Recipe
Sloppy joes
A weeknight favorite across America: ground beef simmered in a sweet-tangy tomato sauce, piled messily onto toasted buns. The name is a promise.
Sloppy joes takes about 40 minutes and makes 4 servings. Each serving has 580 kcal.
- Preparation
- 10 minutes
- Cooking
- 30 minutes
- Total time
- 40 minutes
- Servings
- 4
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- Protein
- 29 g
- Carbohydrates
- 42 g
- Fat
- 28 g
Ingredients
- Ground beef500 g
- Red onion1 pc
- Red bell pepper1 pc
- Garlic2 cloves
- Tomato paste2 tbsp
- Ketchup100 ml
- Brown sugar1 tbsp
- Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp
- Dijon mustard1 tsp
- Burger buns4 pcs
- Butter20 g
- Sunflower oil1 tbsp
- Salt1 pinch
- Pepper1 pinch
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and sauté the onion and red pepper until soft, about 5 minutes.
- 2
Add the garlic, then the beef; turn the heat up and brown it properly, breaking it up with a spoon, 6–8 minutes.
Tip: Let the beef actually brown, not just turn gray - the dark bits on the bottom of the pan are where the flavor lives.
- 3
Stir in the tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and about 100 ml of water.
- 4
Simmer uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and glossy.
Tip: It is ready when a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a trail that fills in slowly. A watery filling means soggy buns.
- 5
Butter the buns and toast them cut-side down in a dry pan until golden, about 2 minutes.
- 6
Season to taste, pile the meat generously onto the warm buns and serve at once - napkins are not optional.
Cooking methods
On the stove
A wide, heavy pan matters more than the burner: the beef needs space to brown instead of steaming. Medium heat for the vegetables, a notch higher for browning, then the lowest flame that keeps a lazy bubble for the simmer.
On induction
Sauté on 5 of 9, brown the beef on 7, then simmer on 2–3. Induction holds a low simmer very precisely, but the pan retains little heat - if the sauce thickens too far, a splash of water brings it right back.
Over an open fire
A cast-iron pan or Dutch oven over embers is the natural home for this dish. Brown over livelier coals, then slide to the edge of the fire for a slow simmer, stirring a little more often since the heat comes from one side.
Recipe questions
- How long does this recipe take?
- Plan for about 40 minutes from start to finish.
- How many servings does this recipe make?
- This recipe makes 4 servings.
- Can I cook this recipe on induction?
- Yes. Sauté on 5 of 9, brown the beef on 7, then simmer on 2–3. Induction holds a low simmer very precisely, but the pan retains little heat - if the sauce thickens too far, a splash of water brings it right back.
- Can I cook this recipe over an open fire?
- Yes. A cast-iron pan or Dutch oven over embers is the natural home for this dish. Brown over livelier coals, then slide to the edge of the fire for a slow simmer, stirring a little more often since the heat comes from one side.
In the app
Cooking the way it should feel
One step on screen, a timer that keeps going, and clear progress until the dish is done.
