Instant Pot Goulash is one of my family’s favorite dinner recipes. Packed full of hearty ground beef, macaroni pasta, and just the right amount of spaghetti sauce and spices. Made in a pressure cooker so it’s easy and ready to eat in 25 minutes.
If you are anything like me. You love to use your Instant Pot for dinner on busy school nights. It makes it so easy to put everything in the pot then go about life. It can be hard to make a hearty and healthy meal. While trying to deal with homework and early bedtimes for the kids.
This version of classic goulash is mostly hands-off after you cook the ground beef and veggies. Then you can dump everything else in and let the pressure cooker do its thing. After you will have a hearty meal that is packed full of protein.
If you are looking for some other great meals to cook in your pressure cooker. You definitely need to try our Instant Pot BBQ Chicken or our Instant Pot Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup. All these yummy recipes go great with our Garlic Knots.
Instant Pot Goulash Ingredients
- Ground Beef: A lower fat content works best and can be substituted with turkey.
- Olive Oil: Used to sautee the veggies.
- Green Pepper: I like to chop into a little bit larger pieces.
- Yellow Onion: I prefer the flavor of the yellow onion. But you can substitute it with white or sweet onion.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is always best, but you can use this Minced Garlic in a jar.
- Beef Broth: This adds so much flavor and I would not skip or replace this.
- Pasta Sauce: I always use Prego, but you can use your favorite pasta sauce.
- Tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes work great. But you can substitute it with 2 cups of fresh diced tomatoes.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a unique flavor profile and you can adjust to your liking.
- Italian Seasoning: Adds so much flavor and shouldn’t be skipped.
- Salt & Black Pepper: You can adjust to your liking.
- Elbow Macaroni: I have found that this is the best pasta for this recipe.
- Cheddar Cheese: Used in the recipe and more can be added for a garnish.
How To Make Instant Pot Goulash
If you have ever cooked pasta in the Instant Pot and it has come out crunch or mushy. So now you are a little hesitant to make another pasta dish in your Instant Pot. Don’t worry I have perfected this recipe. So that if you use elbow macaroni and cook it as the directions say. The pasta will come out perfect every time.
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute. Add olive oil, diced green pepper, garlic, and diced onion. Stir often until onions become translucent. About 3-4 minutes.
- Add ground beef, cook until completely browned. About 3-4 minutes. With a spoon remove any excess grease.
- Add beef broth, water, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Scrap the bottom of the pressure cooker to remove any stuck pieces of ground beef and incorporate spices.
- Turn Instant Pot off and add the elbow macaroni. Layer on top of ground beef evenly. Press macaroni lightly down into ground beef. Do not stir.
- Pour pasta sauce over macaroni making sure to coat evenly. Then dump in diced tomatoes.
- Put the lid on Instant Pot and the set the valve to sealing. Select pressure cook high, high pressure. Set the time to cook for 3 minutes.
- When goulash is done cooking. Turn off the Instant Pot and open valve to release pressure. Remove move lid and gradually stir in cheddar cheese. Make sure to mix all ingredients well.
- Serve immediately and garnish with more cheddar cheese. Enjoy!
What To Do With Leftover Pressure Cooker Goulash
- Refrigerate: Goulash will stay good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. As long as it is stored in an airtight container.
- Freezing: This is a recipe that I recommend not freezing. Cooked pasta dishes tend to be mushy after being frozen then reheated.
- Reheating: For most leftovers, I recommend reheating them on the stovetop or in the oven. But this is one of those recipes that reheat well in the microwave. Making it perfect for leftovers at work or on a busy night with the family.
What Is The Difference between Hungarian and American Goulash?
The two classic dishes may share a name, but the two recipes are very different from each other. Hungarian goulash is more of a stew or vegetable soup made with braised beef, Hungarian paprika, and other spices. American goulash is more of a pasta-based comfort food. It is typically made with ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, and green peppers in a cheesy tomato sauce.
Variations On Instant Pot Goulash
- Use ground turkey to make it a bit more healthy
- Add more veggies like mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, or even more peppers. Anything that you think might go well with this pasta dish will work out great.
- You different types of cheese like Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese. You can also use a low-fat version of cheese to make it a little lighter.
- Use a different pasta like shells or rigatoni. For thinner pasta, you made need to lower the cooking time to 2 minutes. As a general rule, most people say the cook time is half of what is listed on the box. But I have found that most pasta only takes 2-3 minutes to cooked to al dente.
Instant Pot Goulash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium green pepper (diced)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 24 ounces pasta sauce (I used Prego traditional)
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2ยฝ cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- 1ยฝ cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute. Add olive oil, diced green pepper, garlic, and diced onion. Stir often until onions become translucent. About 3-4 minutes.
- Add ground beef, cook until completely browned. About 3-4 minutes. With a spoon remove any excess grease.
- Add beef broth, water, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Scrap the bottom of the pressure cooker to remove any stuck pieces of ground beef and incorporate spices.
- Turn Instant Pot off and add the elbow macaroni. Layer on top of ground beef evenly. Press macaroni lightly down into ground beef. Do not stir.
- Pour pasta sauce over macaroni making sure to coat evenly. Then dump in diced tomatoes.
- Put the lid on Instant Pot and set the valve to sealing. Select pressure cook high, high pressure. Set the time to cook for 3 minutes.
- When goulash is done cooking. Turn off the Instant Pot and open the valve to release pressure. Remove move lid and gradually stir in cheddar cheese. Make sure to mix all ingredients well.
- Serve immediately and garnish with more cheddar cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience. Getting feedback from you helps me and other readers too!
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I love goulash, but I’ve never made it in the Instant Pot! I can’t wait to make this for dinner this week!
I would love to know what you think after you make it.
I have never made Goulash but this sounds amazing..I will surely try it
You will love it!
We used to make something like this all the time when I was little, but haven’t had it in so long that I forgot how to make it. This recipe is so close to what I used to make and just as good! Thanks.
When you try it I would love to know what you think.
My family loves easy dinners like this for busy weeknights. Great recipe!
It is perfect for a busy night. Hope your family loves it as much as mine.
I love Goulash so much and your version looks so delicious! Total comfort food! ๐
You will love all the flavors.
I am always looking for new ways to use my instant pot and this looks delicious. So comforting.
This is one of my families favorite Instant Pot Recipes.
I love this instant pot goulash. It was the perfect, easy dinner last night! The flavors were wonderful and it was so filling. I will definitely be making this again very soon!
I am so glad the you loved it. It is such a great recipe.
My family would absolutely love this! ๐ And I love that it is made in the instant pot.
Once you try it I would love to hear what you think.
Such an easy and flavorful dinner idea! Thanks for sharing!
It definitely has a lot of flavor.
Yummy! My husband is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try! Looks so delicious and tasty!
I am sure he will. This is one of my husbands favorite meals.
This looks super delicious! I love how quick and easy it is to create recipes using your instant pot! I make a vegan version of goulash with lentils, and it’s always a favorite in my house! Great comfort food for the winter.
Sounds amazing with the lentils. I have even tried it with the Impossible meat and I couldn’t tell the difference.
I have never made goulash before, but there is always that first time and I am ready for the challenge.
Once you make it you will be hooked.
A fantastic comfort food recipe perfect for a cold night inside. Delicious!
I love to make it during these cold winter months.
Goulash is a staple in our house! It’s super easy to make and wonderful for picky eaters. I love that you cooked this in an Instant pot. Easy and delicious!
This is one of the few recipes that none of my kids complain about. So I can relate with the picky eaters.
Love how simple and easy this was to make! Definitely one of those meals that the whole family enjoys!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!