Instant pot goulash is a comforting recipe of beef, noodles, and pasta. This wholesome rustic stew has been adapted over time and it’s one of my favorite one-pot meals. Nothing picks me up on a cold blustery day like a big bowl of goulash!
I love that this is so easy to put together and everyone in the family is happy when it’s on the dinner table. Even picky eaters clean their plates. Yay!!
This is one of the heartiest pasta recipes ever and there are many different variations of the dish. This particular beef goulash recipe blends a metropolis of herbs and spices to infuse robust flavor deep into the sauce. It practically begs to be eaten!
If you’re looking for a traditional, real deal, European goulash, you have to try my Hungarian goulash.
Let’s get cooking!
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What I Love About This Recipe
This instant pot goulash recipe is absolutely awesome – plain and simple! It’s hearty, nutritious, and easy to make.
- Wholesome and nutritious
- Ready fast
- Easy prep
- Hearty and satisfying
- Ground Beef: This particular recipe is designed for ground beef. I use 80/20 but 85/15 or 90/10 would work too. Technically you could make it with ground turkey also, but it may not be quite as savory.
- Sweet Hungarian Paprika: This noble paprika is often labeled édesnemes and it’s the most commonly exported paprika. You should be able to find this bright red variety of sweet paprika on most grocery store shelves. This is the one I use.
- Onion, Pepper & Garlic: Sautéing your veggies while you’re cooking your beef is super important because it coaxes out those sweeter mellow flavors that give your instant pot goulash recipe depth.
- You’ll also notice that you need to briefly sauté your herbs and spices until they become fragrant. This only takes about a minute, but it perks them up and brings out their complex flavors.
- Diced Tomatoes: It’s important that you don’t ‘drain’ your diced tomatoes because you’ll want to add the juice to the instant pot goulash recipe. The diced tomato juice blends with the tomato sauce, broth, and spices to create an intense saucy base for your goulash.
- Elbow Pasta: I like to use elbow pasta in this recipe, but you can use any pasta you prefer. It’s best not to use anything too big but you do want a good vehicle for transporting all that yumminess.
- Storing Tips: You’ll want to store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Be sure it cools completely before being prepared for storage. You can also put it in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag if your fridge is packed and you need the space. (like mine! Lol)
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
When stored properly, your instant pot goulash will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days. This stuff is so good it probably won’t last that long. It disappears quickly!
Can You Freeze This?
Yes and no. The sauce freezes great in a food-grade container or freezer bag but the pasta – not so much. If you’re planning to freeze your instant pot goulash recipe, you may want to wait to add the noodles just before serving.
Make Ahead Tips
This instant pot goulash recipe is one of those meals that continue to develop flavor even after it’s cooked. It seems to be even more delicious the next day if that’s possible! The pasta does, however, continue to absorb the sauce as it sits so if you only like your pasta texture al dente, you may prefer to eat it the same day it’s made.
I like to make a double batch of this goulash and freeze half of it before I put the noodles in.
Serving Recommendations
I like to serve it with bread on the side. I like this with my Bisquick biscuit recipe or my beer bread.
Recipe Variations
One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s so customizable. Add the veggies you love and leave out the ones you don’t! Here are a few ways you can change things up a bit.
- Double the beef. Omit the pasta and add another pound of beef to get instant pot beef stew.
- Add chili. Make it spicier with chili powder for a hot instant pot chili recipe or take it a step further by whipping up a healthy instant pot turkey chili.
- Swap the pasta. This recipe is versatile you can also make it with egg noodles to put together an instant pot beef stroganoff or an instant pot chicken noodle soup if you wanna switch the protein.
More Stew Recipes
Instant Pot Goulash
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, juices included
- 2 (15-ounce) canned tomato sauce
- 2 cups elbow pasta (dry)
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Turn 6.5-quart Instant pot onto saute function. Add the vegetable oil. When the display reads "hot". Add the ground beef, onion, red pepper, and garlic and brown and crumble the beef.
- Stir in the paprika, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, oregano, caraway seeds, salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Continue to saute, stirring constantly so spices don't burn, until spices become fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in beef broth, diced tomatoes with their liquid, tomato sauce, and pasta.
- Place the lid on and set the "steam release" knob to "sealing". Press the "Manual" button and set to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
- When the pressure cooking cycle has completed, do a quick release by switching the valve to the "venting" position to completely release steam before opening the lid.
- After the pin drops, carefully open the lid away from you (there will likely still be remaining steam). Stir the goulash. Test the pasta. If the pasta is underdone, place the lid back on the pot and let the goulash sit a minute or so until the desired doneness is achieved. If goulash becomes too thick, stir in water to thin.
- Ladle into individual bowls, sprinkle with parsley and cheddar cheese then serve.
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Nutrition
This was yummy! I wanted this to be less soupy so I cut back to 2 cups of beef broth and only added 1 can of tomatoes. I didn’t have a pepper. Instead I cut up a zucchini and sauteed it with the rest of the meat and veggies.
Yum! That sounds so good, Carey! Thank you for sharing your tweaks 🙂