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
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE:
Spicy Italian Pinwheels Recipe
Kay White
I am an email subscriber & love all your recipes. My husbands is super picky, so it’s been a treat to find things to cook for him. Thank you!
Ray Potts
I love your blog you have so many wonderful recipes. I have tried several since I subscribed.
Sandy
Enjoy reading your recipes. Unfortunately, I can’t do tomatoes… allergic…
Carol Knauf
My Mother made a recipe similar to this (less the seasoned salt and bell pepper). We called it bubbles and squeek – I don’t know why or where the name came from but that’s what she called it.
Crystal Kingery
I strongly dislike goulash. When I was a kid we used to have it and I loved it. Then at a family get-together we were all eating it and one of the kids got sick which led to a chain-reaction through most of the family. I haven’t eaten it since! I love all the ingredients in it, I just don’t think I can get past the memory connected to it! Isn’t that crazy?!
Btw, I love your Blog!! Hope I win the gift card!
Shawn
That’s awful Crystal! It’s funny you mention this because I was just telling my kids tonight that I’ll never buy spaghetti-o’s for the same reason. HAHA! I totally get it. Well I hope you can still find some other recipes you enjoy here. 😉
sandy manson
Sounds soo good. Will try it!!!!
Linda Middlemist
love this . goulash was always a favorite
Shirley
EXCELLENT!!!!
Virginia
This is a recipe I can see my family eating. Thanks for sharing. Yes, I am an email subscriber.
Heather Thomson
Love your recipes, always nice to see what new dish is in my inbox.
Sunnie
Your recipe sounds great! I’m going to try it, my husband is always talking about goulash! I’m an email subscriber.
Pam Cullen
I’ve been an E-Mail subscriber for a long time! Love your recipes and look forward to new posts.
Gary
I am an email subscriber as well!
I love one pot dinners and this goulash looks great! Thanks and keep them coming.
Jan Allen
I am an email subscriber . Goulash has been in my life a long time, so yummy good.
Ann Krumbine
Hi Shawn! I have been an email subscriber for quite awhile now. I love your recipes. I have made numerous that please my picky 6 year old . This is going on the plan to make this weekend for him. Thanks for the recipes!
Francesca Driver
Been a subscriber for two weeks and so far the three things I’ve tried are definitely “do overs.” Looking forward to making this goulash.
Donna Donahue
I was just talking to a complete stranger about goulash while in line at the store. Can’t wait to try this. I am an email subscriber
Everett Powell
I’m an email subscriber
Beverly Wood
I’m an email subscriber. This looks so easy to make and ready in no time at all, which is nice at dinnertime. I’ve made several of your recipes and enjoyed them each time. Thank you for your site. You help me be a better cook. Bev
Margaret Caudill
I’m an email subscriber This looks good and easy have to try it
Susan `Rager
Email subscriber, I love goulash and your site.
Jessica Maye
I’m an Email subscriber
Amanda
This looks delicious! I think I might have to make it this weekend! The recipes in your emails always make me hungry!
Kristin A Threlkeld
I love goulash!!! It’s hard to find a good recipe for ot, but this sounds delicious!
I’m an email subscriber.
Rebecca
I have been a subscriber for awhile. I love your recipes!
Jason West
I am a new subscriber. I like goulash and the many ways it can be made. I like to add cottage cheese to mine.
Debbie Barboza
This looks so good!! Cant wait to make it! Thank you for sharing your recipes 🙂
JoEllen
So glad I am an Email subscriber! Made this for delicious goulash tonight…..happy tummy…….happy family….THANK YOU!
Christina L
I subscribe to your emails and I love goulash, I make Bobby Dean’s recipe because I don’t like green peppers, but your recipe looks wonderful!
ellf
As a loyal E-mail subscriber to your blog, I was delighted to note that today you were offering a timely Hungarian goulash recipe just in time to fill the gap that our trusty local Hungarian restaurant left when the owners retired after many years of faithfully delicious service. Thank you.
Jennie Mukattash
Our family of 6 can’t wait to try this recipe! It looks delicious! Thank you for your blog! Easy yummy recipes make life easier! Especially videos when my brain is on auto-pilot! We subscribe to your emails and are thankful for your recipe suggestions delivered right to our inbox! I’m actually attempting this goulash for dinner tonight : )
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I am an email subscriber and look forward receiving great recipes from you.
Alyson Pace
I’m an email subscriber who looks forward to your emails every day. Love your recipes. A lot of them are recipes I grew up on, but yours have a few more ingredients that add flavor depth. I can always find something here to make for dinner any night.
Leslie
Thank you for doing the giveaway. I subscribe via email.
Leah Ann Talamantes
I am an email subscriber. I am beyond happy that your Goulash recipe has reached my email box! My mom had just bought all of the ingredients to make her Goulash just for me but she got real sick and after spending much time in and out of the hospital, she passed away. We siblings, had to clean out her house and the ingredients were thrown away. My heart hurt so bad because I know how excited she was to make it for me, at my request. She was a great cook. Your Goulash looks exactly like hers! I am so excited to make it because it is going to bring my mom close to me just for a moment. Thank you so much for sharing your goodness!
Marcie R Crosley
;I am an email subscriber! I love your recipes. They are easy and good. I am anxious to try the goulash. My Mom used to make something similar but yours has so many great ingredients in it. I am excited to get your emails and see what I can look forward too!
Nancy Rodriguez
I am an email subscriber. I love this dish. I make it all the time. I actually make a lot of your one dish dinners. So easy and so good!!
Thank you
Cheryl Walsh
Looks really good. I have made several of your recipes and have liked them all. I’m an email subscriber.
Amanda E.
This is a recipe my grandmother made when I was a child. I can’t wait to try it again! Email subscriber
Beverly Hill May
As an email subscriber I love seeing your recipes that help out us busy Moms. Cant wait to try this one!
Barbara M
I am an email subscriber. Never had goulash. This sounds yummy. I pinned this so that I will make it.
Donna D Rolen
Hope this isn’t a duplicate post. I’m an email subscriber. Thanks for the great recipe. I grew up eating Goulash – my Mom would make a great big pot and it would feed us six kids and her and Dad, with leftovers! Thanks for bringing back a great memory!
Teresa Foster
Saw this recipe right before I left work stopped at the store and made it for dinner tonight. As an email subscriber I love getting the different recipes to try out. They have all been quick and easy!
Sherry Ballard
I love receiving your recipes like this one by email subscription. I save many of them to Pinterest to cook later and an always impressed with the quality of your recipes. They don’t disappoint.
Dolores
Your recipe looks so yummy as do most of the recipes you post. I am a subscriber to your blog.