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.
Made this today exactly as the recipe was written and as my grandson would say it was absolut Dewishes. Plan to make it often. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
I’m so glad it was dewishes! ;)
When I grew up in western PA in the 1960s, Mom made this most Mondays and called it Texas hash.
When my aunt in NC served it to me in the 1980s, she called it slumgullion.
More recently, a friend who grew up in MI told me that this is what Midwesterners call “goulash,” which could hardly be more different from the true Hungarian goulash.
It seems to be a venerable all-American comfort food.
I have been using an identical dish for years. I use tomato sauce, rather than paste and pasta sauce.
I also do not over cook the macaroni, so it will absorb juice and become tasty, as well as finish cooking.
Did you cook the noodles in the dish alone? Or, separately in the water that is called for in the recipe?
I noticed the recipe calls for 2 or 3 cups of water (going by memory), but it never says anything about using it.
Thanks for your help :-)
The water is listed in step 2 with the other ingredients.
Do you use any old spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce?
Yes, any marinara or spaghetti sauce will work fine in this recipe.
Love your recipes!
Hi Holly,
Where did you get the great onion chopper in your Grandma’s Goulash recipe. I need one of those asap!
Laura
I’m with you, it’s one of my favorite kitchen tools! I wrote a post about it here. You can get them on Amazon here!
Very good! Grew up with this and Ohio’s Johnny Marzetti
I grew up in the Boston area in the 60’s and 70’s. My mother got the recipe from the Boston Globe. This was called American Chop Suey. My wife grew up in the NY area and she calls itGoulash. We still refer to it by the name we grew up with. My children love it. This is a recipe that they will continue to make and will pass on. We didn’t put cheese in it. We used Parmesan cheese on it at the table. A winter staple that would Stick to your Ribs my mother would say.
I use Tomato juice with whole peeled tomatoes, corn and green beans.
This was a super fun receipe to make and very cheap had everything in the pantry/ freezer. My only question is “can I freeze it??? ”
Thanks again and ps please post some more of these yummy receipes
Shell (mum of 2 kids who adore pasta)
Yay, glad that you liked it! You can probably freeze this, however it can take away from the texture and flavor.
I just made this for dinner and it is great, lots of flavor. Will be making this again, Thank you for sharing
Thank you! Happy to hear that you loved it!
Great recipe!!!
This was excellent! I used ground turkey instead of ground beef, only 1 onion, 2 extra oz of pasta sauce, no bay leave, and I left the cheese out so everyone could put as much cheese as they wanted on their individual plates. My husband and I had friends over and they loved it! We also had leftovers for the next couple days.
Can’t wait to try grandma’s goulash. Looks absolutely delicious.
Thank you so much for bringing this recipe back into my life. My mother used to make this growing up but when I moved out and started my own family I had forgotten about it. Then one day BAM here it is. I just had to make it right then and it taste just like her’s. DELICIOUS. Thanks again.
I’m so glad you loved it Ruby! It’s one of our favorites too!
It is SO easy, and will definitely make it again with our family modifications.
This was good, but there are a couple things I would change strictly on my family’s own personal preference. The meat was a little bland but I didn’t season it while browning because it didn’t say to. Hoping the leftovers will meld overnight and help that. Also, I would use less oregano next time, but again… that’s a personal preference. It is SO easy, and I will definitely make it again with our family modifications. Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed it Kim!
Can you do this in the crock pot?
I haven’t made this in the crock pot. I do think it would work, you would just need to adjust the time to ensure your noodles don’t overcook.
I make this in the crock pot. I cook theHamburg onions and peppers in the frypan and then dump everything in the crock pot and cook 4 hrs on low. Top with cheese the last 15 minutes
Yum! Slow cooker recipes are the best!
I can’t wait to try this version, I have never make Goulash with Pasta Sauce before, Maybe it may become a favorite for my family
I have some left over elbow noodles that I made yesterday. If I add the cooked elbow noodles do I still need the water and should I shorten the cook time. Thanks!
You wouldn’t need the water and yes, you’ll need to reduce the cook time so the noodles don’t get mushy. I would just thicken the sauce on its own for about 15-20 minutes and then give the noodles just a few minutes to heat up and soak in a little bit of the sauce.