American Beef Goulash is a delicious noodle dish featuring a tomato based meat sauce and tender pasta noodles for a complete meal. Made in one pot in 45 minutes or less, this easy recipe is the perfect weeknight meal for the whole family.
The first time I heard of goulash, I was visiting a college friend at her parent’s house. Her mom had made an enormous batch of it and I was completely enamored at first bite. I may have put a mighty dent in their supply as I couldn’t get enough of it.
Goulash comes in many forms (we’ll get more into this later on in the post), so what I’m sharing today is my personal easy American goulash recipe.
My friend’s mom included some fresh vegetables in her version, less sauce, and used ditalini pasta noodles.
As you’ll see, my rendition is similar yet different, with the key takeaway being: if you’re into meaty pasta, you’ll enjoy this easy dinner recipe.
This easy one-pot meal is ready in 45 minutes or less and results in a delicious complete meal. If you enjoy pasta and meat, you’ll be an instant fan of this simple one-pan wonder.
I make the meal gluten-free by using gluten-free elbow noodles, but you can use any kind of pasta noodles you like.
Before we get to the recipe, let’s discuss some of the culinary background of goulash. Cooking is an adventure, right?
Origin of American Goulash:
Inspired by Hungarian goulash or bográcsgulyás, we in the U.S. took some creative liberties and made our own hot take back in the early 1900s.
Some versions are saucier and resemble an Italian pasta recipe, where others are less saucy, more noodle forward, and feature fresh veggies in addition to ground meat.
What’s the Difference Between American Goulash and Hungarian Goulash?:
While the two dishes share the same name, American goulash and Hungarian goulash have more differences than similarities.
Hungarian goulash is more of a stew with chunks of beef, sweet paprika, bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and beef broth.
American-style goulash uses hearty ground beef, features a thick tomato sauce and includes noodles. One could compare it to Italian pasta Bolognese.
In this sense, the authentic Hungarian beef goulash recipe is similar to a classic stew recipe using stew meat, where the American version is closer to pasta or pasta salad.
Hungarian goulash is typically cooked over a long period of time using the slow and low method, whereas the American version is ready in a hot flash.
My take on American goulash is to include more sauce, whereas some people make it closer to a meaty pasta salad with less sauce.
Both dishes are positively delicious and have their own merits on the menu. Today, we focus on the American version, and I’ll be circling back with a traditional Hungarian goulash recipe in the future.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for American goulash. The full grocery list can be found at any grocery store.
American Goulash Ingredients:
Avocado Oil: Used to sauté the onion and brown the beef, we need a little oil. I prefer cooking with avocado oil due to its high smoke point, but olive oil works too.
Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic: The marvelous combination of onion and garlic skyrockets the flavor in any recipe, and such is true in this simple meal.
Ground Beef: A pound of ground beef gets cooked up and mixed in with delicious pasta noodles to make this a protein-packed balanced meal.
Use lean ground beef (90/10 or leaner) for less fat, or use fattier ground beef (85/15 or higher) for more flavor. I like using 80/20 grass-fed ground beef.
Seasonings: Ground paprika, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper. This simple combination of seasonings brings an herby, smoky backing to the meal.
If you love big herb flavors, increase the amount of Italian seasoning, or toss in some extra ground oregano, parsley, or fresh herbs.
Diced Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce: The combination of canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce makes the base of this red sauce. If you enjoy fresh tomatoes, feel free to chop up one or two and toss them in.
Beef Broth: We need some extra liquid for the noodles to absorb, so I use beef broth for added beefy flavor. Chicken broth or water work too. I go with beef bone broth.
Soy Sauce or Worcestershire Sauce: Bringing umami flavor for richness and some salt, we need either some soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. To keep the recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free Worcestershire or tamari.
Elbow Noodles: To Americanize this goulash, we need pasta noodles. Most people use macaroni noodles (also known as elbow macaroni noodles), or ditalini noodles. Any kind of small pasta noodles will work here.
I use gluten-free elbow noodles made out of brown rice, cassava, or chickpeas. My two favorite brands of gluten-free noodles are Banza and Jovial Foods.
Fresh Parsley: I like adding some fresh chopped parsley for a boost of herb flavor to complement the red sauce. Feel free to go off script here by using any fresh or dried herbs you enjoy.
Cheese (optional): Controversial opinion, but goulash is even better with cheese. Some people mix a little grated cheddar cheese into the dish, where others serve this easy goulash recipe with cheese sprinkled on top. My personal preference? Grated parmesan cheese.
Recipe Adaptations:
- If you have bay leaves on hand, add 1 bay leaf to the sauce while it’s simmering and discard it before serving the meal.
- Chop up one green bell pepper or red bell pepper and add it in at the same time as the garlic.
- Love thicker sauce? Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the meat sauce.
- Mix in your favorite veggies with the tomato-based sauce. Baby spinach is a great one! Chop up your favorite root vegetables like beets or turnips for added flavor and more nutrition.
- For a little spice, add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to your personal taste.
- Use ground turkey instead of ground beef if you prefer.
- Add a can of kidney beans or black beans with some chili powder for a chili mac approach.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for American goulash, let’s make it!
How to Make American Goulash:
Heat the avocado oil in a Dutch oven (or a large skillet with a deep lip or large pot with a thick bottom) over medium-high heat on the stove top.
Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the fresh garlic and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes.
Add the ground beef to the skillet and use a spatula to break it up into smaller pieces.
Sprinkle in the seasonings (paprika, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper) and stir well. Cook until the ground beef has browned and is mostly cooked through.
Pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, and soy sauce (or Worcestershire sauce) and stir well.
Bring the mixture to a full boil then reduce the heat to medium heat and allow the sauce to gently boil for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the pasta noodles and cook for 7 to 12 minutes at a gentle bubble, or until the noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the fresh parsley. The goulash is ready once the noodles are tender.
As the goulash sits, the noodles will absorb more sauce. Initially, this goulash is fairly saucy and watery, but becomes thicker over time.
Serve goulash in big bowls with a sprinkle of grated cheese on top if desired. I love sprinkling grated parmesan on top, but cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese are great too.
I recommend serving this classic comfort food with some form of vegetable like green beans or broccoli for a little plant fiber.
Store leftover goulash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The next time you’re craving a flavorful dish complete with protein and carbs, hamburger goulash is a win!
If you enjoy making one-pot meals, also try out these reader favorites.
More One-Pot Meal Recipes:
- One-Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
- Beef Noodle Stew
- Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
- Thai Chicken and Cabbage Bowls
- Cabbage Roll Soup
Delicious dinner made in a jiffy, this simple dish is a great way of getting dinner on the table quickly for busy weeknights.
American Beef Goulash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper to taste
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce or worcestershire sauce
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 cup elbow noodles*
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese optional
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a Dutch oven (or a large skillet with a deep lip or large pot with a thick bottom) over medium-high heat on the stove top. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the fresh garlic and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and use a spatula to break it up into smaller pieces.
- Sprinkle in the seasonings (paprika, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper) and stir well. Cook until the ground beef has browned and is mostly cooked through.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, and soy sauce (or Worcestershire sauce) and stir well.
- Bring the mixture to a full boil then reduce the heat to medium heat and allow the sauce to gently boil for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the pasta noodles and cook for 7 to 12 minutes at a gentle bubble, or until the noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the fresh parsley. The goulash is ready once the noodles are tender.
- As the goulash sits, the noodles will absorb more sauce. Initially, this goulash is fairly saucy and watery, but becomes thicker over time.
- Serve goulash in big bowls with a sprinkle of grated cheese on top if desired. I love sprinkling grated parmesan on top, but cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese are great too.
Notes
Nutrition
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I made this last night, and it was surprisingly good. I’ve had a lot of ground beef/tomato/noodle dishes over the (more than I want to think about) years, and this is one of the best.
Cooked the noodles separately, to avoid soggy pasta in the leftovers. I know that they aren’t as flavorful that way, but the end result didn’t seem to suffer at all, since the sauce is so good.
Thanks, Julia.
So tasty and quick! The family all loved that paprika flavor and the chickpea pasta filled us right up. It is now on our menu rotation 🙂
My daughter ate three bowls last night and asked to have this in our meal rotation. High praise!
YES! I love hearing that, Lena! My husband and I consumed the whole batch in one evening, so it’s amazing to hear others feel the same level of adoration we do. Thank you for the sweet note! xo
I grew up eating what my family called Goulash. It was one of my favorite meals. I made it for my kids growing up- they called it Beef-a-roni. I have not made it in years.
When Julia sent this recipe out- it just sounded sooo very good. I didn’t want my old tired recipe passed down over 3 generations made to be quick, economical and just something to fill the empty spot after working all day.
Tonight, I made this delicious and fragrant recipe. I made my husband’s meal with regular elbow noodles and mine with gluten free.
My hubby just loved it. He had seconds- – his mouth wanted thirds- it tasted THAT good. His stomach said “enough!”
Well, Grandma/and Mom I am officially retiring your old recipes. I have a new recipe now!! I am sending my daughters this recipe in the next letter. We are going to start a new tradition making Goulash!
Thanks, Julia!!
Awww, my pleasure! My husband and I had a very similar experience – we just couldn’t get enough of this one! I feel so honored that you enjoy the recipe enough to make it your new go-to goulash! I’m so flattered! Thank you for the sweet words as always, Annie! xo