Classic Goulash

8 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Classic Goulash with ground beef, bell pepper, onions, and macaroni simmered in a seasoned tomato sauce, is ready in 45 minutes in one pot!

We’re always ready to make hearty comfort food, and if you like this goulash you’ll also love this Pot Roast, Slow Cooker Chili, Sloppy Joe, and Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti!

American Goulash

Classic Goulash is one of my favorite old fashioned recipes. It’s made with ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and macaroni noodles in a seasoned tomato sauce with diced tomatoes. It’s perfect for busy weeknight dinners because all it takes is one pot and less than 45 minutes!

You can also add more flavor to this dish with spices like paprika, or vegetables like mushrooms or spinach. This is also a great recipe to make if you have leftover Marinara Sauce. Goulash is always crowd-pleasing, which makes it a terrific option for potlucks!

Goulash is a hearty recipe the entire family will love. For a complete meal, serve Classic Goulash with a crisp, fresh Beet Salad and Garlic Bread to soak up all that extra delicious sauce.

What is American Goulash?

American goulash is a traditional mid-west dish to serve for dinner or take to a potluck. It’s made with really easy and available ingredients like pasta, ground beef, tomato sauce, and onion. You can also add some minced garlic or paprika to your American goulash, even though paprika is not traditionally used in this version.

American goulash is different from Hungarian goulash because the Hungarian goulash version is more like a stew made with ground meat, paprika, and sometimes additional vegetables and potatoes. Hungarian goulash is also referred to as Gulyas. Gulyas basically translates to cowboy in Hungarian, which is the perfect candidate to eat goulash soup.

How to Make Classic Goulash

  • Add ground beef, onions, bell peppers and garlic to a large dutch oven and cook until it is no longer pink.
  • Drain most of the fat then add in water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, basil, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low heat and simmer.
  • Add in the macaroni, mix well then cover and simmer an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

More Classic Dinner Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Freeze Classic Goulash?

You can freeze this goulash recipe, but if you’re making it ahead to freeze I recommend undercooking the macaroni slightly, then immediately removing from heat and letting it cool. That way when you go to reheat, the pasta will finish cooking all the way instead of becoming mushy. Defrost in the refrigerator the night before.

How do I thicken Goulash?

We’re not using any all purpose flour in this recipe, but if you want a thicken sauce then next time whisk 1-2 tablespoons of all purpose flour into the onions when they’re cooking, to make a roux. I wouldn’t add more than two tablespoons of flour, or the sauce may get too thick. If that happens, you can add a small amount of broth as well.

How do I make Vegetarian Goulash?

Use a meatless crumble in place of ground beef for a delicious vegetarian take on Goulash. It will still taste beefy, hearty, and delicious. Or you can substitute the ground beef for cooked lentils for a hearty vegetarian meal that’s also high in protein and fiber.

What else can you add to Goulash?

Mix in your favorite veggies like corn, beans, spinach, peas, zucchini, carrots, or mushrooms. Cheese is also a flavorful add-in, which can be melted into the sauce or served as a topping. Top Goulash with sour cream, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, fresh chopped parsley, black olives, or Parmesan cheese.

American Goulash

 

Key Ingredients in Classic Goulash

  • Beef: Classic Goulash is traditionally made with ground beef. We recommend 85/15 for best flavor and texture in just about every recipe. If your ground beef is sticking to the pan while browning, you can add a small amount of olive oil to the pan.
  • Macaroni Noodles: The macaroni pasta is added to the Goulash after it has simmered for about 15 minutes. When the noodles cook in the liquid, they absorb all the flavors of the tomatoes and seasonings, as well as help thicken the sauce with the starches released.
  • Vegetables: Bell peppers and onions are a classic combination that goes perfectly with beef. They are also easily found year round, which makes Classic Goulash the perfect hearty winter recipe.
  • Tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce combine with the rest of the seasonings to create a savory base sauce that soaks into the meat and pasta and softens the vegetables.

Slow Cooker Classic Goulash

  • Brown the ground beef, onions, bell peppers, and garlic in a skillet.
  • Add beef mixture to slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except macaroni.
  • Cook on high 2-3 hours, or on low 4-6 hours, adding the macaroni noodles to the slow cooker in the last 30-40 minutes of cooking.

Instant Pot Classic Goulash

  • In sauté mode, brown the ground beef, onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Drain most of the fat.
  • Add 1 cup water to deglaze, then add the rest of the water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Stir in macaroni.
  • Seal lid and set to high pressure for 3 minutes, then quick release. Stir and serve immediately.

Can you Make Classic Goulash Ahead?

If you’re making goulash ahead, cook the pasta according to package directions and set aside. Then make the ground beef according to the recipe, and store everything in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You may also want to store some extra sauce on the side, just in case it needs it when you reheat it later. When you’re ready, sauté the goulash with the pasta in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding any extra sauce as necessary. Stir as needed until heated through, then serve.

Variations on Classic Goulash

  • Cheese: Make your Goulash extra creamy and cheesy by topping it with with shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, or Swiss cheese.
  • Noodles: This goulash recipe calls for macaroni, but you can also use egg noodles for this dish if that’s what you have.
  • Meat: You can lighten this goulash up by using ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, and adding more vegetables in place of some of the pasta.
  • Broth: You can add more flavor by replacing the water in this goulash recipe with beef broth, so the pasta absorbs the flavor of the beef broth as it cooks.
  • Creamy Goulash: Add a cup of sour cream to make this goulash with a cream sauce. You can also add ½ cup of cheese while the goulash is still cooking instead.
  • Seasonings: You can replace the seasoning in this dish with simple Italian seasoning to save time. This goulash recipe is already seasoned but if you want even more flavor try adding bay leaves, a dash of paprika or garlic, or deglaze the ground beef with ¼ cup red wine.
  • Fresh Tomatoes: I’m using a can of diced tomatoes in this recipe, but you can chop fresh tomatoes if you want to.
  • Fresh Herbs: You can replace the 1 teaspoon each of dried herbs for 1 tablespoon each of fresh herbs. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley for even more fresh flavor.
  • Low Sodium: Make this recipe low sodium by omitting the salt, and using the low-sodium version of canned tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce.

More Easy Pasta Recipes

How to Store Classic Goulash

  • Serve: Do not leave Classic Goulash at room temperature longer than 2 hours.
  • Store: Store Goulash in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
  • Freeze: Freeze Goulash in a freezer safe plastic bag for up to 3 months.
Classic American Meat and Pasta Goulash

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Classic Goulash

Classic Goulash with ground beef, bell pepper, onions, and macaroni simmered in a seasoned tomato sauce, is ready in 45 minutes in one pot!
Yield 8 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds ground beef , (85/15)
  • 2 yellow onions , chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper , chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic , chopped
  • 3 cups water
  • 29 ounces tomato sauce
  • 29 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 ounces elbow macaroni , uncooked

Instructions

  • Add the ground beef, onions, bell peppers and garlic to a large dutch oven on medium-high heat and cook it breaking it apart until it is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Drain most of the fat then add in the remaining ingredients except the macaroni, bring to a boil then reduce to a low heat and simmer with a cover on for 15 minutes.
  • Add in the macaroni, mix well then cover and simmer an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally before serving

Nutrition

Calories: 455kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 965mg | Potassium: 1008mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 31.8mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 5.2mg
Keyword: Goulash
Classic Goulash Collage

Photo used in a previous version of this post.

Classic Goulash

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Thank you! My husband said this is more like his mom’s. And I agree totally more like my mom’s also. And they have both passed away so this was a nice reminder. And I’ve been looking for years for this.

    I added celery (fried in butter separately because I forgot to add it with the onions) and bay leaf. Did not add Basil due to allergy issues. We also used beef broth instead of water. My can’s of tomatoes were only 28 oz so I added a little water for the loss of juice.

  2. your classsic goulash listed amount of calories per serving ….etc, but did not say what size the serving is—-due to trying to put weight on due to cancer would really like to know what the serving size is —-thanks

  3. I give it 5 stars. It was so good followed the recipe and the family lived it .i will be making this again thank you

  4. I cut the recipe in half since it’s only for one person. It is delicious however and definitely a repeater.

  5. This looks like a great recipe. Do you have any suggestions for using a slow cooker with this? Thank you.

    1. Once you’ve done step 1, I’d add everything else (except the macaroni) to a slow cooker and cook on low 4-5 hours. Mix in the cooked macaroni and cook and additional 10 minutes. Hope this helps!

  6. DO you cook the macaroni before putting it in? Followed the directions and put in uncooked. I think it made it starchy and they didn’t have a good texture. Might try the recipe again and cook macaroni seperately.

  7. My partner is allergic to onions, but otherwise this recipe looks perfect! Do you have any recommendations for a substitute for the onion?

    1. You can just leave it out if you’d like. If they’re not allergic or sensitive to chives, that would be the next best substitute or even celery. I hope you both enjoy the dish.

  8. So good!! I added some frozen corn and half of a can of green olives. Also used tomato paste instead of sauce and my own favorite seasonings. Delicious!!

    1. I love that this recipe is so versatile and customizable to what you have on hand. Thanks for the 5 stars, Samantha.

  9. I lost my recipe for my family’s favorite goulash and ran across this one while looking online for it. I decided to give it a try. If you want a goulash that tastes like veggie soup, this is for you, but it does not taste like old fashion goulash. Disappointed.

  10. Made this recipe because i wanted to recreate my great aunts recipe. This did not disappoint! Followed the recipe and it was excellent. Definitely keeping it for easy dinner rotation and i had all the ingredients on hand. Very filling and easy, quick dinner. The leftovers make a great lunch the next day. Love this site and all the great recipes Sabrina sends to my inbox. Ive made a few of them and really like them all!

  11. This was a major hit with my husband! I added two cups of beef broth. It was very filling and there was enough to freeze some for later. Love it!

      1. There is sign up on the side bar of the page. Simply add your email and sign up. I’m so glad you’re loving the site.

  12. loved the recipe made a few changes after reading others comments. I added I can of rotel and substituted the water for college in beef broth. I topped it with shredded cheddar cheese. So good, so much this would easily feed a family of 4. I have a whole pot full left because its only me and my husband, but this will make a great lunch, and I will freeze the rest. I like this recipe easy to make and taste great.

  13. My husband and I loved this! We did make some changes I would like to share – not because they change the flavor much, but to let others know that what we tried worked great. We halved the recipe since it’s just the 2 of us. Used one bag of Gardein veggie ground instead of meat. Also used garlic powder (1/4 tsp for each clove) since I forgot to buy fresh. I think in the future I will also separate in half, and then add half the pasta. We can then take the other half and use it for leftovers and cook the pasta “fresh” since it got a bit soggy when we put leftovers in the fridge. Also used veggie broth instead of water because the extra flavor is always welcome!

  14. For folks complaining about this being bland, just remember, you’re allowed to doctor recipes you come across. I like heavily seasoned dishes and knew I’d need to add to this. I’m pretty sure she mentioned adding and modifying to taste above. This was a starting point, but I started with bacon in sautéing the veggies then the beef, added beef boullion, about a third a cup of paprika, another tablespoon of smoked paprika, dash of white pepper, some red wine, and a couple other odds and ends. Turned out great.

    1. Agreed. Everyone has a different palette so it’s important to know what you like and adjust to fit that. So glad you enjoyed it.

  15. This recipe was amazing; very simple to follow for someone whose not a good cook like myself and the flavour was amazing. I missed a few minor ingredients but it still tasted great. I am so happy to have stumbled on it and recommend it to any beginner cooks or anyone who wants a flavourful, hardy stew.

  16. Just like grandma used to make. I added celery and substituted V8 for the 3 cups of water. But perfect recipe as is?

    1. Delicious as is. Basic comfort food. I did not have macaroni so I opened a box of Velveeta mac and cheese and used the macaroni, exactly 8 oz in there. Then I thought it might be good with the cheese sauce added in. I didn’t add it to the whole pot, but had it on the side if anyone wanted to squirt some in. It was a nice addition but good without as well.
      Thank you for the recipe

  17. We all loved it…myself, hubby, and the boys!! I added some mozzarella because we love cheese! This recipe is a keeper!

  18. Great recipe! Made it tonight and my husband and I loved it. Added cheddar cheese and it was delicious ?

  19. This is excellent “as is” but if you want to make it even better, use one pound beef and one pound Italian sausage. If you want to kick it up even more, use beef broth in place of water and fresh basil instead of dried. But even without those substitutions, this is still wonderful comfort food. Thank you so much for the recipe.

  20. Thank you for this recipe! We love it. I added a can of white beans and sauteed zucchini to ours – super yummy. Also, I cook the pasta separately and we add it as desired. Such a homey, comforting dish!

  21. I love goulash, but this surely isn’t. This receipe might be tasty as well and is much quicker to make, but you can’t just replace chuck roast slow cooked for 2 hours with minced beef and then call it goulash, or even classic.

    1. This is American Goulash, not Hungarian Goulash, both are great…this is even better when you add Sharp Cheddar Cheese after it’s cooked.

  22. Hi Sabrina, Just love your site…In this recipe is the macaroni 8 oz. weighed out or is it 1 cup? I made a recipe one time and weighed it out and it was an over abundance of noodles. Thanks for your help.

    1. I weighed it out so I’m surprised to hear it was too much. Feel free to adjust more to your liking. I’m so glad you’re loving the site.

  23. I just made it today and it was too tomatoey if that’s a word. How do I tweek that. Less tomato sauce or less diced tomatoes?

  24. My very favorite Goulash recipe, just like Ma used to make but better. I’ve used this recipe a bunch of times. Thanks for sharing.

  25. I love this recipe and usually cook the pasta on the side because I end up freezing the leftovers and its better making more pasta than the original getting mushy. Thank you

  26. I halved the recipe, except for the macaroni. I used 10 oz of dry gluten free macaroni, and added 1 can of whole kernel corn. We also put shredded cheddar cheese on top as we served it. Delicious! My husband liked it, but said he would prefer more meat to the same amount of other ingredients. As I described, it made 6 generous servings.

  27. I was searching Pinterest for a recipe using pasta, and hamburger, but not ordinary spaghetti at my husband’s request. I found this recipe and was delighted to have almost all the ingredients on hand. I had to make some adjustments, using fresh cut grape tomatoes and adding celery because I just knew it would make the dish taste that much better. I was right on all counts. It was delicious and I will try some other changes in the future, but I won’t be boring my husband with “spaghetti again”! An added benefit was that there were plenty of leftovers and we all know pasta dishes taste better the next day! This is a keeper for sure

  28. Thank you for this. I think this is the best recipe/web site for Goulash because (1) I’ve been making various goulashes for 50 years, and I know a great recipe when I see one; and (2) I’ve spent a couple of days, off and on, researching Goulash recipes other recipe web sites on the Internet. You win hands down! LOVE the ‘Tips’! I am making this tomorrow! (Love the ‘comments’ too. Readers can be so creative!)

  29. I had a grandma that would cook goulash she would never give her recipe to anyone and passed taking it with her. My dad would also make it every now and then but I never got a recipe and I can’t remember how they tasted it has been to long ago. I’m a little nervous cooking new recipes like this or bigger more complex recipes but I tried yours for the first time and accidentally scorched the bottom not stirring enough. It was still really good and I just made another pot today waiting for it to cool a little.

  30. Great recipe! Used home made tomatoe soup for liquid and added two jelapeno. We added parmesan cheese and grated cheddar on top. Very nicely spicy. We also cooked gluten free noodles separate as they get mushy. We really enjoyed this. Thanks

  31. I didn’t have the oregano and it was still the best goulash I’ve ever had! Five stars for sure.

      1. Best recipe ever. I don’t eat leftovers but I ate this 3 times. Making it again tonight again for friends. Thank you

  32. Made this tonight and it was a hit. I didn’t have any canned tomatos or sauce but had a jar of chunky marinara so used that and also used chicken stock instead of water. Didn’t have green peppers but added in chopped carrots and an extra garlic clove. Used gluten free noodles that looked small so added am extra 4 ounces of those and it didnt dry out at all. The kids loved it! Husband added some cayenne and chowed. Will definately be making this more often!

  33. Like everyone else said it’s just like Mom use to make, in Illinois. The only ingredient I didn’t have was the Worcester sauce.
    Because it’s just for 2, I try to make a meals that will last for only one days. So on the 3rd day I will add sour cream and cheddar cheese as suggested for a completely different meal.
    I’m in the process of making bread to sop up the wonderful juices.
    Thank you Sabrina, you’ve made my day.

  34. I’ve made this many times. Everyone in the family likes it! I tried adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika. Great Flavor!

  35. I made this, and I absolutely love it. I halved the recipe because I knew it would be too much, and it still made quite a lot. I also made it vegan by using Beyond Beef crumbles in place of ground beef, and I used vegetable broth to add flavor in place of the water. It turned out very well, and my dinner guests could hardly believe it when I revealed that it was vegan. I added chopped baby carrots and roasted corn to the recipe as well. It’s easy, inexpensive, and very delicious. I definitely recommend it!