Homemade Sloppy Joes
Made with lean ground beef and a sweet, tangy homemade sauce, these Homemade Sloppy Joes taste infinitely better than anything made with canned sauce.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey or chicken
- 1 small yellow onion minced
- ½ small jalapeno seeded and minced
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
For Serving (optional)
- 8 buns
- 8 slices cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat a non-stick or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef, minced onion, minced jalapeno, and diced bell pepper to the pan. Sauté, breaking the beef into bite-sized pieces, until the beef is fully browned and the veggies are softened. If needed, remove the pan from the heat, drain off any excess grease, then return the skillet to the stove.
- To the skillet, add 1 cup tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once bubbling, lower the heat to medium-low. Add in the 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and let simmer for 8-10 minutes just to warm through, thicken, and intensify in flavor.
- Serve on buns with cheese or as desired.
Video
Notes
Using Super Lean Ground Meat: You may want to add 1-2 teaspoons of oil before adding the meat and onions to the skillet if you are using meat that has less than 3% fat OR if you are not using a nonstick skillet.
Add Beans: Replace 1 pound of ground meat with one 15-ounce can of pinto beans (rinsed and drained). Add the beans to the mixture after sautéing the beef, pepper, and onion together.
Vinegar: Use either apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.
Sweetener: Feel free to use brown sugar, maple syrup, or molasses in place of the honey.
Jalapeno: Omit the seeds and ribs of the jalapeno so they lend more flavor than spice. Or omit altogether if despise heat.
Storage: Leftover sloppy joe mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 522mg | Potassium: 547mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 670IU | Vitamin C: 24.7mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2.6mg
