The Best Sloppy Joe Recipe – A Comfort Food Classic
If you’re looking for the best Sloppy Joe recipe, this is it! This rich, flavourful, and satisfying dish was a long-time favourite at my café. Customers loved it—especially those needing a hearty meal after a night out! The combination of beef and pork, slow cooked with savoury sauces, makes this Sloppy Joe incredibly delicious. Serve it on toasted bread with cheddar cheese, a fried egg, and fresh spinach for the ultimate experience. Whether it’s for a lazy weekend brunch or a comforting dinner, this recipe is sure to impress!
Recipe Credit:
In the video, I mentioned I couldn’t remember where I first found this recipe — I’ve been making it this way for years. But the other day, I happened to come across it again! The original inspiration came from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, so I wanted to share the link here.
The Best Sloppy Joe Recipe
Ingredients
Sloppy Joe Mixture
- 2 tablespoons 30ml olive oil (enough to cover the base of your pot)
- 2 large onions roughly chopped
- 500 g beef mince
- 500 g pork mince or use all beef mince – 1kg- if you prefer
- 2 tablespoons 30ml tomato paste
- 2/3 cup 160ml BBQ sauce (ordinary or smoky)
- ½ cup 125ml tomato sauce (ketchup)
- ¼ cup 60ml Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup 60ml soy sauce
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup 80ml boiling water (optional)
For Serving (Suggested)
- Good-quality bread
- Butter
- Fresh spinach optional
- Cheddar cheese
- Fried eggs
Instructions
- Place a large, heavy pot on the stove and warm up just enough olive oil to cover the base.
- Once the oil is warm, add the 2 roughly chopped onions. Reduce the heat to low and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are completely soft and translucent. Cooking everything slowly really enhances the flavour of this Sloppy Joe.
- Next, add the beef mince and cook it slowly, breaking it up as it cooks, until there’s no pink left.
- Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for a couple of minutes. This helps eliminate any metallic taste from the tomato paste.
- Now it’s time for the sauces! Add:
- BBQ Sauce
- Tomato Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Add freshly cracked black pepper to taste. I like a good teaspoon of pepper.
- Stir everything well, bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This allows all the flavours to meld beautifully.
Serving
- Toast some nice bread
- Top with some fresh spinach if liked
- Top with some sliced cheddar cheese
- Spoon over a good-sized ladle of the sloppy joe
- Top with one or two fried eggs
