Our easy Goulash recipe is one of those yummy, budget-friendly dinners that saves the day on busy weeknights (time and time again).
It is packed with seasoned ground beef, macaroni, and a rich tomato sauce that tastes like it simmered all day, even though it comes together fast. Although the recipe originated in Hungary, we’ve added our American twist, and have been making this since we were kids.
What we love most about this soup or stew recipe is how simple it is while still being totally comforting. Everything cooks in one skillet, the flavors are kid-friendly, and it makes a big batch that is perfect for leftovers.
Serve this American goulash recipe with some Garlic Bread or Garlic Knots and some Roasted Vegetables for a great Sunday dinner idea.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- A simple dinner. This one pot meal is very easy and is one of our go-to beef dinner ideas. One pot makes for easy clean up!
- 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.
Goulash Ingredients
- Ground beef (2 pounds, 80/20): Provides rich, hearty flavor. 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 (3 teaspoons): Adds savory depth. See How to Mince Garlic.
- Water or beef broth (3 cups): Creates the cooking liquid and sauce base. 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 (2 cans, 15 ounce): Forms the rich tomato base.
- Diced tomatoes (2 cans, 14.5 ounce): Adds texture and extra tomato flavor.
- Soy sauce (3 tablespoons): Boosts savory depth and umami.
- Italian seasoning (2 tablespoons): Adds herb flavor.
- Seasoned salt (1 teaspoon): Enhances and balances the flavors. Add red pepper flakes for spice.
- Bay leaves (3): Adds subtle aromatic flavor while simmering.
- Elbow macaroni or other pasta (2 cups): Cooks directly in the sauce and makes the dish hearty. Macaroni noodles are a classic, but any similarly sized pasta will work such as shell pasta, penne, ditalini, or fusilli.
- Shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup, optional): Adds creamy, melty goodness on top. 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. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked, then drain. Add garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.
SAUCE. Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, and seasoned salt.
Stir this well; cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
PASTA. Add uncooked elbow macaroni to the skillet, stir well, then replace the lid and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
CHEESE. Once the 15-20 minutes are 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.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Drain excess grease to avoid a heavy, greasy sauce.
- Stir occasionally while simmering so the pasta does not stick or burn.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Add a splash of broth if the pasta absorbs too much liquid.
- When serving, we love to top our individual bowls with a little extra cheddar cheese (each to our liking), for a little extra cheesy goodness.
- Crock pot directions: 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.
Best Goulash Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, 80 percent lean/20 percent fat
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 cups water, or beef broth
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cups elbow macaroni, or penne or shell pasta
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional topping
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté ground beef until cooked, 8-10 minutes, then drain off excess fat.
- Add garlic and sauté for about 2-3 minutes. Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt and bay leaves. Stir, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Add macaroni to the skillet, stir well and cover. SImmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and cheese right before serving.
Notes
- Drain excess grease to avoid a heavy, greasy sauce.
- Stir occasionally while simmering so the pasta does not stick or burn.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Add a splash of broth if the pasta absorbs too much liquid.
- When serving, we love to top our individual bowls with a little extra cheddar cheese (each to our liking), for a little extra cheesy goodness.
- Crock pot directions: 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.
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.
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This recipe was first shared April, 2017.
I don’t like tomatoes what can I substitute for the canned tomatoes? Or do i just leave them out ?
You could just leave them out. Not sure what I would replace them with. Hope you like it!! Thanks!
My husband and step daughter hate chunky tomatoes. I blend them in the blender and no one knows they are in the dish. But it still adds another dimension to the dish.
We completely loved this!!!!!! I used 3 tablespoons of garlic instead of teaspoons since I use preminced from a jar but made no other substitutions. I will cook it for 20 minutes on the final cook next time, I made a double batch since it looks perfect for reheating and the noodles continued to absorb liquid and soften in the hot juices as they sat. Wonderful recipe!!!!
SO glad you liked it! Thanks so much for giving it a try and letting me know!
I just made this tonight. Very good! But next time I would cut back on the salt. I used less than what it called for but still found it pretty salty. Will definitely make this again!
You can add as little or as much salt as you like 🙂 Thank you so much for giving it a try and I’m so glad you liked it!
I grew up in mid- Indiana and we had this at least once a month. A true comfort dish and a good way to stretch a meal!
It sure is comfort food!! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Both my mother and my husband’s mother made us dishes similar to this when we were growing up in the 60s & 70s. I made a half recipe of this tonight with small penne pasta, and we LOVED it! Like our mom’s versions, only better!
Oh, thank you!! It seems like a lot of people have had a version of this when they were younger! Thanks for trying it out!
This might be a dumb question but when do you put the meat back in?
Right after you drain the meat, just add it back to the pan and add the other ingredients 🙂 Hope you give it a try and thanks for stopping by!
If you make the pasta separately do you still add all the water to the dish?
Yummy!! Really enjoyed this recipe, thank you. Will be making again.
So happy to hear that!! Thanks so much for stopping by and giving this a try!
This was a hit! My 16 year old daughter took a bite, closed her eyes and moaned “this is sooo good.” I had some leftover broccoli that I had cooked the night before so I threw that in during the last 6 min. Will definitely be making this again!
So glad you all liked it!! We love this recipe too! I’ll have to try adding broccoli!
Trying this recipe out tonight, it’s on the stovetop now and smells so good. Added a few extra seasonings….chili powder & chopped onions. Also I added a chili starter and used Turkey burger. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
That all sounds delish!! Thanks for the new ideas! Hope you enjoy!!