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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Classic Goulash

    Updated: Sep 5, 2025 by Kristin Hayes · This post may contain affiliate links · 16 Comments

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    This Classic Goulash is a favorite with all! An American, beef, one pot meal that is full of macaroni noodles in a savory tomato sauce! A really quick, inexpensive, hearty meal that feeds a crowd!!

    Last weekend, I decided I was in the mood to make something hearty. A soup sounded amazing to me, but my hubby is not a soup fan. Crazy, right?!?! Well, every now and then I can slip one on the meal plan, but he does love a chili, stew, or something with substance to it and not so “brothy”.

    I rummaged through my pantry and realized I had tons of ground turkey to use up! My first thought was “chili”, but since we had just had that the previous weekend and it only being the start of Fall, I didn’t want to make that too soon and have my family ban me from making it again, haha!

    I decided to make this goulash, which my mom had been telling me about for a while, and let me tell you, my “non soup fan” hubby loved this and even ate it for leftovers the following night! I think the key to success was the fact it was packed with flavor, had lots of meat, pasta, and tomatoes….all of his favorites! Even my three kids ate it both nights with no complaints!

    If you need to feed a crowd, or want to enjoy leftovers for a night or two, I definitely recommend this classic! Its also extremely budget friendly, so its perfect for families!

    You can opt to make this in your slow cooker by cooking the meat, draining the fat, and adding all the ingredients to your slow cooker on high for an hour or two. Both the stove top version and slow cooker version are just as yummy, just depends on how much time you have!

    Hope you enjoy!!

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    Classic Goulash

    Recipe by: Kristin Hayes
    An American, beef (or turkey), classic one pot meal that is hearty, packed with flavor, and budget friendly!
    4.63 from 8 votes
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    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 321 kcal

    Equipment

    • Dutch Oven

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 lbs ground turkey or beef
    • 2 onions, diced
    • 6 garlic cloves, minced
    • 3 cups water
    • 30 oz. tomato sauce
    • 30 oz diced tomatoes
    • 3 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
    • 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
    • 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

    Instructions
     

    • In a dutch oven, cook the meat over medium heat until no longer pink.
    • Drain fat.
    • Add in the garlic and onions and cook until translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
    • Stir in the water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, and seasoned salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with lid, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
    • Add in the uncooked macaroni and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
    • Remove from heat and serve in bowls!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 321kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 28gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 1846mgPotassium: 992mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 607IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 6mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @TheCookinChicks or tag #TheCookinChicks!

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    Comments

    1. Catalina says

      October 17, 2025 at 9:15 am

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner and it was pure comfort food. Warm, hearty, and full of rich flavor!

      Reply
      • Kristin Hayes says

        October 17, 2025 at 1:47 pm

        Love hearing this! Glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    2. Amy says

      October 17, 2025 at 3:56 am

      5 stars
      Love how this goulash blends comfort and convenience. This is great for busy nights. Thanks for the inspiration!

      Reply
      • Kristin Hayes says

        October 17, 2025 at 1:47 pm

        Glad you enjoyed!!

        Reply
    3. Terri says

      October 16, 2025 at 1:38 pm

      5 stars
      Love it! This is exactly the kind of recipe I always look for when the family comes over to visit, especially during the fall and winter.

      Reply
      • Kristin Hayes says

        October 16, 2025 at 1:41 pm

        Right? Comfort food at its finest! Glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    4. Maria says

      October 16, 2025 at 1:32 pm

      5 stars
      This is definitely going to be a regular in my rotation. It’s so easy to make, and it’s so good.

      Reply
      • Kristin Hayes says

        October 16, 2025 at 1:41 pm

        Glad you enjoyed!! Thanks for the great feedback!

        Reply
    5. Beth says

      October 16, 2025 at 1:24 pm

      5 stars
      This is such classic fall comfort food! I made it last night, and we couldn’t get enough.

      Reply
      • Kristin Hayes says

        October 16, 2025 at 1:40 pm

        So glad you enjoyed as much as we do!!

        Reply
    6. JUDITH Martin says

      October 16, 2017 at 10:48 am

      I like switching it up by using 1# sweet Italian and 1# hot italian sausage. It is by far one of my favorite comfort foods.

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        October 22, 2017 at 1:19 pm

        Great idea! Ill have to try that too!! Glad you enjoy it 🙂

        Reply
    7. Patti Krause says

      October 10, 2017 at 12:07 am

      Yum…I’ll be making this soon!
      I’d like to share a “fix” for an “oh darn, it’s 4:00 and I didn’t get any meat out to thaw for supper” day. There’s a small community-owned grocery store in our town that sells the best meat I’ve ever had. Their ground beef is locally raised and very low in fat. I never have to drain any fat because there just isn’t any…yet hamburgers & meatloaf are juicy and delicious!
      I buy my ground beef 5 # at a time and put it in my 6 qt. crockpot. (It will fit in a 3 qt. one, but I prefer to use the larger one.) I lightly season it with a little Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground pepper, and cook it for 3 to 4 hours on high. After about 2 hours, I use a wonderful tool I call my “smash & bash” from Pampered Chef. It’s made just for breaking up ground meat while cooking, but it can coarsely mash potatoes and other things. I break up the meat so it cooks more uniformly. After 3 hours I mash it up some more, and if it’s thoroughly cooked through, turn off the crockpot, or let it go on cooking until it’s done. I leave it in the covered crockpot until it’s cooled down, pack it into 5 containers and put them in the freezer.
      It takes less than 5 minutes to thaw out one or 2 of those containers in my microwave to start a batch of “last minute” spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, chili or your wonderful goulash. It’s also great for when a neighbor or friend needs a meal brought in. Usually one of those “old standbys” that almost everybody likes is good to take, and can be put together quickly, with what you have on hand, to bless them.
      God bless you, and thanks for the great recipes!

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        October 15, 2017 at 6:29 pm

        Wow! What a wonderful idea! I will have to try that! Thanks for the suggestion!! Have a wonderful evening!!

        Reply
    8. Connie says

      September 24, 2017 at 11:19 pm

      These recipes sound delicious can’t wait to try them

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        September 28, 2017 at 7:35 pm

        Thanks! Hope you enjoy!!

        Reply
    4.63 from 8 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Welcome to The Cookin’ Chicks! I’m Kristin- mom of 3, wife, and food lover-sharing easy dinners, quick desserts, and family-friendly recipes that make mealtime simple, fun, and delicious. Around here, it’s all about family, faith, and food that brings everyone to the table!

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