Classic Sloppy Joes
A Childhood Favorite That Never Gets Old
My go-to recipe for Classic Sloppy Joes is meaty, saucy, savory, a little sweet, and filled with cozy flavors thanks to tomato bisque soup, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, and a handful of simple pantry spices. It makes the kind of thick, rich filling that goes perfectly on soft white bread or a toasted bun and somehow tastes even better the next day, so it’s perfect to freeze and reheat or keep warm in a slow cooker to feed a crowd.
I had such a taste for these sandwiches yesterday and I realized when I was getting the ingredients out to make them that I had never put this on the recipe site! You all have been missing out on this delightful Classic Sloppy Joe experience.
At my Busia’s we used white bread for a lot of things normal people probably wouldn’t use white bread for, like sloppy joes and hamburgers. You can use a bun for these, but give the cheap white bread a try sometime.
It is delightful the way the sauce soaks into the bread!
The Best Toppings
Hear me out on this: try making these and serving them on white bread with a little yellow mustard, some raw onion, and a slice of American cheese. If you REALLY want to be crazy use the good ol’ Kraft American Cheese Slices for this one, Ya Baby!
This is also a similar to the way that I make my Baked Sloppy Joe Sliders. If sloppy joes appeal to you but not in sandwich form, I also made a really good recipe for Sloppy Joe Meatballs!
One thing about me, I can meet all your sloppy joe needs!
One Unique Ingredient
I think most of the ingredients you will see on the recipe card are pretty standard, except one. I like to use this slightly creamy Tomato Bisque in a 10.75 ounce can.
If you cannot find it you can buy it on Amazon, although I think you need to buy a case of it. If you do not want to do that, you can use a can of regular tomato soup and add a tiny bit of cream or milk to this, then just reduce the water you add to the recipe.
The Other Ingredients
Tipsy Industries exclusively uses Open Pit Barbecue Sauce. This sauce is a Chicago thing and I am glad it is.
If you are not able to get the Open Pit, you can use a barbecue sauce of your choice. The Open Pit has some spice to it, but it is not burn-your-mouth spicy.
I would recommend trying this sauce. It is really good and the one I use for my Oven Baked Ribs recipe.
The other ingredient the recipe calls for is the Worcestershire Powder. While you can use the liquid, I like to use the powder as it has a much more intense flavor.
I get mine on Amazon. There are several brands on Amazon you can choose from but all are good.
If you need other recipes to use this powder for, I have all the Worcestershire Powder recipes on my site you can scroll.
Better The Next Day
While this can be eaten as soon as it is done, I will say that it tastes better if it hangs out in the fridge overnight after making it. You can warm it up in a low heat slow cooker or you can also freeze and reheat for a quick meal.
Classic Sloppy Joes Recipe
These Sloppy Joes are my sweet-tangy, slightly zesty version of the childhood classic we all grew up on. They’re made with ground beef, tomato bisque soup, barbecue sauce, and pantry spices that simmer together into the perfect thick and hearty sandwich filling. This is a big batch recipe that is ideal for feeding a crowd, stocking your freezer, or piling onto buns, white bread, or even a baked potato for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 ½–3 lbs ground beef
- 1 can Campbell’s Tomato Bisque Soup
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Open Pit Barbecue Sauce (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika (start small, adjust to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire powder (see post for explanation about this powder) or 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice (sweet or dill)
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Heat the oil & sauté the onions: Add the olive oil to a large skillet. Finely dice the onion and sauté until soft and translucent.
- Brown the ground beef: Add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook fully, breaking it up into a fine crumble as it cooks. (A meat-crumble tool works great.)
- Add soup & water: Pour in the can of Tomato Bisque Soup. Add the 1/2 cup of water to the empty can, swirl to loosen any remaining soup, and add that to the pan as well.
- Add sauces & seasonings: Add the barbecue sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, pickle juice, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, white pepper, paprika, and chili powder. Stir well to fully combine.
- Simmer: Bring the mixture to a low simmer. Simmer 25 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Adjust seasoning: Taste and adjust, add more paprika, barbecue sauce, or any seasonings to your preference.
- Serve: Serve on white bread or hamburger buns. Optional toppings: finely diced raw onions, yellow mustard, or a slice of American cheese. This is also great spooned over a baked potato.
- Freeze the extra: This recipe makes a large batch, freeze half for an easy future meal.