Classic and comforting sloppy joes are always a quick, easy and delicious dinner. This version of sloppy joes made with ketchup and mustard is my favourite!
1Tablespoonlight or dark brown sugar, *see Note 2 below
1Tablespoonwhite granulated sugar
1lbground beef, *see Note 1 below
1/2cuponion, diced
For the sloppy joes:
4hamburger buns, split and toasted
sweet pickle rounds, optional
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
In a 2-cup measuring cup or bowl, combine the ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar and white sugar. Stir together well and set aside.
Add the ground beef to a lidded skillet and place over medium heat on the stovetop. Cook the ground beef, stirring occasionally, until all the pink is gone. Tip the skillet slightly and use a spoon to move the ground beef to the higher end. All the fat should run to the lower end. Use a spoon to spoon off and discard the excess fat, leaving just a Tablespoon or two in the pan.
Add the onion to the ground beef and cook it together with the ground beef until the onion is softened about 3-4 minutes. Add the sauce to the skillet and stir in to combine. Reduce the heat under the skillet to LOW and place the lid on the skillet.
Allow the mixture to simmer covered, for 25-30 minutes. Remove the lid. The mixture should be thickened and just a little saucy. If it is too thick, add a splash of water to loosen up the sauce. If it is too thin, allow to simmer uncovered for a minute or two.
Spoon onto toasted buns and add some sweet pickle rounds on top of the meat, if you like.
Notes
Note 1: You can use any grade of ground beef. I prefer medium ground beef. We will be spooning off the excess fat, but a little left behind adds nice flavour to the sloppy joes.Note 2: If you prefer your sloppy joes a little less sweet, reduce the sugars to 1/2 Tablespoon each. I love to serve sloppy joes with my Dill Pickle coleslaw, but potato salad is also nice.Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips on making this recipe. You'll also find substitution suggestions and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.