I think these are delicious. Like make-myself-another-half-sandwich-even-though-I’m-not-hungry delicious. Like sneak-into-the-kitchen-in-the-middle-of-the-night-to-see-if-the-mixture-tastes-good-cold delicious. Top it off with the fact that Sloppy Joes just feel like fall to me–you know, something warm and family-friendly that can simmer while everybody’s out trick-or-treating or something you can fill a thermos with and enjoy at a chilly football game.
One thing I love is that it’s versatile; you can make it in about 30 minutes, it can be semi-prepared and frozen and then cooked in the crockpot, or it can simmer in the crockpot for a few hours, whatever works best for you.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Lean ground beef – I use 90% or 93% lean. You could probably use any ground meat here, as long as it has a little fat for flavor and texture. I would just avoid super lean ground turkey because it tends to be pretty dry and flavorless and really fatty beef or pork to avoid having to drain off fat. Fun fact: Some people refer to Sloppy Joes made with lighter meats like ground turkey as “Sloppy Janes!”
- Seasoning salt – Or your favorite salt-based seasoning blend. I often use McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning.
- Minced onion
- Green pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Brown sugar
- Red wine vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Tomato paste
- Black pepper
- Hamburger buns – You can also serve this over rice or with mashed potatoes.
- Pickle slices – Optional.
How to Make Dressed-Up Sloppy Joes
- First you’ll brown your meat with some onions and green peppers.
- Then you’ll build your sauce right in the pan with ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and a little water.
- That simmers away for about a half an hour and then it’s ready to serve!
Storing and Other Tips
- This sloppy Joe mixture reheats beautifully. Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- You can also freeze individual portions for easy meals later on.
- See the recipe card below for full details on cooking this recipe in the crock pot and for prepping it as a freezer meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! This sloppy Joe mixture reheats like a dream from both the fridge or the freezer.
Yes. Finely diced carrots, celery, mushrooms, or zucchini will blend in almost unnoticeably to the sauce, boosting nutrition even for picky eaters! Add them with the onions and peppers when you brown the beef and make sure they are in small enough pieces to cook through easily.
I like serving these with any combo chips, fries, tater tots, green salad, coleslaw, or fruit. You can also serve the Sloppy Joe mixture over potatoes or rice as well.
Dressed-Up Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- Seasoning salt to taste
- 1 medium onion minced
- ½ green pepper minced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 10 teaspoons brown sugar (3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon)
- 1 ½ tsp. red wine vinegar
- ¾ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- ⅓-½ cup water to reach desired consistency
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6-8 hamburger buns
- Pickle slices
Instructions
- Chop the onion, garlic, and bell pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. When hot, add the beef and brown it, stirring frequently, with the onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt.
- Add in mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve on hamburger buns (we actually love them topped with pickles and served as sliders on King's Hawaiian Rolls).
Notes
- Nutritional information was calculated for 1/6th of the Sloppy Joe mixture, no bun.
Questions & Reviews
I'm addicted to your blog. Thanks for all the great recipes. I just nominated you for the Kreativ Blogger Award. Check it out here:
http://livinginmoments.blogspot.com/2009/10/kreativ-blogger-award.html
Looks very much like my sloppy joe recipe… which over the years, has turned into throwing stuff into the pan without measuring, and adding different chopped veggies, depending on what I have around. But the fact is, I LOVE SLOPPY JOES. I would rather eat them than a burger. Even a homemade burger fresh off the grill. And I make a mean burger. But sloppy joes… a little sweet, a little savory, saucy… maybe some grated cheese on top. I LOVE THEM. I am definitely not a S.J. Snob.
Not only that, but in a pinch, you can make sloppy joe meat into other meals. Add a can of grean beans, top with mashed potatoes and grated cheese and bake it for a few minutes, and it is Shepherd's Pie, American Style. Add a can of olives and a tablespoon of chili powder and some cumin, and pour cornbread batter over the top… and it is Tamale Pie. Not very highbrow. Martha would not approve. Tasty and family-friendly? YES.
How rude of Martha! But then what do you expect of an ex-con:-) Really this is comfort food.
Mmmmm, good! My mouth is watering : )
Sloppy joes are my second favorite childhood sandwich (next to grilled cheese)! The only thing I do differently is not adding green pepper, but finely diced celery instead. Celery salt is a fine substitute as well.
BTW- Love the blog. I may have only commented one other time, but I always mean to! :o)
I LOVE sloppy joes and am so excited to try this recipe out. I have one that I really like but my husband is burnt out of it. So glad to have a new one to try.
Oh, and poo on Martha Stewart. Love the counter argument from the link.
I have tried several made from scratch recipes, but DH didn't care for them. I am going to give yours a try next week. I am really wanting this to work, as all the canned varieties have HFCS in them. I am not anti HFCS, but I try to limit our intake. ALSO, we love ours with dill pickle slices and cheese on the bun. Yum yum!
I've gotta try these. I love Sloppy Joe's but the last time I got a can of the sauce and made them we were so disappointed…It was like the brand I have always bought, had changed the recipe or something.
haha Becca, that was funny 🙂
Molly- you guys are gluten free, right? Is there some kind of gluten free pita you could use?
This looks great. Any ideas for serving sloppy joes on something besides bread? My kids love the mix, but can't eat bread.
There’s rice tortillas(not sure of the name) like a flat bread only made of rice and use them in a roll-up.. also a lettuce roll-up is good.