One Pot Homemade American Goulash
American Goulash is one of my favorite things to eat and make. It’s a simple, classic comfort food that’s easy to throw together when you want a quick and hearty meal. Ground beef, macaroni, stewed tomatoes, and spices come together in a rich tomato broth. Serve with a warm, crusty bread, like my Cuban Bread, for extra comfortiness.
Goulash is a classic comfort food with a rich, tomato broth, ground beef, peppers and onions, and spices. The spices really make this dish. I like to add a spice that isn’t commonly added yet so well known-cinnamon. Hear me out! I don’t add a lot of cinnamon, just enough to give it that special something. It leaves people wondering what it is, yet not quite knowing, since we usually associate cinnamon with sweet dishes.
Hungarian Gulash and American Goulash
The word goulash is derived from the Hungarian word, gulyas, meaning ‘herdsman’ or ‘cowboy’. Hungarian gulash is a stew of meat and vegetables, seasoned with paprika. As the herdsman drove the cattle across the land, they would slaughter some to make this traditional dish.
American goulash, also known as ‘slumgullion’ or ‘American chop suey’, is more like a pasta dish. It is not soup, and is even thicker than a stew. While it is seasoned with paprika, it utilizes ground beef rather than chunks of beef as in the traditional Hungarian gulash.
Ingredients
- Ground beef A good quality ground beef will start this dish off right.
- Peppers, onions, and garlic For a great flavor base.
- Tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes For the rich, tomato broth integral to this dish.
- Noodles I used medium shells for this dish, but any type of noodle will work. Elbow macaroni, cavatappi, orecchiette, or bow tie pasta would all work well.
- Spices Cumin, cinnamon, paprika, Italian seasoning, and sumac form the spice base of this dish.
Variations and Substitutions
I love to add poblano pepper in place of bell pepper. It adds such a great, smoky flavor to this dish. I love adding it anywhere I can. You could also use a mix of poblano and bell pepper.
I also love to replace onions with shallots in most dishes. Shallots are smaller than onions, and have a milder, sweeter flavor.
Mix some Italian sausage in with the ground beef for some added flavor. You could also replace the ground beef with ground turkey or chicken.
Top with cheese, sour cream, and arugula if desired. I love the peppery flavor of arugula, it’s a great addition to this dish.
How to Make Goulash
This recipe couldn’t be any easier to make. You first want to brown the ground beef. When it’s done, remove it from the pot to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Dump the grease out of the pot, reserving just a bit to saute the vegetables. Chop the veggies while the meat is cooking. Be sure to stir the meat occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the chopped vegetables to the stock pot and saute for a minute, stirring intermittently so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped garlic and saute for 30 seconds, letting the flavors develop.
Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, cooked ground beef, spices, and noodles into the pot. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat and let simmer until noodles are soft.
That’s it! Since everything cooks up in one pot, there is minimal cleanup. Pair with my focaccia bread to soak up all that delicious tomato broth.
Why I Love This Recipe
Taste? Rich, tomato flavor paired with cinnamon and spices makes for a delicious stew. The spices really balance out the tartness of the tomatoes, the ground beef and noodles rounds out the flavor profile, and the poblano gives it that extra special something.
Smell? It smells so delicious when it’s cooking! The sauteed vegetables, the garlic, yum! I love the smell of cinnamon and spices coming from the stove top. You won’t have to call anyone for dinner.
How easy is it to make? Since it cooks in one pot, this dish is super simple to make, and quick.
Would I make this again? This is a go to comfort food in the winter time. There’s nothing better!
Other One Pot Recipes To Try
- Easy One Pot Chili with Black Beans
- Easy One Pot Leftover Carnitas Soup with Black Beans
- Easy One Pot Lentil Soup
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store goulash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave, or reheat on the stove top.
While I think its’ best when it’s made fresh, you can freeze goulash. Freeze in airtight freezer safe containers. You can freeze the soup in freezer safe bags. Lay flat to freeze solid, then store them in layers or standing up. Be sure soup is fully cooled down before freezing. Do not freeze this soup with the noodles in it; they will turn to mush once reheated. Make the soup without the pasta, then once you have thawed out the soup, add the pasta and heat over medium heat on the stove top until pasta is cooked through.
American Goulash
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 poblano pepper, chopped
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 28 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 4 cups broth, vegetable or chicken
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 3 cups elbow macaroni
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the ground beef. While the ground beef is cooking, chop the vegetables.
- Once the ground beef is cooked, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate to soak up some of the grease. Throw away the extra grease in the pan, reserving some to saute the vegetables in.
- Add the green pepper and onions to the pot and saute for a minute, stirring intermittently. Add the garlic after a minute and saute for 30 seconds so it gets nice and fragrant.
- Add the broth, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, ground beef, spices, and macaroni to the pot. Stir to combine everything.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Turn burner to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until noodles are cooked through. If you like al dente, simmer a little bit less.
- Serve with desired toppings such as sour cream, arugula, and shredded cheese.
Notes
- Rather than use broth, which is high in sodium, you can use a bouillon cube and water. I don’t use the recommended amount of water to bouillon so I can reduce the amount of salt that goes into this dish. The spices add a lot of flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze in airtight freezer-safe containers. You can freeze the soup in freezer-safe bags. Lay flat to freeze solid, then store them in layers or standing up. Be sure the soup is fully cooled down before freezing. Do not freeze this soup with the noodles in it; they will turn to mush once reheated. Make the soup without the pasta, then once you have thawed out the soup, add the pasta and heat over medium heat on the stovetop until the pasta is cooked through.
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