How to Make Classic Goulash an Easy One-Pot Recipe

Goulash, eaten at the Yule Ball, has many varieties. This recipe is hearty comfort food at its best, made in only one pot for easy cleanup.

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Goulash is one of the foods that is mentioned briefly in Harry Potter but never described further. During the Yule Ball, Professor Dumbledore orders pork chops by talking to his plate. The only other item that we know must have been on the menu that night was goulash. A few paragraphs later, Harry is laughing into his plate at a comment Dumbledore makes to Professor Karkaroff.

Harry snorted into his plate of goulash.

-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Goulash is one of those dishes that can be made in a variety of ways, depending on where you are from and what style you are cooking. Being in the United States, I made an American version of the dish. I’m sure it’s a bit different than what Harry would have eaten at the Yule Ball.

Traditional goulash originated in Hungary and was more of a soup than a stew. Almost everywhere else you go in Europe, goulash is a rich stew with hearty meat in it. Either way, goulash always has paprika in it. Of course, being American and the way things tend to work here, our goulash doesn’t use paprika, and we use cheap meat (ground beef) instead of the steak that most Europeans use.

Beef goulash in the United States is a comfort food that originated in the Midwest and the South using simple ingredients thrown together in one pot. Every American goulash recipe I’ve seen has elbow macaroni in it, which is a massive deviation from the Hungarian original. It’s somewhat similar to American chop suey, but this is made with beef instead of pork. 

Whether you agree with changing so much from the original or not, this Americanized version is absolutely delicious! You can make it in one pot, and the leftovers reheat for lunch with no problem!

Serving Suggestions

• Give your homemade goulash a kick by adding red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or chili powder
• You can use any other meat, such as ground turkey or ground pork, in place of the ground beef
• Add other seasonings such as bay leaves, oregano, parsley, or basil
• Season with salt and black pepper
• Replace the Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce
• Serve this easy goulash recipe with fresh crusty bread on the side
• For a thicker goulash, add some tomato paste with the tomato sauce
• Add some diced veggies such as red bell peppers, green pepper, or carrots

Goulash Step by Step

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 30 oz diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 30 oz tomato sauce
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp seasoned salt
• 16 oz elbow macaroni (uncooked)

Preparation

To make American goulash, brown the ground beef in a large stockpot or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Make sure it’s cooked all the way through and no longer pink. If you use meat with high-fat content, you might need to drain the meat. I always buy the leanest meat possible, so there was so little fat I didn’t worry about draining it.

Add the onion and garlic to the meat and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until they are soft and the garlic is fragrant.

Throw in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, and uncooked macaroni noodles. Mix everything together and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the stew simmer, covered, for about 25-30 minutes, until the pasta is cooked and soft. Remove the stew from the heat and serve immediately! You could also add a dollop of sour cream or a bit of mozzarella cheese to the top if you want.

Goulash Leftovers

Storage: Let the goulash come to room temperature then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

Reheating: The best way to reheat leftover goulash is in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes. Stir often so it doesn’t burn and add a little bit of water or beef broth if it’s too thick.

Recipe

Goulash

Goulash, eaten at the Yule Ball, has many varieties. This recipe is hearty comfort-food at it’s best made in only one pot for easy cleanup.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

American

|

Hungarian

Keyword:

beef

|

ground beef

|

Harry Potter

|

macaroni

|

noodles

|

one pan

|

southern

|

southern cooking

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Nut-Free

Meat:

Beef

Cooking Method:

One-Pan Meals

Servings: 8 cups

5 from 4 votes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 30 oz diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 30 oz tomato sauce
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp seasoned salt
• 16 oz elbow macaroni (uncooked)

Recommended Equipment

• Stockpot
• Dutch Oven

Instructions

• In a large stockpot or Dutch oven brown ground beef over medium heat until cooked through
• Drain any excess grease and add the onion and garlic
• Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is soft and garlic is fragrant
• Add all other ingredients and mix well
• Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low
• Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until macaroni is cooked
• Remove from the heat and serve immediately
• Garnish with a dollop of sour cream or mozzarella cheese if desired

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Nutrition Facts

Goulash

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 554 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 8g40%

Cholesterol 80mg27%

Sodium 1275mg53%

Potassium 1050mg30%

Carbohydrates 55g18%

Fiber 4g16%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 595IU12%

Vitamin C 19.2mg23%

Calcium 102mg10%

Iron 5.5mg31%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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