Slow Cooker Goulash
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?
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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
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Use a lean ground beef or drain any excess grease
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You can use almost any combination of tomatoes and tomato sauce you have on hand
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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
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Brown ground beef and add to slow cooker
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Stir in all remaining ingredients except pasta which we will add toward the end
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Cover and let simmer all day
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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
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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
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I used macaroni noodles but I you could also substitute penne or another kind of pasta. Cooking times may vary.
How To Prep Ahead
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
Slow Cooker Goulash
Looking for an easy but 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?
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Ingredients
- 1 pounds ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 2 cups tomato basil pasta sauce
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 15 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon herb and garlic seasoning
- 6 oz pasta noodles
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and add to slow cooker
- Stir in all remaining ingredients except pasta which we will add toward the end
- Cover and cook 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 on low (can let simmer on low up to 8 hours)
- Turn the slow cooker to high and 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
Notes
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I used macaroni noodles but I imagine you could also substitute penne or another kind of pasta. Cooking times may vary.
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Cook & cool ground beef, add to freezer safe container or bag
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Add all remaining ingredients except pasta
- Store in fridge up to 3 days / freezer up to 3 months
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Thaw fully before cooking
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Let cool, store in air tight containers in fridge up to 3 days
Nutrition
Calories: 294kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 21gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 688mgPotassium: 906mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 688IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @slowcookergourmet or tag #slowcookergourmet!
Important nutritional disclaimer
This turned out very good and tasty. I had to modify a couple of ingredients: I only had about 1 and a quarter cups of basil pasta sauce on hand and for the herb and garlic seasoning I substituted Italian seasoning. I also added 1 tablespoon of salt. Everything else went right along the ingredients and preparation. I precooked the hamburger for about 10 minutes and poured off the grease then added it to the slow cooker and crumbled it up. Then I added all the other ingredients and cooked everything on high for 120 minutes (2 hours) and added the 16 oz. of elbow pasta for another 40 minutes (stirring it all after the initial 2 hours, then after adding the elbow pasta at 20 minutes then after the next 20 minutes until complete). I can’t wait to eat the leftovers.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Is this really with only 6 oz of noodles, or did you mean 16?
Yes! I’m working on this as I can go back and remake and update all the recipes!
I thought the same thing I’m making it right now and I doubled the recipe and I’m adding more noodles just trusting my own instinct and I know it will work out because I added more than 6 ounces in the past
Thank you for your comment, Amber!
Could you freeze this?
Yes! I love freezing this type of leftover pasta in Souper Cubes 1 or 2 cup portions for quick meals later!
Best goulash recipe ever! It was a huge hit with my family. I will continue to use this recipe from now on! Thank you Jennifer!
Thank you so much for your comment, Megan! So glad the family enjoyed it.
I think this recipe is what I’ve seen called American Goulash. I’ve never seen a goulash recipe without paprika, and consider this a must have, or else it’s just a bolognese sauce in my book.
Thank you for your comment, Stuart
what size are the servings? the nutritional values are listed but what size serving?
I apologize I don’t have this exact info for this recipe because results can vary depending on the pasta and other ingredients used.