BBQ sloppy Joes use barbecue sauce as the base for the sloppy Joe sauce, making a quick and easy recipe that's packed with intense flavor! You only need a couple other ingredients to make this satisfying meal.
Sloppy Joes are one of my favorite meals to make when I need a slam dunk dinner, one that everyone will eat without complaining. And this BBQ sloppy Joes recipe is one of my family's favorites. (Maybe besides these garlic bread sloppy Joes!)
Barbecue sauce is packed with more intense flavor than ketchup or tomato sauce, making it the perfect base ingredient when you want an intensely flavorful, super savory sloppy Joe. I've also added yellow mustard, vinegar, and black pepper, just to round out the flavors and balance the sweetness of the barbecue sauce.
And the best part is that the entire recipe can be made in about 20 minutes!
Sloppy Joe joy!
If you love these BBQ sloppy Joes, I have a few more great sloppy Joe recipes for you to check out - try sloppy Joe sliders, ground chicken sloppy Joes, and garlic bread sloppy Joes!
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Ground beef: I like using 93% lean ground beef because usually you don't need to drain much excess grease, saving a step. But, you can use any type of ground beef you prefer.
- Onion: sweet onion is nice here, it has a sweet and mellow flavor that complements the other sloppy Joe ingredients. If you don't have a sweet onion you can use a yellow onion.
- BBQ sauce: any store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce that you like the flavor of would be great. I used Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce.
Step by step photos
Step 1
Start browning the ground beef in a skillet.
Step 2
Add the diced onion. Cook until the onion is translucent and the beef is no longer pink.
Step 3
Add the BBQ sauce, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and water.
Step 4
Simmer the sloppy Joe mixture until it's nice and thick.
Step 5
Serve the sloppy Joes on toasted hamburger buns.
Tips and tricks
- The barbecue sauce is already quite salty, so you many not need to add much additional salt, if any. If you want to add a bit, just go easy at first. You can always add more at the end if needed.
- On the other hand, the sloppy Joe mixture tastes great with a generous amount of black pepper (in my opinion!).
- When browning the beef, break it up very well with the side of a wooden spoon or spatula. Smaller chunks of beef will create more surface area for the sauce to cling to!
Recipe FAQs
Yes you definitely can! Barbecue sauce is packed with the flavors you expect in a great sloppy Joe - tangy, savory, and sweet. By using barbecue sauce as the base for the sloppy Joe sauce, you get an intensely flavorful sloppy Joe!
Yes, the sloppy Joe mixture freezes well for up to 3 months. Just place it in an airtight freezer bag or food storage container for freezer storage. Hamburger buns also keep well in the freezer. However, you will need to assemble the sandwiches right before serving to keep the bread from getting too soggy.
There are so many ways that you can doctor up your sloppy Joes. That's one of the great things about sloppy Joes, they are easy to customize to your tastes.
For example, if you think the sloppy Joes taste too sweet, you can add in a bit more vinegar and/or mustard. If you think they are not flavorful enough, you can again try adding vinegar, more black pepper, or even a bit of hot sauce. If they're not sweet enough, add in a bit of brown sugar.
If the sauce isn't "sloppy" enough for you, add another splash of water and simmer for another few minutes.
Related recipes
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Print📖 Recipe
BBQ Sloppy Joes
Store-bought (or homemade) barbecue sauce makes a deliciously savory and sweet base for sloppy Joes. You only need a handful of basic ingredients and 20 minutes to make this satisfying comfort meal.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (454 g) lean ground beef (note 1)
- 1 medium sweet (or yellow) onion, finely diced
- 1 cup (237 ml) barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup (59 ml) water
- 1 ½ tablespoons (22 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 - 6 hamburger buns (note 2)
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a medium skillet (11 - 12 inches in diameter). Cook the ground beef over medium-high heat for 3 - 4 minutes, or until mostly browned. While cooking, break the meat up into very small chunks with a wooden spoon. If needed, drain away any excess grease.
- Add the finely diced onion. Stir and continue to cook for an additional 4 - 5 minutes, or until the beef is fully browned (no longer pink) and the onion is translucent. While cooking, season the beef and onion with salt and pepper to taste (use salt sparingly since the barbecue sauce is already salty).
- Add the 1 cup barbecue sauce, ¼ cup water, 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon yellow mustard to the pan. Stir and bring to a simmer. When simmering, turn the heat down to medium-low, or low, to maintain the simmer. Stir occasionally and cook for 4 - 5 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened to your liking. Taste the mixture and season with more salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Optional: while the sloppy Joe mixture is simmering, toast the buns in a toaster oven or dry skillet.
- Divide the sloppy Joe mixture between the buns and serve immediately.
Notes
- I prefer using 93% lean ground beef for sloppy Joes, it's lean enough that there usually isn't too much grease that needs to be drained, therefore saving a step. But feel free to use any type of ground beef you want. If there is excess grease in the pan after browning, drain it off before adding the onion.
- This recipe will make between 4 - 6 sandwiches, depending on how much filling you want to add to each.
Storage and reheating:
- After allowing the sloppy Joe mixture to cool, store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 3 days.
- Reheat the mixture by simmering it in a small saucepan until hot. Add a splash of water if needed to thin out the sauce. You can also microwave the mixture in a microwave-safe container, covered with a paper towel to catch any spatter.
- To freeze, transfer the cooled sloppy Joe mixture to an airtight freezer bag or food storage container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
The nutrition information below is an estimate only. The nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brands and exact amounts of ingredients used. This information was provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full nutrition disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ recipe
- Calories: 478
- Sugar: 35.4 g
- Sodium: 953 mg
- Fat: 10.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 56.7 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 36.5 g
- Cholesterol: 101 mg
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