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Easy American Goulash Recipe

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5 from 1 review

This one-pot American goulash comes together in about an hour with simple pantry staples. It’s hearty, cheesy, and full of bold tomato-beef flavor that tastes like it simmered all day.

  • Author: Kylie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Cooking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

Garnish

  • shredded cheese
  • sour cream
  • sliced chives or green onions

Instructions

  1. BROWN BEEF. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef along with a couple of large pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate, leaving the grease in the pan.
  2. SAUTE VEGGIES. Without wiping out the pan, add onion and green pepper along with a couple large pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for another minute.
  3. BUILD SAUCE. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Add cooked ground beef, beef stock, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Be sure to scrape any yummy bits off the bottom of the pan at this point. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
  4. SIMMER PASTA. Once simmering, stir in pasta and reduce heat to medium or medium-low. Simmer gently, covered, for about 20-25 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Stir every few minutes so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If the pasta is cooking before the goulash has a chance to thicken, crack the lid for the last 5 minutes or so of cooking so it can thicken up a bit. Or remove the lid entirely. Depending on the size/brand/shape of your pasta, the cook time will vary slightly.
  5. FINISH + SERVE. Remove from heat and stir in half the shredded cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with remaining shredded cheese and slices chives. Enjoy!
  6. SHARE THE LOVE. If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!

Equipment

Notes

  • If you’re not super familiar with goulash, the vibe you’re looking for is a chili-like consistency with noodles mixed in. The flavor is slightly simpler and more savory in contrast to chili, which is more spice-forward. If you’re looking for something that more closely resembles chili, I highly recommend trying my easy chili mac recipe.

  • The soy sauce and Worcestershire are the secret weapons here. They are going to add so much delicious depth and savory flavor to the tomato base.

  • Fire-roasted diced tomatoes make a noticeable difference. The slight char and smokiness they bring make them worth choosing over regular diced tomatoes for this recipe, especially.

  • All noodles will cook slightly differently depending on their shape and size. In this recipe, I used the very basic store-brand of elbow macaroni (not the large elbow variety).

  • Keep an eye on your pasta in the last stretch of cooking. Different brands and shapes absorb liquid at different rates, so start checking around the 18-minute mark. You want it al dente, because it’ll continue to soften a bit as it sits.

  • If your goulash looks a little soupy when the pasta is done, give it 5 minutes uncovered on low heat. It tightens up quickly.

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/american-goulash/