Sloppy Joes with Brown Sugar are super easy to prepare, inexpensive, and quick, ready in just 25 minutes and 6 steps. Brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness to these loose meat sandwiches.
Why I love this recipe
The ground meat mixture is also delicious over rice, pasta, and baked potatoes. The sweet tomato-based sauce has great flavor. We like to serve our sloppy Joe sandwich with a side of potato chips, tater tots, onion rings, or French fries.
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Basic Ingredients
(amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)
lean ground beef
onion
jarred minced garlic
tomato paste
water
Worcestershire sauce
brown sugar
salt
hamburger buns
Substitutions and Additions
You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of beef.
Try adding diced green bell pepper, or red bell pepper during step 3.
If you want spicy sloppy Joes, try adding some chili powder or red pepper flakes.
Equipment needed for this recipe:
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How to make Sloppy Joes with Brown Sugar
Step 1 – On a cutting board, dice the onion.
Step 2 – In a high-sided skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain the excess grease using a colander and return the beef to the pan.
Step 3 – Add the diced onions until they start to soften.
Step 4 – Then add the minced garlic, tomato paste, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and salt. Mix until combined well.
Step 5 – Allow to simmer on low for 20 – 30 minutes.
Step 6 – Serve the ground beef mixture on soft sandwich buns.
Pro Tips
Store leftover sloppy joe meat in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
They are meant to be very sloppy and loose but if you really want to thicken them up a little you can. For each cup of liquid, you want to thicken, use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water and combine it in a separate bowl with a spoon or whisk until it creates a smooth paste slurry. Whisk the slurry into the simmering liquid to thicken until it reaches your desired consistency.
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Sloppy Joes with Brown Sugar
Sloppy Joes with Brown Sugar are super easy to prepare, inexpensive, and quick, ready in just 25 minutes and 6 steps. Brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness to these loose meat sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1/2 of a medium onion
- 1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 cup brown sugar (light or dark brown sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 4 hamburger buns (or brioche bun)
Instructions
- On a small cutting board, dice the onion.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Using a colander, drain the grease and return the beef to the pan.
- Add the diced onions until they start to soften.
- Then add the minced garlic, tomato paste, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and salt. Mix until combined well.
- Allow to simmer on low for 20 - 30 minutes.
- Serve the sloppy Joe mixture on soft sandwich buns.
Notes
- The beef mixture is also delicious over rice, pasta, and baked potatoes.
- You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of beef.
- Try adding diced green bell pepper, or red bell pepper during step 3.
- If you want spicy sloppy Joes, try adding some chili powder or red pepper flakes.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate I may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through product links in this post.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 481Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 667mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 36g
Nutrition information is a guideline only, is calculated automatically by third party software, and absolute accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hi and welcome. I’m Zona and I love creating recipes for easy dinners or desserts. Here you will find quick recipes, recipes that take minimal effort, or recipes that have few ingredients. Eat, drink, and enjoy!
This recipe is also on my other site Zona Cooks and serves just 2.