Classic American Goulash Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional goulash made of? ›

It is made with simple ingredients like meat, peppers and root vegetables elevated to perfection by the use of Hungary's most famous spice: paprika. Goulash can be made with beef or pork but the traditional way of making it is with beef.

There are two kinds of goulash: Hungarian goulash, which calls for the slow-simmered beef to be served alongside egg noodles, and American goulash, which pulls in ground beef and cooks the noodles in the pot alongside the sauce.

Goulash (Hungarian: gulyás) is a soup or stew of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is one of the national dishes of Hungary and a symbol of the country.

American goulash, sometimes called slumgullion, American Chop Suey, or even Beef-a-Roni, is an American comfort-food dish popular in the Midwest and South. Besides the name, there is no real connection to Hungarian goulash in terms of the flavor or ingredients.

Hungarian Goulash is a thick meat and vegetable stew with a broth that's heavily seasoned with paprika, while American Goulash is a quick dish made from ground beef, tomato sauce, herbs, and elbow macaroni noodles. It also goes by the name of American Chop Suey.

American Goulash has many names, depending on the region you're from – Slumgullion, American Chop Suey, Johnny Marzetti, and even Beefaroni.

Mulligan stew, also known as hobo stew, is a type of stew said to have been prepared by American hobos in camps in the early 1900s. Another variation of mulligan stew is "community stew", a stew put together by several homeless people by combining whatever food they have or can collect.

Ingredients. Ground Meat: Ground beef is the most popular meat in hobo stew, but you can also use ground pork or ground chicken. Vegetables: The most popular veggies used include tomatoes, potatoes, onions, peppers and carrots. If you like a little heat, add jalapeños.

Are beefaroni and goulash the same thing? ›

This easy, one-pot American Goulash (aka Beefaroni) is the epitome of comfort food and a meal the entire family will love! It starts with a flavorful homemade meat sauce, then macaroni noodles cooked in the sauce, and finished with a sprinkle of cheese.

Mattison explains that when baking soda comes into contact with a steak's surface, it alkalizes the steak, or raises the steak's pH levels. This helps the meat fibers be less tight. She clarifies that it's similar to the salt in a brine solution, which makes the steak more tender (and tasty).

Searching for the perfect accompaniment? Try mashed potato, dumplings or your favourite veg.

4.50 from 2 votes. How to 'velvet' beef – this is a method of tenderising tougher/cheaper cuts of beef to use for stir fry recipes. I use bicarbonate of soda for this quick method. The beef is tender and ready to use in 30 minutes.

American goulash is more of a pasta and ground beef dish

A comfort classic in the U.S., American goulash bears little relation to its Hungarian predecessor. Chunks of beef or pork are replaced by ground meat, drowned in a tomato sauce over macaroni.

Hungarian goulash is very similar to beef stew, but there are some differences. While a typical stew consists of slow braising chunks of meat with root vegetables in a seasoned broth, goulash uses spices such as caraway, cumin, paprika, and peppers which really enhance and alter the flavor from a classic beef stew.

Traditional goulash is a stew/soup, usually using a cheaper cut of meat suited to slow cooking. It usually contains potatoes and other vegetables, as well as noodles. A true stroganoff consists of paprika-dusted fillet steak quickly pan fried with mushrooms and onions in a sour cream and brandy sauce.