This easy American goulash recipe comes together quickly with pantry staples you likely have on hand. Just simmer ground beef and elbow macaroni in a rich tomato sauce for a cozy one-pot dinner.
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What is Goulash?
This American goulash is a quick, tomato-based one-pot meal with ground beef and macaroni, while Hungarian goulash is a beef stew seasoned heavily with paprika, and usually includes potatoes.
- Flavor: Rich and savory flavors from the tomato sauce and seasonings make it a nostalgic family favorite, just like Grandma’s.
- Skill Level: This recipe is perfect for first-time cooks looking for a no-fuss comfort food meal.
- Swaps: Use ground chicken or turkey instead of beef, or try different pasta shapes.
Ingredients for Grandma’s Goulash
- Ground Beef: Use lean ground beef; it’s okay if you use a little more or less than what is called for. It can be replaced with Italian sausage, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
- Pasta: Use any small pasta; my preference is elbow macaroni. Try small shells, bowties, or ditalini.
- Tomato Sauce: Use jarred tomato sauce (or homemade marinara sauce). I like to add canned diced tomatoes for texture and to stretch the meal further.
- Seasoning: Onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and a bay leaf flavor the sauce. Use minced garlic from the jar and dehydrated or frozen diced onions to save time.
How to Make Goulash
This recipe is a simple one-pot dinner.
- Cook the ground beef. Drain fat.
- Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the pasta is tender.
- Top with optional cheese and serve.
Pro Tips for Thick, Saucy Goulash
- Stir every couple of minutes after adding pasta to prevent sticking.
- If it looks thick before the pasta is tender, add broth or water in small splashes to loosen the sauce, taking care to simmer gently.
- Let it rest 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
Fridge: Leftover goulash can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Warm it up on the stovetop or in the microwave, with a splash of broth and a little extra marinara, if needed.
Freezer: Freeze chilled portions in zippered bags for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Elbow macaroni is the classic since it cooks evenly and holds onto the sauce. Small shells, ditalini, rotini, or cavatappi also work well, just watch the cook time and add a splash more liquid if needed.
Keep it at a gentle simmer (not a hard boil), and be sure to stir a few times so the pasta doesn’t stick together.
Stir in beef broth or water a little at a time until it’s saucy again, then warm through.
Use a marinara or tomato-based pasta sauce you like the taste of, with a thicker texture for the sauciest result.
You can freeze goulash, but the pasta will soften a bit after thawing and reheating. For the best texture, cool completely, freeze in portions, and reheat gently with a splash of broth. If you’re making it specifically to freeze, cook the pasta just to barely tender so it doesn’t get too soft later.
What to Serve with Goulash
Did you enjoy this Goulash recipe? Leave a rating and comment below.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or large skillet with lid
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups marinara sauce or tomato based pasta sauce
- 2 cups beef broth or water, more as needed
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 green bell pepper diced, optional
- 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf 2 if they are small
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni uncooked
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese, optional
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or a large skillet with a lid, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Add the marinara sauce, broth, diced tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, bell pepper (if using), Italian seasoning, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add the elbow macaroni, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
- Remove & discard the bay leaf. Top with cheese if using, and replace the lid. Let rest for about 5 minutes or until the pasta has thickened and the cheese is melted.
Video
Notes
- Use 8 ounces of uncooked elbow macaroni noodles, approx 1½ cups.
- This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd (serving sizes can be adjusted in the print screen).
- For heartier appetites, the meal can be stretched with additional pasta (and water/broth), canned beans, or chopped vegetables. (diced zucchini, sliced mushrooms, corn, or additional bell peppers). Any kind of ground meat can be substituted for beef.
- Start with the amount of broth/water as listed and add extra if needed (depending on pasta shape). The goulash will thicken as it cools and rests. Depending on the size and shape of your pan, you may need to add a little bit more liquid. Keep an eye on the dish as it cooks, and add more liquid as needed. The mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This sounds so easy but one question….by cooking the macaroni right in the sauce…..does the sauce not get a starchy taste from the pasta? And I never thought about serving with cheese and sour cream….Thanks!
The sauce doesn’t get a starchy taste. By cooking the noodles in the sauce, it helps thicken the sauce as well. :)
My Mom used to make this with leftover spaghetti sauce, and added frozen corn seeing this pic reminds me of the good old days around the dinner table! Thanks!
Recipe looks yummy!!! Do have a question tho if you don’t mind. Not that I have a big family but
My family has huge appetites… Could you give me some insight on how much to use of what say
If I were to use a box and a half if macaroni ? Thank you very much .
This recipe serves 8 as written. I’m not sure how big your boxes of macaroni are but maybe just measure the dry noodles and you will be able to get an idea as to how many servings you have. :)
This is a family favorite. Our recipe is slightly different. Instead of the jarred tomato sauce, we use tomato juice or spicy V-8 juice, and our pasta is already cooked, so we omit the water. Next time I make this I will add the water and cook the pasta in the sauce. I’m sure the flavor will be that much better. Thank you!
I wanna half this recipe- Do I just half the ingredients?
Yes, just half the ingredients but leave the cooking time the same. :)
I just made this dish for my family,
And everybody loves it.I used a big can of
Crushed tomatoes and a can of tomatoe
Soup.It is Delish!!!!!! Thank-you for the
Receipe I will be making this often:)
I just made this for me and my husband tonight for dinner and it was awesome!! Such a great comfort food dish! I halved the recipe and we still had a bunch left over, might have to try and “third” it next time :-). Thanks for the delicious recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it Julie! :)
I bet this will be so good!!! You can even pour everything into a casserole dish and add mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top yummy. One complaint though and its not about the recipe or the food (its all delishhh) Can you please start putting serving sizes on the recipes? For those of us that are watching what we eat and need to enter this in our recipe builder it would be great to know the serving sizes for all your wonderful recipes!!!!
Great suggestion Kristen! I will definitely try to put serving sizes on the recipes.
I have been making this for years. My family loves it.
My Mom is the one that taught me. This was something she would
make for dinner for at least once a month as I was growing up. I loved
it and start to make it for my children which they loved.
Eating this as I type. Amazing, quick and wallet friendly! Thank you!
<3 So glad you enjoyed it!
I make this all the time but I also add Salsa and Chili powder. its soooo good
That would be a delicious twist on this dish! Thanks for sharing Wendy!
How many does this recipe feed? It sounds really good, but I think I would have to double it! I would be feeding 5, 3 adults and 2 children. What do you think?
This serves 8 so there should be enough to go around (especially if you’re having bread and/or salad with it). If you aren’t sure, you can double it or 1.5x the recipe… because this is one of those dishes where the leftovers are wonderful!
I made this Vegan style. Used 2 bags of Boca crumbles for the ground beef, added a large, finely chopped jalapeno for a little kick, & added 3 cups instead of 2 cups of macaroni noodles. It came out more like a thick chili than the photo above, but let me tell you … it was AWEOME! Added some Daiya (vegan) cheese and it made it pure perfect! Will be putting this one in my family recipe binder for sure!
This looks wonderful and I am planning to make it this weekend, but can you please tell me, do I boil the pasta first? Don’t kill me. lol
Nope, the macaroni cooks right in the sauce. So easy!
I’ve always used kidney beans in my goulash. Might try it this way, but my version has become a famiky favorite lol
Yummy!
Been eating this for 50+ years! Instead of pasta sauce, we use tomato soup and stewed tomatoes, crushed in food processor, and omit the bay leaf (YUK). This really is delicious!!
I thought I was the only one to use tomato soup!
Also use it in chili mmmmm and kidney beans in both
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you are having a great week and enjoy your new Red Plate.
Miz Helen
Goulash is one of our favorite comfort foods, this looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
Miz Helen
This is a great mid-week meal, and my men would love it. Thank you for sharing and linking up with us at the #WWDParty. I hope you have a great weekend.
Sounds good
sounds good to mytoo
I can’t wait to make this I love goulash. Thanks for the recipe. Thanks for linking up at Tell Me About It Tuesday. We hope you hop over and share with us again next week.
I just made this and it was to tomatoey. It made a huge casserole. I have enough to take to church here social. It was ok but not like my mommas
Yeah too much tomatoes…I use tomatoes sauce not spaghetti sauce. And beef broth.