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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.
This is such an amazingly comforting meal! Quickly became a favorite at my house!
My kids devoured this! All of them! Thank you so much.
When you say two cups of macaroni, you mean 2 cups measured with a measuring cup or 16 ounces? Every time I’ve made it I used 16 ounces and my wife made it last night she measured out two cups in the measuring cup. I told her I usually use the whole box so she cooked the rest of the noodles and added it after the fact. Feeds a lot more people that way and tastes amazing. Just wondering if I been doing it wrong this whole time.
I typically measure out two cups. I think in general, 8 ounces of dry short pasta (like macaroni) = 2 cups, which becomes about 4 cups cooked. But I’m glad to hear it works well with the full 16 ounce box too. That’s good to know!
This was a quick meal my grandmother made. Hadn’t thought of this meal in years..thx for the receipe.
The best recipe for this dish. Since the hamburger cooks in water with the noodles its texture is tender. Sometimes i add a can of concentrated tomato soup.
Thanks for sharing what you do. So glad you enjoy the recipe!
Hi! Your recipe looks yummy =) I’m working on creating some freezer meals for my family, which is a first for me; and so I’m guessing if I want to make this into a freezer meal, then I would omit the 3 c. of water and add the pasta already cooked to the freezer bag? Thanks a bunch if anyone answers =)
Here are our instructions for freezing:
Goulash can be made ahead time and frozen for up to 3 months. We also recommend placing this in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and placing in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat it remove from the freezer, thaw, and heat in a microwave, covered in an oven, or on the stove top in a skillet until it reaches your desired temperature.
So yes, you’d pretty much make the full recipe when preparing it, freeze and then reheat when you are ready to eat it rather than cooking it from scratch. Hope you enjoy the goulash!
🔥🔥😋😙 this stuff is the 💣 absolutely amazing! I added a little touch and added one yellow onion to the recipe… Thank you Lil Luna! I can’t wait to try all your other recipes 😊
You’re welcome!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Made this tonight and we all loved it – easy to make, too!
Yay!! So happy to hear that!
I absolutely love this recipe. I have shared it with my mom and they all love it too it’s super easy and bonus my two year old likes it too. I did have one question. Everytime I cook it, I have a different outcome. Sometimes I burn the noodles sometimes I don’t. So when your done with the meat and you start adding everything, what temperature does the heat need to be when cooking covered?
I usually simmer it at a medium-low heat. Every stove top is a little different with the amount of heat they put out but medium-low seems to be the best spot to cook it at. Hope this helps!
This is very close to the version I usually make with the exception of swapping soy for Worcestershire. Maybe everyone that posts a recipe should put a disclaimer(in all caps) for people that don’t cook/beginners stating, “as per every recipe on the planet, please taste as cooking & feel free to adjust spices accordingly”. 😆 🤣 Never knew that needed to be said, but there’s always one person in the reviews on every recipe online! I read the reviews to see what people changed…before I start cooking.
That is so true! Everyone has their own preferences of how much and what type of seasonings and spices they like to use in a recipe. Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂
Rose:
I do the same thing with the Worcestershire sauce, and sub kosher salt also. But the recipe rocks.