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Isha Joe

Sloppy Joes

The BEST recipe for a homemade Sloppy Joe! Ground beef in a hearty tomato sauce on toasted hamburger buns. A family favorite that's perfect for lunch or dinner.
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Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 359
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup ketchup*
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp  yellow mustard, or to taste
  • 2-3 tsp brown sugar, or to taste*

For the Sloppy Joes

  • 1 tbsp extra light olive oil, or any high-heat cooking oil
  • 1 ib lean ground beef, 85%-90% lean
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced, or use 1/2 cup grated carrot
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Method
 

  1. Make the Sauce – In a medium bowl, combine the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and brown sugar, and set it aside.
  2. Cook the Beef – Place a large skillet or dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add olive oil and ground beef. Saute the beef for about 5 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula. If you see extra fat on the bottom, tilt the pan and spoon it out or blot it up with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Add vegetables – Stir in the diced peppers and onion. Cook another 5 minutes until the veggies are tender and beef is browned. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly
  4. Add the sauce and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes or until thickened to your liking. Adjust the seasoning taste* and add water if you prefer a looser consistency. Serve on toasted buns for Sloppy Joe Sandwiches.

Notes

*Why ketchup? I recently started adding ketchup to my sauce, and I found that it adds more dimension, acidity, and sweetness to improve the flavor of the sauce. 
 
*Add sugar to taste, depending on the sweetness of your ketchup. Start with 2 teaspoons and add more if needed. 
 
Sloppy Joe Tasting Guide – You can adjust the flavor profile of your sloppy joe based on your preferences. It helps to add a bit of the sauce to a bun and adjust after taking a bite.
 
  • Too sweet? Add a pinch of salt or 1/ 2 tsp apple-cider vinegar
  • Too Tangy? Add 1/2 tsp brown sugar or a drizzle of ketchup
  • Too Tomato-y? Simmer an extra 5 min to concentrate flavors and caramelize sugars.
  • Missing depth? Add extra Worcestershire. 
  • Too loose? Simmer uncovered 3-5 minutes to thicken
  • Too thick? Add a splash of water
Storage and Reheating: 
 
  • Refrigerating – Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.
  • Freezing – transfer the cooled meat sauce to freezer-friendly containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Reheating – It’s best to reheat a recipe the same way it was cooked. Warm the meat sauce in a pan over the stovetop until hot. You can microwave, but cover to catch messy splatter.