Sloppy Joes Recipe

This Sloppy Joes Recipe is truly the best I’ve ever had! It features the ultimate tangy, sweet, and savory sauce, plus a few “hidden” veggies. Pile the meaty sauce high on toasted buns and prepare to crave Sloppy Joes daily!

For an even healthier version, try these Turkey Sloppy Joes.

The Best Homemade Sloppy Joes 

Get ready to revolutionize the way you think about a Sloppy Joes recipe! This recipe is not just a game-changer; it’s a crowd-pleaser that has people everywhere obsessed.

Imagine the classic, comforting flavors of Sloppy Joes, but elevated to a whole new level of deliciousness. Packed with nutritious ingredients cleverly hidden within its mouthwatering sauce, this dish is a delicious surprise for your taste buds.

Ingredients In This Sloppy Joes Recipe

• Olive Oil and Butter: Used to cook the veggies, they make them soft and flavorful.
• Yellow Onion, Garlic, Carrot, Red Or Green Bell Pepper: These veggies add great taste and nutrition. They make the base of this Sloppy Joes recipe, giving a nice mix of sweet and savory flavors.
• Lean Ground Beef: This is the main part of the dish, providing a hearty meat mixture.
• Tomato Paste and Crushed Tomatoes: They create the thick, rich sauce. The paste gives a strong tomato taste, while the crushed tomatoes make the sauce chunky.
• Ketchup and Worcestershire Sauce: These add a sweet and tangy kick to the sauce, making it more flavorful.
• Brown Sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness to balance out the other flavors.
• Mustard Powder and Beef Bouillon Powder: These spices make the sauce taste even better, adding depth and a savory touch.
• Brioche Buns: Soft and slightly sweet, these buns are perfect for holding the Sloppy Joe mixture.

How To Make Sloppy Joes

1. Sauté Veggies: Cook onion, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper until soft for added sweetness and texture.
2. Cook Beef: Add ground beef to the veggies and sear without stirring for about a minute for extra flavor.
3. Add Tomatoes and Paste: Mix in crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to enhance sweetness in this Sloppy Joes Recipe.
4. Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon, and mustard powder for a rich, tangy flavor.
5. Simmer and Serve: Let the mixture simmer to the right consistency, then serve on buttered buns.

FAQS

Why Do They Call It A Sloppy Joe?

It’s believed the name “Sloppy Joe” possibly comes from Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Florida, a saloon in Havana, or an Iowa cafe where a cook named Joe made a messy sandwich with tomato sauce. It evolved from the 19th-century Midwest practice of stretching ground beef with fillers like tomato for economical, nutritious meals.

Is This Sloppy Joes Recipe Freezer Friendly?

Yes, Sloppy Joes are freezer-friendly. You can freeze the meat mixture for later use.

What Sides Go With This Sloppy Joes Recipe?

We love serving these easy Sloppy Joes with potato chips, onion rings, french fries, sweet potato fries, baked beans, bread and butter or dill pickles, pickled red onions, elote (or plain grilled corn on the cob), roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, or a pasta salad like this Greek pasta salad.

More Ground Beef Recipes

• Taco Lasagna reader favorite recipe!
• Beef Tacos baked and ready in 30 minutes or less
• Pasta e Fagioli Olive Garden copycat
• Ground Beef Stroganoff served over egg noodles
• Beef Larb Thai-inspired ground beef over coconut rice

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4.80 from 5 votes

Sloppy Joes

By Chelsea Lords

This Sloppy Joes recipe is the best! Tangy, sweet, savory sauce with a few sneaky veggies. Pile it high on toasted buns, and you’ll be craving these daily!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 sloppy joes

Equipment

• Large cast-iron pan

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated yellow onion 1 small onion
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 to 3 cloves
• ▢ 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot 1 medium carrot
• ▢ 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper 1 bell pepper
• ▢ 1 pound lean ground beef 90/10
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 1/2 cup ketchup Heinz recommended
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon light brown sugar see note 1
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• ▢ 2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar optional
• ▢ Brioche buns or your favorite hamburger buns, for serving, plus butter for buns

Instructions 

• Peel an onion and grate it on the large holes of a grater. Mince garlic, finely chop (or grate on the large holes) a carrot, and finely chop the red pepper. Alternatively, add a coarsely chopped carrot, coarsely chopped red pepper, and garlic to a food processor and pulse into diced pieces.
• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to a large cast-iron pan and place over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper. Sauté 6–8 minutes or until liquid from the veggies has evaporated and veggies are mostly tender. Press veggies to the edges and add ground beef to the center. Let stand for 45 seconds, then stir and crumble the meat into small pieces. Cook until no longer pink, about 5–8 minutes. As you crumble and cook the meat, incorporate the veggies into the mixture.
• Add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Stir for 2–3 minutes to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar (see note 1), ground mustard, beef bouillon powder, and pepper. Stir well, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Prepare the buns while sauce is cooking. Once thickened, stir in red wine vinegar if desired. Season sauce if needed.
• Remove pan from heat. Spoon the mixture on top of toasted buns (see note 2) and enjoy immediately.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Depending on the tomatoes and ketchup you use (some are sweeter than others) you may want more or less brown sugar; add to preference.

Note 2: Toast the buns for added flavor and to prevent sogginess: spread softened butter on the insides and grill for 20–30 seconds, toast in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes, or brown in a pan over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes.

Storage: Store the sloppy joe filling in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months, and keep buns separate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 22.4g | Fat: 8.3g | Cholesterol: 50.3mg | Sodium: 588mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 12.2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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