper or chili flakes.
Options: olive oil or lard for sautéing; dry red wine or extra beef broth; marjoram or thyme; the smoked paprika is optional, for depth.
The 'Burn' message: deglazing in step 3 and scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot prevents it.
Storage: this stew tastes even better the next day. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Nutrition values are an estimate calculated from the ingredient list, not a lab analysis. They cover the stew only (1/5 of the batch), without pasta and parsley. The 400 g of dry pasta (about 1,420 kcal for the batch, about 284 kcal per serving at 5 servings) is a typical value of about 355 kcal per 100 g for corn and rice based gluten-free pasta, not taken from the package label, and is NOT included in the figures above.
Pasta: the batch is served on 400 g of Barilla gluten-free penne, cooked per the package directions. Use a separate pot of fresh water and a clean colander, and check the package label, even though the pasta is sold as gluten-free.