Dive into the BEST sloppy joe you've ever had! I promise you, this will be the best homemade sloppy joe you've ever made. Serve this delicious recipe and watch in awe as everyone falls in love with your sloppy joes!
In a medium bowl, stir together the ketchup, chili sauce, water, vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, mustard, red pepper, worcestershire and tomato paste and set aside.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two.
Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up well with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain off the excess fat.
Stir in the liquid mixture, generously salt and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until thickened.
Serve on toasted hamburger buns with mustard, pickles and cheese if you want.
Recipe Notes
Toast your buns on the grill or grill pan. It gives some texture to the buns so that they can hold your toppings without being soggy or floppy. Also, it adds another level of flavor to your sloppy joes. Simply melt butter on the pan. Cut the toasted bun into halves and place the cut sides on the pan. Toast until light golden brown.
Choose the right bun! Of course, you can use whatever you have on hand. But if you have a choice, or you're reading this in the grocery store. I recommend either pretzel buns or a brioche bun.
Your ground beef mixture shouldn't be too runny. It should have a thick sticky texture. If it's too thin, let it simmer with the lid off until it is as thick as you want it. Otherwise, you can use corn starch to thicken your recipe.
If you're using 70/30 or 80/20 ground beef, it's a good idea to drain the fat. But to ensure you don't drain all the flavorful juices, use a spoon to remove the fat drippings. First, brown the ground beef, then drain the grease.