One Pot American Goulash Recipe (2024)

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Some call this dish American chop suey, but in my neighborhood, there is nothing better than a good old-fashioned one pot American Goulash recipe. Perfect for slow-simmering on a lazy afternoon, this dinner features simple ingredients that come together quickly and in a single pot, making for easy prep and cleanup. Full of pantry staples and fresh vegetables, this American-style goulash is hearty, flavorful, and comfort food to enjoy all year long. Just like Grandma used to make, get ready to gather around the table for this feast of a meal, and enjoy some family time tonight!

One Pot American Goulash Recipe (1)

A Family Recipe

In all honesty, I never really appreciated American goulash until I was an adult.

I was living in Mesa in a complex across from my grandparents, and one day I stopped by to visit with Granny and almost died from hunger as soon as I caught a whiff of what she was making.

It was so good, you guys. She had the pan simmering on the stove for hours, filling up the condo with warm, inviting scents of deliciousness. And since that day, over five years ago now, I’ve been trying to nail her recipe.

One Pot American Goulash Recipe (2)

Goulash vs Chop Suey

In the shortest sense, they are the same dish!

  • Distant cousins to Hungarian goulash, which is a dinner of thick tomato sauce with ground beef and paprika
  • Modern varieties use more Italian seasonings
  • American Chop Suey is generally found along the east coast, American Goulash in the midwest

American chop suey actually contained rice before pasta, giving it the vaguely Chinese flair it takes its name from.

One Pot American Goulash Recipe (3)One Pot American Goulash Recipe (4)

How Do You Make American Goulash

What I really love about this dish is that you can make it in one pot!

  • Brown the ground beef first
  • Add the veggies and cook until soft
  • Add the remaining ingredients minus the macaroni
  • Simmer, simmer, simmer, and simmer some more!

One Pot American Goulash Recipe (5)One Pot American Goulash Recipe (6)

Can You Freeze American Goulash?

The short answer isyes!

But, if you’re planning on freezing, there are some simple modifications you will want to make to ensure this old-fashioned goulash is truly freezer-friendly.

  • Pasta turns to mush if frozen, so don’t add the pasta to the main pot
  • Instead, cook pasta separately and add to the goulash later, before serving
  • Seal pasta-less goulash in freezer bags or containers that are air-tight, in small batches

You could also choose to cook the pasta in the reheated goulash, to allow the pasta to absorb the flavors like it would if you weren’t making it for freezer prep. In which case I usually add a small amount of extra water (maybe ½ cup) to ensure there is enough moisture available to properly cook the macaroni.

One Pot American Goulash Recipe (7)

One Pot American Goulash Recipe

No matter the season, this one pot American goulash recipe is a staple comfort food that comes together quickly and uses simple ingredients to make a hearty meal for a family dinner.

If you like this recipe, please give it a 5 star rating!

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One Pot American Goulash Recipe (8)

Ont Pot American Goulash Recipe

Just like Grandma used to make, some call this dish American chop suey, but in my neighborhood, there is nothing better than a good old-fashioned one pot American Goulash recipe. Perfect for slow-simmering on a lazy afternoon, this dinner features simple ingredients that come together quickly and in a single pot, making for easy prep and cleanup. Full of pantry staples and fresh vegetables, this American-style goulash is hearty, flavorful, and comfort food to enjoy all year long.

4.20 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 167kcal

Author: Karly Gomez

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking the meat up as it cooks, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and carrot, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

  • Add all the remaining ingredients, except the macaroni, and stir gently to combine. Cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

  • Stir in the macaroni, cover once more, and let simmer for another additional 20 minutes, or until the macaroni is tender. Remove from heat, uncover, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 393mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2760IU | Vitamin C: 18.9mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2.3mg

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About Karly

From her childhood home in Southern Minnesota, Karly embraces the crazy of everyday life by creating delicious dishes her family and friends love, while experimenting with new flavors and techniques and photographing the results. Karly’s love for beautiful foods and joy for creating is infectious to all who meet her.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Julia W says

    One Pot American Goulash Recipe (10)
    Very simple to make and very tasty. We try to limit carbs for weight loss and this recipe has a small amount of pasta so we can enjoy a moderate bit of pasta and not totally get off track. Keeping this one.

    Reply

  2. Richard Moran says

    One Pot American Goulash Recipe (11)
    This wasn’t good. By putting the macaroni in with the mixture it tasted like mashed potatoes with tomatoes and hamburger. Not for our family.

    Reply

  3. Nonny says

    One Pot American Goulash Recipe (12)
    My family loved this goulash!
    It’s what we call a “keeper”
    Meaning we will make this again 😊

    Reply

  4. wilhelmina says

    One Pot American Goulash Recipe (13)
    Goulash is always a reliable winner at our house!

    Reply

  5. Jillian Wade says

    One Pot American Goulash Recipe (14)
    Now this is some serious comfort food, so delicious!

    Reply

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One Pot American Goulash Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional goulash made of? ›

The classic “kettle goulash” is prepared by frying cubes of beef or mutton with onions in lard. Garlic, caraway seeds, tomatoes, green peppers, and potatoes complete the stew. Székely gulyás, another Hungarian specialty, is a stew of pork and sauerkraut flavoured with tomatoes, onions, caraway seeds, and sour cream.

What is American Goulash made of? ›

Goulash Around The Globe

Hungarian Goulash is a beef and onion soup seasoned with Hungarian paprika and sometimes containing potatoes and/or carrots (often made without vegetables). American Goulash is old-fashioned goodness. It's a simple dish with ground beef and elbow macaroni in tomato sauce.

What is the difference between American Goulash and Hungarian goulash? ›

Hungarian Goulash is a thick meat and vegetable stew with a broth that's heavily seasoned with paprika, while American Goulash is a quick dish made from ground beef, tomato sauce, herbs, and elbow macaroni noodles. It also goes by the name of American Chop Suey.

What are the two types of goulash? ›

Hungarian goulash and American goulash. Hungarian goulash is a thick soup with meat and vegetables, usually seasoned with paprika. American goulash is very different. It generally has tomato sauce, macaroni and beef.

How do you thicken goulash? ›

Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil. This will cook out the flour taste and allow the starch to swell.

Are beefaroni and goulash the same thing? ›

Beefaroni (aka American Goulash) is a simple recipe most of us grow up enjoying, whether it was straight from a can or made from scratch. It's total comfort food. This is a simple recipe, made with ground beef in a homemade tomato sauce with just a few seasonings, plus elbow macaroni noodles.

Why is American Goulash so different? ›

The Hungarian version is more of a soup or stew, consisting of meat and vegetables with a variety of seasonings, including paprika. The modern versions of American Goulash are more like a casserole, and often do not include paprika.

What is goulash called in the South? ›

American goulash, sometimes called slumgullion, is an American comfort food dish, similar to American chop suey. American goulash is usually referred to in the midwestern and southern United States as simply "goulash".

Is goulash the same as stroganoff? ›

Traditional goulash is a stew/soup, usually using a cheaper cut of meat suited to slow cooking. It usually contains potatoes and other vegetables, as well as noodles. A true stroganoff consists of paprika-dusted fillet steak quickly pan fried with mushrooms and onions in a sour cream and brandy sauce.

Do you eat goulash in a bowl? ›

Also, it's not typically served over mash like stews, it's served in bowls like soup.

What else is goulash called? ›

While the mixture of ground beef, macaroni, and tomato sauce seems simple enough, thousands of users responded with a slew of different names. Beefaroni, goulash, slumgullion, Johnny Marzetti, American Chop Suey—the list goes on.

What country has the best goulash? ›

Hungary's most famous food, the goulash, is a crimson-hued beef soup laced with vegetables and imparting the sweet-sharp flavor of fresh paprika. The dish is named after the herdsmen in eastern Hungary — the gulyás — who prepared this hearty soup in large cast-iron kettles.

Can you make tomato sauce out of tomato paste? ›

Substitute Tomato Paste For Tomato Sauce

Mix together 1 part tomato paste and 1 part water until well blended. Then, season your "sauce" to taste. Tomato sauce is typically seasoned with herbs, garlic, and onion. You may even find the sauce benefits from a drizzle of olive oil or a pinch of sugar.

Where is the original goulash? ›

Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is one of the national dishes of Hungary and a symbol of the country. Its origin may be traced back as far as the 10th century, to stews eaten by Hungarian shepherds.

Why is American goulash so different? ›

American goulash is more of a pasta and ground beef dish

Owing more influence to Italian-American cuisine than Hungarian, paprika isn't even a consistent addition, per Syracruse.com. The nostalgic family meal is synonymous with American chop suey, another macaroni-based one-pot dish.

What is American goulash called? ›

American chop suey is an American pasta casserole made with ground beef, macaroni and a seasoned tomato sauce, found in the cuisine of New England and other regions of the United States. Outside New England it is sometimes called American goulash or Johnny Marzetti, among other names.

What is the difference between Hungarian goulash and beef stew? ›

Hungarian goulash is very similar to beef stew, but there are some differences. While a typical stew consists of slow braising chunks of meat with root vegetables in a seasoned broth, goulash uses spices such as caraway, cumin, paprika, and peppers which really enhance and alter the flavor from a classic beef stew.

What do you eat with Hungarian goulash? ›

Serve with traditional accompaniments: Serve Hungarian goulash with traditional accompaniments such as bread, egg noodles, or dumplings. A dollop of sour cream and chopped fresh parsley or chives is also a popular garnish.

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