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
My Husband and I made these for dinner tonight. They were a huge hit. The weren’t too spicy and they weren’t too sweet. They were the perfect blend. Our kids even ate them, which was surprising. I will be making these for a luncheon following my son’s baptism next month.
Thanks for the great recipe!
These are amazing! I find myself making them again and again because they’re so delicious!
Mmm love these sloppy joes! If u ever have an abundance of zucchini from your garden, we like to chop it up small and add it into our sloppy joes. Makes u feel like u got something nutritional out of the meal, and doesn’t affect the taste of the overall joe. .)
Love these! Love, love, LOVE. Pretty much my favorite sloppy joe EVER. And all my kids liked it, which was a definite bonus.
A definite success! This was the perfect mix for our family–not too sweet (for my husband), not too peppery (for me), and with some veggies mixed in (chopped up super fine, for my picky little eater). This will be the new sloppy joe recipe at our house for sure! Thanks!
Seriously the best sloppy Joe mix ever!!!! A little sweet but still so good. Can’t wait to eat leftovers. Thanks
Sincerely,
Wishing it was dinner time already
This is one of my family’s new favorite meals. So easy and so tasty! Thank you!
Funny since Martha was on Oprah not too long ago and she said the biggest misconception about her was that you couldn't invite her to dinner because everyone thought their food wouldn't be good enough! Well she proved that on TNFNS with Kelsey. Martha even went on to say she loved grilled cheese and then cooked some for Oprah. It's all show! I'm making this sloppy joe recipe tonight and can't wait!
Sharing a braaaaaaainnnnnn. My post from the 7th http://betsylife.com/?p=1940
Thanks Kate! I am off to get the few ingredients I need to make them tonight. Can't wait to try one!