Beef Sloppy Joes Bun (Printable version)
Ground beef with tangy tomato sauce served on toasted buns for a classic, hearty meal.
# List of ingredients:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb ground beef (80/20 fat ratio)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce & Seasonings
05 - 1 cup tomato sauce
06 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
07 - 2 tbsp ketchup
08 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
09 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
10 - 1 tsp yellow mustard
11 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
12 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
13 - 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
14 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
→ To Serve
15 - 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
16 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, optional for toasting buns
17 - Sliced pickles, optional
# Directions:
01 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add diced onion, green bell pepper, and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook until vegetables soften, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, yellow mustard, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and optional red pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly to blend flavors.
04 - Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 10 to 12 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
05 - Optionally, spread butter on the insides of the hamburger buns and toast them in a skillet or under the broiler until golden brown.
06 - Spoon the beef mixture generously onto the bottom half of each toasted bun. Add sliced pickles if desired, then cover with the top bun and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Ready in 30 minutes flat, which means dinner doesn't have to be a production.
- The sauce hits that perfect balance of tangy and sweet, so good you'll want to lick the plate.
- Feeds a crowd or gives you leftovers without any fussy technique to master.
02 -
- Don't skip draining the excess fat from the beef; too much grease makes the sauce separate and slide off the bun.
- Simmer uncovered so the sauce actually thickens; a lid traps steam and leaves you with something more like a soup.
03 -
- Use an 80/20 ground beef blend; it has enough fat to keep the meat tender and flavorful without being greasy.
- The smoked paprika is the ingredient that elevates this from ordinary to something people actually remember and ask for again.