American Ground Beef Goulash

By Laura Fuentes Updated Oct 29, 2025

4.96 from 46 votes

Recipe

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This American goulash is cheesy, hearty, and made in one pot with ground beef, pasta, and a layer of melty cheddar.

This ground beef goulash will become your new weeknight dinner hero: it’s a family favorite and comes together fast.

overhead view of a skillet of American goulash topped with melted cheese

American Goulash with Ground Beef

Growing up in Europe, goulash meant something totally different (a stew) so the first time I had American goulash at my friend’s house as a teen, I was hooked. It was cheesy, comforting, and felt like the ultimate homemade meal.

My kids feel the same way I do about this simple one-pot meal. There are never any complaints, just second helpings. This is their favorite nostalgic meal, second to my homemade spaghettios.

skillet of ground beef goulash topped with melted cheddar cheese

Ingredients

This recipe is made with staple ingredients like minced onion and garlic for flavor, seasonings (paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper), ground beef, crushed and diced tomatoes as the saucy base (fire roasted if you have them), elbow macaroni or any pasta shape, and shredded cheddar cheese for that cheesy goodness.

How to Make Cheesy Goulash with Ground Beef

This American goulash comes together in a large skillet or a pot, where you’ll sauté your onion, garlic, and seasonings. Then, you’ll add the ground beef and cook it. Then, add the tomatoes and water and bring them to a boil. The pasta will cook directly in this liquid in the oven. The final step is to top it with cheese and melt it for a minute or two in the oven.

More Kid-Favorite Easy Recipes

Other weeknight hero recipes that families love include copycat Cane’s chicken tenders, these oven beef kabobs, and this mac and cheese alfredo.

One Pot Cheesy Beef Goulash

Servings: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 40

This American goulash is cheesy, hearty, and made in one pot with ground beef, pasta, and a layer of melty cheddar.

4.96 from 46 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 cup dry elbow macaroni
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Saute:

In a large, oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the seasonings and sauté for an additional minute.
Add the ground beef, breaking up the meat with a wooden spatula, and cook it for about 7 mintues until it's no longer pink.
Add the garlic, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes (including the liquid), and water. Stir and bring it to a simmering boil. Then, add the pasta and stir. Turn off the heat.

Cook in the oven:

Cover and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the pasta is tender, and the sauce has thickened and mostly been absorbed by the pasta.
Remove it from the oven, top it with cheese, and cover it with a lid to melt the cheese. You can also return it to the oven, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes to melt the cheese.