American Goulash

This might sound a little bit crazy to some of you but I love winter weather.  Mainly because it gives me the perfect excuse for churning out all of my favorite hearty comfort food.  Stuff like Barley Beef Soup, spicy Chili, and roasted meats with Creamy Mashed Potatoes & Homemade Gravy.  And one of my favorite dishes for filling me up and warming my bones is good old American Goulash.

American Goulash vs. Hungarian Goulash

Let me make one thing clear, despite the name, American goulash and Hungarian goulash are not the same thing.  

Tradional Hungarian goulash is a type of soup or stew that is filled with hearty chunks of meat and vegetables.  It often has a tomato-based broth that is flavored with a generous amount of paprika.  The type of meat can be anything from beef, veal, venison, pork, to even lamb.  And on occasion, it is served with egg noodles called csipetke.

American goulash on the other hand consists of ground beef, diced onion, and macaroni noodles all cooked in a tomato-based sauce.  It is much more like a pasta casserole than a soup or stew.  That being said, it is often seasoned with paprika like the Hungarian version.  But it can also include some unquestionably non-traditional Hungarian ingredients like Italian seasoning and soy sauce.  

So while they have some similarities, they have too many differences to be considered variations of the same dish.

Tips, Tricks & Suggestions

• Some people like to add some shredded cheese into their goulash for a creamer dish.  Just make sure to stir it right at the end with the heat off, the excess heat of the dish will melt the cheese.
• If you like your goulash to be a little thinner then you can always add in some more chicken stock, a little tomato juice, or just water.
• American goulash is traditionally made with elbow macaroni.  But in reality, you can swap it out with just about any type of pasta that isn’t noodle-shaped like spaghetti.
• Want to make your goulash vegan friendly?  Then swap out the ground beef with some finely diced vegetables like zucchini, mushrooms, or even bell peppers.  Also, make sure to swap out the chicken stock with some vegetable stock or tomato juice.

American Goulash Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola)

2 Lbs of ground beef

1 Large onion, diced

3 Cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon of paprika

1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning

2 Bay leaves

1 Quart of chicken stock

28 oz can of whole tomatoes (crushed by hand), or diced tomatoes

1 6 oz. Can of tomato paste

2 Tablespoons of soy sauce

2 Cups of elbow macaroni

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Saute the beef and onion: Get out a large pot/dutch oven, pour the 2 tablespoons of oil into it, and place it over high heat.  Toss in the ground beef and cook it for 5 minutes making sure to break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon.  Then add onion and continue to cook everything until the onion is translucent and all the liquid from the beef and onion has cooked off.

2. Add in the garlic, paprika, and Italian seasoning, and continue to saute everything for another minute.

3. Make the sauce: Pour the chicken stock into the pot and let it come to a light boil.  Then add in the tomato paste and stir until the paste has dissolved into the chicken stock.  Follow this up by tossing in the canned tomatoes, bay leaves, and soy sauce making sure to stir all of the ingredients together.  Let the liquid come to a boil, then cover the pot, lower the heat, and let everything simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Add and cook the macaroni: After 20 to 30 minutes has passed take off the lid and give everything a quick stir.  Then toss in the uncooked macaroni and stir to incorporate everything together.  Cover the pot again and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the macaroni is fully cooked.

5. Stir the goulash one more time and taste it to see if it need any salt and pepper.  If it is to your liking then turn off the heat and serve up the American goulash into individual bowls.  Enjoy!

Print Recipe

American Goulash Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil vegetable, canola
• 2 Lbs of ground beef
• 1 Large onion diced
• 3 Cloves of garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon of paprika
• 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 Quart of chicken stock
• 28 oz can of whole tomatoes crushed by hand, or diced tomatoes
• 1 6 oz. Can of tomato paste
• 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 Cups of elbow macaroni
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Saute the beef and onion: Get out a large pot/dutch oven, pour the 2 tablespoons of oil into it, and place it over high heat. Toss in the ground beef and cook it for 5 minutes making sure to break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Then add onion and continue to cook everything until the onion is translucent and all the liquid from the beef and onion has cooked off.
• Add in the garlic, paprika, and Italian seasoning, and continue to saute everything for another minute.
• Make the sauce: Pour the chicken stock into the pot and let it come to a light boil. Then add in the tomato paste and stir until the paste has dissolved into the chicken stock. Follow this up by tossing in the canned tomatoes, bay leaves, and soy sauce making sure to stir all of the ingredients together. Let the liquid come to a boil, then cover the pot, lower the heat, and let everything simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add and cook the macaroni: After 20 to 30 minutes has passed take off the lid and give everything a quick stir. Then toss in the uncooked macaroni and stir to incorporate everything together. Cover the pot again and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the macaroni is fully cooked.
• Stir the goulash one more time and taste it to see if it need any salt and pepper. If it is to your liking then turn off the heat and serve up the American goulash into individual bowls. Enjoy!