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3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes (10 Minutes Cook Time!)

BBQ Sloppy Joe sandwiches with french Fries on a black plate with a brick wall at the background
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Sloppy Joes are a classic family-favorite meal, and this basic 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes recipe makes the dish in just 5-10 minutes, with a delicious BBQ twist. It’s my go-to recipe when I need something tasty in minutes with minimal effort.

A few months ago, I was in the middle of cooking dinner when I realized that I had run out of two key ingredients for my Sloppy Joes: I didn’t have any ketchup or Worcestershire sauce!

Then I spotted a bottle of barbecue sauce tucked away in the back of my pantry. So instead of going out to the store to get more ingredients, I decided to get creative with what I already had in my kitchen and made this simple recipe!

Made with just ground beef, mustard, and barbecue sauce, I knew this 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes recipe was going to be an easy meal. Once everything was combined together in the skillet, it only took a few minutes for me to whip up this delicious dinner.

Long story short: the combination of the smoky-sweet barbecue flavor with the savory ground beef really hit the spot in this homemade sloppy joes!

The next time I made it for the whole family, I added some garlic powder and smoked paprika for extra flavors – it was awesome!

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What is Sloppy Joe sauce made of?

Traditionally, Sloppy Joe sauce is typically made with tomato sauce or ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, garlic, onion and chili powder.

But we understand that you may not always have all the ingredients on hand. That’s why we created this easy 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes recipe for a more modern take as BBQ Sloppy Joes!

The best thing about this recipe is how quick and simple it is – perfect for a laidback, easy dinner!

What You Need to Make 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes

Outside of the hamburger buns to serve, this 3-ingredient BBQ sloppy joes recipe uses just ground beef, mustard, and barbeque sauce.

3 Ingredient Sloppy Joes Seasonings

*We don’t count salt and pepper because most homes have these pantry staples available on hand 🙂

To Serve

How many sloppy joes do you get from a pound of meat?

A pound of ground beef typically yields 2-4 sloppy joes, depending on the size of the sandwiches.

What is the best fat content for sloppy joes?

The best fat content for sloppy joes would depend on individual taste and dietary preferences.

Generally, lean ground beef with a fat content of between 10-15% is recommended. This provides enough fat to keep the mixture moist without making it overly greasy.

For those looking for a healthier option, extra-lean ground beef with 5-7% fat can be used as well.

How to Make 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes

  1. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef on medium-high heat. Drain the fat (skip if using lean ground beef).
  2. Stir in the mustard, barbecue sauce, salt, and pepper until well combined.
  3. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, and that’s it! Your 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes is ready to serve on hamburger buns. Optionally, you can add a slice of cheddar cheese right before serving. ENJOY!
  4. Store leftover sloppy joe meat in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Variations & substitutions for this easy recipe

  • If you have fresh ingredients, I recommend adding chopped onions, green bell peppers, or chopped tomatoes to the sloppy joe mixture.
  • Don’t be afraid to add more spices! My favorites include red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
  • For a less traditional, lean meat option, try mixing in 1/2 ground turkey instead of the whole pound of ground beef. This will make it have a slightly different flavor, but some actually prefer it that way! It totally depends on your preference.
  • Pro Tip: for best results, stuff the meat mixture in between a toasted bun. Trust me, taking the extra time to toast the buns make the meal so much better! To toast, I just brush the buns with simple ingredients like olive oil or butter and heat them on my skillet on medium-low heat until brown & toasty.

What’s a good side dish with Sloppy Joes?

A couple of great side dishes to accompany this easy sloppy joe recipe include French fries, potato salad, coleslaw, potato chips, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, or corn on the cob.

Alternatively, roasted sweet potatoes or a simple green salad are also great options.

What goes good on a Sloppy Joe?

Toppings that go well on this 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes include diced onions, pickle slices, cheddar cheese, or extra ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, or relish!

What’s the difference between Sloppy Joe and Manwich? Is Manwich the same as Sloppy Joe?

Sloppy Joe is a tomato-based ground beef sandwich where the sauce is typically homemade, while Manwich is a canned sloppy joe sauce made by the company ConAgra.

Sloppy Joe sandwiches can be made from scratch using various ingredients, while Manwich is ready-made and only requires the addition of cooked ground beef.

Manwich is sweeter than the traditional Sloppy Joe, while Sloppy Joes can vary widely in terms of flavor depending on what ingredients are added to the base recipe.

Obviously, we are partial to making homemade Sloppy Joe compared to the canned stuff – especially when it’s as easy as this 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes recipe!

Do you drain the meat before adding sloppy joe sauce? Is it OK to not drain ground beef?

Technically you don’t need to drain the fat from the meat before adding sloppy joe sauce. This is especially true if you’re using lean ground beef.

That said, we personally prefer our sloppy joes to be less fatty – so we like to drain the fat if we’re using higher-fat ground beef.

3-ingredient sloppy joes on black plate

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If you make this simple 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes recipe, please drop a comment below! I’d LOVE to know what you think! Or take a picture and share it on Instagram by tagging @dwellbymichelle so I can repost it on my stories!

Copyright © All Rights Reserved. Content is written by Michelle Schmidt of dwellbymichelle.com.

3 burgers on a plate with cheese and french fries and cilantro

3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes (5 Minutes Cook Time!)

DWELL by Michelle
Sloppy Joes are a classic family-favorite meal, and this basic 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes recipe makes the dish in just 5-10 minutes, with a delicious BBQ twist. It’s my go-to recipe when I need something tasty in minutes with minimal effort.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 251 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ¼ cup mustard
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • salt and pepper , to taste* (*We don't count salt and pepper because most homes have these pantry staples available on hand 🙂 )

To Serve

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet, brown ground beef on medium-high heat. Drain the fat (skip if using lean ground beef).
  • Stir in the mustard, barbecue sauce, salt, and pepper until well combined.
  • Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, and that's it! Your 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes is ready to serve on hamburger buns. Optionally, you can add a slice of cheddar cheese right before serving. ENJOY!
  • Store leftover sloppy joe meat in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal
Keyword dinner, dinner ideas, easy dinner, easy dinner recipes, easy lunch recipes, easy meals, easy recipes, lunch, quick lunch recipe
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