Sloppy Joe Sliders

Reasons You’ll Love These Sloppy Joe Sliders

• No yucky, premade Manwich sauce. My famous sauce is a browned beef mixed with onion, green bell pepper, garlic drenched in a sweet but savory ketchup based sauce.
• They’re cheesy. In our family we put colby jack cheese on our sloppy joes. It may sound odd, but it is so delicious! The cheese is mild in flavor so it’s not overwhelming but it does add a gooey quality to the sliders.
• A great dinner or appetizer. Because they are mini, it makes them perfect.
• Everyone loves them! Kids and adults alike, no one can resist the sweet, savory, messy quality of a really good sloppy joe.

Ingredients For Sloppy Joe Sliders

To make these delicious sliders you will need the following ingredients. I have included a few notes and potential substitutions, so don’t skip over this part.

• Slider Buns: I use brioche buns from Aldi’s, but white slider buns work as well. I tried this recipe with sweet slider buns (like King’s Hawaiian) but do not recommend. The sweet from the sloppy joes and the sweet from the buns was way too much.
• Sloppy Joe Sauce: I always recommend homemade over store-bought. And it’s my famous recipe so you have to try it. The next section gives ingredients you will need for it.
• Colby Jack Cheese: Sliced cheese works best for sliders because it creates a moisture barrier between the buns and the filling. I prefer colby jack because it is mild and melts down well. You could also use cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack cheese or whatever you prefer.
• Unsalted Butter: This is brushed on top of the buns to keep them from drying out as they bake. I use slightly melted butter so it adheres to the buns rather than running off and pooling in the bottom of the pan. Do not use salted butter, it will be way too salty.

Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce:

• Ground Beef: Use lean ground beef whenever possible (93/7% fat content), this means less grease. You could also use ground turkey, ground chicken, and even vegan meatless ground beef.
• Green Bell Pepper: Make sure you wash your pepper and chop it into very small pieces. I don’t recommend substituting these for other bell peppers, they tend to be too sweet.
• Yellow Onion: These should also be cut into very small pieces (the same size as the green bell pepper). Yellow onions are strong in flavor and great for cooking down in the sloppy joe mixture. If you want a more mild onion, try the white onion, sweet onion, or even shallots.
• Garlic: I recommend grating the fresh cloves, just my personal preference. I like the garlic flavor better when it is grated over minced.
• Tomato Paste: This adds a concentrated tomato flavor. I do not recommend using tomato puree or sauce in its place. Both have sugar in them and will make the sloppy joe mixture sweeter than if you used tomato paste.
• Ketchup: Use whichever brand you prefer.
• Water: A little water helps to bring the sloppy joe mixture together.
• Brown Sugar: This adds a molasses sweet note, light brown sugar is best.
• Mustard: I use Dijon mustard but feel free to use yellow mustard in its place.
• Chili Powder: On it’s own the chili powder will add heat and spice to dishes, but in this it cuts through the sweetness. Don’t leave it out!
• Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a great savory flavor.
• Salt and Black Pepper: Both are essential in cooking. Feel free to season the dish to your taste preferences or follow my amounts in the recipe card.

Equipment Needed

• Large Skillet: We will use this to make the sloppy joe sauce. Make sure yours is large enough to hold 2 pounds of burger and sauce.
• 9×13 Baking Pan: Used to bake the sliders. I use a glass pan that comes with a lid. This makes cleanup and storage so easy.

How to Make Sloppy Joe Sliders

Here’s a quick summary, the recipe card below will have complete details.

1. MAKE THE SLOPPY JOE SAUCE: Cook together the ground beef, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic. While that cooks, mix together the tomato paste, ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper. Pour it into the meat mixture and allow it to thicken.

2. CONSTRUCT THE SLIDERS: In a lightly greased 9×13 glass pan, add the bottom slider buns, half of the colby jack cheese, sloppy joe sauce, remaining cheese, and the top slider buns. Slather the top buns with melted butter.

3. BAKE THE SLIDERS: Cover the sliders tightly with aluminum foil and bake. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the buns are toasty and slightly browned. Allow the sliders to rest for a few minutes before serving!

Storing Information

Any leftover Sloppy Joe Sliders should be stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator. For the best results they should be eaten within 3 days. You can either eat them cold or place the sliders in a warm oven or the microwave until heated through.

I do not recommend freezing any leftover sliders because as they thaw too much moisture seeps into the slider buns making them mushy and gross.

Make Ahead Information

Although the sliders cannot be made ahead of time, the sloppy joe sauce can! Prep it up to 3 days in advance and store in the refrigerator. Once you are ready to make your sliders, construct them and throw them in the oven. Easy peasy!

What To Serve With Sloppy Joe Sliders

Sloppy Joes are a super fun and casual meal. You can serve them up with classic sides to make it a satisfying dinner or other appetizers for parties and barbecues.

• crispy French fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, potato chips, onion rings, or my Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
• coleslaw – the crunchy, vinegar slaw helps to cut through the sweet and rich sloppy joe sauce
• cold salads like like my Lemon Orzo Salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, English Pea Salad, or even a garden salad
• baked beans
• vegetables – corn on the cob, roasted cauliflower and broccoli, or glazed carrots
• or serve these alongside other appetizers like my Green Onion Dip, Oven Baked Chicken Wings, or browse them all
• you can even top your sliders with dill pickles, my Quick Pickled Jalapenos, even pickled onions and cabbage