Homemade Sloppy Joes don't have to be difficult to eat. Despite the name of this iconic retro dish, the secret to a great Sloppy Joe is a thick, rich, almost dry consistency, which allows the sandwich to be eaten with your hands. Serve on hamburger buns.
Ingredients
- extra-lean ground beef: 1.5 pound
- onion: 0.5 piece (diced)
- green pepper: 1 piece (diced)
- garlic: 2 clove (minced)
- water: 2 cups (divided)
- ketchup: 0.75 cup
- brown sugar: 2 Tbsp
- Dijon mustard: 1 tsp
- salt: 1.5 tsp (to taste)
- ground black pepper: 0.5 tsp
- Worcestershire sauce: 1 dash
- cayenne pepper: 1 pinch (to taste)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Place ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbled, about 10 minutes.
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Stir in green pepper and garlic; cook and stir until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water and stir, scraping the pan to dissolve any brown flavor bits from the bottom of the skillet.
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Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Add remaining 1 cup water and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and mixture is thick, about 40 minutes.
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Season with salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper.