This low carb goulash is a healthy twist on the traditional recipe — a big ole pot of bubbling meat and veggies in a tomato-y broth, traditionally served with and/or over carbs.
SO not needed to make this recipe as scrumptious as it is!
My Mom makes Goulash with elbow macaroni– and since going low carb– I no longer get to enjoy this dish with the rest of the clan. So, I’ve been dying to find a way to make her recipe sans pasta without sacrificing the flavor.
And by goly, have I stumbled on the perfect low carb vegetables to replace the wheat noodles…
With just a few tweaks to the traditional recipe, this low carb goulash has been turned into a super simple low carb recipe — get ready for some deliciousness my friends!
Carb in Goulash
Goulash is basically a thick, meaty, simmering pot of delicious veggies, pasta, and amazingness. Here’s a video of the traditional recipe being made! Although we will be altering the process slightly, this will give you a better idea of what’s in store:
As you can see, carbs in Goulash are abundant— but fear not my friends, this recipe is just as delicious sans the carbs!
Why Low Carb Goulash is so great:
Keto Hungarian goulash is kinda like the Prince Charming of comfort food: It’s the full package.
It is a low carb meal that’s delicious, comforting, easy to make, and versatile. It also holds well so make a big batch that can last the week and get your meal prepping out of the way.
Easy to Make
Since it takes a while to make, goulash is one of those low carb dinners you can make in the slow cooker. Low carb slow cooker Goulash is the perfect meal for a cold winter night. While it does take some time to cook, it’s one of those low maintenance low carb meals.
Dump the ingredients in a pot on the stove or into a crock pot, and get on with the rest of your evening!
Affordable
Certainly, you can fancy up your low carb Goulash by adding snazzy veggies and high end meats. But if you’re on a budget, like so many of us are, you can keep the cost of this meal down by using the protein and veggies this recipe calls for.
Low cost doesn’t mean unhealthy, and if you shop smart, you can easily find budget friend, low carb, and healthy options.
Versatile
I used ground beef in this recipe because I wanted to make the BF happy, and I was looking for low carb ground beef recipes to add to my repertoire…
That said, this recipe can easily be adapted for ground turkey, cubed steak, or even veal. Regardless of the meat you choose, Goulash is one of the easiest high protein low carb recipes.
It can easily become a low carb vegetarian dream if that’s your thing — just skip the meat.
Cabbage goulash is a good recipe too or, if cabbage isn’t your thing, you can sub with whatever low carb vegetables you like. Carrots? Celery? Cauliflower goulash? Try different low carb noodles, veggies noodles, low carb rice, or miracle noodles. Your options are endless!
Top that!
Think of Goulash as your foundation…
You can go ahead and add your blush, your highlighter, your primer, and whatever other sparkles work for you right on top.
Feeling cheesey? Good thing there’s hardly any carbs in cheese! Sprinkle your favorite shredded cheese on top, or for a little crunch, try serving each bowl with one of these awesome parmesan crisps.
Add crumbled low carb tortilla chips, or low carb crackers.
If you’re more of a dipper… Make your low carb Goulash a little bit broth-ier by adding more liquids and creating a low carb Goulash soup ! Then stir in some low carb chips or veggie chips.
Low Carb Meal Prep
Not only is this dish easy to make, but it keeps like a dream.
It’s the perfect addition to a low carb meal plan. Make a huge batch and divvy it into your best meal prep containers for the week.
(pro tip: make your low carb goulash feel like a different meal every day by serving it over different veggies, noodles or low carb grains)
Goulash without noodles is a great way to eat low carb all week long.
Variety is the Spice of Life
Low carb Goulash can be easily transformed to fit your pallet and give you days upon days of low carb dinner options.
Typically, goulash is served over something – some sort of carby-grain…
So, if you’re missing that, here are a few options to switch up your Goulash. Toss your Goulash on top of these low carb options, or stir right into the stew.
Shirataki Noodles or Miracle Rice
Shirataki noodles and Miracle Rice are wonderful ingredients made from the konjak plant — which makes them, wait for it, a zero carb, zero calorie food!
They show up in tons of Keto recipes and can easily transform our Goulash into a Keto Goulash recipe.
Vegetables Noodles or Broccoli Rice
We’re all about sneaking extra veggies into every meal…
If you want to add some veggies to your low carb Goulash but don’t want to disrupt the flavor of the stew, follow our recipe, then toss the Goulash on top of a delicious pile of vegetable noodles or broccoli rice.
Low Carb Pasta
Can’t separate from your tried and true pasta dishes? Trust me, we understand.
There’re actually a great variety of low carb pasta options on the market today. They won’t give you a zero carb option, but they can fulfill your pasta craving at a lower carb count than the real thing!
My favorite are the Explore Asia noodles, which will add a ton of protein to your meal as well.
As far as low carb recipes go, low carb Goulash is about as easy, delicious and versatile as they come.
Whether it’s the complex carbohydrates or the simple carbs you’re avoiding— looking to live out a comforting childhood memory or try something new—this low carb Goulash is the answer to your low carb prayers!
Low Carb Goulash
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Ground Beef 80/20
- 1 Yellow Onion large
- 4 Cloves Garlic large, minced
- 1, 15 Ounce Tomato Sauce canned
- 1, 14.5 Ounce Diced Tomatoes canned
- 1.5 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Basil
- 2 Dried Bay Leaves
- 1 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 10 Ounces Cabbage shredded
- Cheddar Cheese shredded, (optional, use for the topping)
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, cook the meat over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks into small pieces. Cook until the meat is cooked through and there's no longer any pink.
- Stir in the onions and garlic. Cook and stir the mixture until the onions are translucent.
- Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, oregano, basil, bay leaves, seasoned salt, and black pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the cabbage, and let simmer for about 5 minutes (for more crunchy texture) to 10 minutes (for softer texture).
- Remove from heat, discard bay leaves, and refrigerate, if possible, overnight.
- If serving right away, you can sprinkle with cheese and melt the cheese in the oven for a few minutes! (I put the oven to broil and cooked for 6 minutes, until the cheese just started to brown around the edges)
Notes
- *Nutrition Information doesn't include cheese.
- You can use ground turkey in this recipe. If you do so, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan to cook the meat.
- To cut down on carbs, use 1/2 an onion.
Nutrition
©Little Pine Low Carb. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media/website/blod is strictly prohibited.
gonnawantsecond
I love goulash! I can’t wait to try your low carb recipe 🙂
jdraheim
I am missing the rest of the recipe.
lboureston@gmail.com
Hi! You’re unable to see the recipe?
Nancy
Is this something I could make and then seal smaller batches with my food saver and freeze?
Lindsey
Hi Nancy! I don’t see why not! Hope you enjoy 🙂