Goulash is one of those ultimate comfort food, and it doesn’t take forever to make! This is one that’s too easy not to put into your rotation. Time to stock up on ground beef and macaroni noodles!
For more hearty comfort food recipes, try our Homemade Sloppy Joes.
Why My Recipe
- Total comfort food with ground beef, melted cheese, and pasta.
- Simple and affordable ingredients.
- One pot keeps it simple and makes cleanup a breeze.
Goulash originates from Hungary, dating back to the 9th century. This recipe is for an American Goulash, which dates back to the early 1900s and is generally made using ground beef and pasta in a chili powder and paprika tomato stew. There’s a reason why it’s been a comfort food favorite for over 100 years!
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef: Opt for ground beef with at least 80/20 fat content or leaner to avoid excess grease.
- White Onion: Has a mild and sweet flavor. You can substitute with yellow onion if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic provides the best flavor, but jarred minced garlic works in a pinch.
- Beef Broth: Choose a good-quality, low-sodium beef broth to create a flavorful stew base.
- Diced Tomatoes: We use canned diced tomatoes, but you can use fire-roasted tomatoes instead for a little more flavor.
- Tomato Sauce: This thickens the goulash and adds a concentrated tomato flavor.
- Italian Seasoning: Found at most grocery stores in the spice and baking aisle. You can also easily make your own with our Homemade Italian Seasoning recipe.
- Elbow Macaroni: Any short pasta like fusilli, penne, or bowtie works well. For a gluten-free version, opt for gluten-free pasta.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Use shredded mozzarella for a milder flavor or cheddar cheese for a sharper taste.
Meat Options
A traditional American-style goulash calls for ground beef. For a lighter version, you can swap the ground beef out for ground chicken or turkey. If you prefer pork, use ground Italian sausage.
Add Veggies
We love how easy it is to customize goulash! If you like additional veggies in your meal, you can add almost anything. Common favorites are sliced carrots, green beans, peas, and corn.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheat in a large saucepan over medium heat, adding a little water or broth if necessary to adjust consistency.
Microwave on high in 30-second increments.
I would’ve given it 5 stars, but it was too spicy! I followed the recipe for the most part, but we are not used to such spiciness, so I cut most of the spices in half.
It was still too spicy! :O
However, the flavor overall was still good, so I will keep this recipe and maybe quarter the spices next time! 🙂
Hi Rachel! Have been following you for several years and many of your recipes are in my arsenal! In fact I’m making American Goulash tonight. My one change is to simmer the goulash and allow to thicken, and cook pasta separately. This avoids the starchy flavour.
I am so happy that your health is improving. This is wonderful news!
Could I make one request? In Canada we use metric system. Would it be possible to have a metric/imperial button on recipe? Folks could toggle back and forth. I apologize if this is inconvenient. If not, I will continue to google!
Best of health, hugs and happiness.
Yes! We actually have a little button that allows you to toggle between US Customary and Metric. It’s right near the ingredients so just go ahead and hit that button and you’ll be good to go!
Delicious!! It’s a favorite with my family and friends.
So glad to hear it!
I’ve made this several times with some variations depending on what I have in the house. It’s always a big hit and it makes a lrg amount so I can freeze it for another meal. Thank you for posting this!
So glad it’s become a flexible favorite for you! It’s great when a recipe can work with what you have on hand, and freezing extra for another meal is always a win. Thanks for cooking along with us!
I made this recipe. The only thing I did differently was to use creamy tomato soup in place of tomato sauce. It was delicious.
been making this for years. Have always used hamburger and ground sausage. But along with the hamburger and sausage, I cut up my onions, green peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers, all the kinds of peppers and mushrooms and canned tomatoes. And when I have only macaroni and cheese, I bake it per the box and just add the salsa to it. Makes such a great combination. My mother always called it Slumgullion.