This goulash is an easy-to-make American-style recipe made with juicy hamburger meat, tomato sauce, and tender macaroni noodles! While this meal is effortless to make, it is extremely flavorful! Not to mention, goulash is great for feeding a crowd on a budget!
Easy Goulash Recipe
Everything about this old-fashioned American goulash recipe is incredibly easy. While it may be simple, it is still bursting with incredible flavor!
All of the ingredients go into the same pot to cook- even the pasta! It doesn’t get any better than this!
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🥘 Ingredients
No fancy ingredients here! These are commonly used ingredients and you probably have most, if not all, on hand already!
- Ground Beef – 1 pound of ground beef (I used 80/20 ground chuck).
- Yellow Onion – ½ cup of diced yellow onion.
- Beef Broth – 2 cups of beef broth.
- Diced Tomatoes – 14.5 ounces of diced tomatoes (with juices).
- Marinara Sauce – 1½ cups of marinara sauce (approximately ½ of a 24-ounce jar).
- Tomato Paste – 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- Bay Leaf – 1 bay leaf.
- Soy Sauce – 2 teaspoons of soy sauce.
- Italian Seasoning – 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning.
- Garlic Powder – 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Paprika – ½ teaspoon of paprika.
- Salt & Pepper – ½ teaspoon of both salt & pepper (adjust to taste).
- Elbow Macaroni – 1 cup of uncooked elbow macaroni.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – ½ cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or Colby, Colby-jack, or mozzarella – optional)
- Fresh Parsley – Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional).
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*
🔪 How To Make Goulash
This one-pot recipe is so simple because everything gets mixed into the same pot! All you will need is a dutch oven (or heavy-bottomed pan), a knife, and a wooden spoon!
This recipe makes 6 hearty servings, but you can add extra pasta to make it stretch even further!
- Brown the beef. In a Dutch oven, brown the 1 pound of ground beef and ½ cup of chopped onion over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes or until the onion softens and no pink is remaining in the ground beef.
- Add ingredients and seasonings. Add 2 cups of beef broth, 14.5 ounces of diced tomatoes, 1½ cups of marinara sauce, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 bay leaf, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of paprika, and ½ teaspoon of both salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Add macaroni. Add the uncooked 1 cup of elbow macaroni to the pot and continue to simmer, covered, until the pasta is cooked (about 12 minutes).
- Melt Cheese. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese, if using. Replace the lid and allow the cheese to melt before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Make this goulash and see how extremely satisfying it is on its own, but it is even better with an added side of creamed corn cornbread! If you prefer something different to dip in that delicious sauce, try out some crusty bread such as garlic bread or rustic bread!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- While macaroni noodles are the classic choice, other small pasta shapes can be used such as ditalini, orzo, or orecchiette.
- You can add more liquid to reach your desired consistency. Just remember your goulash may look like soup while hot but it will thicken as it cools.
- The ground beef can be swapped for ground turkey or any other ground meat.
- To stretch this dish further, you can always add more pasta (as well as more broth), chopped veggies, or canned beans.
- 1 large green bell pepper or red bell pepper can be chopped and added.
- Make it a soup by adding 3-4 cups of broth.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Place your leftover goulash into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Once cool, you can freeze the goulash by placing it in a heavy-duty freezer bag (or placing individual portions in freezer bags) or a freezer storage container. Use within 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheating Goulash
Place leftovers in a pot or Dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated throughout. Time will vary depending on the amount of goulash you are reheating.
❓ Is Goulash American?
Depends on which goulash you’re talking about! Traditionally, goulash is Hungarian. However, Hungarian goulash and American goulash are two completely different dishes. Therefore American goulash is, well, American.
❓ How Are Hungarian Goulash And American Goulash Different?
Hungarian goulash is a stew made from meat and vegetables whereas American goulash is made with ground beef, tomato sauce, and pasta.
❓ Can Goulash Be Made With Chicken?
Sure! You can use ground chicken or chicken breast that has been cut into chunks.
🥩More Ground Beef Recipes
- Ground Beef Casserole
- Ground Beef Stew
- Baked Beans with Ground Beef & Bacon
- BBQ Meatloaf
- Texas Chili
- Spaghetti Bolognese
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📖 Recipe Card
Goulash
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (I used 80/20 ground chuck)
- ½ cup yellow onion (diced)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes (with juices)
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce (8 ounces per cup, so approximately ½ a 24 ounce jar)
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese (or colby, colby-jack, or mozzarella, shredded - optional)
- fresh parsley (chopped for garnish - optional)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, brown the ground beef and onion over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes or until the onion softens and no pink is showing in the browned ground beef.
- Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, marinara, tomato paste, bay leaf, soy sauce, and seasonings (Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the uncooked macaroni to the pot and continue to simmer, covered, until the pasta is cooked (about 12 minutes).
- Discard the bay leaf and stir in the shredded cheddar, if using. Replace the lid and allow the cheese to melt before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- While macaroni noodles are the classic choice, other small pasta shapes can be used such as ditalini, orzo, or orecchiette.
- You can add more liquid to reach your desired consistency. Just remember your goulash may look like soup while hot but it will thicken as it cools.
- The ground beef can be swapped for ground turkey or any other ground meat.
- To stretch this dish further, you can always add more pasta (as well as more broth), chopped veggies, or canned beans.
- 1 large green bell pepper or red bell pepper can be chopped and added.
- Make it a soup by adding 3-4 cups broth.
- To store: Place your leftover goulash into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Once cool, you can freeze the goulash by placing it in a heavy-duty freezer bag (or placing individual portions in freezer bags) or a freezer storage container. Use within 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: Place leftovers in a pot or Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated throughout. Time will vary depending on the amount of goulash you are reheating.
David says
Perfect goulash just like Mom used to make, thanks!~