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!
Video
Nutrition
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Wonderful idea, I will give this recipe a try tomorrow! I will have to size down the recipe for the two of us!
Email subscriber!
Shaw
Love Goulash and will try your version as it sounds yummy! Happy to be an email subscriber.
Looks delicious! Going to be in my mix of choices for our super bowl party this Sunday. I am an email subscriber
OK you got me on this one, I’ll be leaving the house in a few to go to the market and pick up what I need. I’ll get back to you guys in a few days to let you know how it turned out.
I am a email subscriber and this recipe is definitely on my list. I love all the recipes. I have made the loaded baked potato soup once from here and it was delicious.
This goulash Recipe looks so good-definitely
going to try! I make the one bowl chocolate chip banana bread all the time-love it!! I also used your turkey dry brine for Thanksgiving-turned out great!! Always look forward to new recipes through my email-thanks
Love getting your emails! Making the latest chicken wings recipe this Superbowl Sunday:) And this goulash for a great ‘leftovers’ dinner for the family all week. Email subscriber:)
Can’t wait to try this new recipe. Look forward to your recipes being an email subscriber!!
Thank you!
So delicious!!! Cant wait to make it again! Email subscriber!!
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it. My mother in law makes delicious goulash and my husband will be so happy to try this one. I am an email subscriber!
This is my favorite! I can’t wait to make this recipe tomorrow night, it looks so easy and delicious. This email subscriber is going to the store now….
Email subscribee here. Goulash has always turned me away, maybe just a silly visceral reaction to the name, but this actually is thrilling my family. Probably as close to Hungary as we will get for awhile.
Just pinned this recipe to my Pinterest board. I love goulash, but have never made it. This recipe looks delicious and super easy to make. (I’m an email subscriber)
Finally a my grandmother’s recipe! She passed twenty years ago but I remember how she would whip up this goulash with a side of cornbread for all seventeen grandchildren during our summer visits.
Thanks so much! This recipe is perfect and my husband loved it too.
I made the Recipe and was suprised because my family actually liked it!
They do not like anything lol
So Thank you
Love ❤️ your creative ideas!
Come home from work and awesome a meal idea is waiting for me
I love the recipes you post – they are easy, practical and delicious! It always brings a smile to my face when I get your email. I have been posting them to my Pinterest recipe board.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Love your website and your tasty recipes! Helps make the hardest decision of the day = What’s for Dinner? Thank you for sharing all the inspirational deliciousness! (I am a happy email subscriber)
I am an email subscriber and I LOVE all the recipes! Thank you.
Pinned this from the blog the minute I saw it! This a terrific recipe for an easy tasty dinner for just about every family. It’s one of those memories from childhood that has stood the test of time.
I’m a email subscriber, OMG this was fantastic. It brought alot of memories, thank you so much for sharing!
Going to have to try this version. I love one pot meals for the busy work/school nights. I’m an email subscriber.
Looks like a real timesaver and tasty. Thanks for posting with pictures.
I love getting these emails with these great recipes. We’ve made at least 20 recipes from your site & have never encountered one we didn’t like! Can’t wait to try this goulash recipe – it sounds very similar to the recipe my mom made for us growing up. Thank you for sharing these great recipe ideas with us
looks like something I could make for our church social and leave for home with an empty crock pot……
I am an email subscriber and I love this recipe! Goulash is a huge face in my home and this is an excellent recipe, love it! So easy too! Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe. I am an email subscriber and can’t wait to try this Goulash recipe.
I am an email subscriber and can’t wait to try this Goulash recipe. So many of your recipes are regulars in our house!
A nice take on Goulash. Will try. I am an email subscriber.
I am an e-mail subscriber and love this goulash recipe. All your recipes are a hit at our house.
I am an e-mail subscriber and love this goulash recipe.
My mom used to make goulash when I was young. I’ve not found a recipe that matches what I remember. I will definitely be trying this. As an email subscriber, when I received this one I jumped at the recipe.
Thank you.
I am an e-mail subscriber. This is such an easy goulash recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
I love to cook and will normally take 3 or 4 recipes to make a meal – many times the recipe is sorely lacking in seasonings. This meal does not follow the norm – it has FLAVOR!! I AM an email subscriber.
I am an e-mail subscriber. This such an easy goulash recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
So sorry about the double post!! I hope you can delete it.
(E-mail subscriber)
Made this tonight & all loved it. Tasted very much like what my mom made when I was a kid. If it’s like hers, it’ll be even better the 2nd time around for lunch… if there actually are any leftovers. Thanks for the great recipes and the memories.
This is a great recipe. I love being on the iwashyoudry emails.
I am an email subscriber and I love all of your recipes that I have tried. This one just happens to be one of my favorites!!!
It is Goulasher time here in Texas and my wife and I loved this warming meal. I am a email subscriber!
This recipe looks delicious. I’m going to try it this weekend and let you know how it turns out. Thanks!
This recipe looks easy and delicious and freezable. Once I have all the ingredients, mostly the ground meat, I am going to make it! Probably with some kind of curly noodle. By the way, I am an email subscriber.
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
I am an e-mail subscriber. I love goulash and this recipe is on my list to try.
I really enjoy receiving your e-mails. Thank you.
I am an e-mail subscriber. Can’t wait to try this Goulash. Big fan.
Hank