5 from 258 votes
Homemade Sloppy Joes
Homemade Sloppy Joes feature ground beef cooked with diced sweet onion and green bell pepper, seasoned with tomato paste, garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, and cayenne. The mixture simmers in beef stock, ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar, producing a thick, savory-sweet sauce. Served immediately, this sloppy joe filling is hearty with a balance of smoky, mildly spicy, and tangy flavors.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings:
6
servings
Course:
Main Course
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef 90/10, lean
- 1 sweet onion diced, small
- 1 bell pepper diced, small green
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- salt to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
- black pepper to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Add onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic, paprika, chili powder and cayenne pepper until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in beef stock, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Stir in ketchup, Dijon, Worcestershire and brown sugar; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors have blended, about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Cool Sloppy Joe mixture completely before freezing it in portioned freezer bags laid flat for quick freezing.
- Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on low, stirring occasionally until hot.