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.
This is delicious, my family loves it. The only thing I added was a can of corn (drained)
That’s a perfect addition! Thank you!
Very good recipe! I used whole grain elbows and added diced onions and green peppers. I also added some chopped spinach towards the end.
That sounds yum! Great additions! Thank you for sharing!
I made this tonight and it is delicious. I had an extra 1 Lb ground beef so I included 1 1/2 of the ingredients. I think I added too much water for the extra macaroni. It wasn’t really waterery but not thick. I will add onion next time. Thank you for Sharing the recipe. Husband loved it also.
You are so welcome!! I’m glad you both liked it! Thank you for letting me know.
This was very good however, I made this with 1 lb venis on burg and 1 lb venison sausage. Added a quart of my homemade chunky salsa and 3 1/2 cups of noodles. Incredible! I love to take recipes and make them my very own. Thanks for sharing your’s to help make my family a great meal!
I’m glad you make them your own 🙂 That’s what’s great about cooking 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
just a quick question. Any way to reduce the sodium intake per serving? 2500 mg is quite high. I love this dish and works like to make it more often, but can’t have that much sodium.
You can lessen the salt, use low-sodium canned goods, etc. Hope that helps!
I make something very similar which is an adaptation of something my Mom made. She always called it chop suey and I call it goulash, although I suspect American Chop Suey is closer to what I make. I don’t care what name you put on it, it’s good. I use tomato soup, onions, cheddar cheese, macaroni and ground beef. So simple and yet tasty.
Thanks so much!!
I have to tell you that I’ve made this a few times before and it is absolutely delicious. We’ve been quite busy in the evenings lately and I like to prep as much as I can ahead of time for the next day’s dinner. I prepped this meal (doing everything except adding the pasta) and left it on the counter to cool before putting in the fridge. My husband came home late and thought it was soup for dinner. He said it was one of the best soups I’ve ever made. LOL!
LOL!! I am so glad you like it! That is funny about your hubby 🙂
I sent the recipe to my hubby, who is the cook in our household (he’s a definite keeper). It was DELICIOUS! I am betting we will ad this to our go to list of meals when we need something simple and tasty. Thank you for sharing!
What a great hubby!! I am so glad it’s a hit! Thank you 🙂
My mom made something like this as a quick meal. She called it goulash too. My husband likes it with zuccini & parmesan cheese. My sister likes it with corn. That’s something I noticed in the comments. It’s one of those recipes that everyone makes their own family favorite. Thanks for reminder. Think I will make it tonight.
It sure is! You can add whatever you like..that is what makes it such a great recipe. Thank you!
I real find it funny that people feel the need to comment on such things as the name of the dish in a negative fashion. I think it is fantastic that people like Kristyn are willing to share their favourite recipes with others! It makes the world a happier place and I for one don’t care what it’s called. I am actually preparing it now as I type (just defrosting my ground beef!).
Thanks so much and I look forward to trying your others!
Thanks so much Lisa!! I appreciate your words! I hope you liked it!
It was amazing! Instead of cheddar I used a spicy nacho shredded cheese ( pre shredded) and then threw in some hot chunky nacho sauce ( about 1/4 cup). Made it super spicy, which we love.
Spicy is good 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!! So glad you liked it!
If I want to omit the tomatoes, how much should I increase the amount of sauce I use? Thanks!
Hmm..I’m not quite sure. I haven’t made it without using the tomatoes. You could just make it without the cans of tomatoes & if you taste it & you feel it needs more, maybe add a small (8oz) can of tomato sauce? Just a guess. Let me know what you do! Thanks!