Cozy and comforting, this Instant Pot Goulash is so easy to make! Thanks to the pressure cooker, this American styled goulash is made in less than 20 minutes and all in one pot.
Whether you want to call this Instant Pot Goulash, Instant Pot American Chop Suey, Instant Pot Johnny Marzetti, or just Instant Pot ground beef pasta, I can promise you that this is comfort in a a bowl. We’ve got macaroni, beef, and a tomato-y sauce all seasoned to perfect and made within minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot American Goulash
- It’s family friendly. Your entire family from your little picky eaters to the adults in the household will love this pressure cooker goulash. It is so tasty! Plus, Instant Pot elbow macaroni is always a hit with the kids!
- It’s simple. All the steps are straightforward, there aren’t any hard to find ingredients, we mostly use pantry staples, and it’s one of my favourite easy Instant Pot recipes with ground beef in it. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
- It’s freezer friendly. Make a large batch and freeze half for later! Meal prepping at it’s finest!
What You’ll Need To Make Goulash
- olive oil
- ground beef — I use lean ground beef
- salt & pepper
- onion — plain small yellow onion is fine
- garlic
- dried basil
- dried oregano
- tomato paste
- elbow macaroni
- beef broth — I like to use Better than Bouillon
- soy sauce — low sodium
- tomato puree
- bay leaves
How to Make Goulash in the Instant Pot
- Season the beef with some salt and pepper.
- On sauté mode, add in the olive oil, ground beef, diced onions, and garlic.
- Sauté for 2 minutes before adding in the dried basil and dried oregano.
- Continue to cook for another minutes, combining everything before adding in the tomato paste.
- Sauté until the beef has been evenly coated by the tomato paste, around 1-2 minutes.
- Turn off sauté mode and add in the macaroni, beef broth, and soy sauce. Do not stir. Simply pat the pasta down with a wooden spoon to ensure it’s fully covered by the liquid.
- Pour the tomato puree overtop, do not stir. Add in the bay leaves and close the lid. Set the valve to sealing and pressure cook for 4 minutes.
- When done, quick release, remove the bay leaves, and stir the goulash before serving.
Tips and Notes
- This recipe was only tested in an Duo Plus 9 in 1 Instant Pot (6 qt) and cooked on high pressure.
- Make it spicy by adding in 2-3 tbsp of sriracha before pressure cooking.
- Feel free to add extra vegetables to this such as spinach, corn, peas, etc.
- Want to add shredded cheese at the end? Feel free to do so!
- Be sure to break up your ground beef with a wooden spoon during the sautéing phase. If there’s a ton of liquid from the beef, feel free to drain it or keep it in the pot.
- While I did not have to deglaze my pot, if your liner has any cooked on bits at the bottom, deglaze it with some broth.
- It can take up to 10 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure.
What’s the Difference Between American Style Goulash and Hungarian Goulash?
American styled goulash is made with macaroni pasta, ground beef, and tomato puree whereas Hungarian goulash is a stew made with braised beef, sweet Hungarian paprika, and bell peppers. They are quite different!
Make Ahead Tips/How to Store Leftover Goulash
- Meal prep/leftovers: store the cooked pressure cooker goulash in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: allow the goulash to cool before transferring it into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer.
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot Beef and Pasta (Beefaroni)
- Instant Pot Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Spaghetti with Ground Beef
- Instant Pot Healthy Hamburger Helper Pasta
- Creamy Instant Pot Beef Pasta
Instant Pot Goulash
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp salt & pepper, or to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1½ tbsp tomato paste
- 454 grams elbow macaroni
- 3 cups beef broth
- 3 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
- 28 fl oz tomato puree
- 2 bay leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Season the beef with some salt and pepper.
- On sauté mode, add in the olive oil, ground beef, diced onions, and garlic.
- Sauté for 2 minutes before adding in the dried basil and dried oregano.
- Continue to cook for another minutes, combining everything before adding in the tomato paste.
- Sauté until the beef has been evenly coated by the tomato paste, around 1-2 minutes.
- Turn off sauté mode and add in the macaroni, beef broth, and soy sauce. Do not stir. Simply pat the pasta down with a wooden spoon to ensure it’s fully covered by the liquid.
- Pour the tomato puree overtop, do not stir. Add in the bay leaves and close the lid. Set the valve to sealing and pressure cook for 4 minutes.
- When done, quick release, remove the bay leaves, and stir the goulash before serving.
Nutrition Per Serving
Other places to connect with me
@carmyshungry on Instagram
Facebook
Shop my Amazon faves
Email: [email protected]
Michelle says
This was a wonderful and easy recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Carmy says
So happy you enjoyed this, Michelle. Thank you for rating it :)
Vivian says
Great recipe! So easy and I love that I can use up bits and pieces of veg. I also used up small amounts of salsa and chili sauce plus some tomato sauce to include in the liquid. I bought an Instant Pot at the beginning of the pandemic and have used it alot. Thanks for your recipes with really clear instructions!
Carmy says
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed, Vivian! Thank you for the review!
Angeline says
Thanks for the quick and easy to follow recipe! It was so delicious. I added 1/2 tbsp of fish sauce for an extra oomph of umami!
Carmy says
What a great addition! Thanks for sharing, Angeline!