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 is one of my favorite comfort food recipes now. I’ve been making it for dinner regularly for a few months and I have even made it to have company over. Everyone loves it. I make half a batch at a time and it feeds my husband and I for about 3 days. Sometimes I use ground pork (can be cheaper) and I load it up with a couple very thinly sliced zucchini. The zucchini doesn’t add much flavor but rather absorbs all the other flavors so it is the perfect hidden vegetable. Two thumbs up in this house!
So glad you love it… and I really love your idea with the zucchini! We always have so much zucchini in the summer!
I brown the uncooked macaroni with the hamb, and onions, and add a can of corn and mushrooms gives the dish a hole new taste but is very good
Delicious additions Tina! Thanks for sharing!
I tried this goulash recipe today, made it for my mom while I was visiting her. I made it exactly, except I only had about half an onion, and it was tasty. I added a bit of sour cream to my bowl, and wish I’d had a bit of cheese to add too :) The only thing I might do differently is boiling the noodles separately, as I felt like maybe they were slightly off.
My grandmother made almost the same dish and called it goulash!.. she added a can of (drained corn) poured it into a casserole dish and topped it with a layer of sliced Cheddar or American Cheese until slightly browned on top.. Yummy Yummy… thank you for posting!
This looks like tonight’s dinner! This is something that everyone here will eat. Thank you for a ground beef recipe that doesn’t use chili/taco type seasonings. Getting tired of that. It uses ingredients I always have in the house, and is easy, to boot.
i add green pepper and use 3 cups of tomato juice and 2 16oz stewed tomatoes 2 cups elbowmacaroni and add my spices 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp basil 1tspcelery flakes 1/2 tsp sugar and salt and pepper everybody says it really good
was wondering if you would mind giving me your full recipe for your goulash? Sounds amazing!
This was a great recipe and I liked the fact that the pasta cooked in the tomatoes. Thank you for sharing this. It was fast and easy. I sprinkled some grated Havarti Cheese on top…Yummy! Thank you for sharing this with us.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Christine! :)
Looks delicious! Thanks for the shout-out for my Italian Sausage, Tomato, and Macaroni Soup.
I can’t wait to try your soup Kalyn… something about macaroni & tomato that just gets me every time!
My family has made this for years!!! only we season with paprika & oregano & add corn. Its A W E S O M E and it feeds my family of 3 for at least 2 days sometimes 3.
My girls would love corn in this!!
All can say is WOW! This recipe for Goulash is amazing! The sour cream really sets it off!!!! I could not wait for a reply to my previous question about preparing the pasta separately, however, I made the recipe as directed and cooked the pasta separately. I did prepare a 1lb. box of elbow pasta, mixed it all together and waaaaalaaaaaaa – scrumptious!!!!!
So glad you loved it Susan! Thanks for stopping by!
I am in the process of making this as I type. I do have a question about the uncooked pasta. My stove cooks very slow – will the meat sauce be too saucy by adding the 3 cups of water and preparing the noodles separately?
I grew up eating this but it was bland so I changed it when I started cooking it I used spicy v-8 juice tomato sauce and tomato paste diced tomatoes and a big jar of pasta sauce with a lot of seasoning oregano basil smoked paprika
I put a can of kidney beans, diced tomatoes, macaroni,
some green pepper (to taste) and tble of Worcestershire sauce in mine. This was years ago when I was single, had a low paying job and hamburger was cheap. I’d make up a lot and kept warming it up and it got better each time! lol
I first thought that was an egg on top of the goulash in the photo. But that might not be a bad idea, huh? I think I’d definitely not use the sour cream/cheese mix. Maybe even a couple of eggs?
Hi! Just wondering how.this.recipe would be able to be frozen once cooked?
Hi Rosemary,
I haven’t frozen this recipe before so I can’t say for sure. Hopefully someone else here has tried it and can offer some advice. :)
i am wondering, also, if you can freeze leftovers???? or does the pasta get too mushy when thawed and reheated?
I haven’t tried freezing leftovers. Hopefully someone else here has and can offer some feedback!
Yes, this can be frozen. I always make a big batch so I can eat some now and have some in a month or so. It’s the cook once, eat twice way to save time and dishes.
If I were going to freeze it, or even put it in the refrigerator for a couple of days, I would not add the macaroni. After heating it to boiling on the stove (when planning to serve it), I would add the macaroni and cook until done. Just a thought. (Of course you’d have to add the mac and cook as the recipe instructs if you were planning to freeze individual servings.)
I made this a few days ago. So yummy, and very easy. Loved not having to cook the macaroni separately. I cut the recipe in half since there is only tow of us, and it is enough for three meals. Very ecomonical. Thanks for sharing!
I did this recipe today, and it turn out perfectly. The pasta cooked in the meat juices made it flavorful. The half of the recipe is enough for a family of four.
I also use kidney beans in mine.
We call this goulash American Cop Suey here in New Egland! It’s always delicious!
Making this tonight looks amazing :)