Looking for an easy yet tasty meal that you can throw in the slow cooker with ingredients you likely already have? How about this simple yet tasty Slow Cooker Goulash?

You know it’s a good recipe when every last bite of leftovers gets eaten at my house! I test so many recipes that there’s always a lot of leftovers to chose from, but this was a new favorite for my family.

And to be clear, this is American Goulash, which is essentially a meaty, tomato based macaroni. I wanted to create a simple version of what is likely a classic favorite in many of your homes growing up, using up some fresh peppers if you have them on hand.

I love making this in the slow cooker. Even the pasta cooks in there! That saves time because you don’t need to boil water and hassle with extra work. See my tips below for making sure you pasta turns out just right.

Ingredient Notes

Use a lean ground beef or drain any excess grease
You can use almost any combination of tomatoes and tomato sauce you have on hand
If you use less pasta sauce, add a little more seasoning as pasta sauce has more flavor than regular tomatoes

I used elbow noodles, which is the most classic for this dish, but you could try out other variations like penne pasta.

Preparation Notes

Brown ground beef and add to slow cooker
Stir in all remaining ingredients except pasta which we will add toward the end
Cover and let simmer all day
Add the pasta in the last 30-45 minutes and be prepared to eat right away when it’s done so it doesn’t get too soft from overcooking

Equipment Notes

I used my multi cooker to brown the meat then cook everything in the same pot. You can also cook the meat in a skillet and transfer to the slow cooker.

Recipe Notes

I used macaroni noodles but I you could also substitute penne or another kind of pasta. Cooking times may vary.

How To Prep Ahead

Cook and cool ground beef and add to a freezer safe container or zipper bag
Add all remaining ingredients except pasta
Store in fridge up to 3 days or freezer up to 3 months
Thaw fully before cooking

Related Recipes

I have so many other popular pasta recipes on my site if you like making pasta in your slow cooker. Buffalo Chicken Pasta is always a reader favorite.

How To Store Leftovers

Let cool completely, then store in air tight containers in fridge up to 3 days

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