American Goulash

What Is Goulash?

Goulash is a classic Hungarian stew with meat, vegetables, and usually paprika and other spices. It came from the Hungarian word “gulya,” which means a herd of cattle, and “gulyas,” which means herdsman or cowboy. During the 9th century, Hungarian herders would cook, flavor, and then sun-dry the meat. Then they’d pack it into bags, needing only water to make it into a real meal.

It wasn’t until the 16th century that paprika was introduced and added to this Hungarian herder’s kind of stew. Purists say the American version isn’t anything like the original, but it’s still super satisfying.

Hungarian Goulash vs. American Goulash

Hungarian goulash uses chunky meat from beef, veal, lamb, or pork, along with vegetables. It’s more of a brothy type of stew or soup than the American version of goulash. On the other hand, American Goulash is a popular dish that includes macaroni and ground beef simmered in a well-seasoned tomato sauce base.

Perhaps the only connection between these two is the beef, paprika, and tomato-based sauce. But two things always remain consistent. Hungarian goulash doesn’t use macaroni, and it never has ground beef. If you want an authentic goulash, serve it over egg noodles or homemade dumplings and a dollop of sour cream.

How to Make American Goulash

1. Brown the Beef. Start by browning ground beef in a large, heavy Dutch pot over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink. Crumble the ground beef into small pieces with a wooden spatula while cooking. Remove and set aside, leaving 1-2 tablespoons of grease in the pan. (Photo 1)
2. Saute. Add the diced onions and garlic, and cook for 3-5 minutes until the onions become soft, translucent, and fragrant. (Photo 2)
3. Assemble. Put the ground beef back in the pot along with fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, paprika, sugar, bouillon, and bay leaf. (Photo 3)
4. Simmer. Then stir, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 8-10 minutes. (Photo 4)
5. Add Pasta. Next, stir in the uncooked pasta, season with cayenne (optional), and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for an additional 15-18 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Stir occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. (Photo 5)
6. Serve. Take out the bay leaf. Stir in the cheese to melt just before serving. Serve garnished with fresh parsley if desired. (Photo 6)

Recipe Variations

• Vegetable Add-Ins. Aside from the above-mentioned ideas, you can add a few other things for an extra hearty American goulash. Green and red bell peppers, beans, corn, diced zucchini, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and peas.
• Hungarian Goulash. Replace the ground beef with cubed stew beef, omit the macaroni, and add diced carrots and a dash of caraway seeds. Then serve it over al dente egg noodles and top it with a spoonful of sour cream. Or you can serve it over dumplings (the classic noodle dumplings or the ones from chicken and dumplings).
• Goulash Soup. Add more beef broth for a heartwarming soup.
• American Goulash Chili Mac. Add a cup or two of pinto beans and a teaspoon of cumin. Top it with shredded cheddar or jack cheese and sour cream.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

To make American goulash ahead, cook as instructed until you get to the point where you are about to add in the broth (Step #3). WAIT TO add the pasta. Instead, boil it separately according to the package instructions.

Store your sauce and pasta in separate containers in the refrigerator or freezer, depending on when you want to eat it. Combine both when about to reheat, and add broth to get your preferred consistency. Then add the cheese, stir, and serve.

This is an excellent make-and-freeze-for-a-rainy-day dish. Simply follow the recipe, and freeze the goulash in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months. Make sure you slightly undercook the macaroni and remove it from the heat right away if you’re going to freeze it.

Undercooked pasta will finish cooking when you reheat it. That way, you’ll still have firm and intact noodles. Another option is to freeze the goulash without the macaroni and then add cooked pasta when reheating it.

When stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag, leftover American goulash will last 4-5 days in the fridge. But you can freeze it for 3-4 months. When ready, take it out of the freezer the night before and thaw it in the fridge. Reheat it either in the microwave oven or on the stovetop in a skillet.

FAQs

What to Serve With Goulash

Although you can eat this dish as is, I love to pair it with homemade garlic bread or skillet cornbread. A cucumber and onion salad or smoked cabbage adds healthy veggies. And a peach cobbler pound cake is the perfect ending.

More Soul-Satisfying Pasta Recipes to Try

• Southern Mac and Cheese
• Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad
• Macaroni Salad Recipe
• Chicken Alfredo
• Cajun Jambalaya Pasta

Watch How to Make It

This blog post was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.