For a simple take on a hearty classic dish, follow this Slow Cooker Classic Goulash recipe. It combines the flavor of beans, onions, peppers, and ground beef to create a flavorful meal to eat for lunch or dinner.

As the weather starts getting a bit colder, I look forward to making meals in my slow cooker. It is convenient to throw ingredients into the slow cooker, set the temperature, and then come back a few hours later to check on the food. While I have plenty of slow cooker recipes to make, the Slow Cooker Classic Goulash is one of my favorites. 

It is the perfect comfort dish to have after a long day of work. What makes this meal even better is that my children love it. It is not always easy to get them to eat tomatoes, onions, peppers, and beans, but they will gladly do so when eating a bowl of this Slow Cooker Classic Goulash.

The dish is full of flavor and a massive hit amongst the family, but it is also a favorite because of how easy it is to prepare. All I need to do is brown the ground beef for a few minutes and then throw it into the slow cooker with my other ingredients. The slow cooker does the rest of the work for me, preparing this hot and meaty dish in six hours or less. Because I am spending less time in the kitchen while still making a delicious and nutritious meal for my children, I can get a lot more work done in the house at the same time.

What to Add to Your Slow Cooker Classic Goulash

While the recipe calls for cheese and scallions to add as a garnish to your Slow Cooker Classic Goulash, the options are endless. Besides choosing the shredded cheese that you prefer, you might want to slice up some avocado, add it on top, place a dollop of sour cream in your bowl, or even add red pepper flakes to add a bit of a kick to the dish. If you like it real hot, you can add your favorite hot sauce on top of your Slow Cooker Classic Goulash.

• You can prepare the perfect sides to go with the meal, along with adding a few extra ingredients on top of your Slow Cooker Classic Goulash. 
• Some of the best sides to make include freshly toasted garlic bread, cornbread, or buttered dinner rolls. 
• You can make these sides from scratch or use pre-made options to reduce prep and cooking time. My favorite thing to eat on the side of my Slow Cooker Classic Goulash is buttery garlic bread. I dip it in the goulash to get a bit of sauce on it before taking each bite, and it tastes incredible.

Modification Options You Can Consider When Preparing the Slow Cooker Classic Goulash

Although this recipe does call for ground beef, do not hesitate to make modifications that will make the dish even more enjoyable for you. 

• If you want to make the dish a bit leaner, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef. 
• If you do not like beans, you do not have to add them to the dish, but you can replace them with other vegetables, such as corn. 
• While the recipe calls for elbow macaroni, you can use any pasta that you like or have available in the pantry, such as farfalle, Cavatappi, rotini, or mini shells.

There are times when I will switch out the pasta with tri-colored rotini because the kids like it. They enjoy seeing the different colors of the pasta, and it is even easier to hide the vegetables in the goulash with the tri-colored pasta.

How to Store Your Slow Cooker Classic Goulash

This recipe makes enough food for everyone to have a generous amount of goulash in their bowls or on their plates. If you end up with leftovers, store your goulash in a food storage container with an airtight lid. 

Place the food in the fridge until you want to reheat it. When reheating your goulash, add a spoonful of butter to the top and put it in the microwave with the lid on top. Heat it for about 30-45 seconds before checking if it is hot. If it is still a bit cold, heat it for an additional 30-45 seconds.

Slow-Cooker Classic Goulash Serves 6 people.

What You Will Need to Make This Slow Cooker Goulash:

• ground beef
• frozen peppers and onion ( can use fresh)
• garlic 
• cans tomato sauce
• beans
• green chiles
• chili seasoning
• sugar
• water
• macaroni
• Shredded cheese and scallions for topping

Directions:

In a medium skillet brown the ground beef and drain.

Into the slow cooker add the browned beef, peppers, and onion, garlic, tomato sauce, beans, green chiles, chili seasoning, sugar, and water.

Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 4 hours.

Add in the elbow macaroni.

Serve with cheese and scallions for topping. 

More Slow Cooker Recipes:

Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast & Video

Nettie is a wife and mother who is passionate about cooking and baking. With 5 children, Nettie insists that all meals, snacks, and desserts come together quickly! You will find a wide variety of easy yet scrumptious recipes on her very popular website Moore or Less Cooking

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Yield: serves 6

Slow-Cooker Classic Goulash

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes

For a simple take on a hearty classic dish, follow this Slow Cooker Classic Goulash recipe. It combines the flavor of beans, onions, peppers, and ground beef to create a flavorful meal to eat for lunch or dinner.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 cups frozen peppers and onion ( can use fresh)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 (15 ounces) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (15 ounces) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounces) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (4 ounces) can diced green chiles
• 1 (1 ounce) envelope chili seasoning
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 cups of water
• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• Shredded cheese and scallions for topping

Instructions

1. In a medium skillet brown the ground beef and drain.
2. Into the slow cooker add the browned beef, peppers, and onion, garlic, tomato sauce, beans, green chiles, chili seasoning, sugar, and water.
3. Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 4 hours.
4. In the last 45 minutes before serving add in the elbow macaroni and stir.
5. Serve with shredded cheese and scallions for topping. 

Recommended Products

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  Dash Salt-Free Seasoning Mix, Chili, 1.25 Ounce (Pack of 12)
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  Amazon Brand - Happy Belly Pinto Beans, 15 Ounce
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  Domino Sugar, Granulated, 4LB Canister
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  Amazon Brand - Happy Belly Dark Red Kidney Beans, 15 Ounce
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Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per ServingCalories 479Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 89mgSodium 694mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 7gSugar 7gProtein 38g