This is the best goulash recipe and is the most comforting of all comfort foods. It is warm, delicious, filling, hearty and easy to prepare ALL IN A SINGLE POT! Dump all of the ingredients in at once and let it cook! This is the perfect family meal for a busy night.
Original recipe: December 2016 | Updated: August 2021
Why This American Goulash Recipe Works
This is the best goulash recipe (aka American Chop Suey) you will ever taste. It is a ONE POT meal and one of my all-time favorite old fashioned recipes that I literally cannot control myself around. When it is in the fridge, I eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it is totally gone.
It is one of the easiest, most delicious and hearty comfort food recipes I make with consistency. It is jam-packed with comfort, flavor and texture.
I make this dish both for intimate family dinners and also for large gatherings. No matter the crowd, it is ALWAYS a hit. I mean, how can you go wrong with ground beef, pasta and tomatoes?! If you have an Instant Pot, give my super easy Instant Pot Goulash a try!
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Goulash Ingredients
Ground beef – Try replacing the ground beef (or a portion of it) with ground pork for an added kick of flavor. For a healthier version of this comforting meal, replace the beef with ground turkey or chicken.
Diced tomatoes – Do not drain the tomatoes! Also, consider using a variety with added herbs and flavors.
Tomato sauce – If you have time for it, you will be happy with the boost of flavor that homemade tomato sauce offers.
Water – Replace all or a portion of the water in the recipe with LOW SODIUM beef broth for an even more flavorful meal.
Seasoned salt – This might seem like an odd ingredient, but don’t skip it! It adds the perfect amount of seasoning. When I’ve skipped this ingredient in the past, I’ve noticed a difference in overall flavor of the dish. Make this Lawry’s copycat recipe from Throwdown Kitchen!
Elbow macaroni noodles- A different variety of pasta can be used in this recipe, such as penne or rotini.
What Is Goulash?
Goulash? Gulach? Goolash? Ghoulash? What the heck does this funny word even mean? First of all, American and Hungarian Goulash are two entirely different dinner recipes.
Based on this recipe from Taste of Home here are the ingredients you’ll find in the Hungarian version that you will not find in the American version: carrots, green peppers, stew meat (in place of ground beef), beef broth, paprika, caraway seeds and sour cream.
Keep reading for details about the American version of the delish one-pot dinner detailed in this post.
As for goulash origin, it stems from the Hungarian word “Gulyás” which is defined as “cowboy.” Hungarian cowboys butchered the weakest cattle and made easy meals out of their meat. Hence, the word!
How To Make Goulash
Step 1
Cook 2 pounds of ground beef in a saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat on the stove top until no longer pink. Drain the grease from the pan. Add 1 yellow onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook until onions are translucent. The onions and garlic will be nice and fragrant, as well (mmm, I LOVE the smell of sauteed garlic).
Step 2
Add the remaining ingredients to the ground beef onion mixture and stir. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Step 3
Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Remove from heat and serve to hungry tummies!
Recipe Notes
- Sprinkle sharp shredded cheddar cheese or Parmesan over the top just before serving for an extra cheesy version of this dish.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, oregano or basil and top with a sprinkling of black pepper.
- Add 2 bay leaves and/or a splash of red wine to the pot before cooking for extra flavor.
- Add a chopped green bell pepper to the onion mixture for added texture and flavor. Red, yellow, orange or green peppers would all taste great.
- I recently had a friend tell me that she added 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to this recipe and that it was super yummy.
Make This Dish in an Instant Pot
Make this comforting meal in your Instant Pot! Instant Pot goulash could not be easier or more delicious. It cooks perfectly every time and is done in only 30 minutes. Perfect easy dinner any night of the week!
Make Goulash in a Slow Cooker
This slow cooker goulash recipe is a delicious, filling and hearty meal that is super easy to prepare in your crockpot. Requiring mere minutes of prep time and a few simple ingredients, crockpot goulash is the perfect family meal for a busy night!
Make Your Own Tomato Sauce
To add an extra touch of flavor to this meal, consider making your own tomato sauce! Homemade Tomato Sauce is SO easy to make and the flavor is out of this world.
FAQ About Goulash
Goulash and spaghetti contain similar ingredients. When making spaghetti, the pasta and sauce are cooked separately and combined just before serving. Goulash is typically made in a single pot.
The great thing about slow cooker goulash is that it’s a one-pot meal. You’ve got pasta, meat and veggies all wrapped into one easy meal. If you’re looking for something extra to serve alongside this comfort food favorite, consider any of the following:
A delicious chopped salad complements any meal perfectly! You can’t go wrong with garlic bread! Any side of vegetables would go great with this meal. Consider steamed broccoli or cauliflower or sauteed zucchini or mushrooms. Asparagus and Brussels sprouts would be great, too! Add a giant heaping spoonful of goulash over a baked potato. Roasted or grilled tomatoes would taste amazing with this dish and would complement the tomatoes in the recipe even more!
Cooked and cooled beef goulash, when stored in an airtight container, will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Goulash freezes fairly well, with the pasta losing some of its firmness after it has been thawed. When preparing a big batch of goulash to freeze, consider cooking the pasta separately and adding it to the recipe just before serving. Place in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months for best results. When ready to thaw, allow it to sit in the fridge over night.
Comfort Food Recipes
What People Are Saying About This Easy Goulash Recipe
My family loved this meal. I did cook the noodles separate and added at the end after simmering everything else. I used roasted tomato and garlic diced tomatoes. Will absolutely make again. Thank you for the recipe. – Kelly
This rekinds me of my childhood. I usually use my garden stewed tomatoes which have onion, bell pepper and celery. If not, I make sure to add celery when the onion is added. Also, beef better than bouillon works nicely inplace of the broth. Bay leaf is another good flavor inhancer. I like the one pot method. – Lisa
Hands down one of my favorite recipes. I make it at least once a month but I cut everything in half because it does make a huge pot of food. I also substitute ground sausage for the beef. But again….amazing recipe. – Lily
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Best Goulash Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 30 oz diced tomatoes undrained
- 30 oz tomato sauce
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- 16 oz elbow macaroni
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, cook ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain grease. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until soft and fragrant.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt and elbow macaroni to the pan. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low heat, cover pan and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately!
Notes
- The seasoned salt in the recipe might seem odd, but don’t skip it! It adds the perfect amount of seasoning. When I’ve skipped this ingredient in the past, I’ve noticed a difference in overall flavor of the dish.
- Replace all or a portion of the water in the recipe with LOW SODIUM beef broth for an even more flavorful meal.
- Try replacing the ground meat (or a portion of it) with ground pork for an added kick of flavor.
- For a healthier version of this comforting meal, replace the beef with ground turkey or chicken.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese or Parmesan over the top just before serving for an extra cheesy version of this dish.
- Add 2 bay leaves and/or a splash of red wine to the pot before cooking for extra flavor.
- Add a chopped green bell pepper to the onion mixture for added texture and flavor. Red, yellow, orange or green peppers would all taste great.
- I recently had a friend tell me that she added 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to this recipe and that it was super yummy.
Actually,3 time I have this goulash!Comfort food!!Thank you!
Love this recipe! How much is in one serving? I’m trying to incorporate this into my diet!
Hey Toni! I’m so glad you love this one. There are 8 servings total if you make a full batch. You can find those details as well as calorie details at the top of the recipe card.
This makes things so much easier not having to cook pasta separately. I think I need to increase the seasonings though but that’s just my taste personally. I also think there’s too much tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. I think you only need one can of each otherwise it’s really tomato like. It overpowers the dish a bit. Just could be my own taste but I think I’ll do that next time I make it. Thank you!
Thank you, Monica for sharing. I am a seasoning/flavor person too. But we have people who think ketchup is spicy and we have people who loves all the heat and in between. It will be an easy tweak!
Wow, absolutely delicious. My mom made goulash growing up and I always liked it but your recipe is so much tastier! Thank you!
I’m glad it was enjoyed! Goulash can be enjoyed so many ways.
This was so easy. I cut it in 1/2 for 2 people. I still have leftovers. It tastes great!
So glad to hear it was enjoyed, Robin. Thank you for sharing!
I remember my Momma cooking this for us a lot when I was a kid. I haven’t had this in a very long time. I’m cooking this right now and I’m remembering those family meals and watching my Momma cooking in the kitchen. I can see her now up in heaven cooking
Aw Connie. I’m glad you have those good memories to hold you tight. I hope you enjoy it. Hugs!
I make this often but use ground venison.
Great idea! Whatever you have on hand is best. Thank you for sharing!
I can’t count the number of times I’ve made this recipe. It is a major staple and family favorite, and I usually make it during weeks where we need a leftover night or two because I know it makes a ton of food. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Love to hear this, Kara! Thank you for sharing.
Delish! I have made this several times now. It’s on our dinner rotation. Easy. Tasty. What more could you want?! Thank you for the recipe.
So glad to hear it, Jennifer! I love that it’s easy too but that everyone enjoys it is the winner. Thanks for sharing!