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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.
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.
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.
- Water – Beef broth can be used instead of water for extra flavor. Increase the amount of broth to make this dish more “soupy” 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
- MEAT. Begin by sautéing beef/hamburger in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked, and then drain. Add the garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- SAUCE. Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, and seasoned salt.
- 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.
- 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:
- Sauté the ground beef in a skillet until cooked.
- Drain excess fat and add garlic. Sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Put the sautéed 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:
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 you’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 you’re ready to eat this delicious dish take it out of the fridge or freezer. Preheat the oven to 350°F, cover the dish with foil, and heat until it is the desired temperature.
For more ground beef recipes:
Easy Goulash Recipe
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
- Sauté ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked. Drain. Add garlic and sauté 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
it looks delicious, i have a question 3 cups of wayer ?
how much is that 3/4 of a liter.?
i mean water
Yes, 3 cups of water which is a little less than 3/4 of a liter. Hope you give this recipe a try! We love it!!
i try this on saterday, i let you know.
Great, I’d love to hear how it turns out!! I hope everyone loves it, like we do!
Is the whole recipe 722 calories ? Or just a serving ? And if so how much is a serving ?
I made this tonight and we all loved it! I eat a vegetarian diet so we made this with veggie crumbles (ground beef sub). I also have celiac so we used gluten free noodles. Even with the change it was really great! Thank you for this great recipe!
Yay! I love the changes, thanks for sharing them for all other vegetarian eaters out there!
This was fantastic and sooooo easy! I did add a chopped onion, sautéed with the meat, because we love that flavor, and I never got to add the cheese, because we were already tasting bowls of it and loved the flavors!! (I also used 1lb ground beef and 1lb ground turkey, and just 2T of Soy sauce, because I need to cut down on my sodium) My son’s pasta choice was Cavatappi (corkscrew), which was really fun. This is a keeper! Wow! I am so impressed. 🙂
Yay, I’m so happy that your family loved this recipe! I wish I liked onions, because I know how much flavor they add! I like the changes you made, a little healthier and still so tasty!! Come back soon and try more recipes:)
Thank you
You’re welcome! I hope you tried and liked this recipe!
Yum Kristyn. Thank you.
I hope you try and like this recipe!! We sure love it:) Thank you!
Made this today. Added curry to it as the weather is cold and windy and needed some warm food comfort. It was so tasty and flavourful. Will make it again for sure!!
What a good idea!! Curry is such a warm flavor. This is a great recipe to change up and add or take out spices, to fit any families taste! Thanks for sharing your changes!
Faer, I love curry, how much did you use. I am a little hesitant about the curry/soy sauce combo. Does it have a very strong spicy note? Or has anyone else used these 2 spices together?
Do you simmer the sauce before adding the pasta, or do you allow it to keep cooking on medium-high?
You’ll simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes, before adding the uncooked pasta, then you’ll continue to simmer for 30 more minutes. Hope you enjoy it, as much as we do!
What is Italian seasoning?
Cindy you can find dry Italian seasoning in your local super markets near soup mixes and spices I believe. It’s good for making dressings, marinades, etc 🙂
It is a mixture of dried herbs such as, basil, oregano, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. We use it on so many recipes. You can find it in the baking isles with all the seasonings:)
I actually used my bruschetta seasoning (I had a big container from Costco) and it was beyond perfect!!! I used 3tbsp of it and didn’t need the season salt. Seriously amazing ????
I am on a restricted diet and want to make this using venison hamburger and without the cheese, as dairy is limited…. do you suggest a substitute….?
I’m not sure what you are restricted from eating, but you could always use less of something if it needs to be limited. Or, you don’t have to even add the cheese. It won’t be as creamy, but it will still taste good:) Some suggest tofu as a replacement for cheese? Hope that helps!
Is there any disadvantage to cooking the pasta separately and adding it at the end? I was thinking it would save time to cook the pasta concurrently.
You can do that too – totally up to you. 😉
I think if you do that, you should probably reduce the amount of water, since it’s in there to counteract the cooking of the pasta.
Hi Kate, I wouldn’t cook the pasta separately because the starch from the pasta is what’s going to help thicken the sauce and give it that heavier consistency. Adding it separately will give you soupier results.