Easy Instant Pot Goulash Recipe

Instant Pot American Goulash Recipe is hearty enough to please even the biggest of eaters but light enough to enjoy year round. This hearty meal comes together quickly in the pressure cooker and your family will gobble this amazing  meal up.

Instant Pot American Goulash Recipe

Have you been hesitant to try making goulash? It really isn’t hard and now that you have the instant pot, it only takes minutes to prepare.

This meal is comfort food at its best. Each bite is so delicious and even the kids will love this meal. All of the delicious seasonings combine with the crushed tomatoes, ground beef and pasta to make such a wonderful meal. It is amazing recipe with amazing taste.

We love that we can combine all the ingredients in the Instant pot for an easy weeknight meal. My family loves this recipe. They may even like this Hungarian Goulash.

What is Goulash?

American Goulash is loaded with ground beef, italian seasoning, crushed tomatoes and macaroni noodles. If you prefer it is topped with cheese. Goulash is a family favorite because it is usually cooked in one pot.

Not only is Goulash easy to make, but it is budget friendly too. The ingredients are easy and usually always have the ingredients on hand.

Some may say it is similar to spaghetti. But goulash is made with the noodles and sauce cooked together. Spaghetti is made with the noodles and meat sauce cooks separately.

Pressure Cooker Goulash is such an easy and tasty one pot meal!

One of my favorite things about this recipe is the easy clean up. You don’t need a ton of different pots and pans to make this meal.

Just grab your pressure cooker and toss it all in and that is it. Dinner is literally ready in minutes and since you only need the instant pot, there is hardly any clean up.

Ingredients:

• Ground Beef- Use Lean Ground Beef or use a mixture of ground beef and ground turkey.
• Onion – Dice up some white onion to add so much flavor to the goulash.
• Green Bell Pepper – You can also use red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper.
• Minced Garlic – We love adding garlic to this recipe. You can also use fresh garlic.
• Salt
• Pepper
• Italian Seasoning – Italian Seasoning blend add just the right amount of seasoning.
• Crushed Tomatoes – Adds a tomato flavor base that is in a classic goulash dish.
• Diced Tomatoes
• Beef Broth – You can also use Chicken Broth.
• Uncooked Macaroni – Use white or whole grain macaroni noodles.

How to make Instant Pot Goulash:

• Brown the Ground Beef – Add the ground beef to the instant pot. Push the sauté button and cook ground beef until it is brown.
• Add in Remaining Ingredients – Add in bell pepper, Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper, tomatoes, uncooked macaroni, and broth or 3 cups of water. Stir to combine.
• Prepare your Instant Pot – Cover and and set the valve to sealing.
• Set Pressure – Set the pressure on high pressure for 2 minutes.
• Quick Release – Do a quick release to release the pressure.
• Serve and Enjoy – Stir and Serve immediately.

It is that simple and this meal is ready in just minutes! Salt and pepper to taste and you are ready to enjoy.

Can you cook pasta in the Instant Pot?

Yes, you can cook pasta in the instant pot. After cooking the ground beef, it only takes about 2 to 3 minutes with the added ingredients to cook the pasta.

When we cook pasta in the instant pot, we usually cut the time in half based on the time on the package. The pasta always comes our perfectly.

It will also depend on how full your instant pot is. A fuller pot takes longer to reach pressure and release pressure. You pasta may take longer to cook. After cooking your meal and your pasta is still not cook, leave in the instant pot for about more 5 minutes.

What to serve with Instant Pot Goulash

Seriously it is good all by itself and on really busy days that is exactly what we did. We just served up heaping bowls of this delicious goulash and dinner was served!

• Garden Salad – If you feel like you need something green, I totally understand. Try a simple side salad for a really quick option.
• Steam Broccoli – You can also learn how to steam broccoli in the microwave for a quick and easy side dish. 
• Green Beans – We also love these delicious roasted green beans. Yum!
• Corn Bread – We love serving goulash with a side of our Homemade Corn Bread.

Goulash Instant Pot Recipe

This is optional but you can top with shredded cheese if you prefer before serving. My kids love to load up their bowls with shredded cheese on top.

It is so delicious.

Can I make Goulash in the Crock Pot?

Yes, making goulash in the crock pot is just as easy as making in the instant pot. Ground the beef on the stove top or if you have a crock pot that you can ground the beef in it, that is the best option.

Add the remaining of the ingredients except the pasta and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Then when you have about 15 minutes remaining, add the pasta to the crock pot to cook. Stir all the ingredients and serve. This goulash turns out great

Instant Pot Goulash Tips:

• Drain Ground Beef – If there is grease in instant pot after cooking the ground beef, drain it from the instant pot.
• Watery Goulash – If the goulash looks watery after opening the instant pot, stir the goulash. The pasta will separate and absorbs in the liquid.
• Add in other Vegetables – Add in some other vegetables when adding in the bell pepper. Chopped carrots and mushrooms are some of our favorites. You can also add in some frozen vegetables such as frozen spinach, peas, or corn. It is a great way to sneak in some vegetables.

Variation Ideas:

The great thing about this recipe is that there are many different ways to serve or make this goulash. These are some of favorites. We usually use what we have.

• Use different Meat – If you prefer a healthy version, use ground turkey or use a mixture of ground beef and ground turkey.
• Add more vegetables – Mushrooms, carrots, zucchini or more green peppers are good options. We love to add anything that pairs well with macaroni noodles. We also like to add in bay leaves.
• Top with Different Cheeses – Cheddar cheese is a great option, but you can also use Monterrey Jack Cheese or Colby Jack Cheese. You can also use a low-fat cheese.
• Use different Pasta – Instead of using macaroni noodles, you can use rigatoni or shells. You might need to lower the cooking time for thinner pasta.
• Worcestershire Sauce – We will add in some Worcestershire sauce for some extra flavoring.
• Tomato Sauce – If you prefer, you can use tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes. This becomes more of stew because of the texture.

What size of Pressure Cooker do I need?

Have you purchased an Electric Pressure Cooker? Pressure Cooking has been a game changer for my family. I can take a meal that is frozen and cook in less time that it takes to go through the drive-thru.

I am using an 8 quart Instant pot but you can use a 6 quart. I personally have an Instant Pot and so far I am loving it. You can find the Instant pot on sale here.  It’s really changed dinner time around here.

How to Store leftover Goulash:

• In the Refrigerator – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The goulash will last about 3-4 days. It makes the perfect lunch the next day.
• Freezing Goulash – Since this recipe includes pasta, I would not recommend freezing.
• Reheating – To reheat leftovers, heat in the microwave in a microwave safe container. Heat in 30 seconds intervals until heated.

Ease One Pot Meal:

Everything you need for a great dinner is in the Instant Pot. One of my favorite things about this recipe is the easy clean up. You only need to use your instant pot to cook the entire meal.

This is perfect for busy weeknights when you have limited time to cook and clean up. This is one of the recipes that I use when we are running from lots of different activities after school. Take out is expensive and this takes the temptation away from eating out. 

I know I can get dinner on the table fast and not spend all night cooking and cleaning it all up.

Print Recipe here for Easy Instant Pot Goulash:

More Instant Pot Recipes:

• Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe
• Pressure Cooker White Chicken Chili Recipe
• Instant Pot Shrimp Jambalaya Recipe
• Instant Pot Chicken Ranch Tacos Recipe
• Instant Pot Baked Ziti Recipe