A thick paprika braise of cubed meat (beef, pork, veal, mutton) with onions and just enough liquid to cook it down to a glossy sauce. The serious version eaten in Hungarian homes, distinct from gulyás.
Pörkölt is the thick Hungarian braise that the world often calls goulash. It is older than the paprika version, probably pre-paprika, with the spice added from the 19th century. Eaten with nokedli (egg dumplings), potatoes or rice. The dish is built on a base of slow-cooked onions and lard, with no water beyond what comes from the meat and onions.
3 editor picks for Pörkölt in Budapest, ranked by editorial score. All Budapest signature dishes · Pörkölt across every city.
Hungarikum Bisztró ★ 4.5
lipotvaros · Steindl Imre utca 13, 1051 Budapest
Hungarikum Bisztro on Steindl Imre near Parliament cooks the canonical Hungarian classics, with gulyás, chicken paprikash and stuffed cabbage in a tiny.
Gettó Gulyás ★ 4.4
erzsebetvaros · Wesselényi utca 18, 1077 Budapest
Getto Gulyas on Wesselenyi in the Jewish Quarter cooks 14 varieties of Hungarian stews and goulashes alongside Jewish-Hungarian classics, Budapest.
Kőleves Vendéglő ★ 4.2
erzsebetvaros · Kazinczy utca 41, 1075 Budapest
Koleves Vendeglo on Kazinczy in an old kosher meat plant cooks affordable Hungarian and Jewish-Hungarian lunch menus, with a summer garden across the road.