This super easy Goulash Recipe is a comfort food classic! It’s filled with hearty ground beef and tender pasta in a rich tomato-based sauce and comes together in about 30 minutes!
I’m always looking for new and exciting ways to turn ground beef into dinner, but sometimes I just love the good old classics that bring me right back to my childhood. This Goulash Recipe is just that. It’s super affordable, quick to make and tastes like a warm hug on a cool evening.
Classic Goulash Recipe
Are you familiar with Goulash? If not, let me introduce you to this old fashioned recipe! This recipe is an American Goulash that’s great for busy weeknights, but I love to take this recipe to potlucks and parties because it makes a ton and is super affordable. It’s also great for picky eaters, I haven’t met one kid who doesn’t love this dish!
Goulash is filled with ground beef, onion and bell peppers along with macaroni noodles in a tomato-based sauce. I like to stir in some sharp cheddar cheese at the end to give it a creamy texture. My family loves it!
Goulash Ingredients:
- Onion – I like to use either a white or yellow onion
- Green Bell Pepper – you can use other colors of peppers if desired
- Ground Beef
- Garlic
- Tomato Sauce
- Diced Tomatoes – I love using the petite diced tomatoes here
- Beef Broth
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Seasoned Salt
- Italian Seasoning
- Bay Leaves
- Dry Macaroni Noodles – other small pastas would work too
- Cheddar Cheese
How To Make Goulash
- Start by browning the ground beef along with the onion and bell pepper. Drain any fat and then toss in garlic until fragrant.
- Pour in tomato sauce and diced tomatoes along with beef broth and Worcestershire sauce for some added depth of flavor.
- Add in the seasonings as well as dried macaroni noodles and let simmer until the noodles are cooked through.
- Finally stir in the cheddar cheese and dig in!
Tips and Variations:
- Make sure you use a big pot, as this recipe does make a lot!
- You can swap out the macaroni noodles for any other small pasta you have on hand.
- To make this an even leaner meal, you can use ground turkey in place of ground beef.
- Try adding in extra veggies like: corn, peas, diced carrots, green beans or even stirring in baby spinach at the end!
- Stir in a cup of sour cream at the end to give this recipe an even creamier base!
- The goulash is not quite soup consistency, but if you would like to add extra beef broth to make it more soupy you can definitely do that!
More Comfort Food Dinners
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Cabbage Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Ground Beef Cheesesteak Pasta Skillet
Helpful Products To Make This Recipe
Here are some of my favorite tools to make this American Goulash Recipe:
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven (6 quarts)
- Wooden Spoon Set
- Cheese Grater
Easy Goulash Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 lbs. ground beef, lean
- 3 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
- 2 15 oz cans petite diced tomatoes
- 3 cups beef broth
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cups macaroni noodles, uncooked
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Add olive oil to large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, bell pepper and ground beef then cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat and return pot to stove top. Add in garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, Italian seasoning, bay leaves and dried macaroni noodles. Stir and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a light boil and stir occasionally until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and stir in the cheddar cheese just before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Sarah Kay
(I’m an email subscriber)
My grandmother made this recipe a lot so it brings back good memories. The only difference is she added corn. Thank you for great food ideas!
Mallory Conner
This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it 🙂
Love getting your emails (yes I am a subscriber!) and adding to the menu rotation!
Marcia Binns
Hello,
I enjoy trying the recipes that you generously share. Although we have an empty nest, when the children and grandchildren visit, this is something that I can prepare that will be appreciated by all.
In addition, I have childhood stories in connection with the meal that I can share.
Thanks so much!
Kim A.
This looks yummy! I can’t wait to try it. I’m an email subscriber and enjoy your recipes.
Cheri
I am an email subscriber and I love your quick and easy recipes! I have always enjoyed cooking, but nowadays it’s difficult due to health issues. I would much rather have a home cooked meal, though, than a TV dinner. Your easy recipes are a great help. I look forward to making your goulash recipe, although I may need to just make half. Thank you for all of your yummy recipes!
carolyn tadlock
i”am an email subscriber.when i made this for my kids i use to make mashed potatoes and put it on top with some french bread on side.
Kaylea Gunter
Love this! Reminds me of something similar my mom used to make when I was a kid! Also I’m an email subscriber 🙂
wendy janin
I’m an email subscriber and love your recipes!
Pauline
I’m an email subscriber, love this site. I make something similar to this all the time. I cook ground beef and onion in a pan, I then in another pot I cook the macaroni. When beef is done I drain the grease and add diced tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce. I then drain the macaroni, and when the meat is warmed, I add the meat mixture to the macaroni and stir. Its thick and not a lot of broth. I then serve it with cornbread and a salad. Makes a good meal.
Belinda
G’day Shawn
so happy that I have been an email subscriber for the past few years – every email you give me some new inspiration for simple, delicious and yummy meals for a busy working mum to prep up for my family and get them to try different things.
We all know its the having to decide what to cook that is the hardest hurdle and so often you have made that step easy. And they have all been winners so far with requests for ‘you can make that one again!’.
Looking forward to making this one up and meal prepping ahead of time for the upcoming winter months (if it ever cools down!) here in OZ.
thx
B
Stacey Degaraff
Reminds me of my childhood!❤ Grandma use to make this and it’s delish! I am an email subscriber!
Betty Wierschem
I am a email subscriber to your site.This recipe sounds delicious, I will be trying it tomorrow.
Trudy L McFall
I have to make this very soon! Yum! I am an e-mail subscriber.
Lana Fossum
Your recipes are super delish!
I am an email subscriber and I always look forward to them!
Darlene
I make this simple dish alot. It’s one of my favorites. But mine is simple just hamburg noodles onions and crushed tomatoe. I like a little sugar too.. I like a lot of your recipes. They always make me hungary. I’m an email subscriber so I see your recipes all the time.
Shari Calder
Love, love, love this particular “comfort food”! Sitting here in 2 feet of snow, feeling sorry for myself, when along comes this email (yes, I am also a subscriber). All of the sudden, I am feeling very warm! Grew up with recipes like this, but this one looks even better than my mom made. Yum!!! Now I know what’s for dinner tonight. It’s even okay with my gluten free pasta.
Lori Young
I always called this macaroni goop. And had three pans dirty. This sounds great, less messy and more elegant! I am an email subscriber from Ohio.
Cherie Laiche
Thanks for the emails – looking forward to trying the Goulash Recipe!
Danielle S.
I can’t wait to try this recipe!! Looks delicious!
I’m an email subscriber:)
Kathy
Brings back many wonderful family meals. I am a email subscriber and this came at a perfect time Will be making soon. Yummy
Steve Winkler
I am an email subscriber.
Very good recipe… just like my Hungarian mom
taught me to make 70 years ago, but, please tell
your readers not to touch raw burger meat
(or raw chicken) with their bare hands while cooking.
Can, maybe, lead to Salmonella poisoning. Thanks.
Vickie Strickland
Love being an email subscriber and receiving these yummy recipes!
Dayna Hemmelgarn
My mother made this when we were growing up, we all loved it and I make it for my family. I am an E-Mail subscriber.
Lynn VanGuilder
Hey Shawn! I am email subscriber. The recipes that you post on your site are easy to make and delicious! I can’t wait to make this!
Myra
Hi Shawn, I am an email subscriber and my mouth is watering reading this recipe! I’m excited to make this one, especially because it brings back so many memories of childhood family dinners. Thanks!
Debbie Butler
I would like to discuss the nutrition information. I am Keto/carnivore and do not count calories – the program is based on carbohydrates. Could you please include the total carbs for your recipes. This would be very helpful to your Keto/carnivore subscribers. I do get my recipes by email.
henry middelkamp
Looks delish
Will have to try this
I am an email subscriber and love reading your recipes
Carole L
Haven’t tried this yet, but certainly will as soon as I get home from our holiday! Sounds delish and EASY!
I am an email subscriber!
Diane Skaggs
Goods Delish!! I am going to make it this weekend and I am an email subscriber!
MaryAnne Harper
I am a big fan of Goulash and will be following your recipe tonight .
As a subscriber, I look forward to your emails. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes.
James Austin
Recipe sounds delicious, looking forward to trying. I am an email subscriber.
Nita Kirtz
Easy and good. Whole family loved it. Love your website. I am an email subscriber.
Ashley P
My mom used to make goulash like once a week when I was a kid. So good! I am an email subscriber.
Sara A Peterson
I am an email subscriber. GREAT recipes! Use them a LOT with my family and guests! Thank you!
Rhoda Bennett
Great recipe. will have to try soon. I am an email subscriber.
Brad Clark
I am an email subscriber. I love flavourful recipes that use one pan. I would love ideas that would be a good replacement for Peppers. I find that peppers upset my stomach and I usually use Celery as a replacement but it often lacks the added flavour.
TINA PINHO
I AM A EMAIL SUBSCRIBER, AND I PLUS MY FAMILY LOVES YOUR RECIPES. EASY, FRESH AND SO FLAVORFUL. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EMAILS EVERY DAY AND CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT I’M GOING TO MAKE NEXT FOR MY FAMILY. jUST KEEP THEM COMING!
Sophie Martin
What a great goulash recipe idea!! Looking forward to making for my family!
Yes I am a subscriber!
Tina
Hi there. I always look forward to your newsletters (I’m an email subscriber). I looked at this dish and this recipe and it brought back a load of memories…but none of them had “goulash attached.” LOL My grandmother called it Mac and ground beef. My mother called it, “That dish Momma makes with macaroni noodles and ground beef.” So you learn something every day! I’m looking forward to trying it out this winter as a nice comfort dish for myself (I’ll just have to halve the recipe).
Shelly Settle
I’m glad to be an email subscriber so I was the first to know about this recipe. Sounds delicious & easy!!
maxine sampson
Looks yummy as. Yes i am a email subscrider x
Melody I Schafer
I cant wait try this dish. AII love goulash. I’m also on you email list and enjoy all the wonderful food you show us to make. Thank you so much.
Samantha
This looks like a great winter warm up recipe and I’ma email subscriber
Arena Thompson
I’m an email subscriber! Looks delicious!