Sloppy Joes Classic Sandwich (Printable)

Ground beef in tangy tomato sauce served on soft buns for quick, flavorful family meals.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb ground beef (80/20 fat ratio)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce & Seasonings

05 - 1 cup tomato sauce
06 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
07 - 2 tbsp ketchup
08 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
09 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
10 - 1 tsp yellow mustard
11 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
13 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 - 1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)

→ To Serve

15 - 4 soft hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
16 - Dill pickle slices (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking it up, until browned and no longer pink, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add finely chopped onion, green bell pepper, and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook until softened, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Incorporate tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and optional chili powder. Stir thoroughly to combine.
04 - Lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and flavors blend.
05 - Taste mixture and modify seasoning as necessary to achieve desired balance.
06 - Spoon the beef mixture onto bottom halves of toasted buns. Optional: add dill pickle slices. Cover with top bun halves and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Ready in 30 minutes flat, which means you can go from tired to proud in the time it takes to watch half a sitcom.
  • The sweet-savory sauce hits different when you layer in brown sugar and Worcestershire together, creating something way more complex than it should be.
  • Feeds a crowd without fussing, perfect for nights when everyone's hungry and nobody wants to wait.
02 -
  • Drain most of the beef fat but not all of it—a thin layer keeps the sauce from tasting lean and one-dimensional.
  • Don't skip the toasting step on the buns, or they'll absorb the sauce and turn into a sad, soggy mess instead of a vessel that actually works.
03 -
  • Don't drain every drop of beef fat—that's where the flavor lives, and a thin layer keeps the sauce from tasting thin.
  • The sauce thickens as it cools slightly, so if it seems a touch loose when you spoon it, it'll set up perfectly by the time it hits the bun.
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