Easy American Goulash -

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This quick and easy American Goulash is a family favorite and is bit different than traditional Hungarian Goulash, also known as "gulyás."

American Goulash is a hearty derivative of the traditionally slow-cooked Hungarian Goulash, which incorporates tender bites of beef into a thick and savory stew, usually accompanied with smoky Hungarian paprika and waxy potatoes.

Don't confuse this goulash recipe with "chili mac" recipes; the meat seasoning is not the same as it is for chili; it's quite different in that it's tomato based, with a beefy onion and smoky paprika flavor to it. This version is a little less expensive and less time consuming than Hungarian dishes, but equally delicious. In fact, the entire bowl of goulash and noodles is ready in under 30 minutes!

What you'll need:

Ground beef, onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, smoky paprika, a dash of Worcestershire, beefy onion dried soup mix, salt, pepper, bay leaves and cooked elbow noodles.

How to Make Goulash:

I usually saute the onion and bell pepper with the ground beef while bringing a stockpot of water to a boil for the pasta.

Saute chopped onion and bell pepper in a tablespoon of oil; add beef and brown; drain and return all ingredients to stockpot
Add remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for 20 minutes
Prepare elbow noodles; add semi-cooked noodles to beef mixture and serve

ground beef, onion, bell pepper and seasonings in stockpot for easy american goulash — Saute onion, bell pepper, and brown beef; then add remaining ingredients

Easy American Goulash in stockpot with liquid — Add water and allow seasonings to simmer a bit before adding elbow noodles

Add semi-cooked elbow noodles to savory goulash broth and serve

The elbow noodles take about 6 minutes to get to a tender stage. I like to cook the noodles about 4 minutes, then add them to the beef goulash mixture and let them finish cooking in the savory broth.

Make American Goulash in Advance

If you make this goulash recipe in advance, I recommend you do not add the noodles until ready to serve. When you add the noodles to the hot broth, then refrigerate it, the noodles dissolve, break down, and the dish becomes mushy.

Store the beef goulash broth and cooked elbow noodles separately, then combine them when ready to reheat the dish. The noodles come out better and the whole dish looks better.

Craving More? Try True Texas Chili