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August 31, 2019

Instant Pot Mom’s Goulash

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Instant Pot Mom’s Goulash is an old family favorite recipe. Ground beef or turkey is browned and then simmered with a tomato-based sauce and macaroni noodles and then topped with grated cheddar. The perfect weeknight dinner to feed a family. Make it quickly in your electric pressure cooker.

Pin this recipe for later!

Instant Pot Old-Fashioned Goulash is an old family favorite recipe. Ground beef or turkey is browned and then simmered with a tomato-based sauce and macaroni noodles and then topped with grated cheddar. The perfect weeknight dinner to feed a family. Make it quickly in your electric pressure cooker.

Instant Pot Mom’s Goulash

I have an old ratty folder that has all the recipes that I took with me to college. I put it together as an 18-year-old knowing that soon I would be cooking for myself. It has the fudgy wudgy recipe, pasta primavera, zucchini linguine and many other recipes that are easy to make. I also included my mom’s recipe for goulash. Here’s how the recipe reads:

Goulash: cook hamburger with onion and salt and pepper. Macaroni. 1 can corn. 1 can tomato soup. Canned tomatoes. Cheese on top. Bake at 350 until hot/30 minutes max.

I laughed when I read that the other day. It’s so clear and instructive, right?! This truly sounds like a recipe from a mom or grandma…no measurements and very vague.

Well today I’ve written up a recipe that has actual measurements in it. Plus I adapted the recipe, that I knew and loved as a kid, to the Instant Pot.

We all loved this dish and loved the leftovers too. Instant Pot goulash is easy enough for any night of the week. Plus you probably have all the ingredients you need on hand.

Pin this recipe for later!

Instant Pot Old-Fashioned Goulash is an old family favorite recipe. Ground beef or turkey is browned and then simmered with a tomato-based sauce and macaroni noodles and then topped with grated cheddar. The perfect weeknight dinner to feed a family. Make it quickly in your electric pressure cooker.

More recipes you’ll love…

Instant Pot Taco Soup

Instant Pot Cream Cheese Spaghetti

Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo

Pin this recipe for later!

Instant Pot Old-Fashioned Goulash is an old family favorite recipe. Ground beef or turkey is browned and then simmered with a tomato-based sauce and macaroni noodles and then topped with grated cheddar. The perfect weeknight dinner to feed a family. Make it quickly in your electric pressure cooker.

What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?

To make Instant Pot Mom’s Goulash I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly.  It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.

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Instant Pot Mom’s Goulash


★★★★★

4.6 from 20 reviews

  • Author: Karen Petersen
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Description

Not an authentic version of “goulash” but what my mom would call goulash when I was growing up! Whatever you call it, it tastes amazing.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth (or 1 1/2 cups water + 1 1/2 tsp Better than Bouillon Beef Base)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 10 oz cavatappi noodles, cellentani or elbow macaroni noodles (uncooked)
  • 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
  • 1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese
  • Optional: 1/4 cup fresh basil

Instructions

  1. Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. When the display says HOT add in the ground meat. Use a wooden spoon to break it up (or a tool like this*). Brown the meat for about 3 minutes then add in the onion. Let the onion get soft and translucent, about 3-4 more minutes. Add in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic cloves and Worcestershire sauce. Stir.
  2. Pour in the beef broth and deglaze the pot. Add in the bay leaf and the noodles. Then pour the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes on top, don’t stir.
  3. Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes on high pressure.
  4. When the timer beeps indicating the time is up move the valve to venting. Once all the pressure is release, remove the lid. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Stir.
  5. Sprinkle in the cheddar and serve topped with fresh basil, if desired.

Notes

I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. To make gluten free: Double check the beef broth to be sure it does not contain gluten. Substitute noodles for GF noodles and decrease cook time by 1 minute in the IP.

  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
  • Calories: 418
  • Sugar: 7 g
  • Sodium: 1280 mg
  • Fat: 13 g
  • Carbohydrates: 46 g
  • Protein: 27 g

Keywords: pasta, ground beef

Did you make this recipe?

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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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75 Comments Filed Under: Beef, Can Be Gluten Free, Instant Pot, Turkey, Pasta

Recommendations

Comments

  1. Kathy says

    September 10, 2022 at 7:44 am

    LOVE THIS RECIPE! Can you double this recipe and cook all at once in a 6 qt Instant Pot?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 12, 2022 at 1:56 pm

      Yes it should be fine to double!

      Reply
  2. Jeanie says

    March 27, 2022 at 4:39 pm

    Another winner, Karen. This recipe is pure down home comfort. I used a large 15 oz. can of tomato sauce instead of two 8 oz. cans but made no other changes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 31, 2022 at 11:59 am

      Nice! I love this one too!

      Reply
  3. Gayle Green says

    January 31, 2021 at 7:07 pm

    I don’t have an instant pot but this looks amazing. How can I make this without an instapot?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 1, 2021 at 10:34 am

      You could cook pasta on stove and drain. Then brown the beef and onions and add in seasonings. Stir pasta in with the beef. Add in the tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes and then add in the cheese and basil.

      Reply
  4. Dianne says

    January 31, 2021 at 5:48 pm

    I’m from Ohio and this was a once a week dinner at my Mom’s house. This brings back so many memories and even more raising my own family. Love your recipe!! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 1, 2021 at 10:35 am

      You’re welcome! Thanks for being here Dianne!

      Reply
  5. Jon says

    January 19, 2021 at 5:23 pm

    Made this for the first time tonight. I subbed paprika for the oregano. Most excellent! My wife said to keep it. It reminded me of what my Mom made and her of what her Dad made. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 20, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      You’re so welcome! good work!

      Reply
  6. Bev says

    December 15, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    I have made this twice, both times with ground beef. The first time it was excellent but the second, the pasta was not fully cooked. How do I make sure this doesn’t happen again and how do I complete cooking the pasta?

    Thanks! Love your recipes!!

    P.S. I would give it 5 stars for the first one and 3 for the second; hence 4.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 17, 2020 at 11:44 am

      Did you use the same type of pasta both times?

      Reply
      • Bev Bradley says

        December 17, 2020 at 12:37 pm

        yes; macaroni.

        Reply
        • Karen says

          December 21, 2020 at 3:53 pm

          How weird. I would just turn the saute setting on (less) if it isn’t fully cooked.

          Reply
  7. Charlene Connell says

    August 31, 2020 at 5:44 pm

    My older kids absolutely did not like the flavor of this the first time we made it. It tasted like weird, canned ravioli. My littles liked it a little better.

    The second time we made it, my chef son made 1.5x the recipe (big family) but only used 1/2T Worcestershire sauce. He still wasn’t a huge fan, but that fixed it for the rest of us. It was loved by some and liked by others, and only the chef himself still didn’t care for it.

    This is now part of our menu, with that adjustment.

    ★★★

    Reply
  8. Amy says

    July 13, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    Easy, fast, tasty! Amazing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      July 14, 2020 at 7:46 pm

      Glad you liked it Amy!

      Reply
  9. Yvette says

    March 14, 2020 at 7:52 pm

    It’s AWESOME and very simple! My dad even loved it and he hates my cooking!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 16, 2020 at 1:27 pm

      Haha! I hope your dad starts changing his mind. I’m glad he liked this one.

      Reply
  10. Carol A Ruff says

    January 12, 2020 at 6:53 pm

    Both my husband and I loved this – he actually helped – used ground turkey and he cooked that while I got everything together – will make again for sure!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 13, 2020 at 12:37 pm

      TEAM WORK!!! I love it 🙂

      Reply
  11. Mrs C5 says

    December 17, 2019 at 10:30 am

    Can this be doubled in the 6qt IP? I saw the previous comment about reducing time by 1min.. I have an 8qt – should I use that?? Thanks for a wonderful resource for all IP recipes! I’ve used several now, and all received rave reviews! You’re a BLESSING, Karen!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 17, 2019 at 5:58 pm

      Thank you! I would use the 8 quart pot to double it and then reduce pressure cook time to 2 minutes.

      Reply
      • Charlene Connell says

        August 31, 2020 at 5:46 pm

        Why would you reduce the time when doubling just because you use a larger pressure cooker? Curious. Still so much to learn about the IP

        Reply
  12. Irene says

    November 7, 2019 at 8:24 pm

    I haven’t tried this yet, but based on reviews I will be! Fairly new to the Instapot, still a little hesitant is this a natural release or quick release?

    Thanks!
    Irene

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 8, 2019 at 8:18 pm

      I used a quick release.

      Reply
  13. Rebecca L Perez says

    October 23, 2019 at 8:27 am

    This Goulash was so Delicious! I used elbow macaroni and it came out perfectly (natural release). I added chopped celery with the leaves and more garlic cloves and Worcestire Sauce. I also used fire roasted tomatoes instead of regular. Such an easy recipe. So good! Thank you!

    ★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 25, 2019 at 5:11 pm

      Did you mean to leave a 5 star rating instead of a 1 star rating?

      Reply
  14. Verna says

    September 5, 2019 at 7:57 pm

    We made this two nights ago and it’s now one of our favorites, but….. we had it tonight fried in some
    evoo and it was so good!!!! We love crispy pasta and the flavors were even better. Thank you so much, Karen. We love your mama’s Goulash.

    Reply
    • Verna says

      September 6, 2019 at 4:41 pm

      Sorry,I forgot to rate it

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    • Karen says

      September 7, 2019 at 11:43 am

      yum! That sounds so great 🙂

      Reply
  15. Prairie says

    September 1, 2019 at 11:30 pm

    I can’t wait to try this! It looks delicious!! Thanks for sharing it!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 3, 2019 at 1:13 pm

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  16. Dave S says

    September 1, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    Just made this tonight. My kids loved it, as did I!! My only other comments was that it tasted a bit too salty. Probably was the beef broth. Next time I might leave out the salt or use a lower sodium beef broth. But overall this was excellent…I can delete the rest of the similar recipes from my recipe software!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 3, 2019 at 1:16 pm

      Haha! Glad you liked it. Yes maybe use low sodium broth. That’ll help

      Reply
  17. Aimee says

    September 1, 2019 at 3:45 pm

    Probably one of my favorite recipes from you! Always a crowd pleaser on a cold night. I sometimes sub ground turkey instead of ground beef. I also use a full, 16 oz box of pasta without changing anything else and it turns out great. I think the bay leaf is part of what makes it so good!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 3, 2019 at 1:17 pm

      Glad you like it so much!

      Reply
    • Jolene Lowinger says

      March 26, 2020 at 5:35 pm

      Thanks for the note about adding a whole box.

      Reply
  18. Marti says

    June 9, 2019 at 5:12 pm

    I made this goulash recipe exactly as listed, thinking I would “tweak “ if I made it again. It was so perfect as is that I would do nothing different! I used Trader Joe’s elbow macaroni because that’s all I had and would use that again also! Texture was perfect. So glad I used your recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 10, 2019 at 7:58 pm

      Hooray! Thanks Marti.

      Reply
  19. Rick says

    May 25, 2019 at 4:45 am

    This is the 2nd time I’ve made this and It tasted as wonderful as the 1st time! Both times they were made exactly as per your recipe, thank you for sharing, love your recipes!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 28, 2019 at 6:29 am

      So nice to hear this Rick!

      Reply
  20. Jake Valentine says

    May 15, 2019 at 3:40 pm

    Very good! …….but this is Chili Mac, not what I know as goulash. The good news is when my wife said she was making goulash I wasn’t really looking forward to it, but then I saw it was Chili Mac and loved it (with some hot sauce just like in the military).

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 15, 2019 at 9:40 pm

      haha! love it

      Reply
  21. Regina says

    May 14, 2019 at 8:14 pm

    Made this for dinner tonight and it was great. Still learning to use my Instant Pot, so followed the recipe except mistakenly opening the wrong tomatoes, opened the ones with jalapenos, but it didn’t matter. Husband loved it. Thanks for publishing this and all the recipes, I’ve saves tons of them!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 15, 2019 at 9:36 pm

      So glad it worked out okay! The jalapenos probably gave it some extra ooomph

      Reply
  22. Angela C. says

    May 8, 2019 at 7:07 pm

    Great recipe…very tasty!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 9, 2019 at 8:51 am

      Angela, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  23. Sharon says

    April 24, 2019 at 7:59 am

    This was very good. I used ground turkey, and to reduce the sodium, I used only 1/2 tsp. salt, and reduced sodium beef broth. Used a few shakes of dried basil in place of fresh, and substituted the cheddar cheese with mozzarella. This would be good with fresh mushrooms added and perhaps bell pepper too.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 24, 2019 at 9:35 am

      Love the idea of mushrooms!

      Reply
  24. Helen says

    April 3, 2019 at 10:15 am

    Who cares what it’s called if it is GOOD? LOL. Can this be doubled? If so! Time stay same?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 8, 2019 at 3:27 pm

      Lol Helen! Yes double it and reduce cooking time by 1 minute.

      Reply
  25. Gail Armstrong says

    February 25, 2019 at 6:33 pm

    Easy, fast and delicious…who could ask for more?!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 26, 2019 at 10:35 am

      🙂

      Reply
  26. Brenda says

    February 12, 2019 at 9:53 am

    Although not Goulash, this is so quick, easy and surprisingly very tasty! Especially the day after. I am usually wary of American style “dump” dinners but this was good!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 12, 2019 at 2:22 pm

      Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  27. Debbie says

    February 11, 2019 at 3:47 pm

    I have red pepper, bell pepper and mushrooms in the fridge that need to be used soon. I think these would be a good addition. No Worcestershire though… I’m using ground beef- do you think a little soy sauce can be used instead?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 11, 2019 at 7:26 pm

      Sure why not? It’s one of those throw everything in type of meals!

      Reply
      • Valerie I. says

        September 1, 2019 at 12:47 pm

        As I understand it, Worcestershire sauce is soy sauce with the addition of anchovie.

        Reply
  28. Neil says

    January 27, 2019 at 12:00 pm

    Hello,

    Does the pasta get cooked per the instructions on the package and then get added after the sauce mixture is done? I wasn’t sure, thanks.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 28, 2019 at 3:16 pm

      No, add the pasta into the instant pot uncooked. That’s the magic!

      Reply
  29. Molly says

    January 21, 2019 at 9:53 pm

    Made this tonight and the family loved it! I used no salt added tomatoes, low sodium broth, and only 1/2 tsp of salt and it was wonderful! Thank you for the great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  30. Kristen says

    December 8, 2018 at 11:43 am

    I made this, for my picky boyfriend and his only complaint, is there wasn’t more! I put the diced tomatoes in thr cuisinart, as he doesn’t like chunks of them. This was so easy and delicious. It is going into regular rotation of meals.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 9, 2018 at 10:19 am

      Nice! I love it when you can please the boyfriend.

      Reply
  31. Zsuska says

    September 25, 2018 at 6:43 pm

    This is more of a Italian meat and noodle soup. Goulash is a Hungarian dish with the main spice of Paprika. This is not truly a Old Fashioned Goulash recipe.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 26, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      Gotcha! I’ll have to try the authentic goulash sometime.

      Reply
    • Becky says

      November 1, 2018 at 7:30 am

      Yes, what I was going to say. It isn’t goulash if it doesn’t have paprika.

      Reply
  32. Lori says

    September 18, 2018 at 12:39 pm

    Karen could I please get the slow cooker version for the goulash?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 19, 2018 at 2:37 pm

      Hi Lori, I don’t have a slow cooker version. Pasta doesn’t do well in the slow cooker! You could definitely make this on the stove top though.

      Reply
      • Lori says

        September 23, 2018 at 4:01 pm

        Karen if I do the stovetop recipe do I still use all the beef broth ? Or cut it down?

        Reply
        • Karen says

          September 24, 2018 at 12:57 pm

          This is how I would make it on the stove top:
          10 oz cavatappi noodles, cellentani or elbow macaroni noodles (uncooked)
          1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
          1 yellow onion, diced
          1 tsp salt
          1/4 tsp black pepper
          1/4 tsp garlic powder
          3/4 tsp oregano
          1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
          2 garlic cloves, minced
          1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
          2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
          1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
          1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese
          Optional: 1/4 cup fresh basil

          1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
          2. Brown the ground beef in a large pan over medium high heat. Add in the onions and cook until softened. Add in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, worcestershire, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes over low heat. Then add in the cooked pasta and toss it all together. Sprinkle the cheese and basil on top and serve.

          Reply
  33. Marilyn says

    September 17, 2018 at 11:37 am

    I made this yesterday and it was so delicious, the flavors were unbelievable. I will be making this many times in the future.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 17, 2018 at 1:34 pm

      I’m so glad you liked it Marilyn! Did you use ground turkey or ground beef?

      Reply
      • Marilyn says

        September 18, 2018 at 12:06 am

        I used ground turkey. I got most of the ingredients together a few days before I made it. Everything went so smooth and unbelievably delicious. Brought back memories when my mother used to make it.

        Reply
        • Karen says

          September 19, 2018 at 2:38 pm

          So glad!!

          Reply

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Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

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