Easy One Pot American Goulash Recipe With Ground Beef

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Easy one pot American goulash recipe with ground beef is a dish you are going to want to make over and over. Goulash is one of those authentic comfort foods that everyone can enjoy because of its versatility. Its origin can be traced back to the 10th century in Hungary, where shepherds would cook a stew of meat and vegetables. Over the years the recipes and traditions evolved and spread across Europe and then to the Americas, and eventually into my kitchen.

Sometimes referred to as “American Chop Suey” this delicious dish can feed the whole family. Let’s dive into my easy one pot American goulash recipe with ground beef – It’s loaded with ground beef, beans, tomatoes, macaroni, and spices.

Ingredients For One Pot American Goulash

• 16oz bag of large elbow macaroni noodles
• 15oz can of petite diced tomatoes
• 15oz can of tomato sauce
• 15oz can or a home-canned pint of cannellini beans, (rinsed if store-bought)
• 15oz can of black beans, rinsed
• 4oz can of green chilis
• Medium size onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1 pound of cooked ground beef
• 4 cups of water (or broth for a richer flavor)
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• Juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire
• Seasonings = 1/4 tsp salt (more to taste), 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp oregano, and 1 tsp paprika.  

Hungarian Goulash VS. American Goulash

Hungarian Goulash

Goulash is the national dish of Hungary. Traditional Hungarian goulash recipe is a soup or stew of meat (usually a marbled flank steak) that is similar to a hearty beef stew. It is loaded with onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes (rather than noodles).

Lots of paprika is added giving the stew a beautiful red color and a rich peppery flavor. Sweet Hungarian paprika or hot paprika is a seasoning used in a lot of European dishes and is made from red peppers (red bell peppers to hotter Mexican red chili peppers). These peppers were brought to Spain from Mexico sometime during the 16th century.

The Hungarian version of goulash is similar to beef stew with slow braising of a cut of beef over low heat for a long time (this makes really tender beef). What makes this hearty meal stand out is the flavoring. The seasonings heavily consisted of paprika, caraway seeds, cumin, and bay leaves. It is common to find different types of goulash in many parts of Europe, with each region adding its own characteristics. 

American Goulash

By contrast, a traditional American goulash recipe can be prepared more quickly and usually uses ground beef for the meat. Hearty ground beef can be cooked up fast along with a tomato-based sauce and elbow noodles. An easy American version of goulash comes together with traditional seasonings of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder coriander, and oregano. A dash of Worcestershire sauce adds a richness that brings out all the flavors. 

The addition of brown sugar and lime juice enhances the overall flavor profile – all tasty soups have something sweet and something acidic.

How To Prepare Easy One Pot American Goulash With Ground Beef

Vegetables For Easy One Pot American Goulash Recipe

To begin this hearty dish, place a Dutch oven (or another large pot) on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add four (4) tablespoons of butter and dice up a medium-sized onion and add to the pot when it is hot. Next, cut off the top of a jalapeno pepper and take out the seeds if you don’t like the heat. I take a butter knife and run it around the inside then pour the seeds out. (This works great for stuffing them!)

Dice up the jalapeno and add it to the onion. Sprinkle a bit of salt to release the moisture and begin caramelizing both the onions and peppers, stir them around for a couple of minutes.  You can choose to add other vegetables like diced carrots, celery, or bell peppers. Throw them in if you like. 

Beans are another great component of this dish. They pack a ton of vitamins and nutrients into this recipe. Cannellini beans are nutty and soft, adding great flavor, and the black beans are colorful with just the right amount of texture. I home-can my pinto and cannellini beans and they are amazing!! See how I do that here.

Meat For Easy One Pot American Goulash Recipe

Turn the heat down to medium heat and add in the ground beef. I keep one-pound bags of frozen COOKED ground beef. Check out my blog post on how I stock prepared meats for quick and easy meals. If you have uncooked ground beef, just go ahead and cook it with onions and peppers. But, you will want to drain off any excess grease after it cooks.

Frozen cooked ground beef thaws in minutes and easily becomes a part of any dish. The cooking process is fast and simple and the cost is usually good. Plus one pound of ground beef stretches pretty far in this dish. 

Alternative meat choices in American goulash include ground turkey, cooked shredded beef, cooked pulled pork, or ground chicken. I prefer ground beef for this easy goulash recipe.

Warm it through and then add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, cannellini beans, black beans, and green chilis. Stir them around to mix thoroughly and add in a teaspoon or two of worcestershire sauce.

The Spices For Easy One Pot American Goulash Recipe With Ground Beef

The spices that I use for my traditional goulash are simple. Salt and black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and coriander. Coriander is ground-up seeds from herbs in the parsley family like cilantro or Chinese parsley. It has a great citrus flavor and brightens every dish – it’s one of my favorites.

A bay leaf can also be added to further your flavor profile. And of course, we add sweet paprika. This paprika is not spicy so the entire family can enjoy it. Did you know that paprika is the Hungarian word for pepper? 

I also add just a touch of brown sugar and the juice of a lime. These two ingredients kick up the flavor so much, don’t skip them.

Seasoning for any dish can be altered or changed to fit your flavor personality. If you like it with a Mediterranean flair – add some Italian seasoning, for a more Tex-Mex style goulash you might want to add some cayenne pepper or hot sauce. 

The Broth For Easy One Pot American Goulash Recipe With Ground Beef

For the liquid portion of this recipe, I generally use water. Water works well because there is so much flavor going on with the other ingredients. Other alternatives are beef broth (maybe 3 cups water one cup broth), or some vegetable broth.

I always have homemade vegetable stock on hand for this type of soup or stew recipe. The main thing is to have four cups because the macaroni is cooked in this liquid all in one pot. Bring all these ingredients up to a boil. 

Selecting Noodles The For Easy One Pot American Goulash Recipe With Ground Beef

My absolute favorite noodle for this easy American goulash recipe is a large macaroni noodle. The larger ones can fill with the delicious sauce and can hold their own against all the other ingredients. One pound or 16 ounces is the right amount for the liquid ratio and this recipe makes enough to share with family and friends. Other kinds of pasta that would work would be egg noodles (decrease the cooking time), fusilli, penne, or another tubed pasta. 

Once the stew is boiling, add the macaroni noodles and cook partially covered for 15-20 minutes stirring every couple of minutes. 

Wrapping Up Easy One Pot American Goulash Recipe With Ground Beef

And that is it, a delicious and easy recipe from stove to table in 30 minutes or less. And it is the ultimate in comfort food. A dish that even picky eaters will enjoy because you can customize it any way you like. Serve with a side dish of green beans, cornbread, or these no-knead dinner rolls. According to my daughter, a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream make it perfect.

Why You Should Make Goulash

1. Simple ingredients
2. Feeds a crowd
3. One-pot meal 
4. Comfort food

Easy one pot American goulash recipe with ground beef is also perfect to freeze. A lot of people ask, Can I freeze goulash? And the answer is yes! Store any leftovers in an airtight container and place them in the freezer. To reheat, put the frozen goulash in a saucepan and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover and heat on medium-low until warm.

Let me know what different spices or vegetables you try in your goulash! I love reader inspiration.

Cheers,

Sarah

Easy One Pot American Goulash Recipe With Ground Beef Card

Yield: 4 quarts

Easy One Pot American Goulash Recipe With Ground Beef

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Easy one pot American goulash recipe with ground beef - It's loaded with ground beef, beans, tomatoes, macaroni, and spices. Feeds a crowd!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 16oz bag of large elbow macaroni noodles
• 15oz can of petite diced tomatoes
• 15oz can of tomato sauce
• 15oz can or a home-canned pint of cannellini beans, (rinsed if store-bought)
• 15oz can of black beans, rinsed
• 4oz can of green chilis
• Medium size onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1 pound of cooked ground beef
• 4 cups of water (or broth for a richer flavor)
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• Juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire
• Seasonings

Instructions

Seasonings = 1/4 tsp salt (more to taste), 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp oregano, and 1 tsp paprika.

1. Heat 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Dice up the onion and jalapeno and saute for 2 minutes.
2. Add In the cooked ground beef and heat until warmed and mixed through. *
3. Add in the cannellini and black beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and green chilis. Mix well.
4. Juice one lime and add to the pot along with the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.
5. Measure 4 cups of water ** and add to the rest of the ingredients.
6. Add the seasonings to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.
7. Pour in the macaroni and give it a good stir.
8. Partially cover and cook over medium - to medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes. Stirring every couple of minutes.
9. Serve warm

Notes

*You can cook the ground beef in the onion/pepper mixture - but be sure to drain off the grease. I pre-cook all my meats and keep them in the freezer to easily make any meal come together fast.

** 4 cups of liquid can be any combination of water, beef stock, or vegetable stock.

Choose and/or amend the amounts of seasonings you add. Add more salt or try some turmeric or a bay leaf.

Freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months. To reheat, place in a saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of water over medium-low heat.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

2 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 286Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 380mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 8gSugar: 6gProtein: 22g

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