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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 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup avocado oil , or any neutral cooking oil
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
- 1 whole onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 whole red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp mushroom powder
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp pickle brine
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cups beef broth
- hamburger buns, preferably brioche buns, lightly toasted
Instructions
- Mix the marinade ingredients with the ground beef and set aside.
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat and add 1/4 cup of the cooking oil. Add the marinated beef and let it sit undisturbed for about 2 minutes so it browns. Break it up with a spatula and cook for another 3 minutes until the meat develops good caramelization. Remove the beef from the skillet whilst keeping its juice and oil in the pan and set beef aside.
- Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper and a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 4 minutes until softened.
- Push the vegetables slightly to the side of the pan. Add the tomato paste, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, mushroom powder, red wine vinegar, fish sauce and pickle brine directly into the oil and cook for about 1 minute while stirring so the mixture caramelizes.
- Return the beef to the skillet and mix everything together.
- Pour in the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Increase the heat to medium high and cook for another 8-10 minutes so the sauce reduces further and becomes thick and glossy, coating the meat.
- Add the unsalted butter and mix it into the beef until it melts.
- Lightly toast brioche buns in. Fill with sloppy joe mixture and top with pickles or shredded cabbage or both.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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