Chef John's Sloppy Joes

30 Reviews

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Ready In: 55 min

“The secret to a great 'Sloppy Joe' is a thick, rich, almost dry consistency, which allows it to be eaten two-fisted, sans fork.” - by Chef John

Directions

Combine the ground beef and onion in a cold skillet, place the skillet onto a stove burner, and turn the heat to medium; cook and stir until the beef is crumbly and browned. Stir the garlic and bell pepper into the beef mixture; continue cooking and stirring until the vegetables are tender, 2 to 3 more minutes. Add 1 cup of water. Mix in ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Pour in 1 more cup of water. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook until the mixture becomes very thick, 30 to 45 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Season with cayenne.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (6 total)

Calories
271 cal
14%

Fat
12.6 g
19%

Carbs
14.4 g
5%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Reviews (30)

Rate This Recipe

Sarah Jo

Jul. 19, 2012

"I only made one switch out--one red bell pepper instead of green bell pepper because my family prefers the red over green. I topped each "joe" with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. My husband and kids..." See more liked these sloppy joes, mostly because they were not sloppy. My husband said that was the best part because he could take the leftovers in his truck the next day and not worry about getting his lunch everywhere."

KIRALYNO

Jul. 17, 2012

"I actually made this recipe as is, except replacing the meat for meat analog so that the vegetarians in my household could also enjoy. I think with the liquid slowly reducing also help hydrate the mea..." See moret analog which made the sloppy joes taste like the real meat version. As hubby said, who has been a vegetarian longer than I have been alive stated, it was better than his mom's sloppy joes that he ate when he was a kid. Two wonderful and definite thumbs up!!"

LISA

Jul. 13, 2012

"I've made this numerous times and never changed one thing . The recipe is perfect as are all of Chef John's recipes. If you're finding it more like soup, then you haven't let the water evaporate. Yo..." See moreu need to take your time and let it simmer for awhile. You will not be disappointed with the results. It's delicious!!!"

More Reviews