Jump to Recipe

Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast is an amazing recipe with so many good memories of enjoying the leftovers for me! If you’re a fan of  ingredients like tomatoes, peppers, paprika, and sour cream you have to try this recipe! Check out Instant Pot Hungarian Pot Roast if you prefer that method.

PIN Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast to try it later!

Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast finished pot roast on plate with sour cream gravy

The first time I made this Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast, I ate some and then made several little containers to take for lunches at school. Then I raved about how good it was at lunch every time I ate some until all my co-workers wanted to try the recipe. Since then, I’ve made this over and over through the years. 

Of course the recipe has its origins in Goulash or Gulyas, a Hungarian dish I first heard about when The Frugal Gourmet used to make it on TV (ahem, quite a while ago!) There are as many variations of goulash as there are cooks making it, but the kind I’ve made the most always had pieces of beef, tomatoes, red peppers, onions, and plenty of paprika.

And this type of recipe is not especially photogenic, but trust me when I say Hungarian Pot Roast is so delicious! If you prefer the Instant Pot, check out the recipe for Instant Pot Hungarian Pot Roast!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What Paprika did I use for the Hungarian Pot Roast?

I’m a HUGE fan of Szeged Paprika (affiliate link) and I use both Szeged Sweet Paprika (affiliate link) and Szeged Hot Paprika (affiliate link) in this recipe. But if you don’t have that brand, try to use authentic Hungarian paprika. It will make a big difference in the flavor.

What Slow Cooker Did I Use?

I made this recipe in the six-quart Ninja Slow Cooker (affiliate link), but any large oval slow cooker will be fine.

Want more low-carb beef dinners from the slow cooker?

Check out 20 Keto Slow Cooker Recipes with Beef for lots more ideas from Kalyn’s Kitchen and around the web!

Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast process shots collage

How to Make Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. I used a large chuck roast, about 3.5 pounds after trimming.
  2. Rub the roast with steak seasoning. 
  3. Brown the meat well in olive oil before putting it in the slow cooker.
  4. Add a bit more oil and brown onions, adding paprika after the onions are lightly browned and cook a few minutes more. (Through the years I’ve come to prefer chopped onions instead of slices; take your choice on that!) 
  5. Add the browned onions to the crockpot, putting them over and around the roast.
  6. Then add chopped roasted red pepper, drained petite dice tomatoes, and one cup beef stock.
  7. Cook on high about 4 hours, or until roast feels tender when pierced with a fork.
  8. When roast is tender, remove meat to a cutting board. (You might want to cover with foil or put it back into the slow cooker to keep it warm.)
  9. Strain liquid into frying pan (catching the vegetables) and start to simmer over medium high heat to reduce for gravy. (If you use finely chopped onions and finely chopped peppers, you can skip the straining and just have a chunky sauce.)
  10. Remove about 1/3 cup of the liquid, let it cool slightly, and then mix it into the sour cream.
  11. When liquid has reduced by about half, whisk in the sour cream mixture to make the sauce.
  12. Slice meat and serve with the sauce, either spooned over the meat or on the side. Serve hot.

Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast with beef sliced on plate and sauce served on the side

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

This would be amazing with Easy Cauliflower Rice with Garlic and Green Onion, Roasted Turnips, or Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese for a low-carb meal!

More Slow Cooker Beef for Dinner:

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep  to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast finished pot roast on plate with sour cream gravy
Yield: 8 servings

Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

This fantastic Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast is a low-carb treat that I've been making for years!

Ingredients

  • 2 T olive oil, divided
  • 1 beef chuck roast, about 3.5 pounds after trimming
  • 2 T steak seasoning
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 T sweet Hungarian paprika (or more)
  • 1/2 tsp. sharp Hungarian paprika (optional, but good)
  • one 12 oz. jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
  • one 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste (see notes)
  • 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

  1. Trim desired amount of visible fat from roast, then rub roast on all sides with steak seasoning.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy frying pan, add roast and brown well on all sides. (Don’t rush this step; browning the meat adds flavor.)
  3. When roast is well-browned, place in the slow cooker.
  4. While roast browns, drain tomatoes, drain and finely chop roasted red peppers, and chop onion.
  5. Heat additional 1 T olive oil in pan, then add onions and saute onions until lightly browned. Add paprika (affiliate link) and cook a minute or two longer.
  6. Put onions in crockpot on top of and around the roast.
  7. Put chopped peppers and drained canned tomatoes into crockpot, seasoning with black pepper.
  8. Pour the beef stock over top of crockpot ingredients.
  9. Cook on high for about 4 hours, or until roast feels tender when pierced with a fork.
  10. When roast is tender, remove meat to a cutting board. (You might want to cover with foil or put it back into the slow cooker to keep it warm.)
  11. Strain liquid into frying pan (catching the vegetables if desired) and start to simmer over medium high heat to reduce for gravy. (If you use finely chopped onions and finely chopped peppers, you can skip the straining and just have a chunky sauce.)
  12. Remove about 1/3 cup of the liquid, let it cool slightly, and then mix it into the sour cream.
  13. When liquid in the pan has reduced by about half, whisk in sour cream mixture to make the sauce. 
  14. Slice meat and serve with the sauce, either spooned over the meat or on the side. Serve hot.

Notes

I'd use chuck roast for this recipe. The roast I used was about 3.5 pounds after trimming.

I used steak rub that had some salt so I didn't add more, but add a little salt if you prefer.

This recipe was created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 186Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 4gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 30mgSodium 459mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 3gSugar 9gProtein 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

© Kalyn Denny
Category: Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast square image of beef with sour cream gravy

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Served plain, with vegetables and gravy over the meat, this Hungarian Pot Roast is a great low-carb dish and it would also work for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. You might want to use a leaner cut of beef and use reduced-fat sour cream if you’re strictly following South Beach.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Slow Cooker Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Hungarian Pot Roast recipe was first posted in 2012. The recipe was updated with better photos and slightly-improved instructions in January 2021 and was last updated with more information in 2023.

Pinterest image of Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast

Share This: