This Crockpot Goulash is a classic family dinner made with ground beef, tomatoes, and elbow macaroni in a rich, savory sauce. It costs about $4.14 per serving and is an easy, kid friendly meal that cooks mostly hands off in the slow cooker.
With 8 kids, this Crockpot Goulash is one of those dinners I can count on during busy weeks. It uses simple pantry staples, takes about 15 minutes to prep, and the pasta cooks right in the slow cooker, so there is no extra pot to wash.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Quick prep. It takes about 15 minutes of hands on time.
- One pot. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so there is no extra pot to wash.
- Budget Friendly. It costs about $4.14 per serving.
- Kid Friendly. The mild flavors make it easy for the whole family to enjoy.
- Pantry staples. Most of the ingredients are easy to keep on hand.
You might also like Paula Deen’s Goulash, Goulash Recipe or Hungarian Goulash. If you have an Instant pot, try our Instant pot American Goulash.
What is American Goulash?
American Goulash combines the easy ingredients of noodles, ground beef and a tomato base sauce. Cooking this American Goulash recipe makes for an easy one pot meal. Even the noodles cook directly in the slow cooker.
Some may say it is similar to spaghetti. But goulash is made with the noodles and sauce cooked together. Spaghetti is made with the noodles and meat sauce cooks separately.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef – You can also use ground turkey or ground pork
- Onion, diced – Learn How to Freeze Onions to prep diced onions ahead of time.
- Green Bell Pepper, diced – Substitute with red bell peppers
- Minced Garlic – If using fresh garlic cloves, learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
- Italian Seasoning – Learn how to make Homemade Italian Seasoning Recipe
- Beef Broth – Substitute with beef stock if you prefer
- Dry Uncooked Elbow Macaroni Noodles – Choose a noodle your prefer. We have also used Rotini
How to Make American Goulash in a Crock Pot
Step 1 – Prepare Ground Beef – Brown your ground beef with the onion and add to the slow cooker.
Step 2 – Add in vegetables and seasoning – Next, add the peppers, onions, tomatoes, broth and all of the seasonings. Cover and Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or Cook on high for 3-4.
Step 3 – Stir in Pasta – In the last 15 minutes before serving stir in the pasta. It is so easy. Now, don’t worry if it looks watery because the pasta will soak it up.
Step 4 – Simmer in Slow Cooker – Let it all simmer together for another 15 minutes until pasta is al dente. Cooking time may vary, it may take up to 30 minutes.
Step 5 – Serve and Enjoy – Serve immediately. We like to top with shredded cheese but that is optional.
Expert Tips
- Ground Beef – We recommend cooking the ground beef in a separate skillet. You can also prepare the ground beef before hand and then add to slow cooker on cooking day.
- Vegetables – Chop the vegetables ahead of time to easily add to your slow cooker on cooking day. We like to chop vegetables and freeze them to easily add to any recipe.
- Pasta – Add the un cook pasta towards the end of the cooking time to the slow cooker. The pasta sauce based goulash will cook the pasta in the slow cooker without dirtying another pan.
- Add in other Vegetables – Add in some other vegetables when adding in the bell pepper. Chopped carrots and mushrooms are some of our favorites. You can also add in some frozen vegetables such as frozen spinach, peas, or corn. It is a great way to sneak in some vegetables.
- Change the Pasta – We used macaroni noodles, but you can easily use other types of noodles. Rigatoni noodles or penne noodles would work well with this recipe.
- Want a richer sauce? Stir in 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon of paprika with the broth.
What to Serve with American Goulash
This Beef Goulash is good all by itself and on really busy days that is exactly what we did. We just served up heaping bowls of this delicious goulash and dinner was served.
- Cornbread Recipe – It is really good with cornbread to dip into that delicious tomato sauce. We love this Homemade Cornbread Recipe.
- Jalapeno Cornbread Recipe – Also, for a little heat we like Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread Recipe.
- Side Salad – Otherwise the recipe is really good by itself. If you feel like you need something green, try a simple side salad for a really quick option.
- Peas – We love to serve a side of green peas. My kids like to mix the peas in with the goulash for a flavor meal idea.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – If you like to top your crockpot goulash recipe with shredded cheese make sure you shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese taste and melts perfectly when mixing with the goulash dish.
How to Store Leftover Slow Cooker Goulash
- In the Refrigerator – Store leftover crock pot American goulash in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The beef goulash will last about 3-4 days. It makes the perfect lunch the next day.
- Freezing Goulash – Yes, you can freeze it! Cool completely, then freeze in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. The pasta will be a little softer after thawing, but it’s still delicious. Thaw goulash overnight in the fridge when ready to reheat,
- Reheating – To reheat leftovers, heat in the microwave in a microwave safe container. Heat in 30 seconds intervals until heated.
What to Serve with American Goulash?
- Easy Veggie Sides: Learn How to Steam Broccoli in the Microwave for a 5-minute side, or try these roasted green beans.
- Peas: A side of green peas is an easy, inexpensive side dish. My kids love to stir their peas into the goulash.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: A handful of cheese on top is our favorite finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
It will look soupy right after you add the pasta. Give it a full 20-30 minutes and a good stir, and the macaroni will soak up most of the liquid. If it is still thin, take the lid off for the last 10 minutes.
The pasta either went in too early or sat on heat too long after it was done. EVery slow cooker runs a little differently, so start checking at 15 minutes and serve as soon as it’s tender.
Yes. Use lean ground beef, add it raw with the onion, and break it apart before the last hour of cooking. Make sure it’s fully cooked before adding the pasta.
Yes. Boil it on the stove and stir it in right before serving. Reduce the beef broth to 1 cup, since the pasta won’t be absorbing the extra liquid.
A single batch fills most of a 6-quart slow cooker, so you’ll need a larger slow cooker to double it.
Yes! Our stovetop Goulash Recipe is a great option when you didn’t start the slow cooker this morning.
More Easy Beef Crockpot Recipes
This is one of my favorite budget-friendly dinners. Find more crockpot beef recipes to try.
We love to hear from you. If you make this Crockpot American Goulash Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Crockpot Goulash
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 can crushed tomatoes 14.5 oz
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 0z
- 3 cups beef broth
- 3 cups dry uncooked macaroni
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion for 7–8 minutes, breaking up the beef as it cooks, until the beef is browned and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
- Transfer the beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the diced green bell pepper, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth. Stir until well combined.
- Cover and cook on Low for 6–8 hours or High for 3–4 hours.
- About 20–30 minutes before serving, stir in the uncooked macaroni. Cover and continue cooking until the pasta is tender, stirring once halfway through if possible. Add a splash of additional broth if the mixture becomes thicker than you prefer.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve warm.
Could you cook the pasta separate then add to slow cooker and mix together ???
Yes, you can. If you decide to cook the pasta separately, reduce the beef broth to 1 cup as you won’t need as much in the goulash recipe.
Can leftovers be frozen?
Yes allow the recipe to completely cool before freezing.
What are the peas & croutons doing for this??? Zero connection to the photos or are they not your pix?
Those are just sides you can serve with them. And Yes, they are my pictures.
Made this tonight. My 6yr old grandson he could eat it everyday and that my cooking was better than his dad’s! Thank you, it’s definitely a keeper! Have a blessed evening.
I am cooking this immediately, it sounds so good! I have one question: are we adding the uncooked pasta before or after the main cook time? For example, I will slow cook for 6 hours, do I add the macaroni at 5:45 hours, or when it’s done on warm? Thanks.
I would add it 5:45 so that it will cook for the last 15 minutes of the cook time.
I see the recipe is for 6 servings, but I could not find the serving size. Does anyone know this information?
Hey Leah – Each batch is a bit different so it’s hard to put a size on the serving. 1 serving is approximately 1/6 of the entire recipe since it serves 6. I hope you enjoy it!
This was very easy to make and very tasty! I altered the recipe by adding 2 small cans of Hunts tomato Sauce and it added more flavor for my tastes! It made so much I portioned out into freezer bags and tucked into freezer! Deelish!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it – Thanks for sharing!
Is it possible to make this recipe without browning the beef and cooking the onions
Yes, you can put the ground beef and onions in the crock pot raw and break it apart before the last hour of the cooking time. I would only do this with lean ground beef so you do not have to worry about excess grease in the crock pot.
You recipe calls for onion and garlic, but your instructions don’t mention what do to with those ingredients or when to add them in. Do I cook them with the beef? Or do I add them in the cooker like the rest of the ingredients??
I cook the onions with the ground beef and stir the minced garlic into the crock pot with the remaining ingredients. I have updated the recipe. Sorry for the confusion.