Family Favorite Ground Turkey Goulash

This delicious ground turkey goulash is perfect for weeknight meals. It’s easy to meal prep as well! Whip some up for lunches throughout the week.

Another reason to love ground turkey goulash is the fact that it’s one pot and everything is included. You don’t have to dirty a ton of dishes (especially pots and pans) to make this tasty meal.

This is one of many Ground Turkey Pasta Recipes that my family loves.

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If you plan ahead or like to prep food in advance you’ll love this ground turkey goulash. You can cook the ground turkey in advance and freeze it so that you don’t have to cook that when it’s meal time. Such a time-saver!

I like to buy ground turkey in bulk and then use it to make turkey burgers, meatloaf and all kinds of pasta dishes. Take a peek at all our ground turkey recipes, especially our most popular post, ground turkey meatloaf.

If your family is a fan of ground turkey, give turkey smash burgers a try as well.

How to prep ground turkey in advance:

You can cook ground turkey as you normally would, fry it up in a pan, cook it in a big batch in the Instant Pot, etc. However you like to cook it, go for it. I usually season mine lightly with just salt and pepper or a general blend of salt free seasoning and then let it cool.

Freeze it in roughly one pound portions in vacuum seal bags or freezer containers so that when you need ground turkey for a meal you can thaw it out and be ready to go!

I usually put my frozen containers into the refrigerator the day before so it will be thawed in time. I add it to the recipe towards the end because it doesn’t need time to cook!

What is goulash?

Goulash is traditionally made with ground beef but I like to make this version with ground turkey because it’s a little lighter and where I live ground turkey is usually more budget friendly.

Goulash is traditionally a soup or stew that’s made with meat, vegetables, and seasoned with paprika and a variety of other pieces. It’s a hearty meal that originated in Hungary. We usually use pasta but traditionally it would have included mostly potatoes!

Most goulash recipes have a tomato base with a red sauce. This is a great meal to experiment with, you can easily add whatever veggies you like and you could even make this recipe with rice instead of pasta or potatoes. It’s flexible and delicious making it the perfect weeknight dinner option.

What do I need to make ground turkey goulash?

You can find the full amounts and ingreidents in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post but this easy to follow shopping list will help you figure out what you need from the store this week!

I like to make this goulash with leftover veggies too. If you have extra veggies on hand you can throw them in, this is a flexible recipe. Feel free to swap out things you don’t like too! As the recipe is traditionally made with beef you can always make it with ground beef or even with ground chicken if you like!

• Extra virgin olive oil 
• Onion, chopped 
• Garlic, minced 
• Ground beef or turkey 
• Tomato paste 
• Beef broth
• Tomato sauce 
• Diced tomatoes 
• Italian seasoning (or make your own)
• Paprika 
• Salt & pepper to taste 
• Elbow macaroni 
• Cheddar cheese, shredded 
• Parsley, dry or fresh for garnish 

How to make goulash the easy way:

Making this easy ground turkey goulash in one pot is simple, delicious, and the leftovers store really well. You can make one batch and enjoy it throughout the week for easy lunches and dinners.

Cook onion with oil in large skillet until tender

Add garlic, cook for about 1 minute 

Add ground beef or turkey and cook until done, drain if needed, and season with salt & pepper 

Stir in tomato paste, broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and paprika until well combined 

Add in uncooked macaroni 

Bring to simmer and cook until pasta is tender 

Stir in cheese, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately  

Looking for even more delicious recipes to try?

Here are some other delicious recipes that I think you’ll love. There’s something for everyone to choose from in these collections. Use them to fill up your meal plans for the coming weeks. Be sure to stop back and let me know which ones are your favorites!

• Ground Beef Crockpot Recipes
• Ground Turkey Crockpot Recipes
• 50+ Easy Ground Turkey Recipes to Make for Your Family
• Crockpot Ham Recipes
• 25 Easy Beef Crockpot Recipes for Family Dinners
• 17 Easy Tilapia Recipes for the Whole Family
• 25+ Budget Casserole Recipes for Dinner

Printable Ground Turkey Goulash Recipe: