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Old-fashioned goulash is an easy cheesy family favorite! It’s the perfect go-to dinner recipe for any night of the week.

Filled with meat, cheese, seasonings, and macaroni, this recipe is sure to become as loved as Beef Stroganoff and Pot Roast.

Beef Goulash recipe cooking in a skillet.
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What is Goulash?

Goulash is a soup or stew of meat, usually seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating from medieval Hungary, goulash is a popular meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe.

Today’s recipe is an American beef goulash that my family has made my entire life. Not only is it hearty, but it’s a great dinner idea for kids since they all love it!

Why we love it:

  • A simple dinner. It’s takes some time to make, but it’s very simple and is a one of our go-to beef dinner ideas.
  • Easy to change up. Add the cheese, leave out the cheese, add extra veggies or even change the noodles. This recipe is very versatile.
  • Can be in the slow cooker too! Just follow the directions below to make in the crockpot.

Hungarian vs American Goulash

Hungarian goulash is more like a soup or stew and uses chunks of beef, various vegetables and seasoned with onion and paprika.

The Americanized version is typically tomato based and full of macaroni, ground beef, uses seasonings like basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary, and often includes cheese. American goulash is also called American chop suey or slumgullion. It’s the epitome of American comfort foods.

How to make Hungarian goulash. It’s a bit different and includes more vegetables like carrots and peppers. For that recipe, CLICK HERE.

Macaroni noodles for American goulash recipe.

Goulash Ingredients

  • Ground Beef – You can use lean ground beef or one with higher fat content. Drain any excess grease that is produced. Replace half the ground beef with 1 pound of Italian sausage or completely substitute the beef for ground turkey or chicken. 
  • Minced Garlic – Adds flavor but can be coupled with Worcestershire sauce for even more flavor.
  • WaterBeef broth can be used instead of water for extra flavor. Increase the amount of broth to make this dish more โ€œsoupyโ€ like the Hungarian goulash.
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Diced Tomatoes
  • Bay Leaves
  • Soy Sauce
  • Seasoned Salt
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Elbow Macaroni – Macaroni noodles are a classic, but any similarly sized pasta will work such as shell pasta, penne, ditalini, or fusilli.
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese – I love cheddar in our recipe, but shredded mozzarella or even Parmesan will work. Cheese can be omitted as well.

How to Make Goulash

  1. MEAT. Begin by sautรฉing beef/hamburger in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked, and then drain. Add the garlic and sautรฉ for about 5 minutes.
  2. SAUCE. Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, and seasoned salt.
  3. SIMMER. Stir this well; cover and allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add the uncooked elbow macaroni to skillet, stir well, then return the lid and simmer for about 30 minutes.
  4. CHEESE. Once 30 minutes is up and the noodles are all cooked, turn off the heat, and remove the bay leaves. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese right before serving, which will make it even more irresistible.

Make in a Crock Pot

Making this American goulash in the crockpot is super easy. Just follow these steps to make it:

  • Sautรฉ the ground beef in a skillet until cooked.
  • Drain excess fat and add garlic. Sautรฉ for another 5 minutes.
  • Put the sautรฉed meat in the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients.
  • Cook on HIGH heat for 3-4 hours or on LOW heat for 7-8 hours.

Variations + What to Serve With Goulash

Vegetables. Another way to make this more like the Hungarian version is to add extra veggies such as peas, red bell peppers, spinach, onion, and carrots. Add more tender vegetables toward the end so they don’t get mushy.

There are so many great sides that go with this easy goulash recipe, but some of our favorites include:

Close up of American goulash in a skillet.

storing info

  • Make it ahead of time. Make this hamburger goulash ahead of time. Simply follow the recipe directions, cover, and store in the fridge until youโ€™re ready to use.
  • STORE. Goulash can reheat well, but it needs to be stored properly. Be sure to place it in an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat by using the microwave.
  • FREEZE. Ground beef goulash can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to 3 months. Place leftover goulash in a freezer-safe dish and cover tightly with foil.
  • Reheat. If you plan to store this American goulash recipe for more than a day the best place to keep it is in the freezer. When youโ€™re ready to eat this delicious dish take it out of the fridge or freezer. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF, cover the dish with foil, and heat until it is the desired temperature.
Beef Goulash Recipe spooned out of pan.

For more ground beef recipes:

4.97 from 599 votes

Easy Goulash Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
This old-fashioned easy goulash recipe is a one-pot family favorite! It's the perfect go-to dinner recipe for any night of the week.
Servings: 8
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour

Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 3 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions 

  • Sautรฉ ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked. Drain. Add garlic and sautรฉ for about 5 minutes. Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.
  • Add the uncooked elbow macaroni to the skillet, stir well, return the lid, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and add 1 cup of cheddar cheese right before serving.

Video

Notes

Freezer meal. Brown the ground beef, drain, and cool. Add the ground beef and other ingredients to a freezer Ziploc and freeze for 3-4 months. (Save the noodles and cheese to add later). Thaw and heat on the stove adding the noodles during the last 30 minutes. Top with cheese.
Store leftovers in an airtight container(s) and put it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 542kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 2457mg, Potassium: 1183mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 1020IU, Vitamin C: 21.8mg, Calcium: 210mg, Iron: 6.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and Iโ€™m the mom of SIX stinkinโ€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinโ€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momโ€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iโ€™m one of the many crafty โ€œLilโ€™ Lunasโ€ in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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4.97 from 599 votes (296 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




672 Comments

  1. Dolores Zonca says:

    Going to try the goulash.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Let me know what you think ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Andrea Dion says:

    Cute, going ti make gor my grandaughter.

  3. Matt Morrison says:

    5 stars
    Great Recipe ! Easy to make. Delicious and filling.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Awe, thanks so much!! Love to hear that!

  4. Henry says:

    Itโ€™s a good recipe but you should boil the noodles first.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You can, but don’t really need to. They get well cooked ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Dolores Zonca says:

        5 stars
        Yeah,but I like mine aldente and this might tend to overlook.

  5. Martyn says:

    Apologies I was a bit harsh with that review. Okay so I think that you should consider instead of using beef, using lamb. Get some nice cuts of lamb – lean, cut it up into 1 inch cubes, cover the lamb in sweet paprika, and use red wine to help it stick to the chunks. Flash fry the lamb in a hot skillet so that it just burns slightly around the outside of the lamb but is very rare inside the chunks.

    In terms of herbs, hungarian goulash will be using paprika. Unfortunately Hungarians have 3-4 different types of paprika none of which we can get here in Britain. You have to do the best you can and try and get sweet, the smoked paprikas are a little more tricky to work with. Along with the paprika hungarians will add caraway seed and this will add a coolness – almost mintiness to the flavour.

    They will then take the flash fried lamb add loads of herbs and spices, along with fresh tomatos, a little cumin, salt, pepper, potatos, mushrooms and various other things, and add it to a slow cooker, they’ll probably add red wine into the slow cooker, adding too much liquid will dilute the taste, they may add stock – vegetable stock is fine, and rather than using onions, they would probably use leeks. Then they would slow cook the goulash for somewhere between 2 and 6 hours. Sometimes longer.

  6. Paul R Grandjean says:

    Hi, this looks delicious but it’s kinda a ‘mac and beef’. It’s not gulas. I guess it’s ‘American gulas’ but that’s not gulas at all. There’s no paprika in it! Gulas is from Eastern Europe and definitely isn’t pasta. So, I’m curious where the name comes from. Is American Gulash actually a thing? Or is this just named by Americans who have never been to Europe and never had actual gulaลก?

    Hope that question isn’t annoying. I’m curious where this comes from.

    Thanks.

    Paul
    (American who once lived in Eastern Europe as was looking for actual Czech gulaลก recipes)

    1. Babs says:

      It is American Goulash. My mom was a gourmet cook, well aware of what Hungarian goulash was, but we ate this frequently growing up. It is known as a comfort food and was a quick fix when she was working and going to night school, and running a household.

  7. Jina says:

    5 stars
    Looks so yummy! I am gonna make this at home! Is it easy to make?

  8. Anne Sofie says:

    Wow…
    It looks great and it sounds easy to make:-)
    I have added it on my need to make list.
    Thanks for the inspiration!

  9. Peggy dicill says:

    5 stars
    I used 1/2 yellow because ground beef dinners are always better with onion and I halved the recipe for two people with leftovers for lunch next day.
    Simple and delicious easy cleanup.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Perfect! Halving is great for two! Thank you for trying it & I’m glad you liked it!

  10. Lynne F says:

    5 stars
    This is delicious. I made a batch and froze for lunches. Definitely going in my keep file! Thanks for a great recipe!!!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Love to hear that! Great idea & thank you so much!