This Crockpot Goulash recipe is pure comfort food, with ground beef, tomatoes, peppers, smoky paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and tender pasta all simmered together in the slow cooker.
I tested it both with and without browning the beef first, and browning it gave the finished goulash noticeably better flavor and depth. Add the pasta during the last 20–30 minutes so it stays tender without getting mushy. If you love cozy ground beef dinners, try my Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper, Ground Beef Stuffed Shells, or Hamburger Steaks next.
Recipe Summary: Crockpot Goulash Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Crockpot Goulash Recipe
- 🕒 Ready In: 3 hours, 10 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 8 (easy to scale)
- 🍽 Calories: 357 per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Ground beef, elbow macaroni, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika
- 📖 Dietary Info: Kid-friendly, make-ahead friendly, freezer-friendly
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: This hearty Crockpot Goulash Recipe is easy, cozy, and packed with classic comfort-food flavor, with the slow cooker doing most of the work.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
This Crockpot Goulash Recipe is one of my favorite easy comfort food dinners when I want something hearty without spending a lot of time at the stove. Browning the ground beef with the onions, peppers, garlic, and tomato paste first builds a richer, more flavorful base, while the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and seasonings simmer together in the slow cooker. Adding the macaroni toward the end keeps the pasta tender without letting it get mushy.
It’s an easy, family-friendly dinner that’s especially good when you want something warm and filling with minimal hands-on work. If you love cozy ground beef dinners, try my Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper, Ground Beef Stuffed Shells, or Hamburger Steaks next.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Big flavor from simple ingredients. Browning the peppers, onions, ground beef, garlic, and tomato paste before they go into the slow cooker creates a richer, more developed flavor.
- Smoky, savory, and comforting. Fire-roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, and Worcestershire sauce give the goulash plenty of depth without making the recipe complicated.
- No mushy pasta. The macaroni cooks right in the Crockpot at the end, so it stays tender instead of overcooking during the long simmer.
American VS Hungarian Goulash
Hungarian goulash is traditionally a slow-simmered beef dish made with chunks of beef, vegetables, and plenty of paprika. It’s more like a hearty soup or stew and typically doesn’t include pasta.
American goulash, sometimes called American Chop Suey, is made with ground beef, tomatoes, and pasta cooked together in one pot. This Crockpot version follows that classic American style, with the macaroni added toward the end so it stays tender.
Jump to:
- Recipe Summary: Crockpot Goulash Recipe
- Why you'll love this recipe
- American VS Hungarian Goulash
- Key Ingredients
- Variations
- How to make this Crockpot Goulash Recipe
- Expert Tips
- Crockpot Goulash Recipe FAQs
- What to serve with the Slow Cooker Goulash
- Storing and Reheating
- More Ground Beef Dinners
- Crockpot Goulash Recipe
Key Ingredients
- Ground beef. I prefer 80/20 ground beef for the best flavor and texture. Just drain off the excess fat after browning. Leaner ground beef also works if that’s what you have.
- Tomato paste. Cooking the tomato paste with the beef until it darkens slightly gives the goulash a deeper, richer tomato flavor.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes. These add a little extra smoky, sweet flavor compared with regular diced tomatoes.
- Worcestershire sauce. A small amount adds savory depth and an extra boost of umami.
- Smoked paprika. This gives the goulash a subtle smokiness that works especially well with the fire-roasted tomatoes and beef.
- Cheddar cheese. Optional, but stirring it in at the end makes the goulash a little richer and creamier with a sharp, cheesy finish.
See the recipe card at the end for the full list of ingredients with the quantities.
Variations
| Use a different ground meat | Ground turkey or ground bison can be used instead of ground beef. If using a leaner meat like turkey, add a little oil when browning so it doesn’t dry out. |
| Swap the tomato sauce | Use an equal amount of marinara or your favorite pasta sauce in place of the canned tomato sauce. Keep in mind that seasoned sauces may already contain salt, herbs, or sugar, so taste before adding more seasoning. |
| Change the paprika | Use sweet Hungarian paprika or regular paprika instead of smoked paprika for a milder, less smoky flavor. |
| Try a different pasta shape | Elbow macaroni and cavatappi work especially well, but rotini, bowties, or penne are also good options. Cooking time can vary by shape, so start checking the pasta early. |
| Make it extra savory | Add about 2 teaspoons of soy sauce along with the Worcestershire sauce for a little more umami. |
| Add more vegetables | Mushrooms, zucchini, or extra bell peppers can be added for a more vegetable-packed goulash. Sauté them with the onions and peppers before adding them to the slow cooker. |
How to make this Crockpot Goulash Recipe
- Step 1: Sauté the vegetables. Cook the bell pepper and onion in butter until softened.
- Step 2: Brown the beef. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain off any excess fat, then stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens slightly.
- Step 3: Slow cook the goulash. Transfer the beef mixture to the Crockpot and add the remaining ingredients except the pasta and cheese. Cover and cook for 2–3 hours on high or 4–6 hours on low.
- Step 4: Add the pasta. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the pasta, cover, and cook until al dente, checking and stirring occasionally to prevent overcooking.
- Step 5: Add the cheese. If using, stir in the shredded cheddar until completely melted and incorporated.
- Step 6: Serve. Spoon the goulash into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley or additional cheese, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip browning the beef. I tested this goulash both ways, and browning the beef with the onions, peppers, garlic, and tomato paste gives the finished dish noticeably better flavor.
- Drain excess grease. If you’re using 80/20 ground beef, drain off the extra fat after browning so the goulash stays rich without becoming greasy.
- Watch the pasta closely. Add the pasta toward the end of cooking and start checking it about every 10 minutes. Slow cookers and pasta shapes vary, and the noodles can go from tender to mushy quickly.
- Adjust the consistency before serving. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it cooks. If the goulash gets thicker than you like, stir in a splash of beef broth or tomato sauce.
- Add cheese at the end. If you’re using cheddar, stir it in once the pasta is cooked so it melts smoothly into the hot goulash rather than cooking for hours in the slow cooker.
- Serving later? Cook the pasta separately. If the goulash will be sitting on warm for a while, boil the pasta separately and stir it into individual portions or just before serving to keep it from getting too soft.
Crockpot Goulash Recipe FAQs
For the best flavor, brown the ground beef with the onions and bell peppers first, then cook the garlic and tomato paste until the tomato paste deepens in color. Transfer everything to the slow cooker with the tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Add the pasta toward the end of cooking so it stays tender instead of getting mushy.
Cook Crockpot Goulash for 2–3 hours on high or 4–6 hours on low. The sauce can simmer on low for up to about 8 hours before adding the pasta. Add the pasta during the last 20–30 minutes, checking it periodically for doneness.
There isn’t one traditional “secret ingredient,” but I use Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika to give this American goulash extra savory depth and a subtle smoky flavor. Fire-roasted tomatoes add even more richness.
What to serve with the Slow Cooker Goulash
This hearty Crockpot Goulash is filling enough to serve on its own, but a simple vegetable or bread makes an easy side. Try it with my Green Beans with Bacon and Onion, Garlicky Broccolini, a crisp side salad, or Cheddar Cheese Biscuits for soaking up the sauce.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerate: Let leftover goulash cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days.
- Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave or reheat gently in a saucepan on the stovetop. The pasta will absorb more sauce as it sits, so stir in a splash of beef broth, tomato sauce, or water if needed to loosen it up.
- Freeze: For the best texture, freeze the goulash without the pasta. Store it in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat the sauce and stir in freshly cooked pasta before serving.
More Ground Beef Dinners
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Crockpot Goulash Recipe
Equipment
- Crockpot or Slow Cooker (7 quart)
- Skillet or Nonstick frying pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 large bell pepper (green or red), diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 14.5 oz cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups beef broth or beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 oz (½ lb) pasta noodles
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet (or cast iron skillet) over medium heat.
- Add onion and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stir occasionally until softened, 5 minutes.
- Add beef and season again with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, 5-6 minutes. Drain off any excess fat, if desired.
- Add garlic and tomato paste, and cook, stirring occasionally until tomato paste is deepened in color, 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer to the crockpot, along with remaining ingredients (except pasta and cheese- those will go in later) - tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce , paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and bay leaf.
- Cover and cook in crockpot for 2-3 hours on high, or 4-6 hours on low (Goulash can simmer on low up to 8 hours prior to adding the noodles).
- Remove bay leaves. Turn the slow cooker to high (if cooking on low) and add the pasta in the last 30 minutes of cooking time until cooked to desired doneness. (Be sure to check every so often so it doesn’t overcook, as some pasta cooking times vary).
- Stir in cheese, if desired, and serve! Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Ground beef: I prefer 80/20 ground beef for the best flavor. Drain off any excess grease after browning.
- Don’t skip the browning: I tested this recipe with and without browning the beef first, and browning the beef, vegetables, garlic, and tomato paste gives the goulash noticeably better flavor.
- Pasta timing: Add the pasta toward the end of cooking and check it about every 10 minutes, since pasta shapes and slow cookers can vary. Cook just until tender to avoid mushy noodles.
- Cooking pasta separately: If you plan to keep the goulash on warm for a while, cook the pasta separately and stir it in just before serving.
- Consistency: The pasta will continue to absorb sauce as it sits. Add a splash of beef broth, tomato sauce, or water if you prefer a looser goulash.
- Cheese: Cheddar is optional. Stir it in at the end, once the pasta is cooked.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.
- Freezing: For the best texture, freeze the goulash without the pasta for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, reheat, and add freshly cooked pasta before serving.
Sharon says
Made this again for dinner and it’s such a good cozy meal. Browning the beef and tomato paste first really does make a difference in the flavor, and adding the pasta at the end keeps it from getting mushy. Definitely one of those easy Crockpot dinners I’ll keep coming back to.