Instant Pot goulash is classic comfort food!

This recipe is made with ground beef simmered with tender elbow noodles in a richly seasoned tomato sauce. It’s filling and flavorful and everyone loves it! And the best part is that it’s so easy to cook, making it perfect for a weeknight or a last-minute gathering. Why not try it for dinner tonight?

bowls of Instant Pot Goulash

Easy Goulash Recipe!

  • The Instant Pot is the ideal appliance for one-pot cooking and goulash is one of the best recipes to make because it’s on the table in less than 15 minutes from start to finish.
  • An entire meal in a bowl, goulash can be bulked up with leftover veggies from the fridge!
  • Chilly nights mean that it’s time to get stews, chilis, and soups on the dinner rotation. Goulash in the Instant Pot is a convenient and easy way to feed the family on those busy weeknights!
noodles , garlic , onion , beef , seasonings , tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with labels to make Instant Pot Goulash

Ingredients and Variations

BEEF: Ground beef is an affordable protein that’s easy to cook in the Instant Pot. Or use up any leftover meat! Beef stew meat is used in German and Hungarian goulash, but could work here, too!

SAUCE: Canned tomato sauce and diced tomatoes create a thick sauce. A jar of marinara will add more flavor and for a soup-like consistency, increase the water up to 2 cups.

SEASONINGS: Basic American-style goulash only needs garlic, salt, and pepper, a few bay leaves, and some Italian seasoning. Soy sauce or tamari can replace the Worcestershire sauce, if necessary.

NOODLES: Large elbow macaroni hold up best in this goulash recipe. Rice, wide egg noodles, or mashed potatoes can be made separately and used in place of elbow macaroni.

process of adding ingredients together to make Instant Pot Goulash with final dish

How to Make Instant Pot Goulash

  1. Set the Instant Pot to saute and cook the beef, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper.
  2. Drain the fat from the beef and add tomato ingredients, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, water, noodles, and bay leaves (as per recipe below).
  3. Set the Instant Pot to manual for 3 minutes and then allow a natural release.
  4. Remove bay leaves and top with parmesan cheese or a dollop of sour cream before serving.
plated Instant Pot Goulash with instant pot in the back

Goulash Serving Suggestions

Because goulash is so versatile, it goes with anything! Try a simple green salad, a slice or two of thick crusty bread, or some dinner rolls to soak up all that savory sauce! All versions of goulash can be served as a soup, or as a thick stew over mashed potatoes, rice, spaetzle, or even baked potatoes!

Tips & Time Savers

  • Goulash freezes great for future meals! Simply pour into gallon-sized freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or a saucepan on low heat.
  • Bulk up goulash by tossing it in a bag of frozen vegetable medley, no need to thaw!
cooked Instant Pot Goulash with a spoon

More Instant Pot Recipes

plated Instant Pot Goulash with instant pot in the back
4.91 from 165 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Instant Pot Goulash

This hearty Instant Pot goulash is a quick and easy fix for a busy weekday meal!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Instant Pot Pressure Build Time 18 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Holly

Equipment

6 qt Instant Pot

Ingredients  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 30 ounce (2 cans) tomato sauce
  • 30 ounce (2 cans) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce or 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 cups elbow noodles see notes
  • 2 cups beef broth or water
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Turn the Instant Pot onto saute. When hot, add ground beef garlic, salt, pepper, and onion. Cook until meat is browned.
  • When meat is browned drain fat then add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, soy sauce, water, noodles, and bay leaves. Do not stir.
  • Set your Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 3 minutes.
  • Once the timer has finished, quick release the pressure.
  • Take out bay leaves and stir.
  • Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Video

Notes

For a heartier goulash, use 2 ½ cups of macaroni noodles.
To Avoid a Burn Notice:
  • Ensure you do not stir the mixture or you may get a burn notice.
  • Layer in order of beef, liquid, pasta, and tomatoes.
Once you open the lid, it may seem a bit watery. Stir and let it rest a couple of minutes and it will thicken. 
4.91 from 165 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 691mg | Potassium: 630mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 359IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American

REPIN this Instant Pot Goulash recipe!

bowls of Instant Pot Goulash with writing
cooked Instant Pot Goulash with a title
Instant Pot Goulash in the pot and plated with writing

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Comments

    1. Thanks for trying our recipe, B! You can definitely reduce the tomatoes to suit your preferences.

  1. I also prefer the orig recipe and think this is the best goulash ever! Always put tomato sauce on top with pasta on the top wo stirring Just gently press pasta into the sauce I use a Ninja and have never had a burn problem compared to the Instapot Thanks for posting!!

  2. 5 stars
    Really Good! I used cavatappi noodles and added some red wine (as I do when I make pasta sauce from scratch) and a Parm cheese rind to the mix. Was super yummy. May need to add more noodles next time though.

  3. 5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe MANY times and it’s a hit, but the results have been a bit inconsistent. I’m wondering if it’s from the inaccuracy of measuring different shapes of dry pasta by cups. Do you know about how many ounces of dry pasta are used?

    1. I’m so glad you are loving this recipe Kim! 2 cups of elbow macaroni is 8 ounces of dry pasta. I hope this helps.

  4. It seems you’ve made some adjustments to this recipe is there anywhere I can find the original one? We loved it! Thanks for sharing great recipes!

    1. Here you are Crista. I find layering the ingredients so the tomatoes are on the top and not stirring helps prevent the burn notice that lots of readers were seeing. Enjoy!

      1 lb ground beef
      1 large onion
      3 cloves garlic
      2 15- ounce cans tomato sauce
      2 15- ounce cans diced tomatoes
      2 tbsp Italian seasoning
      3 tbsp soy sauce
      3 cups elbow noodles
      2 1/2 cups water
      3 bay leaves
      salt and pepper to taste
      Instructions
      Turn the Instant Pot onto saute. When hot, add ground beef garlic, salt, pepper, and onion. Cook until meat is browned.
      When meat is browned drain fat then add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, soy sauce, water, noodles, and bay leaves.
      Set your Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 4 minutes.
      When timer is up preform a quick release of pressure.
      Take out bay leaves and give everything a good stir.
      Top with Parmesan Cheese and enjoy!

      1. Thank you so much for sharing/posting the original! We LOVE it and through trial and error quickly found the best way to do layering for no burn notice, I was super confused at first and thought I had the wrong page!

  5. 5 stars
    Very good, quick dinner! Enjoyed it very much. Also, husband approved. 🙂 Added a little bit of tomato paste, as I like a thicker goulash. Will definitely make again!

  6. 5 stars
    We’re remodeling our kitchen so no stove, sink and all the utensils are packed away leaving plasticware. I made this goulash in my garage with a few change ups. I didn’t have enough tomato sauce so I squeezed canned whole tomatoes. I also used parsley, basil and a little oregano fresh from my garden. Your recipe is for an 8qt instant pot and mine is a 6. I had to leave out 1 28 oz can of tomatoes and part of the beef broth. The pot was a bit over capacity. I processed per the recipe and it worked fine. When it was done I added the beef broth and omitted tomatoes which melded in beautifully! My husband was skeptical but absolutely loved it and raved about it! Thanks for a great recipe! I took a great photo of my dish if you want it…

    1. 5 stars
      Thanks for clarifying the pasta is uncooked. I assumed but went to comments to be 100% sure.
      Good recipe when you need to make dinner quickly and it’s tasty.

  7. We’ve only tried this as written so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it goes!

  8. I just wanted to say I’ve been making this for my family for years, finally thought about commenting! I think it’s my favorite instant pot recipe. Thank you!

  9. 4 stars
    We love this recipe, but I always get a burn after putting all ingredients in should I not stir? That’s the only thing I do that is different than your recipe. It always taste good but we lose some of the bottom due to being burnt. Would love your opinions!!!!

    1. To avoid the burn notice, ensure you do not stir the mixture. Layer in order of beef, liquid, pasta, and tomatoes.

  10. 5 stars
    I love this recipe because it is so fast and simple to make with a spectacular outcome. Used spaghetti sauce because that’s what I had in cupboard. Followed the recipe to a tee. My adult son went back for thirds. Am going to freeze the rest for future meals. Thank you for sharing.

  11. 5 stars
    I love the recipe. The only thing I do differently is I substitute 1 can of Rotel for 1 of the cans of diced tomatoes. And I add chopped bell pepper.

  12. I tried a mix of oregano, basil, and turmeric (1 TBSP total) as I don’t love italian seasoning. I used 2 bay leaves because they were huge. I also used 2 cups water, i 28 ox can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes and 1 15 oz can sauce. I’ll let you know how it goes!

  13. 5 stars
    I made this tonight, but had to use 1 jar of Original Prego Spaghetti sauce instead of the cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. (it was all I had on hand).
    Also I added some green pepper & mushrooms, some dry sherry and substituted the water with low sodium chicken broth. Kept everything else the same.
    It came out great!

  14. 5 stars
    I just want to tell you, that over the past I don’t even know how many years, I have made this recipe 100’s of times. It’s so easy and delicious. I just thought I’d let you know, thank you!

  15. 5 stars
    I made this tonight for supper. I didn’t have tomato sauce but did have a 120z can of tomato paste. Turned out really good.

  16. 5 stars
    I made this and it was super delicious! My hubby and kids loved it. Now, I did get the burn warning and had to take it out and finish cooking it on the stove. My family loved it so much that they want me to make it again. I do know what I did wrong though, so next time I will be able to finish cooking it in the Instant Pot.

  17. 5 stars
    Recently broke my pelvis so quick recipes are all I can do. This was a taste of nostalgia for me. Momma made it monthly when I was school age back in the 60s. She always added velveeta instead of parmesan and so did I. Thanks for a quick meal appreciated calories but could you also but the amount of carbs?

  18. 5 stars
    Really nice recipe! I want to make it again sometime for my mom, I know she would like it. The only thing I changed, was instead of using 2 cans of diced tomatoes, I used only 1. Just because my boyfriend isn’t a tomato lover. Lol. Also next time I’d cook it one less minute because I like my pasta on the al dente side and these were well done noodles. Not over cooked though. Great recipe overall and easy to alter to your preferences

    1. 5 stars
      We have been making this recipe in my house for years because like you, a few years ago it was spaghetti or bust! Now my son wants to try it with all the different shapes noodles available. Thanks for saving us from spaghetti overload for the last three years!

    1. Yes, this recipe can be frozen. The pasta will soften a bit but still be delicious.

  19. 4 stars
    ( I made this recipe gluten free)
    I hadn’t been able to get up to the grocery store and had very limited ingredients for dinner so I literally typed what I had into Google ” instant pot ground beef pasta tomatoes” and this is one of the recipes that came up. I hate making changes to recipes and I usually like to follow them to a tee, but because of lack of ingredients I had to change it. I didn’t have any tomato sauce or canned tomatoes only fresh tomatoes in the garden. I followed most of the recipe.. where I made the changes was instead of the cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes I just added one cup of diced tomatoes from my garden and I added one can of Amy’s organic vegetable soup which is primarily tomatoes. I used 4 cups of water in the recipe instead of 2 1/2, but after I was finished cooking I realized that I could have gotten away with 3 cups because it was a bit too watery. I put in gluten-free penne pasta and used gluten-free tamari soy sauce. When the cooking was done I took the lid off and added one can of tomato paste that I had on hand. I just mixed to the pot while it was still hot and it dissolved away easily. it turned out great except for being slightly liquidy so next time I would put one less cup of water.

    I’ll try making it again with all the correct ingredients sometime, but it was still a great dish with the substitutions I had to make and the best thing is that my picky two year old devoured it!

  20. 5 stars
    I love this recipe! It turns out great every. single. time. I make it on the stove though, so I can use my huge Le Creuset Dutch oven (to show my hubby I NEEDED it!). It good in the Instant Pot, too, I just hate the clean-up. The only changes I make is to add 2 tsp sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, and a tbsp of butter for flavor.

  21. I followed the recipe fairly closely. Added 28 oz cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, celery, chopped carrots, ground turkey and only 2 T soy sauce (a unique addition). Used rotinini pasta and timed to 5 minutes. There was plenty of sauce when finished. I measured out 3 cups of pasta. Next time I will add the whole 12 oz box. My grandkids and the parents loved it!! Will make again

  22. 5 stars
    I’m making goulash in my new 8 quart Instant Pot tonight. I plan to use this basic recipe with a few eliminations and a few additions. To suit my specific taste.
    I don’t use soy sauce, I use Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, a little ketchup, fire roasted diced tomatoes, elbow macaroni, green pepper, onion, salt and pepper.
    It’s been a hit since childhood.
    First time making in my Instant Pot.
    Thank you for your recipes.

  23. 5 stars
    I’m new to the Instant Pot world. Yesterday I made my first meal in my Instant Pot a London broil with potatoes, carrots, onions and celery. Both my husband and I were so pleased it was fork tender and delicious.
    Tomorrow I’m going to make goulash using your recipe with just a couple of changes. I use chili sauce and Worcestershire sauce rather than soy sauce in mine. I’m excited to see how this turns out.

  24. I always made a recipe similar to this but I use mustard instead of Italian seasoning. Im gonna try this one tonight.

  25. Would gluten free pasta work in this recipe? If so, are there any changes that would need to be made? Thanks!

    1. We’ve only tried this as written so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it goes!

  26. 5 stars
    I have made this recipe 5 times now! It is very delicious, and easy to make! My family loves it! Thanks!

    1. We’ve only tried this as written so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it goes!

  27. Tried it tonight.

    Very tasty for the effort put out.

    I added diced celery and really enjoyed it.

    I agree with other comments in regards to cutting back on the sauce. I will go with 1 15oz can sauce and 2 cups water and keep the 2 cans of diced (Italian spiced) tomatos.

    Thanks for the recipe.

  28. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was go good! I have never been a fan of goulash, I’m 62 and I’ve spent many years eating it! I loved this recipe and will continue to make it this way, with no changes!

  29. 5 stars
    I have not made this yet, but I am going too. Looks and sounds good. I have a 3 QT and and 8 QT instant pot. It is only me here. Will it fit in a 3 QT pot???
    I wish everyone would put the size of pot they are using on what they cook.
    Thank you.

  30. Hi, just found your recipe today and we’re having it tonight. It’s my first attempt with an Instant Pot, so I’m excited because it looks and sounds delicious😁 Not to mention all the wonderful reviews.

  31. 5 stars
    I did this tonight! I miscalculated the amount of tomato sauce I had (only 1/4 of what was required) and only had condiments. Ketchup almost ruined it but tobasco cut the sweet and saved my butt!

  32. 5 stars
    I’ve made this multiple times. So good! I use two quart jars of my home canned tomatoes instead of the sauce and diced canned tomatoes. Comes out great!

  33. 5 stars
    Timing was perfect for noodles, I used two jars of chunky garden Prego sauce and omitted the Diced tomatoes and soy sauce. Seasoned it just like I normally do! Thank you so much for converting this classic favorite to an instapot!

  34. 5 stars
    Yum! Made this several times now and everyone loves it!
    Even my husband who doesn’t like anything new loves it!
    He and my son who don’t eat leftovers are happy to eat this the next day!
    I use the basil garlic oregano flavor diced tomatoes and less Italian seasoning, also only use 1 15oz can of sauce and 2 cups of water.
    I also omit the soy sauce. I cook a minute or 2 longer because we like are macaroni I the softer side.
    Fast, Easy and oh so Yummy!

  35. 5 stars
    This is way past due! I’ve been using this recipe awhile. I’m finally taking the time to comment. Everytime I make this for friends and family everyone loves it! I have made a couple slight changes. I use 2 8oz cans of tomato sauce, 1 15oz can of petite diced tomatoes and 1 15oz can of fire roasted tomato salsa. I keep all the rest the same🙂

  36. 5 stars
    Made this for dinner and it was so delicious! The kids loved it and so did my husband. This will definitely be a part of our quick meals rotation! I made this recipe exactly as it was written, it’s perfect. Forgot to mention that I used gluten-free macaroni .Five stars!

  37. 4 stars
    Made it tonight, and we really liked it. Based on comments, and our liking, I made the following mods:
    No tomatoes since hubby doesn’t like.
    Onion powder since hubby doesn’t like the texture
    Only 1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
    Only 2 TBSP Soy Sauce
    Used 1/2 lb hamburger and 1/2 lb Italian sausage
    Cooked 6 mins instead of 4

    Pasta turned out perfect, as well as the amount of sauce.

  38. 5 stars
    I swapped out the diced tomatoes with rotel (tomatoes and green chili’s) for a spicier flair. Great dish.

  39. 5 stars
    This is a wonderfully flavorful dish and incredibly easy. Perfect for leftovers. Mine seemed sort of watery but I goofed up the sealing ring at first so that’s probably my fault. I made the following changes: using tomato passata instead of tomato sauce, chopped instead of diced tomatoes, and I used 2 cups of water instead of the 2.5 called for in the recipe. I’d make it again with the same modifications.

  40. 5 stars
    This is an easy to follow, delicious and fast recipe!! Two easy tweaks were necessary due to my empty larder, but otherwise I stayed true to the bones of this meal. I have 3 happy eaters and will be making this OFTEN.

  41. 5 stars
    It came out great! I swapped out 1 cup of water for one can of beef broth and added one pound of hot Italian sausage along with the pound of ground beef. Used a whole box of small elbow macaroni.

  42. 5 stars
    We liked it, but I do believe I will try spaghetti sauce next time for a little more flavoring and add a few more things.

  43. 4 stars
    I have made this twice and really love it. I followed the directions as is the first time and got the dreaded burn message. The next time I made it, I increased the amount of water added by 1/2 cup. Also I add lots of shredded cheese because cheese makes everything better.

  44. 5 stars
    This is our favorite Instant Pot recipe!

    I use 1.5 lbs of ground beef.
    Instead of canned diced tomatoes, I use 2 cans of Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies.
    I also add Lowry’s Seasoned Salt and omit the salt in the recipe.
    I use a 1lb box of Barilla elbow macaroni.
    PLEASE NOTE: This makes a huge amount, so I use my 8 qt Instant Pot

  45. 5 stars
    Delicious and so easy! I use ground turkey, whole wheat rotini, leave out 1 can of tomato product, only use 2 cups of water and sometimes add paprika or pepper flakes, chopped celery with the onions or add thawed frozen diced green pepper or drained canned green beans after it has cooked. I always put the water first on top of the meat and then the pasta, seasonings and the tomato products on top and do not stir before cooking. It is best to remove the pan with the food or the noodles may overcook sitting in the IP, especially if it is left on warm. It is good to have the ingredients on hand for a company dish that will impress.

  46. 5 stars
    Shared your link for this recipe to my weight watcher food prep group. I changed meat to lean turkey. It was really good. Made 7 -2 cup servings at 4 sp. hallelujah

  47. 5 stars
    I’m new to the quick pot cooking only used mine once for potatoe soup came out great. I was thinking of making spaghetti to find out I was out of spaghetti pasta but had penne and decided goulash. Found your recipe and I had to tweak just a little (my tomato sauce was Mexican style so i used a jar of spaghttie sauce and 2 cans diced tomatoes and 2 1/2 cups water and it came out awesome!
    Wish I could post a picture!

  48. Hi! I can’t wait to try this I just have one question. How do you drain the fat from the ground meat?

    1. If there is a lot of fat we either tip the liner to the side and pour it out or into a strainer. If it’s just a tiny bit I sometimes soak it up with paper towel.

  49. 4 stars
    This is a great baseline recipe and easy to make subs to suit your taste.
    I have stuck with the amount of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. 60 oz and I have used combinations of pasta sauce, diced roasted tomatoes etc.
    I also stick with the water amount because it will be reheated and comes out great
    Roasted garlic is a great addition as is mushrooms or whatever u fancy.
    Thinking about a mexican flavored version next.
    Good recipe!

  50. 4 stars
    I doubled the meat by adding hot sausage (1lb of sausage and 1lb of ground beef)
    I also only added 4 cups of water (called for 2.5C so doubling would have been 5 cups)
    1 can of diced tomatoes
    1 24oz of pasta sauce
    1 small onion
    Doubled the soy & garlic
    Ad-lib the salt and pepper

    Garnish with ‘italian’ and parm cheeses
    Served with Italian garlic bread

    Delicious!!! Kids aren’t home yet so the final verdict is out.

  51. I wanted to revisit a childhood favorite when I cane across this recipe. I bought a smaller insta pot and going to give it a try. MY instapot is still a virgin. I really don’t trust the pressure cooker part. I’m 70 now and seen way to many go ballistic over the years. But we’ll see, I reckon.

  52. 4 stars
    This was alright. I had home canned salsa (1 pint) and a quart of tomato juice which I subbed for the other tomato products. I doubled the meat and did not put in quite as much water as it asked for. I also added a can of black beans. Lots of changes but that is what I had. It was really wet but of course that is better than going dry. I think I will stick with doing my hotdishes in the oven.

  53. 5 stars
    I used 2# ground beef, 15 oz tomato sauce instead of 30 added mushrooms, frozen veggies and used chicken broth for water. Cooked 6 min and served with cornbread. Delicious! Thank you for this recipe!

  54. 5 stars
    I am new to Instant Pot cooking. I used this recipe to figure out how to cook a recipe. I used 1 lb Italian sausage, 1 jar Newman’s pasta sauce, 2/3 box of PENNE, 1 1/2 C Water and 1 C beef broth. Since penne is slightly thicker than macaroni I cooked for 6 minutes in the Instant Pot. FABULOUS!!! I can’t wait to try the goulash recipe provided. It made my mouth water so that is why i used your recipe as a base. I looked so good that I went through you entire Instant Pot recipe list and pinned a ton of them!!!! Thank you!

  55. 4 stars
    Absolutely delicious! Noodles were a bit to over cooked for me. I like them. I like them to be cooked well but firm .Next time I make it i will definatly cook for 3 minutes instead of 4.

  56. 5 stars
    My 11 year old helped me make this for the family – everyone loved it, which is hard to do sometimes to get everyone love the same meal 🙂 We used ground turkey instead of beef to accommodate my tummy issues. Thank you for this great, easy and family friendly recipe! xo

  57. If I wanted to leave out the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, do I need to add more tomato sauce? Can’t wait to try this!

    1. We’ve only tried this recipe as written so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it goes!

  58. 4 stars
    Delicious! Only thing that stops this from 5 star is the amount of Italian Seasoning. Next time, I will probably use half the required amount.

    1. 5 stars
      I also use half the required amount of Italian Seasoning. I’ve added my own post to the comments.

  59. 4 stars
    I made this as directed and it was good. It was very soupy and we ate it with a spoon but after dinner when I was putting away the leftovers, it had firmed up and was a perfect consistency. I will probably make it again and maybe add a touch of brown sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Thanks for an easy,satisfying recipe!

  60. 5 stars
    This dish is amazing, my husband loved it so did I, so quick and easy to make and so delicious. I couldn’t wait to make it again. Definitely our favorite so far

  61. 5 stars
    Goulash was a staple when I was a kid. I’m excited to make it in my Instant Pot!

    Recommendation if you like a little spice – my mom decided to live on the edge once and added a can of Rotel. I was SUPER skeptical, but it is DELICIOUS! Definitely give it a try 🙂

  62. I am new to the instant pot and i want to try this recipe. This will be the first time using it so this may be a silly question. When putting in the ground beef to cook do i leave the lid off and cook it like i would on the stove?

  63. 5 stars
    New Instant Pot user! Is this recipe for a 6-quart Instant Pot? Nervous the amount of pasta surpasses the recommended fill line and will eventually be too much pressure.

  64. 5 stars
    I really enjoyed this recipe! I had some already browned leftover ground beef (with a hint of taco flavor) so it made prep time quick. I followed the recipe but added about 1/4 cup sugar to sweeten it. In my opinion, the ratio of liquid was perfect. I also had half a can of leftover black beans so I added those in as well. It was hardly noticeable. I will definitely make this again. I loved the flavor the soy sauce and bay leaves added. Plus I had all the ingredients in my cupboard so it was easy to throw together.

    I think serving size, however, is way way off. I had at least 12, 1 cup servings from this dish which dramatically reduces the calories. I used 80% ground beef and calories per cup is 232. I had about 2 cups for dinner, plenty for lunches, and even enough to share with my neighbor. Thank you for the recipe.

  65. 5 stars
    I have made this probably 10 times and it is now a once a week thing. My husband asks what’s for dinner and when I say Goulash, he said oh good- that’s my favorite! It’s one of my favorite too because it’s so easy. My instant pot needs a min or 2 extra cook time but that is seriously the only change I make. Thank you so much!

  66. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. I used a pound of hamburger, one large onion, three garlic cloves, and halved all the other ingredients.

  67. 4 stars
    I was happily surprised at how we’ll this turned out. Instant pot recipes always have a bit of a surprise factor when you get to finally pop the lid. Wife and 17 yo loved it. 12 yo is a super picky eater and didn’t like the “flavor” but that could have been my liberal spicing with homemade Italian seasoning (equal parts basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and marjoram). Was super fast to throw together. Only did 2C water and “thickness” turned out well. Elbow macaroni was just right, not too mushy and not too al dente. Served with lots of finely shredded mozzarella cheese stirred into each bowl. From the time I plugged in the instant pot to eating dinner and then finally to a clean kitchen with dishwasher running and leftovers in a plastic container was just over an hour. Will definitely try to tweak this a bit for my finicky eater but as is for everyone else it’s a total keeper.

  68. Loved this! I used tomatoes with jalapeños, as we like spicy food. I would add some hot pepper flakes next time. I did add a teaspoon of Bourbon Barrel Foods smoked paprika. I used Bonza elbows, made from chickpeas, as the pasta. This will be a regular dinner.

    1. We’ve only tried this recipe as written so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it goes!

  69. 5 stars
    I am always tweaking recipes before I even taste the original so as I’m sure this recipe is amazing alone here is what I added:

    1 Green Pepper
    A few stalks of celery I had on hand
    Some crushed red pepper flakes for added zing
    Instead of the 2.5 cups of water I used 2.5 cups of beef broth I had leftover.

    Recipe turned out awesome and is certainly one we will be making again.

    That’s the fun thing about cooking you can add a little if this or omit a little of that and come up with a completely different flavor pallet depending on your personal preference.

    Thanks so much for sharing this! The family loved it!

  70. 5 stars
    This was amazing!!! Definitely a new family favorite!!!!! I will definitely try some new additions the next time I make it.

  71. How would I go about making this without a pressure cooker? Like, cooking times and such.
    I’m not a “one pot” user. With all the possible explosions so close to my face (extreme fear of things blowing up in my face) thank you!

  72. 5 stars
    WOO HOO!!! I just used my instant pot for the first time and used your recipe for goulash!! Holy cow is that fast and easy. Can’t believe how fast I can feed the family!! I’m in love!!

  73. we love Golash..our first IPot meal, we are a retired couple. my hubby loves the 15 minute meal..he ‘s amazed 😀

  74. 5 stars
    I just made this dish in practically no time. I followed your instructions as I’m a newbie to my magic pot. Thank you for your guidance through this recipe. I haven’t tasted it yet but it turned out beautifully.

  75. 5 stars
    Great recipe, coming from New England, we call this American chop suey! I love that I can modernize it in the instapot…the only thing I did differently was I used meat alternative ground “beef”…I didn’t have time to thaw my ground beef…tasted great still, I bet you wouldn’t know the difference!

  76. 5 stars
    Changed ingredients::
    1 Lb hamburger
    1/2 onion, diced
    1/2 green pepper, diced
    1 T minced garlic
    1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
    1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
    1 T Italian seasoning
    8 oz elbows
    1 can water

    Skipped soy sauce and bay leaves. Made 4 servings.

    1. So you made a completely different recipe? Why do people do this? Make the recipe as posted and comment on that. If you’re going to make a completely different recipe, publish it on your own post. grrrrr

  77. 5 stars
    I’ve been cooking in my Instant Pot for over 3 years and after one early and epic fail, was reluctant to try pasta again. But after seeing this recipe on Pinterest and reading about the many ways this goulash was altered to use what cooks had on hand, I decided to give it whirl. And your photo was so gorgeous I just had to try it!

    I made a half recipe in my Mini, using 1 (15oz) can of whole tomatoes, pureed, and a cup of very thick pizza sauce that needed to be used up. I omitted the Italian seasoning (my pizza sauce is highly seasoned), but otherwise followed the recipe, adding enough water to cover the elbow macaroni (about 2 cups) and cooked it for 5 minutes. It worked! The pasta was firm and not clumped together, nothing stuck or burned to the pot. One thing I discovered is that I’m not a fan of elbows with tomato sauce, so wouldn’t use them again. Maybe spaghetti or rotini, both would be fine, I think.

    Normally I wouldn’t rate a recipe that I altered so much, but I’m doing it in this case for the excellent advice you gave, and even more so to your followers for detailing their changes and showing me that Instant Pot pasta can be easy, using whatever I have on hand that’s even remotely close to the recipe. A big THANK YOU to you and to them, and if my comments and rating bring more people here to discover how easy it is, my work here is done. Now, with apologies for the length of my comment, I’m off to check out the rest of your recipes. Thanks again!

    1. I forgot to mention that even a half recipe made enough to feed 4, unless they’re really hearty eaters. We’ve got about half of it left to use for lunch tomorrow. Not a bad thing!

      1. 5 stars
        Ok, last comment, i promise. Last night this was ok, but I reheated some of this for lunch today and it was much better, really good! Isn’t that always the way with tomato-based pasta? The elbows had softened (no longer al dente) and the sauce was mellowed and was really good. Yeah, I’ll make it again anytime I have some tomato stuff to use up, but a day ahead next time.

  78. 5 stars
    Absolutely delish.. Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect!! My kids and husband said it is definetly a keeper. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.

  79. 5 stars
    One of the most attractive things that I love from instapot is its recipes. Easy to cook, but delicious meals come from. This recipe seems to be yummy. I must try this at weekend for my friends to taste. Nice sharing.

  80. You have some great recipes that I would like to download and keep but not all of us use all the latest
    technology. Why can’t you add email to your list of ways to share? It would be much appreciated.
    Thank you.

  81. Hi! If I use a jar of spaghetti sauce instead of tomato sauce do I use the regular size jar? And would i still add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes? Thanks!

    1. I have not tried doing that personally, but that should work. You could do without the tomatoes if you don’t like them.

  82. Can I double this recipe? One pound of meat is probably not enough for my family, and we like to have leftovers for lunch. If I double the meat, should I double everything, including the water? Looking forward to making this after reading the reviews!

  83. I would love to make this BUT…have people who do tomato sauce never any form of tomato where you can see pieces. Could I sub 2-28 ounce cans of tomato sauce for both the 15 ounce cans of sauce and the 2 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes??? Thanks in advance!

    1. I would think you would be able to take them out without having to add any additional liquid. I have not tried this but I really think it would work out.

    2. I would use a jar of three cheese sauce or Alfredo sauce and see if they like that I have to do that for one family member who is allergic to tomatoes.

    3. We have the same tomato fear at our house. I just purée the tomatoes before we put them in…flavor is the same, and the kids (and I just admit, me) are happy!

    4. My kids would not eat anything with tomato “chunks” in it, so I used to just grind my canned tomatoes up in the blender, draining first if the recipe said to. They ate it without complaint. Haha Silly kids!

  84. With 2 minutes of cooking left to go I wanted to quick release, R.I.P. the lid off my instant pot and dig in. This recipe surpassed my expectations

  85. 5 stars
    June 03,2018
    I have made the instant pot goulash over and over again it’s one of mine and my husbands favorite it comes out perfect every time , it’s fast delicious, thanks for the recipe 5 stars rating

  86. Love Love this recipe!
    In our home we use paprika in our goulash! thats about the only “tweak” we have done.
    Have tried with all kinds of pasta , works great every time!
    Best of all my kids and partner always finish the leftovers, making this mama extra happy!

  87. 5 stars
    Made on the stove with some adjustments. Used only one 8oz can tomato sauce, one 15oz can diced tomatoes, no water or bay leaves. Ground beef was pre-cooked the day before. Added some diced zucchini. Used one TBSP Italian seasoning and two TBSP Soy sauce. Added some crushed red pepper. Absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again.

  88. So sad, it burned on the bottom and never came to pressure. Any suggestions? I didn’t add any water initially, should I have added water?

    1. Yes, you need to add the 2 1/2 cups of water the recipe calls for because the tomato sauce alone is to thick to come to pressure

    2. 5 stars
      With many recipes I get the burn notice after saute in my IP, so I just do the saute on the stove in a regular pan. It is an extra step, but it sure does help me out.

  89. I like a sweeter goulash so added tomato soup instead of tomato sauce. As well as a tblsp brown sugar. Soooooo yummy

  90. 5 stars
    I made this tonight to rave reviews! I increased to 5 minutes because I like my macaroni a little softer.

  91. Made this last night and it turned out great. Like others I did 2- 15oz cans diced tomatoes, 15oz tomato sauce and 2 cups water and the sauce part was perfect. Also did half ground beef and half ground sausage. After you vent I suggest putting it all in a large serving dish or it continues to cook and the pasta will get on the overdone side.

        1. Cover and let it rest a few minutes longer. They will continue to cook as it rests.

  92. 5 stars
    Loved this recipe. Didn’t have a lot of tomato sauce so I used 2- 8oz cans with 2 diced tomato cans and it was perfect. Also only used 2 cups of water. My husband had seconds. I can’t beliece how good this is. Thank you so much for a wonderful and quick recipe.

  93. 4 stars
    Made this tonight and my family loved it!. I added 1/2 chopped green pepper and only one 15 oz can of tomato sauce. I was afraid 2 cans would be too much. Also cut the water to 2 cups. Consistency was perfect! Thanks for the recipe. I’m new to the instant pot and trying different recipes.