Sloppy Joes
Messy, sweet, tangy, and my kids eat it without complaint. That alone makes it a winner. If you've been buying the canned sloppy joe sauce, I'm not here to judge — I used it for years. But once you ma
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds ground beef (80/20)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1/2 green bell pepper (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and pepper
- 6 hamburger buns
Method
Step 1: Brown the beef
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until browned — about 5 minutes. If there's a lot of grease, drain most of it off but leave a tablespoon for flavor.
Step 2: Cook the vegetables
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Step 3: Build the sauce
- Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and chili powder. Stir everything together and bring to a simmer. Cook on medium-low for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Taste and adjust the seasoning — you might want more sugar for sweetness, more vinegar for tang, or a dash of hot sauce for heat.
Step 4: Serve
- Toast the buns under the broiler for a minute — this adds crunch and prevents the bun from getting soggy immediately. Spoon the meat mixture generously onto the buns. Serve with napkins. Many napkins.