Old-Fashioned American Goulash

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American Goulash is what I reach for when I want something filling with almost no cleanup. Ground beef, a simple tomato sauce, and elbow macaroni all cook in the same pot. One pan for the whole meal.

Worth clearing up: Hungarian goulash is a paprika-heavy beef stew, a completely different dish. American goulash, which some people call American chop suey, is a beefy tomato sauce with pasta cooked right in it.

Cooking the macaroni directly in the sauce is the whole point. The pasta soaks up tomato flavor as it cooks and releases a little starch back into the sauce. That starch thickens things just enough to cling to every piece.

Loving easy ground beef dinners? Don’t miss my Cozy Beef and Noodles, Cheesy Beef Enchiladas, or Cuban Beef Picadillo next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Truly one pot. Beef, sauce, and pasta all cook together, so there’s just one pan to wash.
• Pasta that tastes like the sauce. Cooking the macaroni right in the tomato sauce packs in more flavor than boiling it separately.
• Ready in 40 minutes. Faster than most weeknight pasta dinners.
• A nostalgic classic. The kind of dinner a lot of us grew up eating, made from scratch.

American Goulash Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef (85/15)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1 cup shredded cheddar

Recipe Variations

• Stir in a cup of frozen mixed vegetables with the sauce for extra color and nutrition.
• Swap the cheddar for mozzarella for a milder, stretchier finish.
• For a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the Italian seasoning.

How to Make American Goulash

1. Brown the beef: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion, breaking it up as it cooks, about 6-8 minutes. Drain off the excess grease.
2. Add the garlic: Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Build the sauce: Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
4. Cook the macaroni in the pot: Stir in the elbow macaroni. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened around it.
5. Finish and serve: Stir in the shredded cheddar until melted, and serve warm.

This Is Not Hungarian Goulash

Worth being clear, because they share a name and almost nothing else. Hungarian gulyás is a paprika-heavy beef soup or stew, slow-cooked with chunks of chuck and no pasta anywhere near it. American goulash is ground beef, tomatoes and elbow macaroni in one pot, and it descends from Depression-era home cooking rather than from Hungary.

	American goulash	Hungarian gulyás
Meat	Ground beef	Cubed chuck
Defining spice	Italian seasoning	Sweet paprika, lots
Pasta	Elbow macaroni, in the pot	None
Cook time	About 40 min	2-3 hrs
Also called	American chop suey, slumgullion	Gulyásleves

Neither is a worse dish. They are just different ones, and if someone tells you this is not real goulash, they are half right and it does not matter.

If you want to nudge this toward the Hungarian flavor without changing the format, add a tablespoon of sweet paprika with the garlic. It is a genuine improvement.

Recipe FAQs

Is American Goulash the Same as Hungarian Goulash?

No. Hungarian goulash is a paprika-heavy beef stew. American goulash is a beefy tomato sauce with macaroni cooked right in it, closer to a simple pasta dinner.

Why Is My Pasta Still Hard After 15 Minutes?

Give it a few more minutes covered, and make sure there’s enough liquid; if the sauce looks dry, stir in a splash more broth so the pasta has enough liquid to fully cook.

Can I Use a Different Pasta Shape?

Yes, small shapes like shells or ditalini work the same way. Avoid long pasta like spaghetti, it doesn’t cook evenly stirred into a thick sauce.

Can I Make This Ahead?

Yes, though the pasta keeps absorbing liquid as it sits. Add a splash of broth when reheating to loosen it back up.

Can I Double This, and What Should I Serve It With?

Yes, use a larger pot and add a few extra minutes for the pasta to cook through. It doesn’t need much alongside it, though a simple green salad or garlic bread rounds it out.

Cooking Tips

• Stir occasionally while the macaroni cooks so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
• Check the pasta a couple minutes early since different brands of elbow macaroni cook at slightly different rates.
• Add the cheese off the heat, or on low, so it melts in smoothly instead of turning grainy.

Storage and Freezing

To store: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To freeze: Freeze for up to 2 months, though the pasta softens a bit more after thawing. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

To reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water, or microwave in 1-minute bursts.

How to Serve American Goulash

American Goulash really doesn’t need a side since the meat, sauce, and pasta are all right there, though a simple green salad or garlic bread is a nice add. This is one of the recipes in our Ground Beef Dinner Ideas collection.

Loved This Recipe?

American Goulash is the kind of one-pot dinner that tastes like more effort than it actually takes.

Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.

More like this: That pot of beef and macaroni has close cousins, and these three are just as easy on a Tuesday. Try Homemade Hamburger Helper, Homemade Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, or One-Pot Lasagna Soup.

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