Ahh, Hungarian lecsó 🇭🇺—pure comfort food. Simple ingredients, big flavor, and it smells amazing while it cooks.
🌶️ Hungarian Lecsó (Traditional Style)
Ingredients (serves 3–4)
- 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika (very important!)
- 4–5 Hungarian wax peppers or banana peppers, sliced
- 3–4 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
- Salt, to taste
Optional add-ins (very traditional):
- 6–8 oz smoked sausage (kolbász), sliced
- 2–3 eggs (for the eggy version)
- 1 tsp hot paprika (if you like heat)
Instructions
- Sauté the onion
- Heat lard or oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook until soft and translucent (not browned).
- Add paprika (off heat!)
- Remove pan from heat.
- Stir in sweet paprika (and hot paprika if using).
- This prevents the paprika from burning and turning bitter.
- Add peppers and tomatoes
- Return pan to low–medium heat.
- Add sliced peppers and tomatoes.
- Season with salt.
- Simmer gently
- Cover and cook 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peppers are tender and everything is saucy.
- Optional sausage version
- If using kolbász, add it with the peppers so it releases its smoky fat into the dish.
- Optional egg version
- Beat eggs lightly, pour into lecsó during the last 5 minutes.
- Stir gently until just set (similar to soft scrambled eggs).
How to Serve Lecsó
- With crusty bread (most common)
- Over rice or potatoes
- As a side to meat dishes
- With eggs mixed in for a full meal
Pro Tips
- Use real Hungarian paprika—it’s the soul of the dish.
- Lecsó should be juicy, not dry. If needed, add a splash of water.
- It tastes even better the next day.
If you want, I can share:
- Grandma-style rustic lecsó
- Vegetarian vs. sausage versions compared
- Lecsó with rice baked in (rakott lecsó)
Just tell me 🇭🇺🍅
