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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.
What is Goulash?
This easy goulash recipe is a soup or stew of meat, usually seasoned with paprika and other spices. The recipe originated in Hungary and we’ve added our American twist.
Ours is tomato-based and full of macaroni, ground beef, and seasonings like basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. It’s a one-pot family favorite that we’ve made my entire life! It’s not only hearty, but it’s comfort food at it’s finest and so delicious!
Serve this American goulash recipe with some Garlic Bread or Garlic Knots and some Roasted Vegetables for a great Sunday dinner idea.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- A simple dinner. This one-pot meal is very easy and is 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 made in the slow cooker too! Just follow the directions below to make it in the crockpot.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
- 2 pounds ground beef – 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.
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic – see How to Mince Garlic
- 3 cups 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.
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt – Add red pepper flakes for spice.
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 cups elbow macaroni noodles – Macaroni noodles are a classic, but any similarly sized pasta will work such as shell pasta, penne, ditalini, or fusilli.
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese – or shredded mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, or omit
- optional veggies – peas, red bell peppers, spinach, onion, green beans, or carrots (add more tender vegetables toward the end)
How to Make Goulash
- MEAT. Sauté 2 pounds of ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked, then drain. Add 3 teaspoons garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- SAUCE. Add 3 cups water, 2 cans tomato sauce, 2 cans diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, 3 bay leaves, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon seasoned salt.
- Stir this well; cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
- PASTA. Add 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni to the 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, making this easy goulash recipe even more irresistible.
Make Goulash in a Crock Pot
- 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. Save noodles to add during the last 1 hour of cooking.
- Cook on HIGH heat for 3-4 hours or on LOW heat for 7-8 hours.
Complete The Meal
Sides
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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.
Recipe FAQ
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.
Place leftovers in an airtight container(s) in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
Made this for me and the fam. Delicious easy recipe. I made tweaks as well. And it made it our home comfort feel. I added onion green bell peppers and family seasonings with some butter. Was absolutely delicious……
Thanks for sharing what you did. Sounds tasty! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the goulash recipe.
My favorite, most simple goulash recipe that the whole family loves
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that!
Made the goulash to night. Was OK but needed more spice. It was bland.
Thanks for your feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
Very tastie. I only had to cook my macaroni in for 12 min and it was done perfectly. 30 mins would have been way to long.
Thanks for the feedback! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
I found this recipe several years ago and my family loves it. The first time I thought the recipe said 1 tb of seasoned salt instead of 1 tsp so it was a bit salty but once I corrected my mistake it was perfect. I don’t change it up too much but sometimes I dice up mushroom in the food processor and use that in lieu of 1 lb of hamburger. I also add extra cheese to make up for the healthier substitution ☺️
Oh yes! I’m sure that extra salt did make a difference haha. So glad you enjoy the recipe. The mushrooms sound like a yummy twist on it too…. and you can never go wrong with extra cheese, right? 😉 Thanks for sharing.
I loved this dish. Didn’t change anything. Really good. Looking forward to making it again today. I’m going to use the crockpot but just add the cooked noodles when I’m ready to serve.
Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
I love your goulash recipe it’s a stomach feeling recipe on a cold night by the fire is feeling thank you
Aw, thank you!! So so happy to hear you enjoy the recipe!
Goulash?
When I was growing up the very same recipe was called American Chop Suey. In my husband’s household it was called Pizza Junk! I wonder if there’s other names….?
Oh really? I’m sure it probably does! That’s fun to hear all the different names this dish has been called.
This has become my go to goulash recipe. The only tweak I suggest is in adding a chopped up bell pepper to the mix. It adds a good bit of color and character to the dish.
Thank you!
Ooh I’m sure a bell pepper would be a great addition to the recipe! So glad that you enjoy it.
Delicious. I added beef broth instead of water and also added onions and some Maggie Seasoning with my soy sauce. Gave it more flavor and used jumbo macaroni since the only size I had. Even toddler loved
Yay! Your substitutions sound awesome and I’m so glad to hear your family enjoyed it too.