Oh my goulash, you guys. It’s not often that I use wine in my cooking because it can be pretty pricey, but something magical happens when you add red wine to beef, and it’s something that I just can not resist. Luckily I live near an Aldi store now so I can get a bottle of wine for about $5 that is not only good enough to cook with, but good enough that I’ll happily drink the rest of the bottle with my meal. This One Pot American Goulash is the ultimate comfort food with the richest, most yummiest red sauce ever, thanks to a splash of red wine. Seriously, you’ve got to try this one.
Do I Need Red Wine in my Goulash?
If you want this dish to be as scrumptious as humanly possible, yes. But if you can’t use red wine, you can substitute beef broth in its place. You’ll still have a pretty rockin’ red sauce, but it just won’t be like “make me weak in the knees” good.
Where’s the Paprika?
This is American Goulash, which is basically just beef, macaroni, and red sauce. It’s totally different than Hungarian Goulash. So if you’re looking for chunks of beef that have been slow simmered in a delicious paprika sauce, this is not it. This is just straight up American comfort food.
Can You Freeze Goulash?
Yes! This One Pot American Goulash recipe is very freezer-friendly. Just make sure to cool the goulash completely in the refrigerator first, then transfer to the freezer for long term storage. I suggest freezing goulash for three months maximum. And remember, label and date everything that goes in your freezer!
What Do You Eat with Goulash?
I would consider this a “one pot meal” which means this one dish covers everything you need in a meal: carbs, proteins, and vegetables. If anything you might want some crusty bread to sop up that delicious gravy, or maybe a green salad on the side for extra vegetables.
Can I Add Cheese?
Yes! A common twist on this recipe is American Goulash with cheese. I would choose medium or sharp cheddar, and simply sprinkle it over top of each bowl, or stir it into the pot to give an overall cheesy flavor, similar to my Cheesy Vegetarian Chili Mac.
What Kind of Pot Should I Use?
Any large, heavy duty soup pot will work well for this recipe. For “one pot pastas” you really need cookware that is thick and heavy, so the contents heat evenly. Thin cookware will create hot spots and cold spots, and cause the pasta to cook unevenly. I used an enamel coated cast iron Dutch Oven, which can be found in my Amazon Shop.
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Easy American Goulash
Servings 6 About 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 2 bell peppers ($1.58)
- 1 lb ground beef ($5.29)
- 1/2 cup red wine* ($0.72)
- 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.89)
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce ($0.59)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.12)
- 2 whole bay leaves (optional) ($0.30)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- 1/2 cup water ($0.00)
- 2 cups elbow macaroni (about 1/2 lb.) ($0.50)
- salt to taste ($0.05)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a large soup pot with the olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent. While the onion and garlic are sautéing, dice the bell peppers, then add them to the pot and continue to sauté for about two minutes more.
- Add the ground beef to the pot with the vegetables and continue to sauté over medium until the beef is cooked through. Add the red wine to the pot and stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, soy sauce, bay leaves, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, and water to the pot. Stir to combine, place a lid on the pot, and allow it to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn it down to low, and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
- After the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, add the macaroni and stir to combine. Continue to let the macaroni simmer in the sauce, with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender (about 10-12 minutes).
- Once the pasta is tender, taste the goulash and add salt to taste. Remove the bay leaves, then serve.
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Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Video
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make American Goulash – Step By Step Photos
Begin by dicing one yellow onion and mincing four cloves of garlic. Add them to a soup pot along with 1 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onion are translucent. While the onion and garlic are sautéing, dice two bell peppers, then add them to the pot and continue to sauté for about two minutes more.
Add one pound ground beef to the pot and continue to sauté over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink, then add 1/2 cup red wine to the pot and stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add one 28oz. can diced tomatoes (with the juices), one 15oz. can tomato sauce, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, and 1/2 cup water. Stir everything to combine, place a lid on the pot, and allow it to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Keep the lid on as it simmers, lifting it only occasionally to stir.
Once the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes (OMG it’s already smelling good), add 2 cups macaroni (that’s about 1/2 lb.). Stir to combine the macaroni with the sauce, place the lid back on top, and let it continue to simmer to cook the noodles for about 10-12 minutes, or until the macaroni is tender. Stir occasionally as the pasta simmers to keep it from sticking, returning the lid after each stir.
Once the macaroni is tender, give the American Goulash a taste and add salt if needed. Remove the the pot from the heat, fish out the bay leaves, then serve that one pot goodness!
I’mma eat that goulash!!
My husband is a huge goulash fan and I was delighted when he said this one was his favorite yet! This is simple to make and affordable too. Thanks so much!!
My husband is from Maine and used to make a very bachelor version of “American Chop Suey.” It was canned tomato soup mixed with ground beef, salsa, and pasta. I love the man, so I just went with it for ~5 years even though the ingredients were totally odd. And then you came to my rescue! We’ve been trying to eat more food with fresh ingredients, and this recipe is perfect. Most importantly, Husband approves and says it tastes better than his old bachelor recipe, so I don’t have to feel bad about taking that thing off the menu! It’s a really nice upgrade to one of his favorite “recipes!”
Thanks so much :)
This looked similar to the Goulash my mother used to make so I tried the recipe out this past weekend. It was delicious! I added a little more wine (3/4 cup), but otherwise stuck to the recipe. I’ll definitely be making this one again!
Ditto that this is similar to Johnny Marzetti! My mom’s version was simplified (no onions or peppers) with a can of baked beans and shredded cheddar cheese added.
Say what they will….this is the only type of goulash there is, the rest are all fakes! I have made goulash for nearly 50 years and this is very close to the recipe I have used. I received the recipe from the lunch ladies at our school, so, of course, the wine wasn’t included in their recipe. I use celery instead of peppers as it is available all year, excellent flavor and reasonably priced (original recipe called for celery). No bay leaf (not in my kitchen….can’t stand the stuff. Was not in the original recipe I received). Lighter on the garlic. Side note: Our lunch ladies were the best!
I NEVER had goulash before. I’ll definitely make this recipe for dinner this week!!!
Wonderful! I put in 1 & 1/2 Tblsps of paprika because, goulash!
can you nix the wine? and would it still taste good? I love to make this but am not a big Wine drinker.
Yep, the wine just adds depth to the sauce, but it will still be good without it.
This maybe a silly question but when you are cooking with bay leaves do you take them out after cooking or leave them in?
Yes, you take them out after cooking because they stay thick and tough. Not a silly question, I get that one a lot. :)
Can leftovers be frozen? How would you reheat it?
Yes, this freezes really well. I just freeze single serving portions in resealable plastic containers, then reheat in the microwave until it’s hot all the way through (you’ll want to stir a few times during reheating).
That’s really smart. I just made this (delicious) and am a bit overwhelmed by the quantity (but also relieved that I’ll have food for days.)
I haven’t had a dish like this since I was a little kid (Okay, okay… maybe the dining hall served something like this in college, but we called it “slop!” It never smelled this good!).
I’m certain whatever my Italian-American family made wasn’t authentic Hungarian goulash, so I’m definitely not judging you on too much tomato, the lack of paprika, or addition of soy sauce. Ha!
This is simmering now and smells great. I’d gotten some free ground venison and this goulash seemed perfect for it. The only changes I made were a little extra soy and wine (cuz, why not?!) and I did end up adding some paprika because I felt like I should.
Can’t wait to eat it. Likely I’ll have to restrain myself from consuming far too much.
Going to make this tonight, excited for a warm dish since it’s -10°F here in Minnesota! Im going to double the recipe so i have lots of leftovers:)
Both the boyfriend and I enjoyed this recipe very much, and enjoyed finishing the rest of the bottle after dinner even more.
A++! The only modifications I made were adding roughly-chopped mushrooms with the onions/garlic (seemed like a recipe that would accept my attempts to sneak in extra veggies at every turn) and finishing with a dollop of sour cream when serving. I love the little kick from the pepper flakes, and the depth from the red wine. So psyched to bring some leftovers to work tomorrow for an envy-inducing lunch.
Just found this recipe the other day and made it last night–a big hit! My husband’s mom, a US Midwest cook, made a dish she called goulash that was like this, but hers didn’t taste as good (sorry, Mom!). My only change was to use a red bell pepper for the green ones. Looking at this post also led to the one about freezing wine…what a terrific idea! I have the remains of last night’s bottle in the freezer now. Love your blog; I’m finding so many recipes I want to try.