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This old fashioned goulash recipe is pure comfort. It’s rich, hearty, perfectly seasoned, and only takes 45 minutes to make.
Old fashioned goulash was a staple in my house growing up. And now that I’m an adult, it’s still a staple in my house! This recipe is so cozy and comforting. Hearty ground beef is cooked in an intense sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and many spices. Melty cheddar cheese is added for richness and texture. And of course, there’s the classic elbow macaroni!
Every time I eat old fashioned goulash, I’m transported back to my childhood. Something about the beef, tomatoes, macaroni, and cheese just works perfectly together. It’s so comforting, but it’s also easy to make! This recipe only takes 45 minutes. It’s a staple in my household when I need a filling weekday meal.
What You’ll Need
Here are all the ingredients that you need to make this rich goulash. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact amounts for each ingredient.
- Elbow macaroni – You can substitute other types of pasta if you want, but macaroni is the traditional choice.
- Ground beef
- Onion – I like to use a yellow onion for this recipe, but red or white onions will also work.
- Garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- Canned tomato sauce
- Canned diced tomatoes – Use petite diced tomatoes if possible.
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Black pepper – Make sure to use freshly ground black pepper.
- Cheddar cheese – Shred your own cheese for best results, but pre-shredded works fine.
How to Make Goulash
Here’s how to make this simple, comforting goulash. It only takes about 45 minutes!
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Cook the pasta. Boil a large pot of water, and add the elbow macaroni. Cook for 3 minutes less than what the package suggests.
- Drain. When the pasta is done cooking, drain it.
- Cook the beef and onions. Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the beef and the onions, and break the meat apart. Cook until the beef is browned, about 6-7 minutes. Drain the fat from the skillet.
- Add the garlic. Put the garlic in the skillet and cook until fragrant. This should take about 1 minute.
- Mix in the wet ingredients. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
- Add the seasonings. Put the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper into the skillet, and stir to combine.
- Mix in the pasta and cheese. Stir in the macaroni and the shredded cheddar cheese until everything is mixed together.
- Bake. If your skillet is oven safe, place it in the oven. If not, transfer the goulash to a casserole dish. Bake until the cheese is fully melted, and the goulash is bubbling. This should take 20-25 minutes. Then serve.
Recipe Tips
Here are a few tricks and tips for making this beefy goulash.
- Salt the water. For the best-tasting pasta, add a little bit of salt to the boiling water. This will give the macaroni a light seasoning.
- Adjust the seasonings. When you add the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the sauce, start small. Then taste the sauce, and adjust the seasonings as needed. Some people like more Italian seasoning or salt than others. Adjust the sauce to your liking.
- Get some color on the beef. Don’t be scared of getting some color on the ground meat. Browning the beef is the secret to getting the most flavor out of the meat. Make sure to cook the beef until it’s pretty brown before continuing with the recipe.
- Baking. You do not have to bake this if you are short on a time. You really just need everything to be hot, and the pasta cooked. My grandma always baked hers, so it is just how I do it.
Serving Suggestions
Since this is a traditional comfort dish, I love to serve it alongside classic sides. Here are a few of my favorite side dishes to serve with goulash. In my family it was always buttered saltine crackers that were a must with this dish.
Storage
This recipe is easy to store and reheat. Keep leftover goulash in an airtight container and it will last in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat in the microwave on 80% power in 30-second increments.
Freezing
Let the goulash cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost or thaw completely before reheating.
More American Comfort Foods to Make
I hope you loved this traditional goulash. Here are some more American comfort foods to cook.
- Beef Chili
- Copycat KFC Bowl
- Ham and Split Pea Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Crockpot Chicken and Gravy
Old Fashioned Goulash
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
- 2 14.5 oz cans petit diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook macaroni for 3 minutes less than the box directions, then drain.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add ground beef and onions to the pan. Break beef apart, cooking for 6-7 minutes until browned. Drain any fat.
- Mix in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add in Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Mix until combined.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Mix in cooked macaroni and cheddar cheese. If your skillet is heat-safe, you can place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the goulash is bubbly and the cheese is melted. If the skillet is not heat-safe, transfer the goulash to a casserole dish and bake.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Reheat in the microwave on 80% power in 30-second increments.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I am a vegetarian, but my meat eating family loved it and it smelled delicious.
Great quick recipe. I doubled the pepper and Italian seasoning for added flavor.
Do you uzw large elbows or regular allwr.ones?
Regular, but you can use any shape and cut of pasta you like.
If I don’t add the tomatoes should I add more tomato sauce
Yes, you will need more sauce as the diced tomatoes still have a lot of sauce with them.
made this last night and it was delicious!
My husband went back for seconds (and so did I!)
Thanks for sharing, your recipes are awesome!!
If the pasta has soaked up the juice overnight, do you have a suggestion on what to add?
Sorry for the late response – I never add anything, I just microwave the next day as that is how my mom did it. But you could definitely add a little more tomato sauce the next day, or even a little jarred marinara sauce if you wanted it to be “juicier” again.
I would have given a 5 star rating but we are left out here without telling us HOW much Hamburger, spices, and soy sauce to use… So I will rate this as a 2 ** star rating..
When My Mother made this she also added beef base from a jar, sometimes she would put in small bits of green pepper in the Hamburger
I personally emailed you trying to help you find the recipe card, that is in the post. You scrolled past it to get to the comment section. There is also a jump to recipe button at the top that takes you right to it. But you never responded. And somehow your lack of reading gives this recipe a 2 star review. That is less than helpful to anyone reading the comments and actually wants to know how it is.
Soy Sauce? The recipe does not use Soy Sauce. Evidently you are unable to read a recipe as it clearly states the amount of ground beef. Your inability to maneuver this site should not cause a two star review. I make as written and it is delicious.
I learned long ago Sammy that you can’t fix stupid there’s no soy sauce on this and it should not have gotten a two star review. Some people just can’t read or can’t follow a recipe. Just feel sorry for them.
Yeah, it doesn’t say soy sauce! It says Worcestershire sauce! If you could read right you wouldn’t post nasty comments!
Maybe you should scroll down a little slower. The whole recipe is there. How could you miss it? Click on the Jump To Recipe tab. Geesh and then you have the nerve to give this recipe a 2 star rating when you never even tried it.
I think you’re just a recipe troll.
You have to follow the directions on the screen. It’s all there.
Not to mention there isn’t any soy sauce in the recipe.
Exactly Suzuki! No darn soy sauce! Lol
My husband and I were talking about having Goulash inn school growing up last year, so I decided to make it. Found your recipe appeared closest to what we remembered. I have no idea how many times I have made this since. I took it to a pot luck last winter and it was the first item gone and I had doubled the recipe. A lot of memories shared from all of having this in school or their mother/grandmother making it. All said it was spot on for taste. Our East coast friends called it American Chop Suey. Thank you for posting. I’m making it for dinner tonight once again ~grin~
Delicious, will make it again.
Have a question when I go to print why won’t it go to my printer?
Is there a way to send the recipe to my email?
When you hit print, it goes to a print preview screen. You can hit print on that and then select your printer. If it isn’t sending to your printer, that is a connection with your computer, not the website. You can select a different printer or print to pdf, which you can then save to a file on your phone, computer, or email yourself.
Had this many times as a kid. Thank you for refreshing my memory on how to make it. Delicious! I had no trouble finding the amounts of each ingredient. I’m sorry that person gave you 2 stars. Deserves 5.
Thank you!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Our family loved this recipe