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My love affair with Sloppy Joes started when I was a kid. I honestly don’t know how it came about that my immigrant Vietnamese family stumbled across this all-American dish, but somehow, it became a staple in our home. I think we used to buy those Sloppy Joe seasoning packets, and my mom—always trying to keep up with American culture—would make them for us alongside the occasional TV dinner, which was all the rage in the ’80s. Looking back, I think that’s where my love of junk food and classic cafeteria-style comfort food came from.
My British husband thinks I’m completely crazy for loving food like this. But honestly, I find so much joy in recreating dishes from my childhood—the ones that bring back memories of growing up, trying new things, and discovering flavors that felt so “American” to us back then. This Sloppy Joe recipe is one of those dishes that never lost its charm.
It’s funny—you almost never see Sloppy Joes on restaurant menus anymore. And when you do, the quality often isn’t there, unless you happen to come across a posh restaurant where they’ve reimagined it with high-quality beef and homemade sauce. So I decided to make my own traditional take on Sloppy Joes at home, using good meat and simple, real ingredients.
I like to use ground beef from tenderloin or ribeye so the texture stays tender and juicy, and I always load my sauce with onions, bell peppers, celery, and plenty of spices. The mix of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and a hint of mustard gives it that sweet, tangy, savory balance that makes this dish so addictive. And a splash of red wine vinegar really brightens up all the flavors.
Serve it on toasted brioche buns (or any soft hamburger buns you have on hand), add a few crisp pickles, and maybe even a little shredded cabbage for texture, and you’ve got yourself the most comforting, old-school meal.
It’s messy, nostalgic, and completely satisfying—exactly what comfort food should be.
Sloppy Joe
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 2 lbs ground beef, preferably beef tenderloin
- ½ Tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup avocado oil, or any neutral cooking oil
- 1 whole onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, minced
- 1 whole red bell pepper, minced
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp mushroom powder
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ cup beef broth
- 8 hamburger buns, preferably brioche buns, lightly toasted
Instructions
- Mix marinade ingredients together and set aside.
- In a large skillet, on medium high heat, add oil and onions, celery, bell peppers, a pinch of salt and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add ground beef and the aromatics.
- Mix the aromatics into the beef, then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix everything together and “stab” beef with spatula to break up meat into pieces.
- Add beef broth and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a low. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes so the beef doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Stuff buns with sloppy joe mix and serve with shredded cabbage.
Nutrition
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