Chef John's American Goulash

I was skeptical, but Chef John has never steered me wrong. So glad I tried it as I was pleasantly surprised. It tastes fancier than it sounds, and my family loved it. Next time would use less salt and more cayenne. This will be in regular rotation.

We called this slumgullion growing up. Super yummy and 1 pot makes it a winner! The cheese makes it thicker and yummy!

Was always looking for a recipe such as this that hearkens back to grade school cafeteria beefaroni, and with Chef John at the helm, I had high hopes. This didn't disappoint! There is a certain nuanced flavor to this dish, that was even more pronounced on day two. Kids and adults LOVED this. Made the recipe as is, perhaps with a touch less soy sauce. I think the only change I would make for the future would be to use the entire box of elbows instead of two cups, which might enhance the meat to pasta ratio. This will likely become part of monthly dinner rotation.

This recipe was fantastic! My kids ate it up. Chef John does not disappoint! My one change is that I drained the tomatoes to keep it from being too soupy. Other than that, you need to make this recipe!!

My wife is Filipina and she kept saying while watching the video "needs soy sauce, needs soy sauce" so thanks for making the secret ingredient at the end "soy sauce"

It was fantastic! Way better than my family's recipe. Way more complex flavors and a big crowd pleaser! Trust the ingredients and the process and you won't be disappointed. I had to switch out the chicken broth for Better Than Boullion Beef, but it really tasted fantastic. Got lots of compliments! Will add this to my repertoire of easy weeknight cooks.

So good! I did a half recipe because it’s only the two of us but used a whole can of tomatoes and the one cup of water at the end and it was perfect.

Makes a large batch and it is very good. I was skeptical about adding so much paprika when I first read the recipe but I trust Chef John after making many of his recipes. Only thing I changed was diced and sauted a green bell pepper along with the onion. I ended up using 1 cup of elbow macaroni and a cup of large seashell macaroni as that is what I had on hand. I also used mild yellow cheddar instead of the white cheddar. These weren't changes that really altered the recipe's taste. It was easy to make and a definite keeper. Nice comfort food on a cold evening...and adding some garlic toast to eat with it was a nice complement.

Recipe was fantastic. I added a diced green bell pepper and 1 Tbsp tomato paste after the onion and burger cooked down and simmered a couple of minutes before resuming the rest of the recipe. Great recipe!

No changes. Grandkids and my 90 yr mom loved it. Chef John is the best.

We really enjoyed this recipe! It's versatile and you can easily add what you like to it. I did not find it to be too watery. I added a green bell pepper and 3 ribs of celery (both chopped) with the onion. Right before I turned off the heat I added 2 cans cannellini beans. This is definitely going in the regular rotation.

I made this the exact way it was written and I really really loved it. My family found that the spices were a bit over the top (Italian parsley and Italian seasoning) but I had no issues with it. It may have been a tad salty and I'd cut down on the soy sauce a bit. but I really loved it!

My wife is a great cook but oddly, never had a goulash recipe. This one looked pretty good so we tried it and LOVED it! It has a lot of flavor. Our teenage sons liked it too. Her recipe box now has a GREAT goulash recipe.

No changes it was great

1 12 oz. package of elbow macaroni seems to be the perfect amount for this recipe! I’ll definitely make this recipe again.

I've never given a negative review before, but this warrants it. This was more like a tomato, and I do mean tomato mess, ok soup. I followed the recipe and the end result was so overpowering in tomato taste that not even the addition of garlic,seasonings and even the ground chuck were detectable. Too much liquid. A total waste of 2 pounds of good meat.

This is now my go to recipe for American goulash. I was so pleased with the heartiness of the sauce, which is what the other recipes I’ve tried are lacking. I served it with a couple of Rhodes French rolls I popped in the oven, and i had a perfectly warm, comforting dinner. Thanks for another great recipe, Chef John!

Awesome dish. brings me back to my childhood.

Yes I would make it again. But, I would`nt put the macaroni in the soup as soon as I did. The macaroni gets mushy if over cooked. You have to eat it before it gets over cooked. That was my error. I have started adding cayenne to many of my dishes like John, he`s right it does add more flavor.

Great recipe, whole family loved it. Took quite a bit longer to cook down the liquid when it was just the ground beef and onions.

Don’t confuse this dish with recipes for ‘chili Mac.’ The flavor profile of Chef John’s version is excellent. I made it exactly as directed, shared the outcome with friends, all of whom asked for the recipe. Very easy to make.

No changes, Grandpa and our 2 and 5 year old Granddaughters loved it! Thanks Chef John

Followed recipe to a T and it was delicious!! Family loved it.

This is one of the best recipes I have ever followed, Thank You Chef!

This was so good! i added saute zucchini and eggplant and a green pepper because I had to use them up. Taste even better the next day and will continue to thicken.

Very easy to make and tastes great as directed. My granddaughter requested this in her lunch for school. It's also easily tweaked to ones own personal tastes.

Made this just as directed and it turned out fantastic. Defiantly will become a staple.

Excellent for immediate consumption, the next day, and leftovers canned in squat halfpints for future lunch meals. Delicious!

So yummy. Kids and adults LOVED it!!

This was very good. And even better as leftovers. I’m taking some to a single friend - it makes A LOT!

Great flavor and perfect for a hot meal on a winter night!

it tasted amazing. deffinitely making it again

Very good. I will make it again.

Made with beef stock and it turned out great! Will add more carrots next time.

Super yummy! Made as written, with the exception of adding one red and one green pepper; as well as using orzo instead of macaroni.

My family loved it.

I made this today. Absolutely wonderful! I changed it up a bit by adding sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms, peppers, shredded yellow cheddar and parmigiana cheese. I also substituted ziti pasta and added crushed tomatoes along with the diced tomatoes. Yummy

Made this several times and the family loved it .....

I followed the recipe exactly, other than I doubled the pasta because we are a pasta family. It was FANTASTIC!! My family loved it! Thank you Chef John!! Another winner!

This is a family favorite. Instead of adding elbows, I make Chef John's recipe for spaetzle.

Another Chef John's excellent recipe! Got rave reviews from wife and friends.

Simple. Foolproof.

This tasted great, my four year old even ate it but he picked out the tomatoes.

Excellent flavor and not spicy but very flavorful.

I made this with my homegrown tomato sauce and fresh tomatoes. Other than that I followed the recipe exact. It was really good! Will make again!

This is an easy, delicious recipe that can yield even tastier leftovers for lunches. The seasoning is really good. Great for busy weeks. (My burners need to be replaced so my timing is a bit off.)

So easy - that was great! Used extra old cheddar and home made chicken broth, and I learned I’ve been doing the meat wrong for all these years - frying to a dry pan makes a world of difference to the texture of the meat. I’ll definitely make again, and likely be a bit more generous with the cayenne. Cheap and easy, I fed my adult sons and some of their friends with bread I made this weekend, they cleaned the pot as well as the dog does. Thank you!

Absolutely delicious! Loved that the macaroni cooks right in the sauce. The best goulash I've ever had or made. Excellent.

2 teaspoons more soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper

My kids adore this! I make it exactly as written, except I cook the noodles separately so they don’t get mushy in the leftovers.

Delicious made recipe as written except I only used 1 tsp of salt and next time I will use just 1/2 tsp if I add any at all.

The family loved it! I made a batch with GF pasta and it worked well.

I initially gave this recipe a 4-5 stars. After a day or 2, and looking at other recipes from Chef John, I downgraded a bit. It would be better with less than half the salt and about 1.5 pounds of ground beef. This guy really piles on the sodium. Despite this the flavor is good and the sauce tasty. Just too much sodium. My swollen ankles can testify. His other recipes seem to carry on this theme.

Making this a second time. My picky kids loved it and it's easy to make.

I think I'm becoming a Chef John addict. This recipe was AWESOME and my husband LOVED it! The only thing I did differently was I used fire roasted diced tomatoes - little different taste that worked well for me. Thanks Chef John!!

My family loved it ! My husband says next time I need to make a pot just for him ! Lol

I made this exactly as directed and loved it. This recipe made A LOT for two hungry adults. I'll cut it in half next time. Classic comfort food and I would imagine kids would love it also.

Lovely flavors of childhood enhanced by a hint of adult cayenne. I only used 1 pound ground meat (venison), added sweet peppers and chopped carrots, because I needed to use them up. Yes, we'll have this again!

DEEEE-LISH!!! This reminded me of having Hamburger Helper when I was a kid (but WAY tastier, with better quality pasta). The only change I made was vegetable broth instead of chicken broth (because it's what I had), and I took Chef John's advice and added one can of red beans at the end. Fantastic! Will definitely make again. Thanks, Chef John!!!!

Oh my goodness! Love your video and followed your recipe to the letter with 1 change. I only had 1 T of Paprika. This was delicious and we ate it for several days. Shared recipe with friends. Thank you Chef John. will be trying other recipes of yours soon.

I liked the recipe but all i could taste is the bay leaves.

I already reviewed this but I just read another review that mentioned something I find that is too important to omit. The recipe called for chicken broth AND water. I would leave the water out. After I'd put in the chicken broth, I was afraid that was already too much liquid. It ended up keeping the leftovers from getting dry but that extra water would have ruined it in my opinion and made it too soupy.

I have make this multiple times now and the family loves it! I didn't change a thing!

Good but I added a can or corn a chopped bell pepper

Loved it. What a yummy comfort dish! I first made it with beef and followed the recipe exactly and my husband and I scarfed it up. BUT for those who want to cut down on red meat, I most recently made this with a meat substitute and it was just as hearty and delicious. My veggie variation: - Used Beyond Meat. - Added one finely diced carrot in the garlic step. - Added a small can of sliced olives.

My wife and I both really enjoyed this one! It will be made again and again.

LOVE THIS!! It has the best flavor . . . with a bit more than a 'pinch' of cayenne pepper (I like it hot!). GREAT Recipe! Will definitely make it again!

Its really good. Even my picky children love it.

I had been wanting to make this for awhile and Chef John made it even better than I remember it being!!!

Classic western New York comfort food. This one is on our regular rotation. Make it as directed. Thanks, Chef John!

Perfection.

This was SO good!!! I had never had this type of "Goulash" before as my family is all German born and we had the Hungarian style.

I halved the recipe. Otherwise followed it using shell instead of elbow macaroni. It was as I remembered as a child in the 70's. Nice comfort food.

Very good. Better than my mom’s from childhood. The spices were a bit too much probably because my mom didn’t use many spices. I added water and calmed it down. It was fun to make. And it makes so much I can freeze for leftovers.

The only thing I will do different, is to put the shredded cheese out for each person to put in their bowl before adding the hot goulash. Otherwise, I wouldn't change a thing.

Another awesome bite! I love your tastebuds! THIS is a KEEPER!

Found it odd that it called for “Italian seasoning” (what is that - that’s sarcasm) and marinara sauce, but tried it anyways. Not a fan of shortcuts when it comes to food and seasoning.Wasn’t good...at all. Won’t be making this again

Really easy to make! I changed a few things to stock on hand. Diced tom=Ro-Tel diced w/green chilies Elbow=egg noodles. Water=Chicken broth. More soy sauce. More cheese (Pepper jack).

It was great! I boiled the macaroni and added it. Didnt use the chicken broth because I had none...my family loved it....I used Italian seasoning for my seasonings.... Will make again!! : )

Awesome! Makes a lot so you can take 1/2 the sauce and freeze it for another easy meal later in the month. I use 3 cups pasta.

Paul Smith's.........!!

I made this as written but cut it in half as I have a small family. We all found it too salty. It’s a good recipe but next time I will not add the additional salt and I will use salt-free broth. That should help.

This dish took me back to to a time when my mom used to make Goulash. For this dish I used grass-fed beef & Cavatappi noodles (double jointed elbow noodles :-D). I also used twice the diced tomatoes. It came out VERY good.

Excellent!! I have 4 stars only because as written, it was little too soupy for me. So, halved everything except the pasta. I also substituted chicken broth for the water as well. Came out perfect!

For whatever reason people in New England call this 'American Chop Suey'. Weird, right? Cut back on the salt a bit, and perfect.

Great recipe! Added Goya garbanzos

This is the second time I am making this. I added short carrot strips, diced celery and bell peppers, and kidney beans to make this into a Paste e Fajiole. Yummy; it tastes almost like Olive Garden's recipe!

I make Chef John’s American Goulash – it is perfect, except you have to reduce the amount of smoked paprika – I only add about ½ of what he calls for. Other than that, it is perfect. I’m single – so when I make it, I don’t add the pasta. Then, when I want some, I put some in a pot with some chicken stock, bring to a boil, add pasta – cook it until its done and voila!!

Great recipe from Chef John as usual,

Chef John never disappoints. This is a great dish for ground beef and it keeps well in the refrigerator if you have leftovers. I like it spicy so I added a half of a habanero pepper diced (I imagine a smaller amount of diced jalapeno would work as well).

Followed it to the tee and came out perfect. Took me back to a time long ago as well. Thank you for this recipe!!

Used the ingredients a no d prepared it in the Ninja Foodie pressure cooker. OMG. I haven't had something this good, since my grandfather would whip something up. It came out PERFECT. The macaroni was tender and the beef was extremely tasty. I set the pot for 15 minutes, after sauteing the beef, onions and garlic, then adding other ingredients. Instead of crushed tomatoes, I had a couple of pints of cherry tomatoes I sliced and it was well worth the substitution. I would recommend adding a can of sweet corn and peas. You hit this one, out of the park, John!

Oh so YUMMY!!!!!

This was delicious! Everyone loved it! I did add more elbow macaroni so it was thicker. I also added green pepper which really gave it some added flavor and was very appealing to the eye! Will definitely make again!!

I was perfect. I did not change a thing. the flavor was unbelievable.

Absolutely delicious. A gourmet version of a childhood classic!

Fancier than hamburger helper... can’t say my child or myself really enjoyed it, but we ate it...

I felt like the soup was missing something, I am big into spice, so I added some chili powder and crushed red pepper flakes. This recipe is 3 stars for me as written. I did not make revisions until after the first bite.

Followed the recipe exactly but I did add a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Everybody in my house liked it and I will be making on a regular basis.