Easy One Pot Goulash

This easy one pot goulash recipe is a hearty and delicious meal loaded with deliciously seasoned ground beef, corn, cheese, elbow macaroni and more. A quick and easy favorite goulash recipe the whole family is going to enjoy.

Goulash is a trifecta of ease, flavor, and heartiness that makes the perfect family meal. Over the years, I’ve made goulash more times than I can count. It’s so easy that it makes the perfect dish for weeknight dinners for busy moms, and I was a busy mom. Even now that my kids are grown, I’m still a busy mom, so I continue to make this dish regularly. It’s my go-to when I need a dinner that comes together quickly and can satisfy an entire family. It’s perfect for potlucks and is the ideal meal for any time of year. However, in my opinion, it really shines during the fall and winter when the days get gray and start to get cold.

Easy One Pot Goulash

This goulash is absolutely filled with hearty ingredients and delicious flavors. Ground beef, vegetables, pasta, and a delicious tomato sauce come together to create a dish that fills up your body and your soul with each and every bite. This cheesy dish is packed with protein along with hearty macaroni and tons more flavors to create a meal that can power you through the day or satisfy your need for comfort and recharging after a long day of taking care of business.

Quick and Easy Goulash with Macaroni

This goulash is more than just one pot, it’s one easy recipe. Believe it or not, a lot of one pot dishes can actually be quite involved, but not this goulash. The entire recipe is simply browning beef, and mixing everything together. Adding the macaroni makes for a great texture and flavor, and even that doesn’t have to be made in a separate pot! This entire recipe is a one and done exercise in delicious simplicity.

Tips and Variations

This is a super easy recipe, but even easy recipes have little secrets to them that can make things even easier or even tastier. These tips and tricks will help you make the best possible one pot goulash, delivering tons of flavor without a ton of headaches.

Goulash Tips

• Lean Ground Beef – Use lean ground beef in this recipe to avoid excess grease. There are so many flavors in this recipe, you don’t need a lot of fat for added flavor. In fact, it’s not as good when it’s greasy.
• Drain the Beef –Always drain the beef – even if you use lean ground beef – to remove as much grease as possible.
• Finely Diced Vegetables – The stars of the show in this dish are the ground beef and the noodles. You want all the flavor of the onion, garlic, and bell pepper, but you don’t want to bite into large pieces of them.

Goulash Variations

There are a few things you can do to change this recipe to suit your needs. Whether you want to go with leaner meat or make it less spicy, there are little tweaks to make that will make this goulash absolutely perfect for you and your family. The best part is that they’re super easy!

• Ground Turkey or Chicken –If you want an even leaner version of this recipe, you can use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef.
• Go Chunky –Use beef chunks instead of ground beef for a different texture.
• Whole Wheat Pasta –Add some complex carbs to the mix with whole wheat pasta instead of white pasta.
• Make it Mild – If you don’t like heat, you can leave out the jalapeno

FAQ

Before you dive into this delicious one pot goulash recipe, take a second to look over the following FAQ. It answers many of the most commonly asked questions about goulash.

What Does Goulash Mean?

The word goulash is a derivative of the word gulyashus, which means a meat dish prepared by herdsmen. Over the years, the dish name became known as goulash.

What is Goulash?

Goulash is a type of stew consisting of meat and vegetables and seasoned with paprika and other spices. It originated in Hungary, where it can be traced as far back as the 9th century to stew eaten by Hungarian shepherds.

What is the Difference between American Goulash and Hungarian Goulash?

Hungarian Goulash is a type of Hungarian stew or soup made with beef and vegetables. Subsequently, it has more liquid in it. American Goulash is very different. Rather than a stew it’s more of a tomato, beef, and macaroni dish with far less liquid. It resembles something like chili mac in appearance.

What is Goulash Served With?

Hungarian Goulash is generally served with buttered egg noodles. Other options include mashed potatoes, dumplings, or rice. However, American Goulash like this recipe is generally served either on its own or with a salad, as it is an entire meal.

What Cut of Beef Should I Use for Goulash?

Traditional Hungarian Goulash should be made with flank steak or beef chuck. However, American Goulash is generally made with ground beef. You can substitute cubed flank or chuck in your American Goulash, however.

Can You Cook Everything in One Pot for Goulash?

Absolutely! In fact, that’s the way it’s generally prepared. It’s the perfect one pot meal.

One Pot Goulash Ingredients

This recipe only uses simple ingredients to create its great flavor. You probably already have the majority of them in your kitchen right now, and the ones that you don’t have are easily found at any grocery store.

• Lean ground beef
• Onion
• Garlic cloves
• Jalapeno
• Green pepper
• Slap Ya Mama seasoning
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Onion powder
• Salt
• Red pepper flakes
• Beef broth
• Rotel
• Worcestershire sauce
• Tomato paste
• Whole kernel corn
• Elbow macaroni
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

How to Make This One Pot Goulash

This is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make. You’ll simply brown some ground beef and then basically dump everything else in to cook. It couldn’t be easier. You’ll be in and out of the kitchen in no time!

Step 1: Prep

Dice the vegetables and take out a large saucepan or Dutch oven.

Step 2: Cook the Beef and Vegetables

In your saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the ground beef, onions, bell pepper, jalapenos, seasonings, salt, and pepper until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Drain the grease and return the mixture to the pot.

Step 3: Add the Remaining Ingredients

Pour the beef broth, Rotel, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste into the pot, stirring to combine, Bring to a boil. Next, add the corn, stir, and then add the uncooked macaroni. Stir and cook until the pasta is tender.

Step 4: Add the Cheese and Serve

Once the macaroni is soft, add the shredded cheese and stir. Serve and enjoy!

Try This Easy Beef Goulash Recipe Today

This delicious one pot goulash is so easy to make and so delicious. With a combination like that, you can’t go wrong. It comes together so quickly, it makes the perfect weeknight meal, and it’s perfect for leftovers. Give this recipe a try, and I know you’ll absolutely love it.

Looking for More Comfort Food Recipes?

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Taco Pasta – This recipe is a quick and easy pasta recipe with a Mexican twist. Loaded with deliciously seasoned ground beef, pasta shells, cheese and more, and is the perfect weeknight dinner recipe that can be on the table in no time.

Crock Pot Chuck Roast – This is a delicious way to make a family-friendly meal in the slow cooker. This recipe takes advantage of the long cooking time in the slow cooker to ensure that this dish will be fork tender. Hearty and delicious!

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole from Great Grub Delicious Treats.

Here are a few pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest.