Homemade Goulash

Looking for a hearty weeknight dinner that won’t break the bank? Our American Goulash recipe is the answer! This crowd-pleasing one-pan meal delivers big flavor while using simple and affordable ingredients! Seasoned ground beef, tender macaroni, and a rich tomato sauce can be whipped together in just 30 minutes for a meal that’ll satisfy the whole family.

Growing up in the Midwest in the 90s, I had a lot of friends who ate Hamburger Helper… were you one of them? This “meal in a box” concept was an easy way to for families to extend a pound of ground beef with spices and pasta (often macaroni). To me, American goulash embraces the concept of extending your ingredients to feed more people, but it just does it better than a boxed dinner! You know exactly what you’re eating (no funny filler ingredients here!), and you build a wonderful and robust flavor profile in a short amount of time.

The magic happens when the pasta cooks right in the sauce, soaking up all those savory flavors. It’s a fantastic way to stretch your grocery budget while still putting a satisfying meal on the table. Plus, with just one pan to clean, you’ll spend less time washing dishes and more time enjoying dinner with your loved ones.

American Goulash Recipe Ingredients

• Olive oil. Used to sauté our onion and bell pepper.
• Yellow onion. The all-purpose onion, especially for cooking! The onion adds depth of flavor to our sauce and helps to enhance the other flavors in our recipe.
• Green bell pepper. An affordable way to add veggies to our dish that compliments the other flavors nicely.
• Lean ground beef. All the high-quality protein, iron, and various vitamins and minerals you’d get from ground beef, but with less calories and fat. We’re aiming for around 90% lean, however you may find something a little different where you shop (we use a 92/8 blend because that’s what our store carries).
• Canned petite diced tomatoes. An easy to find and affordable pantry staple that adds veggies to our dish.
• Canned tomato sauce. Another affordable pantry stable used to build our tomato-based sauce.
• Beef stock. This is the base for our sauce, and the natural choice as we’re cooking with ground beef!
• Worcestershire sauce. Adds a savory, “umami” flavor, adding complexity and depth to our sauce’s flavor profile. 
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, and a bay leaf. We’ve found the perfect combination of these spices to elevate this dish! Adding in the paprika makes it special (and is a nice nod to the Hungarian version), and gives it a different flavor profile than your typical ‘spaghetti and meatballs’ style of meal.
• Macaroni noodles. We’ll put the uncooked macaroni noodles right into the pot with our other ingredients! This reduces the amount of dishes and let’s the pasta really take on the flavors of the dish.
• Optional mix-in: shredded cheese. While not necessary, adding shredded cheese (especially shredded cheddar) is a popular option when making American goulash! If you’d like to mix it in, simply stir your cheese into the pan just before serving (we recommend 1 Cup per single batch).
• Optional toppings: chopped parsley or basil, shredded cheese. Parsley and basil both add a little pop of freshness while serving. If you didn’t mix cheese into your recipe, you can also set out a variety of cheeses for people to stir in themselves! Cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan are all great choices.

Ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page, along with the full recipe directions.

How to Make American Goulash

Add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, salt, and pepper to a large skillet (or pot) over medium-high heat.

Sauté until the onion begins to soften and brown (about 3-5 minutes).

Add the beef, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.

Cook until no pink remains and the vegetables are softened (about 5-7 minutes). Turn off the heat and remove any excess fat/liquid from the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the minced garlic, sautéing until the garlic is fragrant (approximately 30-seconds to 1 minute).

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf to the pan and stir to combine.

Cover and bring to a simmer.

Add the uncooked macaroni noodles and stir to combine. Continue to simmer, stirring often, until the noodles are tender, adding more broth if needed (about 8-12 minutes).

Remove from heat, leave covered for 3 minutes. Goulash will thicken as it cools. Remove bay leaf.

If desired, stir in the shredded cheese (or top your bowl with it) just before serving.

Variation Ideas

• Use a different ground meat. Try ground turkey, chicken, pork, or an Italian-sausage if preferred.
• Add more (or different) vegetables. Why not add a second bell pepper? You can use any color (we like adding red pepper in addition to the green). Stir in a generous handful of baby spinach at the end of cooking (it will wilt quickly). Sauté some fresh mushrooms with your onion and bell pepper. Or try adding other popular veggie mix-ins like corn, peas, or zucchini.
• Swap out the broth. Instead of beef broth, you can use beef stock or beef bone broth. You can also use chicken broth or stock if that’s what you have on hand.
• Try different pastas. Instead of macaroni noodles, try using another type of short pasta. Try orecchiette, penne, cavatappi, farfalle (bowtie), rotelle (wagon-wheels), or ditalini.
• Swap out the Italian seasoning. Ok, ok. If you’re an American goulash purist you may not want to use Italian seasoning in it. We like this convenient blend to amp up the flavor and reduce the amount of measuring needed, but if desired, skip it! A more basic seasoning profile will contain a combination of salt, pepper, onion, and garlic. You can simply use what we’ve already put into the recipe, or add some garlic powder and onion powder too.
• Make it a little spicy by adding in a a few shakes of red pepper flakes or pinch of chili powder.
• Add beans for more protein (or to replace the meat). Drain and rinse a 15-ounce can of white cannellini or kidney beans to either replace the meat all together or add some extra protein to your dish.

Possible Dietary Restrictions?

This recipe is dairy-free if you skip the optional cheddar cheese! And it tastes great without it too, so you’re not missing out if you cannot have dairy.

You can make our goulash recipe gluten-free by using a gluten-free pasta. Be sure to check the label on your Italian seasoning too (just in case) if serving to someone with celiac.

As noted in the variation section, make it vegetarian by replacing the meat with either white cannellini or kidney beans.

How to Serve Beef Goulash

American goulash is a meal in itself – you’ve got your protein, carb, and veggies all packed into one convenient dish!

However, you can extend the meal further by pairing it with a few other things. I’d recommend trying:

• A simple green salad with your favorite dressing.
• Roasted or steamed veggies like broccoli, green beans, asparagus, carrots, or peas. Grabbing a steamer pack of veggies from your frozen foods section is an easy way to do this!
• A slice of crusty bread or roll with butter.
• Homemade biscuits.
• Cornbread.
• Fresh fruit like berries, pineapple, apple slices, or oranges.

Storing American Goulash

Allow the goulash to cool fully, then transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

American goulash also freezes well. To do so, let the leftovers cool fully then transfer them to a labeled, freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheat in the microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring in between, until heated to your desired temperature.