This easy old fashioned goulash recipe is the ultimate one-pot comfort food, packed with rich flavor and nostalgic charm. Perfect for busy weeknights or feeding a crowd, it’s a hearty and satisfying dish that always gets rave reviews. Once you try it, you’ll see why it’s a go-to favorite for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
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.
- I’ve made this easy dinner recipe more than a hundred times and it has never failed me.
- This ultimate comfort food is a ONE POT meal! Dump everything in and just let it cook for a super easy dinner tonight the whole family will love.
- It’s an all-time favorite nostalgic recipe 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.
- One of the easiest, most delicious and hearty comfort food recipes I make consistently.
- This easy old-fashioned goulash recipe is jam-packed with 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 big hit.
- If you have an Instant Pot, give my super easy Instant Pot Goulash a try!
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
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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.
Do you think if I made this beforehand (we are going on a family lake vacation) and kept in the refrigerator and then popped in the oven in two days it would be ok? Would the noodles get soggy or anything?
This recipes makes great leftovers and freezes well! You should prepare the noodles to the softness you prefer them and then let the meal cool completely before placing them in your container.
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.
I’m so glad you loved it and shared with us your tweaks!
Lisa
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. Just make sure to simmer all the other ingredients before adding the pasta. Cook according to pasta instructions.
Thank you!
Hi. Was so looking forward to this but I made a big mistake. I read the “notes about American goulash” which is right under “how to make American goulash”. The notes recommended using beef broth in place of water with no comment about reducing the seasoning salt. It wasn’t until I finished making this dish that I read some of the comments which addressed this issue. Too late. It is so salty, I have to throw the whole thing away. What a waste. ☹️?
oh no!! I’m so sorry!
I’m making this tonight for a group hangout.
Comfort food and party food! I love this recipe!
I am doing this right now! Smells fantastic! I had one can of tomatoes. So I used a half a can of salsa and filled the rest up with spaghetti sauce. The sauce tasted so yummy! I also added beef bullion cubes while it simmers. I hope it tastes as great as it smells! Thanks you
Salsa is a great idea! Thanks for commenting!
I added bell peppers and cooked the pasta seperate, way better.
Bell peppers would be excellent in this too. Thank you for sharing!
If I am cooking noodles seperate do I still add water to the goulash
I would prepare the sauce without the water, add your noodles and then determine how much water to add in. You’ll want some of it, maybe a cup, but you can determine the best consistency as you go. Thanks for the question!
How many calories?
Hi Joanne,
Here’s a site that I use myself for nutrition. I am not providing that information on my blog but this will help you input exactly the ingredients you use which helps get a more accurate nutrition input.
https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Liked this recipe but made the noodles separate! Seems like they’d get soggy from being simmered for 25 min!?
Glad I cut the recipe in half!! Haha I was only planning on feeding two 1/2 people tonight! (Good thing I love leftovers)
Leftovers can freeze too if you need it. Glad you liked it!
I didn’t have tomato sauce so substituted pizza sauce and omitted the Italian seasoning. If I used pizza sauce again I would also omit the seasoning salt and worsceshire sauce. Pizza sauce has enough seasonings already.
That’s true! I guess finding out the hard way wasn’t what you’d planned but I hope you’ll try it again!
I’m making this for Sunday lunch.
Half the recipe. Using ground venison. I am finding that i need to add more water as it’s cooking. The pasta sticks to the bottom of the pan if I don’t.
Smells wonderful!
Sounds like a great tweak to the recipe! Everyone’s cooking does vary a little based on a lot (type of pan, altitude, pasta type, etc etc) so I"m glad you figured out how to tweak it. I hope it was enjoyed!
Has anyone ever substituted the water for beef broth?
That would work just fine! It might add salt to the goulash so be sure to adjust the seasoned salt accordingly. Just taste test as you go!
Thank you. I am making this tonight for dinner.
You can do that, just be careful about your salt addition because the broth will have salt in it.
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.
I agree, it makes a lot so cutting it in half works for most people. I like leftovers so I don’t mind though. Ground sausage would make this even tastier! Thanks for sharing!
Love this recipe! I like spicy everything so I added some jalapeño, red pepper and green pepper purée to the onion and garlic. So spicy and sooo good!
I love those tweaks to the recipe! I’d enjoy that too, but my kiddos wouldn’t. It’s good to share those though, others would probably enjoy the addition recommendations!
I just made this and my noodles are like soggy. Very disappointed and doesn’t taste good. Was so looking forward to having goulash!
I’m sorry to hear that, so frustrating when you’re looking forward to a hearty meal. What didn’t taste good – did you need more spices? Salt? It’s a simple dish with a basic recipe but you can always add to it to your liking.
I just made this tonight for me and my 2 teenage daughters. It was DELICIOUS!!! Only problem, it made A LOT. Does it freeze well?
Love that! I’m glad to hear you guys enjoyed it! Yes, this does freeze well. I would recommend reheating it on the stove though or covered in the oven on low heat to let the moisture steam it back up without being too soggy. This recipe really does make a big batch.
Have you evet added green pepper in with rhe onions? My mom always addex green pepper to hers. Does it come out thick or looser like spaghetti sauce?
I have added green peppers before and it’s delicious! The sauce in this recipe is more loose, not thick like chili. But you could always increase the tomato paste if you chose. Thanks for asking!
Hi. I don’t have seasoning salt. Can I do something different??
Sure! You could definitely mix up something you have on hand. If you are just making enough for one time, you will probably only use an 1/8 tsp or less of Paprika, salt, garlic powder, ground pepper, onion powder, turmeric if you have it.
This is a good idea for a future post!
Is there anything I could substitute the tomato sauce for possibly?
Tomato gives it sauce and flavor. I guess it depends on why you need to substitute it because it wouldn’t be as tasty with just broth.