One bite of this Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe will instantly take you back to the meaty, messy, Sloppy Joe sandwich of your childhood. Sweet, tangy and loaded with flavor, this version of the classic American comfort food is also surprisingly healthy, and comes together in about 30 minutes.
BEST SLOPPY JOE RECIPE
Kids of all ages will love this classic homemade Sloppy Joes recipe. It’s quick and easy, and because we use a leaner ground beef and load it with bell peppers, carrots and onions, it’s actually pretty healthy. These can be served as-is on a bun or mini slider roll, or step it up by piling it onto a pretzel bun and adding a slice of your favorite cheddar or pepperjack cheese with a pickle.
WHAT GOES WITH SLOPPY JOES?
Any of these recipes would make delicious Sloppy Joes side dishes:
CAN I MAKE HEALTHY SLOPPY JOES?
This recipe is actually fairly healthy to begin with since we use a lower fat beef and tons of veggies. If you are looking to reduce even more fat and calories, or if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, you have a few options:
- Substitute ground turkey for ground beef. While ground turkey can have a tendency to dry out, there is so much moisture from the sauce that you shouldn’t have a problem. You can always add a splash of water or broth while you are cooking the meat in the pan if you notice it getting a little dry.
- Increase the veggies and decrease the meat. Try doubling the amount of carrots and bell peppers, and reducing the amount of meat.
- To make gluten-free, omit the Worcestershire and barbeque sauces and substitute with ketchup, then serve on a gluten-free bun, or piled on top of a baked potato!
OLD-FASHIONED SLOPPY JOES INGREDIENTS
- Avocado Oil – you can also substitute any other type of cooking oil, such as olive, canola or vegetable oil.
- Onions – we suggest you use yellow or white onions.
- Garlic – minced fresh, or you can substitute pre-minced garlic.
- Carrots – these should be washed, peeled and shredded. You can also dice them if you don’t have a good tool to shred them.
- Bell Peppers – we use red and orange, but you can any combination of colors that you have on hand.
- Ground Beef – we recommend between 7-15% fat ground beef. However, you can also substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground bison.
- Tomato Paste
- Worcestershire Sauce – this adds quite a bit of flavor, but you can omit if you want to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Barbeque Sauce – we like to use Sweet Baby Rays but any brand that you like will do. Or, if you prefer slightly less sweet, you can substitute ketchup. Either omit the barbeque sauce, or find a gluten-free variety to make these gluten-free.
- Brown Sugar – we use light brown sugar.
- Salt & Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes – this is optional, but adds a nice spicy kick. If you really like spice, try adding a pinch of chili powder or a dash of hot sauce.
HOW ELSE CAN I SERVE SLOPPY JOES?
- Sloppy Joe Tacos. Just make your Sloppy Joes and roll up into a warmed tortilla.
- Sloppy Joes Sliders. Use Eikhorn Dinner Rolls as mini rolls. Just slice in half and pile in your Sloppy Joes.
- Sloppy Joes Stuffed Baked Potatoes. Pile on top of a partially-hollowed baked potato half, top with your favorite shredded cheese, and serve with sour cream and green onions.
- Sloppy Joes Pizza. Cover pizza dough, or french bread, with your Sloppy Joes, top with cheese and bake!
- Sloppy Joes Nachos. Layer with tortilla chips, black beans and shredded cheese and bake until the cheese has melted. Serve with sour cream and salsa.
HOW TO MAKE OLD-FASHIONED SLOPPY JOES
- In a non-stick saute pan on medium-high heat, add avocado oil (or any other cooking oil).
- Once the oil is hot, add the onions and carrots and saute until the onions are translucent and the carrots are becoming tender, about 6-8 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add the bell peppers and garlic and saute until they are tender, or about 4-5 more minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the pan, and use a spoon or spatula to break up the hamburger meat, and add your salt, pepper and crushed red peppers (if using). If it seems too dry in your pan, you can add a few tablespoons of water.
- Continue cooking until the beef is almost fully cooked, about 8-10 more minutes. There should still be a little pink.
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce, brown sugar and barbeque sauce (or ketchup). Continue to stir until the sauce is completely mixed in and the beef has finished cooking, about 3-5 more minutes. There should be no pink left in your beef once it is done.
- Serve on a mini slider or pretzel bun with a slice of cheddar or pepperjack cheese and a pickle, and enjoy!
CAN YOU MAKE SLOPPY JOES IN THE CROCK POT?
Yes, you can definitely make Sloppy Joes in the crock pot. Just saute your vegetables and meat as directed, then transfer to the crock pot. Add the rest of your ingredients and a little water or beef broth (¼ cup should be fine), and cook on the low setting for about 3 hours.
CAN YOU FREEZE SLOPPY JOES?
Yes, just cool completely and transfer to freezer bags. Lay flat on a sheet pan or a flat surface in the freezer, and store for up to 4 months. You can defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat in a saute pan, or you can transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and defrost and rewarm in the microwave.
Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil can substitute any other cooking oil
- 1/2 med Onion diced; yellow or white onion
- 1 tsp Garlic minced
- 1 large Carrot shredded or diced
- 1 med Red Bell Pepper diced; can also use any color you have on hand
- 1/2 med Yellow Bell Pepper diced; can also use any color you have on hand
- 1 lb Ground Beef 7-15% fat
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes optional
- 4 ounces Tomato Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Barbeque Sauce use your favorite kind, or can substitute ketchup
Instructions
- In a non-stick saute pan on medium-high heat, add avocado oil (or any other cooking oil).
- Once the oil is hot, add the onions and carrots and saute until the onions are translucent and the carrots are becoming tender, about 6-8 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add the bell peppers and garlic and saute until they are tender, or about 4-5 more minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the pan, and use a spoon or spatula to break up the hamburger meat, and add your salt, pepper and crushed red peppers (if using). If it seems too dry in your pan, you can add a few tablespoons of water.
- Continue cooking until the beef is almost fully cooked, about 8-10 more minutes. There should still be a little pink.
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce, brown sugar and barbeque sauce (or ketchup). Continue to stir until the sauce is completely mixed in and the beef has finished cooking, about 3-5 more minutes. There should be no pink left in your beef once it is done.
- Serve on a mini slider or pretzel bun with a slice of cheddar or pepperjack cheese and a pickle, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
TIP WHEN COOKING FOR KIDS
Saute your veggies slightly longer than you normally would so that they are almost mushy. It will be easier to hide them this way!Nutrition
Here are some other recipes with beef that we love too:
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Kids of all ages will love this classic Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe. One bite will instantly take you back to the meaty, messy, Sloppy Joe sandwich of your childhood. It’s sweet, tangy and loaded with flavor. Our version of this classic American comfort food comes together in about 30 minutes and is actually fairly healthy because we use leaner ground beef and load it with veggies.
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