Valentina Ablaev
This easy goulash recipe is the best comfort meal to make for a cozy night in! Forget Hamburger Helper because this traditional goulash turns what should be a simple comfort meal into a flavorful dish that will have everyone coming back for more!
Comfort Meals for Days
As the weather cools down, comfort meals are the way to go! Bonus points if the dish can be made in one pot, like our creamy potato soup, or a traditional chili! This goulash comes together in less than 30 minutes and makes for a dish that is flavored throughout!
Easy Beef Goulash Ingredients
- Macaroni noodles – Elbow pasta is a must for beef goulash!
- Ground beef – We use lean ground beef to make this beef goulash.
Want to use 80/20 beef? No problem, just drain the excess fat after cooking the ground beef. - Veggies – A mix of onions, bell pepper, and fresh garlic adds a great flavor to this goulash without overpowering the dish with vegetables.
- Tomatoes – We use a mix of canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Seasoning – A blend of salt, pepper, and italian seasoning is everything you need for this beef goulash.
- Cheese – A blend of your favorite shredded cheese!
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
What Pasta is Best for Beef Goulash?
Macaroni elbow pasta is the best when it comes to a traditional beef goulash! You can also use any small pasta for a fun variation!
Tools for this Recipe
Shop all of Valentina’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and kitchen must-haves!
- We use a deep skillet to make the beef goulash in one pan.
- Use a meat masher to break up the ground beef into small pieces.
How to Make Beef Goulash
The easiest step-by-step recipe:
- Cook pasta. Boil the pasta in a pot of salted water to al dente. Drain the macaroni and set it aside.
- Brown beef. In a deep skillet or a large pot, brown the ground beef. Add in the chopped onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic. Cook until the veggies are softened.
- Prepare sauce. Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Combine. Add the pasta to the skillet and stir.
- Cheese it up. Stir the cheese into the pot, a small handful at a time. Once the cheese is melted, serve and enjoy!
Can Beef Goulash Be Made in One Pot?
In our recipe, we cook the pasta separately from the sauce, but you can cook the pasta directly in the sauce. Simply add the uncooked pasta to the cooked sauce, along with a cup of water. Cover and cook until the pasta gets to al dente, and stir in cheese.
Other Cooking Methods
The stovetop version is easy and delicious, but this goulash can also be made using a crockpot or an Instant Pot. These methods involve cooking the pasta in the instant pot or slow cooker, rather than in a separate pot. This prevents overcooked, mushy pasta.
1. Turn the Instant Pot onto saute mode and cook the ground beef, and then add the onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (besides the cheese), along with uncooked pasta, and a cup of water.
3. Turn the Instant Pot to high pressure, and cook for 20 minutes, then release the pressure.
4. Stir in the shredded cheese until melted.
5. Serve, and enjoy!
1. Cook the ground beef with vegetables in a skillet, and then add to a slow cooker, along with all the ingredients (besides the cheese.
2. Add a cup of water so that the pasta can cook in the pot.
3. Turn on low for 7-9 hours, or until the pasta is cooked.
4. Stir the shredded cheese into the goulash until melted.
5. Serve, and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Season in layers. The key to a flavorful dish like this is seasoning in layers! Cook the pasta in salted water, season the meat, and then season the sauce. This way, you have flavor in every bite.
- Cook efficiently. The best way to make this dish quick and easy is to multitask! While the pasta is boiling, cook the ground beef sauce. The sauce and the pasta will be done nearly at the same time, making for an even faster cooking process.
- Pick the right cheese. We love a mexican blend for this dish as it has a variety of tasty cheeses. However, you can pick your favorite shredded cheese! Pick from mozzarella, cheddar, or Colby Jack!
- Perfectly melted cheese. To get the best result, the cheese needs to be well incorporated into the dish. Instead of adding the cheese all at once, stir the cheese into the pot in small handfuls. Stir until the cheese is fully melted before adding more.
Serving Suggestions
- Vegetable side dish: Serve this hearty meal with a healthy side of crispy brussels sprouts or cheesy asparagus!
- Salad: Enjoy this beef goulash with a fresh cucumber side salad!
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Store leftover goulash in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat. Warm up leftovers on the stovetop until reheated. Garnish with fresh cheese and enjoy!
- Freeze. We don’t recommend freezing goulash, as the pasta can become mushy after reheating.
More Comfort Meals
If you enjoyed this beef goulash recipe, be sure to try our other easy comfort recipes; here are some of our favorites:
Soup
Grains and Pasta
Grains and Pasta
Chicken
Grains and Pasta
If you tried this american goulash recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
American Easy Goulash Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz macaroni pasta
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper cubed
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 15 oz diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 16 oz tomato sauce two 8 oz cans
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp italian seasoning
- 1 cup mexican shredded cheese
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni pasta to al dente in a large pot of salted water. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté ground beef in a deep skillet and break up the meat with a meat masher.
- Once the meat starts browning, add the chopped onion, along with the cubed pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened.
- Add minced garlic to the meat and season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- To the same skillet, add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce.
- Bring up to a simmer and season with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning.
- Simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir in the cheese, a handful at a time.
- Serve, and enjoy friends!
Notes
- We use lean ground beef, but if you prefer 80/20 beef, cook it as usual and drain the fat.
- For the most efficient cooking process, cook the beef sauce while the macaroni is boiling!
- We use mexican cheese, but you can use your favorite variety of cheeses.
- Refrigerate leftover goulash for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat leftovers in a pan and add extra cheese before serving.
Nutrition
FAQ’s
Skip the beef and make this goulash with ground chicken or ground turkey!
Cooking the pasta separately and to al dente will help prevent it from getting mushy.
Instead of elbow pasta, use shells or rotini pasta.
