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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Sloppy Joes

beef entrees· sandwiches & wraps· Tailgating Recipes
September 3, 2021

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Sloppy Joes – Ground beef is slathered in a mixture of onions, green pepper, ketchup, and mustard and served on a soft potato bun.

sloppy joe sitting on a plate with kettle chips

Easy homemade dinners are something that I’ve adopted during my work-from-home life. With my commute from work to home eliminated, I’ve got a little more time to devote to weeknight meals, which means less frozen meals and more creativity in the kitchen. I don’t like to buy tons of ingredients so the meals I’ve been gravitating towards use kitchen staples that I already have. My favorites have been these chicken sandwiches, this meatloaf, and this shrimp.

Today I’ve got yet another easy dinner to add to your repertoire. This one comes from another blog, The Chunky Chef. She has some of the best recipes I’ve seen (and gorgeous photos that will make you drool!) so when I saw her recipe for Sloppy Joes, I just had to try it for myself. You’re guaranteed to have many of the ingredients on hand so there’s no excuse to give this recipe a try this week. And if you switch out the buns for gluten-free ones, you’ve got yourself a gluten-free meal, too!

I love the flavor these Sloppy Joes bring and how quickly them come together – they’re ready in under 30 minutes! My husband and kids equally love them so it’s a no-brainer for weeknight meals. I’m always looking for new ways to get my kids to eat meat other than chicken nuggets so I am so happy they love these.

Without further ado, here are some gorgeous shots of my Sloppy Joes!

sloppy joe sitting on top of other sloppy joes on a plate
close up of sloppy joe sitting on top of more sloppy joes on a plate
overhead shot of sloppy joe on a plate with kettle chips

What is a sloppy joe?

A sloppy joe is defined as a sandwich made with ground beef that’s been seasoned with tomatoes and spices and served on a hamburger bun. I have no idea where the name came from. Maybe “Joe” is Sloppy because he served the beef messy and not in a patty like a hamburger? Who knows.

How to make these sloppy joes

Sloppy joes are incredibly easy to make. They are so easy to make that it almost makes you wonder why on Earth they sell sloppy joes in a can. I would understand if it were a labor of love that took hours to make. But these babies are ready to eat in less than 30 minutes!

The process starts with browning the beef first. This is done separately from the veggies to (1) not crowd the pan, which ensures the beef will brown instead of steam and (2) it will let us drain out the excess fat before adding in other ingredients.

Once the beef is cooked, the excess fat is drained out and the beef is placed in a separate bowl and set aside for later. Next, the veggies are cooked to softened them up a bit. The beef is added back with the tomato paste and mixed together until combined. Do this before adding the other ingredients because tomato paste is easier to mix without tons of liquid in the mix.

Finally, the rest of the ingredients are added and mixed to give the joes their sloppy texture. The mix is cooked to thicken it up a bit and then removed from heat before serving on hamburger buns.

close up of sloppy joe sitting on a plate with kettle chips

Tips & Tricks

  1. I used a food processor to mince my onion and pepper into teeny pieces. This made sure no one got big chunks of onion or pepper in their bites of sloppy joe.
  2. To make the joe as sloppy as can be, make sure the ground beef is broken down well during the cooking process. You don’t want big pieces of beef in a sloppy joe.
Print Recipe

Sloppy Joes

Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Servings: 6 sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ yellow onion minced
  • ⅓ green pepper minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ⅔ cup ketchup
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • ¾ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 6 potato buns

Instructions

  • Add oil to a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain out the excess fat, place in a bowl and set aside.
  • Add butter to the skillet and place on medium heat. Once butter is melted, add onions and peppers and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add beef back to skillet, along with tomato paste. Mix together. Add in ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Mix together to combine.
  • Cook mixture for 10 minutes, or until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat. Scoop about 2/3 cup into split potato buns and close to make a sandwich. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Chunky Chef

Pin for later:

collage of sloppy joes pictures with descriptive text

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10 Comments

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Comments

  1. Bella says

    September 4, 2021 at 7:14 pm

    yumm this looks so tasty!!! I love a good sloppy joy so good! gotta make this

    Reply
  2. Nina says

    September 4, 2021 at 12:56 pm

    I’ve always seen sloppy joes on TV but I didn’t actually know what they were. These sounds so yummy!

    Reply
  3. Nadalie Bardo says

    September 4, 2021 at 9:30 am

    It has been an age since I’ve had a sloppy joe! This is what my childhood tasted like haha. Need to make one

    Reply
  4. Marta says

    September 3, 2021 at 11:41 pm

    There’s something about a Sloppy Joe that still makes me feel like a kid. These look delicious.

    Reply
  5. Alejandra says

    September 3, 2021 at 8:54 pm

    It’s been a long time since I’ve had a sloppy joe, but this is making me crave one! Such a great comfort meal, this recipe looks so tasty!

    Reply
  6. Michelle says

    September 3, 2021 at 8:06 pm

    Need to make these ASAP! They look so yummy — my sons love sloppy joes!

    Reply
  7. Safiya says

    September 3, 2021 at 8:00 pm

    My kids absolutely love sloppy Joe. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  8. Kristen Wood says

    September 3, 2021 at 7:29 pm

    My kids loved this! Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  9. Anjali says

    September 3, 2021 at 6:17 pm

    Yum!! This is comfort food at its best!! Can’t wait to try it soon!

    Reply
  10. Mimi says

    September 3, 2021 at 3:59 pm

    So yummy I need to make these for my next cheat meal they look delicious

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

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