Pioneer Woman sloppy joes from Ree Drummond cook 2 1/2 pounds of ground beef with onion, bell pepper, and a ketchup-based sauce on buttered kaiser rolls. And the recipe feeds 8 at approximately 620 calories per serving in just 30 minutes, since the sauce only simmers for 15 of those.
Most sloppy joe recipes dump everything into the skillet at once, but Ree browns the beef first and drains the fat before the vegetables go in. So the onion and bell pepper soften in a cleaner pan, which keeps the sauce tangy instead of greasy.
Simmering the sauce for the full 15 minutes is what thickens it enough to sit on a roll without soaking through. And if you cut that time short, the filling runs off the bun the moment you pick it up because the water has not cooked out.
Source: The Pioneer Woman (thepioneerwoman.com)
Pioneer Woman Sloppy Joes
Course: BeefCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes20
minutes620
kcalBrowned ground beef gets drained before diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic soften in the same skillet. Then ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, dry mustard, and red pepper flakes simmer with water for 15 minutes until thick and saucy.
Ingredients
- For the meat sauce:
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for the rolls
2 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1 cup water
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste (optional)
- For serving:
Kettle cooked potato chips
8 kaiser rolls
Directions
- Melt the butter: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Brown the beef: Then add the ground beef and cook until browned throughout.
. - Drain the fat: Once browned, drain most of the fat from the skillet and discard it.
- Cook the vegetables: Then add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until softening.
- Build the sauce: Once the vegetables are soft, add the ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, dry mustard, red pepper flakes, and water.
- Simmer the filling: Then stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the optional extras: While simmering, stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired.
- Toast the rolls: Then spread the kaiser rolls with butter and brown them on a griddle or skillet.
- Serve hot: Once toasted, spoon the meat mixture over the rolls and serve with kettle cooked chips
FAQs
Can I make the filling ahead of time?
Ree notes on the page that the filling stores in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. And making it ahead actually lets the ketchup and brown sugar meld deeper into the meat, so reheated sloppy joes taste richer than fresh ones.
You can also freeze the cooled filling for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Then warm it on the stovetop over low heat, and add a splash of water if the sauce thickens too much during storage.
Why does the recipe use dry mustard instead of regular mustard?
Dry mustard dissolves into the sauce invisibly and adds a sharp, warm bite without the vinegar tang that prepared mustard brings. And since the sauce already gets acidity from 1 1/2 cups of ketchup, more vinegar would push it too sour.
But if dry mustard is not in your cabinet, 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard works as a swap. Since it adds moisture, reduce the water by a tablespoon to keep the sauce at the same consistency.
Can I use ground turkey instead of beef?
Ground turkey works but it renders less fat, so the sauce may taste drier without the beef drippings in the pan. And turkey has a milder flavor, so increase the chili powder and Worcestershire by half a teaspoon each to compensate.
Brown the turkey the same way, but skip the draining step since there is little fat to remove. And add an extra tablespoon of butter when the vegetables go in, because that fat replaces what the beef would have left behind.
What sides go well with sloppy joes?
Ree suggests kettle cooked chips, coleslaw, broccoli salad, or macaroni salad on the source page. And for a bigger spread, the pioneer woman taco seasoning mixed into sour cream makes a quick dip for the chips alongside the sandwiches.
But keep the sides cold or crunchy, because the hot saucy filling needs contrast on the plate. And avoid heavy sides like baked potatoes, since 2 1/2 pounds of beef on buttered rolls already covers the filling portion.
How do I keep the rolls from getting soggy?
Ree butters and browns the kaiser rolls on a griddle before spooning the filling on, which creates a toasted barrier. And that crispy layer buys you a few extra minutes before the sauce soaks through, so toast them right before serving.
Sturdy rolls like kaiser or brioche hold up better than soft hamburger buns under a heavy wet filling. And this same logic applies to the ketchup-mustard glaze on the pioneer woman cheeseburger meatloaf, where a firm surface keeps the sauce from turning the meat soggy.
