This Crockpot Goulash is comfort food at it’s finest! Ground beef, vegetables, tomatoes and seasonings are slow cooked for hours. The elbow macaroni even gets cooked in the crockpot! This is one of the easiest slow cooker recipes ever!
Looking for more easy, crockpot meals? Try my Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup and my Slow Cooker Chili Recipe!
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The Best Crockpot Goulash
On a cool winter day, this crockpot goulash really hits the spot. Goulash is like the perfect combination between stew and a pasta dish. With a tomato base and perfectly tender pasta, it really is the best of both worlds!
This super easy goulash recipe turns simple ground beef into a comforting classic that everyone in the family is sure to love. I like to brown up my ground beef first before adding it to the crockpot, which is the first step in building lots of flavor. Along with fire roasted tomatoes and the perfect seasonings, this goulash turns out so good!
Ingredients
My crockpot goulash recipe uses pantry staples to build lots of flavor! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ground Beef: I used ground beef in this goulash recipe, but you can use ground turkey if preferred.
- Onion & Bell Pepper: Onion and bell pepper are the veggies that start to build flavor. You can use any color bell pepper here!
- Tomato Sauce & Fire Roasted Tomatoes: I like to use a combination of regular tomato sauce and fire roasted tomatoes for the sauce. The fire roasted tomatoes add a nice hint of smoky flavor.
- Beef Broth: Beef broth is added for more liquid. If you don’t have beef broth on hand, you can use chicken broth.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce adds an umami flavor and a slight tang!
- To season: Bay leaves, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and paprika are added to season this goulash to perfection!
- Elbow Macaroni: I like using elbow macaroni in my goulash, but any small pasta shape would work well!
- To Garnish: Freshly chopped parsley and parmesan cheese, if desired.
How to Make Crockpot Goulash
- Brown the Beef: Head one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add in the ground beef and cook until brown, breaking it up into chunks as it cooks. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.
- Sauté the Veg: In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil. Add in the onion and bell pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until they caramelize a bit. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add Ingredients to Crockpot: Add the remaining ingredients to the crockpot, except for the noodles.
- Cook in Crockpot: Cook for 2 hours on HIGH or 5 hours on LOW. In the last 30 minutes, add in your elbow macaroni straight into the slow cooker. If you were cooking on LOW, turn your slow cooker up to HIGH now and cook for 30 minutes.
- Serve & Enjoy: Serve immediately with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese for serving. Add a splash of hot sauce, if desired. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- For a leaner meal, you can swap out the ground beef for ground turkey!
- Add extra veg! You can add lots of different veggies to this crockpot goulash for extra nutrition. Try adding peas, carrots & mushrooms!
- Take advantage of toppings like some sour cream & hot sauce or shredded cheddar cheese!
- Don’t have a crockpot? No problem! You can cook this recipe in a heavy bottomed pot instead. Cook the goulash without the noodles for at least one hour (preferably two) on low heat. Then add the noodles and cook until tender!
Storing & Freezing Instructions
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Simply pop in the microwave to reheat.
- To Freeze: You can also freeze the leftovers if needed. Let the goulash cool, then place in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge then heat up in a stock pot when you are ready to eat it. If it is frozen longer than 3 months, the noodles might change in texture.
More Easy Dinner Recipes to Try
- Chickpea Curry
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
Crockpot Goulash
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, any color
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 15 ounces fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
- fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
- parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add in ground beef and cook until brown breaking it up into chunks. Transfer beef to slow cooker.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same pan the beef was cooked in.Add in onion and bell pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes or until they caramelize a bit. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker except for the macaroni.
- Cook for 2 hours on HIGH or 5 hours on LOW.In the last 30 minutes add in your elbow macaroni straight to the slow cooker. If you were cooking on LOW turn your slow cooker up to HIGH now and cook for 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese for serving. I also like to serve it with a splash of hot sauce!
Nutrition Information
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Cat
It’s not goulash! Please stop calling macaroni with meat sauce anything but macaroni with meat sauce. Hungarians do not use Italian seasoning in their goulash. Hungarians also do not serve goulash with macaroni. Goulash is a beef stew in a paprika Curry. Hungarians however do use paprika in their goulash. And not a half teaspoon of it more like a half cup of it. It’s the reason why goulash is red, not because it’s tomato sauce but because it has a butt load of Hungarian Paprika in it.
Robert C Mullen
Feel better?
Jack the Ripper
This is AMERICAN Goulash aka Marzetti 🙄
the Hungarian guy
im Hungarian and i use macaroni in my goulash all the time juts a sprinkle of paprika though
Lisa Rasmussen
Where does this author say anything about this being “Hungarian” goulash? I only see “crockpot goulash” named.
Lisa Rasmussen
Love this crockpot goulash! Great recipe! It was easy enough to make. I just threw it all into the crockpot and it fixed itself.
Kelley Simmons
Yah so glad you enjoyed this!!