By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 3, 2026
Serves 8
543 cal · 120 min
Hungarian Pork Stew
Recipe GLPR88886483f397e6
A traditional Eastern European comfort dish featuring tender pork simmered in a rich, paprika-infused onion sauce finished with sour cream. The pork is briefly fried until golden, then braised low and slow with caramelized onions and aromatic spices until the flavors meld into a savory, velvety stew.
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Ingredients
1/3 cup canola oil, plus additional oil for frying
8 medium yellow onions, cut into medium dice
3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
2 pounds pork cutlets or thin pork slices
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
4 to 5 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable or chicken soup seasoning (or Vegeta if available)
1 cup sour cream
Directions
Heat 1/3 cup canola oil in a large 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent and very soft but not browned, about 15–20 minutes. Add additional oil as needed during cooking to keep the onions glistening.
Once the onions are tender and translucent, reduce heat to low. Add the sweet Hungarian paprika and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to toast the paprika slightly and distribute it evenly throughout the onions. Be careful not to scorch the paprika.
Meanwhile, prepare the pork: pat the pork slices dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper from the measured 1 tablespoon pepper (adjusting amounts as needed). Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge each pork slice on both sides, shaking off excess flour.
Heat about 1 inch of canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Once the oil shimmers, carefully place the floured pork slices into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid crowding. Fry each slice for about 1–2 minutes per side until the edges turn golden brown. The thin slices should cook through during this brief frying. Transfer fried pork to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
Cut each fried pork slice in half and add all the cooked pork pieces to the pot with the paprika-infused onions.
Pour enough water into the pot to just cover the pork and onions, about 4–5 cups. Cover the pot and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly from the flour coating the pork and the onions have begun to break down and almost disappear into the sauce.
Taste the stew and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, and vegetable seasoning (about 1 tablespoon total, or to taste). Stir well to incorporate.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the sour cream until fully combined. The stew should become rich, creamy, and thick. Serve hot.
Comments
Hungarian pork stew delivers solid value for a Charlotte family: pork shoulder is reliable at any major chain, and Hungarian paprika is standard at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and Kroger, so no special trips required. The ingredient list is lean and the cost per serving lands around $2–2.50 depending on pork price that week, making it genuinely economical for eight servings. The two-hour stated time is honest for braising, and the dish reheats beautifully over several days, which matters for weeknight families. The one mild drawback is that it demands unattended oven time and occasional stirring, so it is not a set-it-and-forget recipe, and the sour cream finish means it needs to come off heat before serving or risk curdling—small points that keep it from being flawless.
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