Easy Sloppy Joes
This recipe is a quick and easy way to make a delicious and satisfying meal. The ground beef is browned and seasoned with salt and pepper, then simmered in a flavorful ketchup sauce. The addition of diced green bell pepper and jalapenos adds a bit of heat and crunch. Serve on your favorite buns or rolls.
This recipe is a quick and easy way to make a delicious and satisfying meal. The ground beef is browned and seasoned with salt and pepper, then simmered in a flavorful ketchup sauce. The addition of diced green bell pepper and jalapenos adds a bit of heat and crunch. Serve on your favorite buns or rolls.
- Carbohydrate 15.0316404166667 g
- Cholesterol 38.5554333333333 mg
- Fat 8.71834241666667 g
- Fiber 0.467764178829889 g
- Protein 11.6759739166667 g
- Saturated Fat 3.35972709166667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (129g)
- Sodium 675.623547743056 mg
- Sugar 14.5638762378368 g
- Trans Fat 1.28117499166667 g
- Calories 180 calories
Step-by-step
- Brown the ground beef and drain any fat. I like to use 80/20 because the fat gives a lot of flavor. You drain it anyways, so no worries.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
- Add the jalapenos and green bell pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring. Medium Heat.
- Add almost all of the ketchup in a normal bottle of ketchup ( I believe it's 14 oz) . Stir to combine.
- I typically let it simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavors marry; on low-medium. On high, it will just spatter and make your stove a mess.
Classic tavern sandwiches rely on a loose, crumbly meat texture, whereas sloppy joes demand a cohesive, clinging sauce that binds ground beef without turning it into a soup. Achieving that ideal consistency starts at the pan. Many home cooks fail here by overcrowding the skillet, which causes the meat to steam in its own moisture instead of browning. Use an 80/20 ground beef blend so the rendered fat can properly fry the protein surfaces before you drain excess grease.
Textural contrast defines a successful sandwich of this style. Dicing the green bell pepper and jalapeños to roughly match the size of the cooked beef crumbles ensures every bite delivers both softness and crunch. Retaining the jalapeño seeds introduces capsaicin heat, but cooking the peppers for exactly two minutes over medium heat prevents them from becoming entirely limp while taking away their raw edge. Uncooked vegetables would release too much water later, ruining the sauce viscosity.
Ketchup acts as the primary binder and flavoring agent, supplying both tomato solids and sugar that thicken upon heating. Pouring in roughly 14 ounces of ketchup requires monitoring the heat during the subsequent simmer. Maintain a low-medium flame for 10 minutes; high heat causes aggressive spatter that coats surrounding surfaces while scorching the sugars at the pan bottom before the flavors can integrate. A heavy-bottomed skillet distributes heat evenly to prevent these hot spots.
Storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator allows the proteins to firm up further overnight. Reheat only the portion needed in a small saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has tightened too much. Soft potato rolls absorb the savory moisture quickly, so spoon the hot mixture onto bread immediately before eating to maintain structural integrity.
