Easy Homemade Beef and Tomato Goulash Recipe - Plain Everything (2024)

FThis easy beef and tomato goulash recipe is cozy and comforting. With a few simple ingredients, it can be ready in less than thirty minutes!

My husband’s easy goulash recipe has been a family favorite for nearly 20 years. It’s cozy and comforting and couldn’t be easier to make!

I vividly remember the first time my husband made this. I watched him add canned tomato soup, and the Italian in me cringed. It took everything I had not to doctor it up, but he kept telling me to trust the process—and he was right. The flavors are fantastic, and that tomato soup that made me cringe is the secret ingredient. It’s less acidic than canned tomatoes and adds a rich flavor and a subtle sweetness.

This is American goulash—grandma’s goulash—and it’s not meant to be fancied up. It’s the recipe you want on lazy days when you’re craving comfort food and don’t feel like cooking.

Beef and Tomato Goulash Recipe

• Ground beef, noodles, and a few pantry ingredients are all you need.
• Serve with crusty bread, a simple salad, or roasted broccoli to round out the meal.
• We don’t serve anything fancy with this. This is unpretentious comfort food!
• This budget-friendly meal can be on the table in twenty minutes.

What’s The Difference Between American And Hungarian Goulash?

Hungarian goulash is like a beef soup or stew with larger chunks of beef, vegetables, paprika, caraway seeds, and sour cream. It’s delicious. American goulash is a simple dish, usually consisting of ground beef and pasta in a tomato-based sauce, which can be anything from canned tomatoes to tomato juice. My husband, however, swears that tomato soup is the only way to go.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This goulash recipe only requires a few simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have.

• Ground beef. I like grass-fed, which is a little leaner and more nutritious than grain-fed.
• Noodles. Elbow noodles are classic, but I LOVE this with cavattapi noodles.
• Tomato soup. This is the secret ingredient in my husband’s goulash!
• Seasonings. Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper are all you need!

Pro tip: Unlike other recipes, which are more like soup, this one is thicker and more like pasta. If you like yours looser, add beef broth a little at a time until it’s the consistency you want.

How to Make Beef & Tomato Goulash

You can have this on the table in 20 minutes with a little multi-tasking!

1. Start cooking the pasta in a large stockpot.
2. While the pasta is cooking, add the beef and seasonings to a skillet.
3. Cook the beef until it’s nicely browned, and add the tomato soup.
4. Simmer the beef and soup mixture on low until the pasta is done.
5. When the pasta is al dente, drain well, reserving a little pasta water.
6. Return the pasta to the pot and add the beef mixture.
7. Stir well, adding a little of the pasta water if needed.
8. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

Helpful Tips + Variations + Storage

• To prevent mushy noodles, cook the pasta al dente before adding it to the beef mixture.
• Cook the beef until it’s deeply browned. This adds nice texture and flavor.
• Replace the water with beef bone broth for extra flavor and protein.
• Speaking of protein, using protein pasta will add a boatload of it.
• Add bell peppers, onions, carrots, and whatever veggies you like to bulk up the dish.
• Dried basil, thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning would all be delicious
• Change the flavors by adding chili powder, cumin, and a can of kidney beans.
• For a cheesy topping, melt mozzarella or provolone on top.
• Store in the refrigerator for up to four days. I do not recommend freezing.
• This reheats beautifully, making it perfect for your weekly meal prep.

How To Make This More Budget-Friendly

• Shop sales and stock up on beef when it’s the right price.
• If ground turkey or chicken are more affordable, feel free to swap them out.
• Store-brand tomato soup works just fine if it’s cheaper.
• If you shop sales and stock up on low-priced pantry ingredients, this entire pot can be made for around ten bucks.

Serve This With

• Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe | Plus 25 Ways To Use It
• 10-Minute Tangy Tomato Dressing Recipe
• Foolproof Butter & Lemon Baked Rice Recipe
• Easy Oven Roasted Broccoli Recipe
• Homemade Ice Cream with Baileys and Guinness Beer

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