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
Hi, Peri! I'm so glad you liked the French Dips. These are a little sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. I'm totally with you; I don't like my sloppy joes, BBQ Beef/pork, baked beans, etc. to be overly sweet.
Just wondering…are these super sweet? I tried a recipe from a book once that tasted like sugary meat…strange!
PS. I tried your french dip recipe and it was FABULOUS!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks for sharing this wondeful recipe.. I had not tasted sloppy joes in such a long time and these are to die for! I catch myself making them at least once a week since we cannot get enough!
I like cumin in my sloppy joes. Haven't had one in a long time.
Those are so not the sloppy joes my mother made! I must try them!
I love homemade sloppy joes! Even better if I can freeze it too!
Just made this to re-heat for dinner tonight. It is crazy good! It's a good thing I have to go to work soon or there wouldn't be any left for dinner!
Oh, and I used ground turkey instead of beef (spouse is allergic to beef). Yummy!
I made this for dinner last night and it really hit the spot. Maybe next time I'll make your homemade rolls.
Hey Kate, the printer friendly version on this post brings up the last recipe. Just thought ya'll might like to know. I'm officially cooking one of your recipes tonight, and am making a goal to do at least one a week! Thanks!
Oh My! I made these for my husband today and he literally moaned when he took a bite. I haven't made a sloppy joe recipe that he likes in a long time but now he can't stop telling me how delicious these are. This one is a winner! The only thing I changed was to substitute a red bell pepper for the green. Just personal preference.