Beef · Slow cooker adaptation

Old School American Beef Goulash (Slow Cooker)

Beverly Black's old school American goulash is the one your nan would have made if your nan lived in the American South: browned beef mince, peppers and onions, tinned tomatoes, a bay leaf or three, and a whole box of elbow macaroni cooked right in the sauce. Serve with cornbread and a fistful of cheese on top.

R By Richard · Adapted from Beverly Black · Published 23 June 2026
👁 375.5k source views ❤️ 10.3k source likes
⏱Prep 15 min
🍲Slow cook 6 hr (Low) / 3 hr (High)
The Best Old School American Beef Goulash Recipe

Source video by Beverly Black on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

American goulash bears no resemblance to its Hungarian namesake. It is a comforting one-pot of browned beef mince, green pepper and onion, tinned tomatoes and Italian seasoning, with elbow macaroni cooked right in the sauce. Beverly Black's version uses a whole one pound box of macaroni and three bay leaves, finished with grated cheese and a side of cornbread. Here it is adapted for the slow cooker, with the mince browned first on the hob and the pasta added near the end so it does not turn to mush.

Slow cooker notes: Source is a hob Dutch oven recipe. Adapted by browning the beef mince first on the hob with the onion and green pepper (slow cookers do not brown), then transferring with the tomatoes and seasonings to the slow cooker for a long, low simmer. Dry elbow macaroni is stirred in at the end and cooked on High until tender, otherwise it would over-absorb the sauce. Slow cooker times not stated in the source; 6 hours Low or 3 hours High are standard for a mince and tomato sauce.

Ingredients

Main
  • 900 gbeef mince
  • 1 wholeonion, diced
  • 1 wholegreen pepper, diced
  • 2 x 411g tinstinned diced tomatoes
  • 450 gdry elbow macaroni (add late)
Seasoning
  • 1 tbspminced garlic
  • 1 tbspItalian seasoning
  • 3 wholebay leaves
  • 1 tspsalt
  • 1 tspblack pepper
To serve
  • grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese

Method

  1. Brown the beef mince in a frying pan or Dutch oven over a medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks.

    ~8 min

  2. Once the mince is starting to brown, add the diced onion and diced green pepper to the pan and cook together until the vegetables have softened.

    ~6 min

  3. Drain off any excess liquid or fat from the pan.

    ~1 min

  4. Tip the browned mince and vegetables into the slow cooker. Add the two tins of diced tomatoes, the minced garlic, the Italian seasoning, the bay leaves, the salt and the pepper. Stir well to combine.

    ~3 min

  5. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours.

  6. Switch to High if not already. Stir in the dry elbow macaroni, making sure it is submerged in the sauce. Cover and cook for a further 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the pasta is tender.

    ~25 min

  7. Fish out and discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve topped with grated Parmesan or cheddar, with cornbread or Italian bread on the side.

    ~2 min

Frequently asked

Is American goulash the same as Hungarian goulash?
No. American goulash is a one-pot of beef mince, tinned tomatoes and elbow macaroni with Italian seasoning. Hungarian goulash is a paprika-heavy braise of beef chunks with no pasta in the pot.
Do I have to brown the mince first?
Yes. Slow cookers steam rather than fry, so they will not brown meat. Browning the mince on the hob first gives the sauce its colour and depth of flavour.
Can I cook the pasta separately instead of in the pot?
Yes. Cook the macaroni in salted water on the hob and stir it through at the end. This gives a looser sauce and a firmer bite, and stops the pasta soaking up the liquid.
Why add the macaroni at the end?
Dry pasta added at the start of a long slow cook will turn to mush and soak up all the sauce. Stirring it in for the last 20 to 30 minutes on High cooks it through while keeping some bite.
What is good to serve with this?
Beverly serves hers with a pan of cornbread. Italian bread, breadsticks or a green salad also work, with grated Parmesan or cheddar on top.
Extraction notes (transparency): Quantities for garlic (about 1 tablespoon), Italian seasoning (about 1 tablespoon) and salt (about 1 teaspoon) are stated as approximate by the cook. Pepper stated as 'a teaspoon or a little more'. Servings not stated in the transcript, set to null. Slow cooker timings inferred for the adaptation, not in source. The transcript shows jarred minced garlic; fresh garlic is mentioned as an alternative.