This Instant Pot goulash takes everything I love about my classic American goulash recipe and turns it into an even easier one-pot dinner. Ground beef, tomatoes and elbow macaroni all cook together in the pressure cooker, and the entire meal is ready in about 30 minutes.
My original goulash recipe has been one of the most-loved recipes on Pip and Ebby for years, so I didn’t want to mess with what makes it work. This version keeps those same familiar, comforting flavors while letting the Instant Pot do most of the work. The pasta cooks right in the tomato sauce with the beef, which means fewer steps, fewer dishes and no separate pot of boiling water.
For me, that’s exactly where the Instant Pot earns its place in the kitchen. If I can simplify a dinner I already love without sacrificing the part that makes it good, that’s a shortcut worth taking!
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s a true one-pot meal. The ground beef is browned right in the Instant Pot, then the macaroni cooks with the tomatoes, sauce and seasonings. No separate pot of pasta to boil or drain.
- You get classic American goulash in about 30 minutes. The pressure-cooking time is only 4 minutes. Allow about 17 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, then do an immediate quick release so the pasta doesn’t continue cooking.
- The pasta absorbs all that flavor as it cooks. Instead of boiling the elbow macaroni separately in water, it cooks right alongside the beef and tomato mixture.
- It’s adapted from a recipe readers already love. My classic goulash recipe has been a reader favorite for years. I used that same beefy, tomato-based combination as the starting point for this pressure cooker version.
- It works for real-life dinner nights. Ground beef, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and pasta are easy ingredients to keep around, making this one of those meals you can pull together without much planning.
Instant Pot Goulash Ingredients
Ground beef – I use 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef for a hearty goulash. Ground turkey or ground pork can also be used. Drain off excess grease after browning, if needed.
Diced tomatoes – Add the tomatoes with their juices. That liquid is important because the macaroni cooks directly in the Instant Pot.
Tomato sauce – This creates the rich tomato base for the goulash. If you have some on hand, my homemade tomato sauce works great here, too.
Water or beef broth – Either works, but I prefer beef broth when I have it on hand because it adds another layer of savory flavor.
Worcestershire sauce – Don’t skip this one! It adds savory depth to the beef and tomato sauce without making the finished dish taste like Worcestershire sauce.
Elbow macaroni – Classic elbow macaroni is my preference for American goulash and the 4-minute pressure-cooking time is written specifically for it.
How To Make Instant Pot Goulash
- Add the beef, onion and garlic. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the ground beef, chopped onion and minced garlic to the pot.
- Brown the beef. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onion has softened, breaking the meat apart as it cooks. Drain excess grease, if needed.
- Add the pasta and remaining ingredients. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, tomato sauce, water or beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt and elbow macaroni. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits from the beef.
- Stir everything together well. Mix until the ingredients are evenly combined and the macaroni is incorporated into the liquid. This helps the pasta cook evenly during pressure cooking.
- Pressure cook for 4 minutes. Secure the lid, set the valve to sealing and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Allow about 17 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.
- Quick release, stir and serve. When cooking is complete, immediately quick release the pressure to prevent the pasta from overcooking. Once the float valve drops, remove the lid and stir well. Serve immediately with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Quick release the pressure right away. Once the 4-minute cook time is complete, do an immediate quick release. Letting the pressure release naturally will continue cooking the macaroni and can make it too soft.
- Use beef broth for even more flavor. Water works perfectly well, but replacing some or all of it with beef broth adds extra savory flavor to the finished goulash.
- Add bell pepper. Sauté a chopped red, green, yellow or orange bell pepper along with the onion for extra flavor and texture.
- Try a couple of bay leaves. Add 2 bay leaves before pressure cooking and be sure to remove them before serving.
- Expect the goulash to look saucier when you first open the pot. Give everything a good stir after pressure cooking. The sauce will continue to thicken slightly as the goulash sits.
Can I Make Goulash in a Slow Cooker?
Yes! If you’d rather let dinner cook low and slow, try my Crockpot Goulash. It has the same hearty beef, tomato and pasta combination with a method designed specifically for the slow cooker.
How to Avoid the Instant Pot Burn Notice
Because this Instant Pot goulash contains tomato sauce and pasta, making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot before pressure cooking helps prevent a burn notice.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot before pressure cooking. After browning the beef, make sure no browned bits are stuck to the bottom. Add the remaining ingredients and stir everything together well before securing the lid.
- Don’t reduce the liquid. The water or beef broth helps the Instant Pot come to pressure and allows the macaroni to cook properly.
- If you get a burn notice, press Cancel and carefully quick release the pressure. Once the float valve drops, open the pot and check the bottom for stuck or burned food.
- If nothing has burned, scrape the bottom well, add about 1/2 cup additional water or beef broth if the mixture looks too thick, and resume pressure cooking.
- If food has burned onto the bottom, transfer the unburned goulash to a bowl, thoroughly clean the inner pot, return the food to the pot and resume cooking.
Storing Leftover Goulash
Store leftover Instant Pot goulash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The pasta will absorb more of the sauce as it sits, so leftover goulash will be thicker than it was when freshly made.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm larger portions gently on the stovetop. If the goulash seems dry, stir in a splash of water, beef broth or tomato sauce as it reheats.
Instant Pot Goulash FAQs
Is this American goulash or Hungarian goulash?
This recipe is American goulash, made with ground beef, tomatoes and elbow macaroni. Hungarian goulash is a very different dish, traditionally made as a meat and vegetable stew seasoned heavily with paprika.
What should I serve with goulash?
Instant Pot goulash is a complete meal on its own, but garlic bread and a simple chopped salad are two of my favorite sides. Steamed or roasted vegetables such as broccoli, green beans or Brussels sprouts work well, too.
Can you freeze Instant Pot goulash?
Yes, but the pasta will be softer after freezing and thawing. Let the goulash cool completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze. If you’re making goulash specifically for the freezer, I prefer cooking the pasta separately and adding it after reheating for the best texture.
Are goulash and spaghetti the same thing?
No. American goulash and spaghetti use some similar ingredients, but they’re prepared differently. With spaghetti, the pasta is typically cooked separately from the sauce. American goulash is a one-pot dish where the macaroni cooks with the ground beef and tomato sauce.
Why is my Instant Pot goulash soupy?
The goulash may look a little saucy when you first remove the lid. Give it a good stir and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. The pasta will continue to absorb some of the liquid and the sauce will thicken as it rests.
Can I use a different type of pasta?
Elbow macaroni works best because the 4-minute pressure-cooking time has been tested with this pasta shape. Other pasta shapes may require different cooking times and could become too soft or remain undercooked.
Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!
Instant Pot Goulash Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 30 oz diced tomatoes with juices
- 30 oz tomato sauce
- 3 cups water or beef broth
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- 16 oz elbow macaroni
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese shredded, for topping
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the ground beef, garlic and onion. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onion has softened, breaking the meat apart as it cooks. Drain excess grease, if needed.1 1/2 lbs ground beef, 3 cloves garlic, 1 yellow onion
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, tomato sauce, water or beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt and elbow macaroni. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits, then stir everything together well.30 oz diced tomatoes, 30 oz tomato sauce, 3 cups water, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, 2 tsp seasoned salt, 16 oz elbow macaroni
- Pressure cook. Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Allow approximately 17 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.
- Quick release and serve. When cooking is complete, immediately quick release the pressure. Once the float valve drops, carefully remove the lid and stir well. Serve immediately with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.1/4 cup cheddar cheese
Video
Notes
- Quick release immediately after cooking to prevent the macaroni from becoming too soft.
- Beef broth can be used in place of the water for additional savory flavor.
- Add a chopped bell pepper with the onion, if desired.
- Add 2 bay leaves before pressure cooking for extra flavor. Remove before serving.
- The goulash may look saucy when you first open the pot. Stir well and let it sit for a few minutes. The sauce will thicken as the pasta absorbs more liquid.Do an immediate quick release as soon as the 4-minute cook time is complete. This prevents the elbow macaroni from continuing to cook and becoming too soft.
Nutrition
Megan Porta is a comfort food recipe creator who specializes in easy family meals and Instant Pot desserts, and the founder of Pip and Ebby. She has been cooking for three decades and developing recipes for over fifteen years, helping home cooks make reliable, cozy recipes for real life.
Is this gluten free?
Hi Lynda! Ingredients to check to ensure this recipe is GF: The pasta.. use a gluten-free variety. The Worcestershire sauce.. can sometimes contain gluten. A good replacement for this is coconut aminos or tamari. Seasoned salt.. some varieties can contain gluten.
With these in mind, you should be able to make this a GF dish! Note that GF pasta will cook differently from regular pasta, so keep an eye on this, too.
It came out amazing! Only frustrated a bit because i kelt getting the burn signal, do you happen to know why? Im still relatively new to using it. It was very good tho!
Hi Angie! I’m not sure why you were getting the burn signal. I know I’ve gotten before when noodles got burned to the bottom of the pot.
Can you double it?
Great quesion Brenda – this makes a really large batch. I don’t think it would double well in the instant pot but if you prepared it stovetop you could.
My family loves this. We have made it SO many times, but unfortunately every time we make it we get the burn notice. Any suggestions on how to stop this?
That is frustrating when you’re ready to put a meal on the table. So sorry. Are you cooking your meat in the instant pot before preparing the pasta? Be sure that all the saute bits are scraped off with some broth or sauce to help remove it. Then when you add the rest of the ingredients, be sure to let them layer in but do not push them to the bottom of the pot. It’ll help the liquid stay at the bottom, creating pressure, vs a burn notice.
I always pour the noodles on top and press them into the liquid vs stirring… seems to help…
I’ve made goulash close to 50 ways, and I have never tasted a better goulash than this recipe.
I did half the recipe because there are only two of us.
Thanks
Love that, Sheila! So glad it was enjoyed. It is a big recipe, good call on the halving it.
I made this tonight. I followed the recipe, I did add the 2 bay leaves and a mix of bell peppers diced, red, green and yellow. 1 cup. it turned out perfect. so good ! My husband and I voted it a keeper ! thanks for sharing it.
Jo
Love to hear that, Jo! The peppers add such a delicious flavor, agreed.
Last time I made this in my 8qt I got a burn notice. What can I do to help fix this.
SOOOOO good! we halfed it and it did great, just added a little extra water. The season salt + worstechire +bay leaf = something magical….maybe I shouldn’t have halfed it!
SO glad it was enjoyed, Kake! I love the extras because I can freeze it for lunches another day but I’m glad to hear it was good in half too.
Do you put the noodles in uncooked?
Yes! Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, water, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt and uncooked elbow macaroni to the pot and stir before starting the pot up.
I have made this multiple times and my family loves it!! I sometimes add a small can of diced chili peppers and a can of corn, gives it a little sweet pop! I add a little more beef broth or water, as mine has burned (mildly) toward the end of the cooking time.
Those are great tweaks to the recipe – I swear this recipe can be called pantry goulash – just whatever’s on hand, throw in. But it’s hearty and filling. Thanks Nancy for sharing!
What size instant pot are you using?
I use a 6 qt Instant Pot in my kitchen.
I have this receipe going in my IP, I added a can of sliced mushrooms, cooked it with the meat. Onions, bell peppers. Garlic.
So we will see how it turns out.
Thank you Debbie for sharing those tips. It sounds like it’ll be amazing and every bite enjoyed!
I’ve made this recipe several times and it always turns out great. My whole family loves it. It’s easy and quick too!
It’s so easy! I love cooking in the IP and on the stove – prefer the IP more these days. 😉 Thanks for sharing Catherine!
It’s so easy! I love cooking in the IP and on the stove – prefer the IP more these days. 😉 Thanks for sharing Catherine!
We love this recipe. I’ve made it numerous times. If I want to half it, would I cut the time in half too?
Hi Lisa, great question! You would not cut the time in half in an IP. This recipe does make a lot but I would cut just 2 minutes off the cook time. Thank you!
Making right now and shows 35 min to cook. Is this correct
Hi June, the cook time is 4 minutes but we include how much time to anticipate the pressure building inside the Instant Pot. This is the magic of the Instant Pot! But you would only set your timer for 4. I hope that makes sense.
I and my husband love this. I probably have made this 3 times. Thanks for sharing.
So glad, Lori! Thank you for sharing that!
How do I share this recipe? I don’t do pinterest…. I want to share to my facebook page so I’ll have it!?
Great question! If you grab the URL on our site, you can share it via text or email – https://pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/instant-pot-goulash/
Otherwise, you can use the share button facebook as well. I have recently posted it to Facebook, let me know if you see it!