Sloppy Joes
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Effortlessly delicious and universally loved, Sloppy Joes are the tasty (and yes, slightly messy) champion of quick dinners and game day feasts.
A Sloppy Joe is a beloved American sandwich made from ground beef cooked in a tangy and slightly sweet tomato-based sauce and served on a hamburger bun. The name “sloppy” aptly describes the sandwich’s messy nature, as the filling tends to spill out of the bun. My homemade Sloppy Joes, which my kids have playfully nicknamed “Sloppy Jenns” (although I’m not a fan of that name!), is an upgrade on the classic recipe. Instead of using ketchup or seasoning packets, I create a smoky sauce entirely from scratch. The recipe is quick and always a crowd-pleaser, and it can easily be scaled up to feed a crowd or frozen for another meal.
To serve, I suggest toasting buttery brioche buns and pairing the sandwiches with either my sweet and tangy citrus slaw or classic coleslaw, crispy potato chips, and some refrigerator pickles on the side.
Table of Contents
“The last time I had a Sloppy Joe was as a teenager–Manwich, of course! Definitely elevated with this version! Perfect weeknight meal!”
What You’ll Need To Make Sloppy Joes
- Ground Beef: 90% lean ground beef is ideal due to its lower fat content, which not only ensures the dish is not too greasy but also eliminates the need to drain fat after browning.
- Baking Soda: Tenderizes the beef.
- Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Garlic: A flavorful trio that forms the aromatic foundation of the filling.
- Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Oregano, Dry Mustard: These spices add a spectrum of flavors from smoky to earthy to tangy.
- Canned Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste: Used to make the sauce; the tomato sauce offers a tangy, liquid base, while the paste thickens and intensifies the tomato flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce and Hot Pepper Sauce: These condiments add umami and a heat, deepening the flavor of the dish.
- Hamburger or Brioche Buns: The vehicle for the Sloppy Joe mixture, offering a soft and slightly sweet contrast to the flavorful beef filling.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Ingredients
To begin, combine the beef and baking soda in a medium bowl. The baking soda raises the pH of the meat, helping to lock in moisture and keep the beef tender. (I use this technique for many ground beef recipes, including beef enchiladas, stuffed peppers, stacked beef enchiladas and chili.)
Mash with your hands until well combined, and then let sit on the counter for 20 to 25 minutes to tenderize.
While the beef rests, chop the veggies. I use a food processor to speed this process along, but it’s fine to chop by hand.
If using a food processor, be sure to pulse only until the vegetables are finely chopped, not puréed.
When the meat is just about ready, melt the butter in a large skillet.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the beef, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and dry mustard.
Cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until mostly brown, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, butter the inside of the buns and place on a baking sheet, butter side up.
Toast in the oven until warmed through and lightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
Taste the sloppy Joe mixture and adjust seasonings. (If you like your Sloppy Joes sweet, feel free to add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar.) Spoon the mixture onto the toasted hamburger buns and serve. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the meat mixture can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.
Yes, you can use various types of ground meat for Sloppy Joes, including turkey, chicken, or pork. If going this route, skip the tenderizing step with the baking soda.
Baking soda raises the pH level of the meat’s surface, making it more alkaline. This change in pH disrupts the protein structure in the meat, making it more tender. Baking soda also accelerates browning, which boosts the flavor of the dish.
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Sloppy Joes
Effortlessly delicious and universally loved, Sloppy Joes are the tasty (and yes, slightly messy) champion of quick dinners and game day feasts.
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds 90% lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buns
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 (14-oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco or Frank's, or to taste
- Hamburger buns
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, using your hands, mash the beef with the baking soda. Let it sit on the counter for 20 to 25 minutes to tenderize.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until bubbling. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the beef, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and dry mustard and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until mostly brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, butter the inside of the buns and place on a baking sheet, butter side up. Toast in the oven until warmed through and lightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Taste the sloppy Joe mixture and adjust seasonings. (If you like your Sloppy Joes sweet, feel free to add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar.) Spoon the mixture onto the toasted hamburger buns and serve.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meat mixture can be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated in the microwave om on the stovetop until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (5 servings)
- Serving size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 406
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Sodium: 887 mg
- Cholesterol: 86 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Thank You Jen for yet another delicious and easy to follow recipe. A few personal changes: left out the hot sauce and added the brown sugar. Yummy! Served with sweet potato fries. Will absolutely make again!!
Do you think Impossible Burger could be substituted with success? If so, would you still use the baking soda?
Hi Judy, I’ve never worked with Impossible burger before so it’s hard to say for sure, but I suspect it will work (and you wouldn’t need to use the baking soda). Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Can the meat “rest” for longer than 25 minutes? It often takes me longer to prepare the rest of the ingredients. Just wondering if this was time sensitive. Thanks!
Yes that’s fine, Andrew. Enjoy!
This is my go to recipe for sloppy joes. It appeals more to my adult taste buds than the ketchup based recipe I used before. I’ve added nothing nor changed anything. It’s great!
I forgot to add 5 Stars.
This recipe is a home run. We have two of our grown sons staying with us and when they raid the pantry, it looks like a biblical plague hit our house. I used toasted ciabatta sandwich buns and we all devoured it. It was just enough and everyone got full. I’ve said it before, my wife’s cooking and Jenn’s recipes are the reasons I have a gym membership. Awesome recipe!
So good nobody would think its also healthy
I used to make ground beef BBQs with a lot of sugar so I was a little skeptical when I made this recipe. One teaspoon of sugar? Really? Yes! Great flavors with the right textures.
Hi Jenn,
Any chance I could make this in a slow cooker? If yes, would I need to change anything?
Thanks.
Sharron
Hi Sharron, I think it should work with no changes other than the cook time.
I have made this recipe many times and it is always a hit. Super easy weekday dinner. I love the low sugar content and I usually swap 1/4 lb beef for about a half a cup of cooked lentils, which totally absorb the bold flavor.
Just looking at making the Sloppy Joes for visitors this weekend. Looks fantastic. What is the equivalent of canned tomato sauce in Australia? I’m thinking tomato soup or passata?
From what I see online, I think that the closest equivalent to canned tomato sauce in the US would be passata. Hope that helps!
I made this last night and it was excellent as written although I didnt use the baking soda.
After tasting it I seasoned it to my liking with a touch of cinnamon which I find adds warmth and another layer of flavoring.
Won’t go back to store bought! Thank you!