Sweet & Spicy Sloppy Joes
Ground beef browned with onion, garlic and ginger, then simmered in a thick tomato sauce spiked with cider vinegar, brown sugar, cumin and a kick of cayenne. Tangy, spicy, sweet, and abundantly sloppy.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 1 carrot grated
- 2 inch piece ginger minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 ½ cups ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1-2 tsp cayenne start with less and add more to taste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- soft rolls for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrot until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and cook until fully browned, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, cayenne, cumin and cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve on split soft rolls, spooning a generous amount of filling between the halves. Over-filling is a mandatory part of the experience — pass the extra napkins!
Notes
Heat level: Start with 1 tsp cayenne and add more to taste once the sauce has simmered.
Hidden veggies: The grated carrot and finely chopped celery melt into the sauce. About 1/2 a grated zucchini works beautifully here too.
Make ahead: The filling reheats well and tastes even better the next day, so it's great for meal prep.
Nutrition
Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 780mg | Potassium: 610mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1500IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 3mg