Description
Hungarian slow cooker goulash brings hearty comfort to your dinner table with tender beef and rich paprika-infused sauce. Meat falls apart while vegetables meld together, creating a soul-warming meal you’ll savor with crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb / 450 g ground beef
- 2 cups / 500 g tomato sauce
- 1 can / 400 g diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 cups / 480 ml beef broth
- 2 cups / 200 g elbow macaroni
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika (smoked or sweet)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- 1 cup / 100 g shredded cheddar cheese (optional for topping)
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Brown ground beef in skillet over medium heat, breaking into fine crumbles and draining excess fat for a leaner dish.
- Slow Cooker Assembly: Transfer beef to slow cooker, combining with onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, paprika, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in one comprehensive mixture.
- Cooking Process: Cover and simmer on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, allowing flavors to meld and develop deep, rich complexity.
- Pasta Integration: Add uncooked elbow macaroni during final 30 minutes of cooking, gently folding into sauce to ensure perfect pasta absorption and consistent texture.
- Finishing Touches: Check pasta tenderness and adjust seasoning if needed; optionally crown with melted cheddar cheese and fresh parsley for enhanced flavor and visual appeal.
- Serving Recommendation: Ladle immediately into warm bowls, capturing the goulash’s peak temperature and robust, comforting essence.
Notes
- Manage Meat Browning: Ensure ground beef achieves deep caramelization for rich flavor complexity without burning, using medium-high heat and stirring occasionally.
- Control Liquid Ratio: Add broth gradually to prevent watery consistency, allowing slow cooker to concentrate flavors and maintain optimal sauce thickness.
- Pasta Precision: Add macaroni only during final 30 minutes to avoid mushy texture, preventing overcooking and maintaining perfect al dente quality.
- Dietary Adaptation: Substitute ground beef with lean turkey or plant-based alternatives, use gluten-free pasta, and opt for low-sodium broth to accommodate various nutritional requirements.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Hungarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg