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This easy goulash recipe made with ground beef in the Instant Pot is a great one-pot family-friendly meal for busy nights. Everyone loves a good pasta dish, especially with minimal prep work and almost no cleanup!
This is the goulash I grew up with. It was one of those dishes that mom would whip up on busy nights when we had soccer practice or music lessons or some other after-school activity. She always made homemade meals a priority, and it was the one time every day that we sat down together as a family. Looking back, family dinners are one of the things about my childhood that meant the most to me.
The Instant Pot wasn’t a thing back then, but it makes this meal even quicker and easier! This recipe requires less than 20 minutes of hands-on prep time, and then the Instant Pot handles the rest.
If you’re not familiar with it, American goulash is made of browned ground beef and elbow macaroni in a tomato-based sauce flavored with garlic and herbs. It’s one of those dishes that varies by region and even family (in Ohio a similar dish is called Johnny Marzetti casserole), so feel free to put your own spin on it!
If you want, you can round out the meal with a side salad (this copycat Olive Garden Italian salad pairs really well!). Additionally, you can stretch it out to feed 6 or 7 people by adding fresh crusty bread or garlic bread.
Why You’ll Love This Goulash Recipe
- This is a full meal in one pot! I love a good one-pot recipe for busy nights.
- It’s the ultimate in easy cooking with minimal cleanup, especially since we use the Instant Pot.
- Even though we use the Instant Pot, this dish is versatile, and just as easy to make on the stovetop!
- With ground beef, pasta, a few simple veggies, and pantry staples, this is a budget-friendly meal.
- You can use any type of pasta you like (such as gluten free, keto friendly, etc.).
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – To sauté the ground beef and vegetables. This adds a ton of base flavor!
- Onion, bell pepper, and garlic – These savory vegetables bump up the nutrition and help create a flavorful dish.
- Canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce (or marinara sauce), and tomato paste – We use three canned tomato products in this recipe. Diced tomatoes add texture, tomato sauce coats the pasta, and tomato paste helps thicken the dish.
- Worcestershire sauce – A little bit of Worcestershire pairs really well with the beef and adds complexity.
- Sugar – A touch of granulated white sugar balances the tomato’s acidity. However, you can omit it if you want.
- Dried Italian herb seasoning – This herby blend enhances the tomato sauce.
- Salt and black pepper – These pantry-staple seasonings make sure this dish isn’t bland.
- Sweet paprika – This adds a mild sweet, earthy flavor and deepens the color.
- Bay leaf – For depth of flavor.
- Elbow macaroni noodles – Elbows are a classic pasta shape for American goulash.
- Water – The pasta absorbs most of the water.
How to Make American Style Ground Beef Goulash in the Instant Pot
- Press the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot and wait for it to heat up. Once hot, add the oil and ground beef, spreading it out in an even layer. Cook until the beef is mostly browned (it doesn’t have to be fully browned at this point), about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes with juices, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, dried Italian herb seasoning, salt, sweet paprika, black pepper, bay leaf, and elbow macaroni.
- Pour in the water.
- Stir once after adding the water. Press “Cancel” to stop the “Sauté” function.
- Cover the Instant Pot, making sure to set the lid to “Sealing”, and cook on “Manual, High Pressure” for 3 minutes. Let the pot naturally release its pressure for 10 minutes, and then carefully release the remaining pressure and open the pot. Stir.
THICKENING TIP (OPTIONAL): For a thicker sauce, turn on the “Sauté” function and cook until the sauce is thickened to your liking, stirring frequently. (This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes; don’t cook it too long because it will also thicken more as it cools.)
Serve garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and minced parsley.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. This freezes well, so it’s a great option for meal prep.
My Best Tips For Making This Easy Goulash Recipe
- To add depth of flavor, use chicken stock instead of water. Reduce the amount of salt to 1 teaspoon.
- For cheesy flavor and texture, stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese once this is done cooking.
- Leftovers will thicken quite a bit, so you might want to add more liquid (such as a splash of water or tomato sauce) when you reheat it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hungarian goulash is a rich soup or stew with tender pieces of beef in a savory tomato-based broth flavored with onion and garlic and seasoned with a generous amount of paprika. It’s typically slow-cooked, which results in a rich and flavorful broth or gravy and fall-apart-tender meat.
On the other hand, American goulash is a quick and easy meal of ground beef, tomato sauce, and elbow macaroni flavored with onion, garlic, and herbs. It sometimes contains bell peppers, paprika, and/or shredded cheese.
American goulash is also known as American chop suey, Johnny Marzetti, ground beef goulash, elbow macaroni goulash, and sometimes just “goulash”.
If you’ve ever browned ground beef and added marinara sauce and some type of pasta, that’s what this tastes like! You can compare it to the flavor of lasagna but without the cheesiness.
The beauty of this dish is that it’s essentially a full meal in itself! However, if you want to stretch it, adding side dishes is the perfect way to do that. Here are a few things that pair well:
Garden salad
Steamed vegetables, such as broccoli or green beans
Fresh crusty bread
Garlic bread
More Easy Instant Pot Dinners
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Easy Instant Pot American Goulash Recipe With Ground Beef
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 8 cloves garlic crushed
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 cup tomato sauce or marinara sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni noodles or any small pasta shape you like
- 2 1/2 cups water
Garnish Ideas:
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Minced fresh parsley
Serving Suggestions:
- Salad
- Garlic bread or fresh crusty bread
Instructions
- Sauté. Press the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot and wait for it to heat up. Once hot, add the oil and ground beef, spreading it out in an even layer. Cook until the beef is mostly browned (it doesn’t have to be fully browned at this point), about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the other ingredients. Stir in the diced tomatoes with juices, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, dried Italian herb seasoning, salt, sweet paprika, black pepper, bay leaf, and elbow macaroni. Pour in the water and stir once. Press “Cancel” to stop the “Sauté” function.
- Cook. Cover the Instant Pot, making sure to set the lid to “Sealing”, and cook on “Manual, High Pressure” for 3 minutes.
- Pressure release. Once it’s done cooking, let the pot naturally release its pressure for 10 minutes, and then carefully release the remaining pressure and open the pot. Stir.
- Thicken (optional). If you want a thicker sauce, turn on the “Sauté” function and cook until the sauce is thickened to your liking, stirring frequently. (TIP: This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes; don't cook it too long because it will also thicken more as it cools.)
- Enjoy. Serve garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and minced parsley.
Notes
- Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated without the optional garnish ideas or serving suggestions.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. It will thicken quite a bit, so you might want to add more liquid (such as a splash of water or tomato sauce) when you reheat it.
- Chicken Stock Substitute for Water: To add depth of flavor, use chicken stock instead of water. Reduce the amount of salt to 1 teaspoon.
- If You Like Cheese: For cheesy flavor and texture, stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese once this is done cooking.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on September 7, 2022 and updated on March 23, 2026.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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It’s still my favorite quick fix meal! 🥰❤️