Chef Dean
Baked Chicken Parmesan
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Culinary Explorer
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American Goulash
Created by
A Midwestern one-pot supper of seasoned ground beef, tender elbow macaroni, and tomatoes simmered into a thick, soul-satisfying stew. This is the dish that fed factory workers and farm families alike.
Main Dishes
American
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
One Pot
15 min
Active Time
35 min cook•50 min total
Yield6 servings
This is not Hungarian goulash. Let's settle that right now. What Americans call goulash bears almost no resemblance to the paprika-spiced beef stew of Budapest. Ours emerged from church basement potlucks and Depression-era kitchens across the Midwest, where cooks stretched ground beef with pasta and canned tomatoes to feed large families on small budgets. The dish deserves respect on its own terms.
I've eaten American goulash in diners from Ohio to Minnesota, in school cafeterias and at funeral receptions. The best versions share common traits: the pasta cooked directly in the sauce so it absorbs every bit of flavor, the beef browned properly before anything else enters the pot, and enough time for everything to meld into something greater than its humble parts.
Some recipes complicate this dish unnecessarily. They add cheese, cream soups, or vegetables that don't belong. The original needs none of that. Ground beef, onion, garlic, tomatoes, macaroni, and simple seasonings. That's the formula. Trust it. This is food that tastes like Wednesday night in 1952, and I mean that as the highest compliment.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
ground beef (80/20)
Quantity
1 1/2 pounds
yellow onion
Quantity
1 large
diced
garlic
Quantity
4 cloves
minced
green bell pepper (optional)
Quantity
1
diced
crushed tomatoes
Quantity
1 can (28 oz)
tomato sauce
Quantity
1 can (15 oz)
beef broth
Quantity
2 cups
tomato paste
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Worcestershire sauce
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Italian seasoning
Quantity
2 teaspoons
paprika
Quantity
1 teaspoon
onion powder
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
garlic powder
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
bay leaf
Quantity
1
elbow macaroni
Quantity
2 cups, uncooked
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
fresh parsley (optional)
Quantity
for garnish
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| ground beef (80/20) | 1 1/2 pounds |
| yellow oniondiced | 1 large |
| garlicminced | 4 cloves |
| green bell pepper (optional)diced | 1 |
| crushed tomatoes | 1 can (28 oz) |
| tomato sauce | 1 can (15 oz) |
| beef broth | 2 cups |
| tomato paste | 2 tablespoons |
| Worcestershire sauce | 1 tablespoon |
| Italian seasoning | 2 teaspoons |
| paprika | 1 teaspoon |
| onion powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| garlic powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| elbow macaroni | 2 cups, uncooked |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepper | to taste |
| fresh parsley (optional) | for garnish |
Equipment Needed
- •Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (5-6 quart)
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
Instructions
- 1
Brown the beef
Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Let it sit undisturbed for two minutes to develop a proper brown crust on the bottom. Then stir and continue cooking until no pink remains, about 8 minutes total. You want color here, not gray steamed meat. The fond building on the bottom of your pot is flavor waiting to happen.
Don't crowd the pot. If your pan is small, brown the beef in two batches for better color. - 2
Drain excess fat
Tilt the pot and spoon off all but about two tablespoons of rendered fat. Eighty-twenty beef releases enough to sauté your aromatics, but too much will make the finished dish greasy. Keep the beef in the pot.
- 3
Sauté the aromatics
Add the diced onion and bell pepper (if using) to the pot with the beef. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. You'll smell it bloom in the fat. That's when you know it's ready.
- 4
Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for one minute, letting it darken slightly. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Drop in the bay leaf. Stir everything together and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Those bits are pure flavor.
The tomato paste needs direct heat to caramelize. Don't skip this step or add the liquids too quickly. - 5
Simmer and season
Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Taste it now. Add salt and pepper as needed. The sauce should taste robust but not quite finished. The pasta will absorb salt as it cooks, so season accordingly.
- 6
Cook the pasta
Stir the dry elbow macaroni directly into the simmering sauce. This is the method that separates good goulash from ordinary. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes. Stir every five minutes to prevent sticking. The pasta is done when tender but still has a slight bite. It will continue to absorb liquid as it rests.
- 7
Rest and serve
Remove the pot from heat and let it rest, covered, for five minutes. The sauce will thicken and cling to the pasta. Remove the bay leaf. Taste once more and adjust seasoning. Ladle generous portions into bowls and scatter fresh parsley over the top if you have it. Serve with crusty bread for soaking up every last bit.
Chef Tips
- •The 80/20 ground beef ratio matters. Leaner beef produces dry, crumbly results. The fat keeps everything moist and carries flavor through the dish.
- •American goulash improves dramatically overnight. Make it the day before, refrigerate, and reheat gently with a splash of beef broth to loosen the sauce. The flavors deepen and the pasta softens further into the tomatoes.
- •For a richer version, substitute one cup of the beef broth with dry red wine. Add it after the tomato paste and let it reduce by half before adding the other liquids.
- •Leftover goulash freezes beautifully for up to three months. Portion into containers, leaving room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.
- •Some Midwestern cooks add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. I prefer to let a longer simmer do that work naturally, but a half teaspoon won't hurt.
Advance Preparation
- •Dice the onion, bell pepper, and mince the garlic up to one day ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator.
- •The complete goulash can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. It reheats best on the stovetop over medium-low heat with an additional 1/4 cup beef broth stirred in.
- •Freeze portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 385g)
Calories
455 calories
Total Fat
16 g
Saturated Fat
7 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
9 g
Cholesterol
85 mg
Sodium
1880 mg
Total Carbohydrates
40 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
28 g
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