This Sloppy Joe recipe guarantees a satisfying meal for any day of the week. It's made with lean ground beef, vegetables, tangy crushed tomatoes, as well as a blend of savory seasonings to add extra flavor to this simple yet delicious dish.
While cooking, sweeten the meat sauce with some ketchup to imbue sweetness into the dish or brown sugar. Want to boost the flavor? Add a bit of dry mustard, oregano, cumin, or chili powder to the meat mixture for a savory, packed Sloppy joe.
Or better yet, give it some kick? There are various ways to provide spicy sloppy joes with more heat. You can stick to the recipe and add the seeds from the jalapeño. Alternatively, you could swap the jalapeño for another pepper. Serranos are 5 times hotter yet not overpowering. If you want to kick it up a couple of notches by opting for a variety that's 100 times hotter, according to the Scoville heat unit, consider swapping in a habanero pepper.
Paired with our Telera Rolls for the perfect Sloppy Joe Sandwich. For more fantastic sandwich recipes, we highly recommend this Pan con Pollo, Pan con Pavo, and this Steak Sandwich. Don't miss this tasty Veggie Sandwich if you want something lighter.
How to Make Sloppy Joe
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
For the Meat Sauce: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the beef, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break the meat into pieces, until the beef is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the onions, poblano, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic; cook, often stirring, until the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomato, Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, covered, occasionally stirring, and make sure it does burn until the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. (If in a rush, cook for 15 minutes without a lid).
Taste the meat mixture and adjust the seasonings. (If you like your Sloppy Joe sweet, add 1 teaspoon or more light brown sugar.) Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle.
Butter the inside of the telera or hamburger buns and place on a baking sheet, butter side up, and toast in the oven until warm and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
Spoon the sloppy joe meat sauce onto the toasted telera bread or hamburger buns and serve.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Sloppy Joe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion , finely diced
- 1 small poblano or green bell pepper , finely diced
- 1 small red pepper , finely diced
- 1 jalapeno , seeded, finely diced (Omit if you have small children)
- 4 large cloves garlic , minced
- ½ teaspoon Red pepper flakes (Omit if you have small children)
- 2 teaspoons Goya all-purpose seasoning or kosher salt , taste and adjsut to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1 (28-oz) canned crushed tomato
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 10 Telera rolls or Hamburger buns
Instructions
For the Sloppy Joe Meat Mixture:
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the beef, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break the meat into pieces until the beef is browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the onions, poblano, jalapeño, and garlic; cook, often stirring, until the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomato, Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, covered, stirring occasionally o make sure it does burn until the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. (If in rush, cook for 15 minutes without a lid). Taste the sloppy Joe mixture and adjust the seasonings. (If you like your Sloppy Joe sweet, feel free to add 1 teaspoon or more of light brown sugar or ketchup.)
For the Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle. Butter the inside of the telera or hamburger buns and place on a baking sheet, butter side up toast in the oven until warm and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
To Assemble the Sloppy Joe:
- Spoon the sloppy joe meat mixture onto the toasted telera bread or hamburger buns and serve.
Notes
- These Sloppy Joe can be refrigerated airtight for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes (We recommend covering the meat mixture with plastic wrap or a microwave slatter shield to prevent any splatter from happening), or on the stovetop, occasionally stirring until heated through.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
