A childhood-inspired classic, updated
If you grew up in America, it is highly likely you grew up eating sloppy joes at one time or another. In most cases, it was probably thrown together with ground beef and a can of heavily processed sloppy joe sauce, then "slopped" onto a soft hamburger bun. These Sloppy Joe Bowls are the slightly more refined version of this sloppy childhood meal. I sometimes refer to them as "Un-Sloppy Joes."
Ground beef gets cooked down with bell pepper and treated to a classically savory tomato sauce, seasoned with garlic, Dijon mustard, and a splash of apple cider vinegar to give it that classic sloppy joe tanginess. Rather than serving in a bun, I prefer to serve these Sloppy Joes in a bowl on top of white rice, cauliflower rice, roasted sweet potatoes, or a combination thereof. This childhood-inspired classic dinner dish can be made in less than 30-minutes and is perfect for busy weeknights!
How should I serve these Sloppy Joe Bowls?
I prefer to assemble my Sloppy Joe Bowls with a base of either fluffy white rice or lightly sauteed and seasoned cauliflower rice. I also love to add some roasted sweet potatoes, though roasted white potatoes are also nice. You can also swap out the rice for a bed of roasted sweet or white potatoes, spaghetti squash, or serve this over top of green veggies such as roasted broccoli, green beans, zoodles (spiralized zucchini), or sauteed kale or spinach. The saucy meat is super tasty with both starchy bases and veggies, so use what you prefer.
What tools do I need to make this recipe?
- A large saute pan or skillet
- A cutting board
- A chef's knife
- A kitchen scale -- OR -- measuring cups (for less precise measurements)
- Measuring spoons
- A wooden spoon or spatula
If you choose to serve this dish with roasted sweet potatoes, as pictured, you will also need:
- A parchment-lined baker's half sheet
If you choose to serve this dish with white rice, as pictured, you will also need:
- An Instant Pot, rice cooker, or pot for the stove (make rice according to your preference)
Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
Looking for more easy dinner inspiration?
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese with Kale and Sausage
- Cottage Pie with Horseradish Mash
- Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce
- Crispy Oven-Fried Fish
- Picadillo
- Shrimp in Romesco Sauce with White Beans
A note for special diets
These Sloppy Joe Bowls are easily made friendly for grain-free, gluten-free, low-carb, Paleo, and Whole30 diets depending on what you choose to serve the sauced meat with. For Paleo and Whole30 diets, you'll want to serve the meat over cauliflower rice, sweet potatoes, or another compliant base (or combination) rather than the white rice. For low-carb diets, you'll also want to avoid rice as well as potatoes; cauliflower rice, roasted broccoli, or sauteed greens are nice choices to build your Sloppy Joe Bowls instead.
Sloppy Joe Bowls
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 portions 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Ground beef gets cooked down with bell pepper and treated to a classically savory tomato sauce, seasoned with garlic, Dijon mustard, and a splash of apple cider vinegar to give it that classic sloppy joe tanginess. This childhood-inspired classic dinner dish can be made in less than 30-minutes and is perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
For the Sloppy Joe meat:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 80 g (about 1 ½ cups) green onions, chopped
- 225 g (about 1 large or two small) bell pepper, chopped (any color you prefer)
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- ½ tsp garlic powder (may sub for 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil if needed)
- 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbs Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp pepper
Optional additions for serving:
- White rice (as pictured)
- Cauliflower rice
- Spaghetti squash
- Zoodles (spiralized zucchini)
- Roasted sweet potatoes (as pictured)
- Roasted white potatoes
- Roasted Broccoli
- Green Beans
- Sauteed kale or spinach
- Shredded cheese, to top
Instructions
For Sloppy Joe meat:
- In a large sautee pan or deep skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula as it browns. Cook until hardly any pink is visible, then add the bell pepper and green onion and continue to cook until the meat is fully browned.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, garlic powder (or garlic-infused olive oil), apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, then allow the mixture to simmer, stirring regularly, until the sauce has thickened. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
- Serve over your choice of optional bases (see ideas above). *In the photos, I have served the Sloppy Joe meat over fluffy white rice with roasted sweet potatoes -- For the sweet potatoes, I slice them thinly, then lightly coat in olive oil and a sprinkle of Kosher salt, then roast on a parchment-lined baker's half sheet at 400 degrees F /205 C for 30 minutes, flipping once after 20 minutes.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nutritional information does not account for optional extras such as rice or sweet potatoes.
9/8/21 This recipe was updated and may no longer fit specified dietary preferences from previous versions of this post. The previous version of this recipe was named "Un-Sloppy Joe Bowls."
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 317
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 567 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg
Emily says
I love the idea of sloppy joes in a bowl! I'd much rather eat them this way!
Dana says
This is such a great idea. I loved Sloppy Joe's as a kid, but with bowl meals being so popular now (and for good reason), this is a fab idea.
Savannah says
My husband (and daughter, and I) would love this meal! Thanks for sharing!
Glenny says
omg this looks delicious! I'm going to have to add this on my meal-prep list. Can i sub the mustard with something else?
Whip & Wander says
You can sub with worcestershire if you prefer, but it's also fine to leave it out.
Crystal // Dreams, etc. says
This looks delicious! And much easier to eat than a normal sloppy joe!
Ola says
Now this is indeed unique! I haven't had a sloppy joe in ages. My Mom makes the best I've ever tasted. But THIS I gotta try! Thanks!
Ashley says
OMY! Or Oh my yum hehe! This looks absolutely delish!
Stacey says
Loving the cauliflower rice twist, this sounds perfectly cozy!
Sara says
Oh. My. Yum!
This looks incredibly tasty! I can't wait to try your recipe!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
Can you believe I have never even tried sloppy joes? The idea of having it in a bowl is brilliant!
Tina Lindquist says
Growing up sloppy joes and tater tots were my ultimo favorite foods. I couldn't get enough of this stuff. I still eat it as an adult and will serve it to my husband. I think SJ's are great for finicky eaters and yours looks fantastic. I like how it's cooking from scratch instead of from a seasoning packet or a can. Thanks for sharing this!
Leslie Haasch says
I love the name, "unsloppy joes". The sloppiness is seriously the main reason I never eat them - so this is perfect!
Evelyn, PathofPresence says
Alright, I can already see the ring of food around my babies faces as they delightfully gobble this down. Great idea!! Thank you! ??
Jasmine says
I would have not thought to put it over cauliflower rice! Im going to pin this!
Karin says
This post makes me so happy lol! As a kid I loved sloppy joes so to have a healthy more refined option is amazing!
Keating says
This looks and sounds amazing!
Lynn Woods says
This is a good idea. I havent had sloppy joes since I was a kid! I hated how messy they were.
Analida at ethnicspoon.com says
Sometimes after taco night I take the leftover beef and just warm it up over a little rice and it is so good! I love the cauliflower idea. Thanks for sharing!
Holly Lasha says
Ooh...this looks so good. I need to try it.
Joanie @ One Dish Kitchen says
This is exactly how I love to eat my "sloppy joes", without the bun. Such a great way to let the wonderful flavors shine. The cauliflower rice makes this a fantastic low carb recipe!