This easy old fashioned goulash recipe is pure comfort in a pan. I’ve made this humble one-pot dinner more times than I can count because it never fails and always hits the spot. Packed with pasta, ground beef, tomatoes and simple spices, it’s hearty, cozy and incredibly easy to throw together with very little hands-on effort. The leftovers are just as delicious the next day, which makes this one of those dependable comfort food recipes I come back to again and again.
Original recipe: December 2016 | Updated: August 2021
Why This American Goulash Recipe Works
This is the kind of nostalgic comfort food recipe people come back to again and again. I’ve made this easy goulash more times than I can count and it has never once failed me.
Here is why it stands out:
- Everything cooks together in one pot for easy cleanup
- Packed with hearty pasta, beef, tomatoes and rich flavor
- Requires very little hands-on time
- Perfect for both busy weeknights and feeding a crowd
- The leftovers are unbelievably good the next day
This is one of those meals I genuinely cannot control myself around. When there’s a batch in the fridge, I end up eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it’s completely gone.
If you have an Instant Pot, be sure to try my Instant Pot Goulash, too!
Goulash Ingredients
Ground beef – Replace 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 lean ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken.
Onion – Yellow onions or white onions will be your best options for bringing out the flavors in the dish.
Garlic – Use fresh minced. Replace with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder in a pinch.
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. This rich tomato-based sauce is hard to beat.
Water – Replace all or a portion of the water in the recipe with low sodium beef broth for an even more flavorful meal.
Worcestershire sauce – This sauce is one of my little secret ingredients for this recipe. A little goes a long way!
Seasoned salt and Italian seasoning – Don’t skip either of these seasonings! They add the perfect flavor to the dish.
Elbow macaroni noodles – A different variety of small 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 Americanized 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 the 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!
Are Goulash and Spaghetti the Same
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.
How To Make This Easy American Goulash Recipe
Step 1
Cook 2 pounds of ground beef in large skillet 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 (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 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 or red pepper flakes.
- Add 2 bay leaves and/or a splash of red wine to the pot before cooking for extra flavor.
- Include a small can of tomato paste into the meat sauce for a robust tomato flavor.
- Add chopped green bell peppers to the onion mixture for added texture and flavor. Red, yellow, orange or green peppers would all taste great.
- Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the top just before serving.
- Leftover goulash is delicious! This hearty ground beef recipe makes a large batch, but you can easily reheat throughout the week.
Pure Comfort Food Recipes
- The Best Meatloaf Recipe
- Spaghetti Sauce Made Out of Tomato Sauce
- Easy 3-Ingredient Chili
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Crab Soup
What To Serve With Goulash
The great thing about this one-pot meal is that everything is wrapped into a single pot. If you’re looking for something extra to serve alongside this American comfort food, consider any of the following:
- A delicious chopped salad complements the dish perfectly.
- You can’t go wrong with garlic bread.
- Any side of vegetables would go great with it. Steamed broccoli, green beans 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.
How Long Does Goulash Last in the Fridge
Cooked and cooled beef goulash, when stored in an airtight container, will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How To Freeze Goulash
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.
Make Hamburger Goulash 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.onths for best results. When ready to thaw, allow it to sit in the fridge over night.
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
Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!
Easy Old Fashioned 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!
Video
Notes
- Sprinkle sharp 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 or red pepper flakes.
- Add 2 bay leaves and/or a splash of red wine to the pot before cooking for extra flavor.
- Include a small can of tomato paste into the meat sauce for a robust tomato flavor.
- Add chopped green bell peppers to the onion mixture for added texture and flavor. Red, yellow, orange or green peppers would all taste great.
- Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the top just before serving.
- Leftover goulash is delicious! This hearty ground beef recipe makes a large batch, but you can easily reheat throughout the week.
I’m making this tonight and i’m excited because I’ve NEVER had Goulash. Let me just say this to the negative people that don’t know how to keep to mouth shut…ARE YOU A PROFESSIONAL CHEF? Probably not so if you don’t agree with a recipe do us all a favor and ZIP IT!!!! Thank you Megan for sharing your recipe. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family!
Hey Crissy, you are so nice. Thanks for backing me up and I hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Megan
can you make it ahead of time and put it in a slow cooker?
Hi Julie! If you plan to put it into a slow cooker, undercook the noodles and keep a very close eye on it as it cooks. Let me know how it turns out if you give it a whirl!
Megan
This is the second time I have made this goulash. The first time, I made it exactly as written and it was great. The second time, I added green peppers (1 cup), fresh shredded cheddar cheese (one cup), smoked paprika (1 tsp.), and crushed red pepper (1/2 tsp.) and it put this dish over the top. I should also mention that I halved this recipe as there are only two of us. Thank you for taking the time and effort to submit this awesome dish!
Hi Joe! I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe! I absolutely love your additions, especially paprika/red pepper. Thanks so much for the comment!
Megan
Made this for dinner tonight… Then immediately text the link to my besties. Easy, delicious 1 pot meal! I love how you throw the I cooked noodles right in. I will for sure make this again (can’t wait for leftovers!) Smaller families can totally cut this recipe in half as it makes a TON.
*uncooked noodles
This was delicious! Just made for my daughter and I for dinner. I used turkey instead of beef. I added a cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese also!
Hi Tara! I’m so glad this turned out so well for you guys! Thanks so much for the comment!
Megan
Delicious! Add some shredded parmesan on top when done and a fantastic weeknight meal!
Hi Amanda! YUM…Parmesan on top would be delicious!
Megan
Any guessing on what a serving size would be? 1cup? 2?
Hi Katie! Approximately 1 cup would be a serving size for this recipe. Enjoy!
Megan
Does this freeze well?!
Freezes well, doesn’t thaw well. Macaroni gets mushy.
Great recipe! I added celery and frozen corn to sneak the veggies in. Thanks for sharing.
I cut the recipe in half living on my own the whole would be to much. Having a garden I used fresh tomatoes substituted the elbow for medium shell pasta and added sliced baby Bella mushrooms. Yummm
My food journey is eat right your Type. So being type o blood, I eliminate wheat from my diet. My question was can I get that level of comfort food with gluten free pasta? The answer is yes. Made this last night using organic brown rice pasta and subbing whole foods brand organic sauce as the hubs doesn’t like tomatoes. I also added red pepper flakes and a tablespoon of raw sugar, and grass fed hormone free beef. It was amazing and will be at the top of my list. Good recipe.
Best comment of the day! I always love hearing when substitutions work better than anticipated. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Megan
Forgive me for not including well wishes for your son. God bless him. I too will include him in my prayers. Also, wasn’t that a beautiful comment by Ronnie about Him being the best and cheapest dr? Thanks Ronnie. Hope you don’t mind if I wear that advice out.
Aww, thank you so much for this. It means a lot! Comments like yours and Ronnie’s are cherished!
Megan
Thanks for simple tasty recipe. I’m 68 and just learning how to cook. It came out great 2nd try. Blew first one by not knowing what a clove of garlic was, but got it now. Had dinner and freeze dried the rest for rv trip. Thanks again. I owe you
So glad to hear it, Wild Bill! You’re an RVer, too, huh? Safe travels!
Megan
I really appreciate the recipes on the web . They make cooking so much easier because I have so many recipes at my disposal. I divested of many of my cookbooks, therefore, now I just hit Google and "voila" there are numerous ideas to choose from. I am making this dish as we speak. I will pray for your son to be in perfect health without the need for expensive procedures and medicine. I believe in going to the best Doctor! He never even charges me for His services! Love and peace to you and your family. Thanks again for posting your recipes.
This was delicious. I just made sure my diced tomatoes and tomatoe sauce was organic to cut back on sugar and processed junk. I also used whole wheat pasta for the same purpose. It was a bit healthier but still had that same comfort food taste. Served with a side of stemmed brocolli. My 3 year old gobbled it all up.
Hi Maggie! I’m so glad your alterations worked great! That’s always so great to hear. Thanks for the comment! And…always a HUGE win when toddlers gobble up dinner!
Megan
By the way, my nickname since childhood has been Ebby.
When I get goulash at a local diner this is the type of dish served. You called it "American goulash" and to me this dish fits the bill. I plan to make it this weekend. I will add a little sugar (always to tomato sauces) and shredded cheddar as a couple of the comments mentioned. Where I live it often has carrots in it. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Sis!
Making this tomorrow for Erin and Adrienne. ‘Hope you are home safely. God bless’ and love ya. H
Heather! I hope the Goulash turns out great for you and your precious girls. 🙂 Love you guys!
Meg
Have made this a few times now and it is so hearty and makes soooo much leftovers, my partner and I eat it for days afterwards.
Also super tasty when the liquid gets absorbed by the pasta, so delicious. We make it with chicken mince as it’s the preferred meat in the house.
Thanks for this recipe ❤️
Maddie, this comment made my day! Love that you make it with chicken mince. YUM!
Megan
This is simmering on my stove as I type, for some reason, I did not have tomato sauce in my pantry (embarrassing to admit since I’m Italian) – so, I used 1/2 a jar of Rinadlo pasta sauce….I’m thinking I should have reduced the Italian Seasoning due to this, but I guess we’ll see. I also added frozen corn just because it’s easier to get the 4 1/2 year old to eat veggies if they are all mixed in. If this is a hit with him, it will for sure be added to the regular rotation…Thank you for the quick, easy recipe (Oh I used ground turkey – only because turkey is preferred by the "boss" in the house)
I hope it turned out great, CH68! Great idea to add the corn. I may try this next time!
Megan