These Sloppy Joe Sliders transform the beloved messy sandwich into a versatile, easy-to-hold, and delicious delight.
There is nothing more comforting than a plate full of gooey, cheesy sliders after a long day. These Sloppy Joe Sliders are packed full of rich, decadent ground beef and plenty of cheese, too. Making sloppy joes from scratch not only ensures a healthier meal but also eliminates unwanted preservatives and excess sodium, giving you peace of mind about what you’re serving.
Let’s face it – eating a full-size sloppy joe is messy. The bun usually falls apart long before you finish the sandwich, causing you to switch to using a fork. That’s no fun. With these sliders, you have sandwiches that require only a few bites – so it’s easy to finish one long before the bread falls apart.
Why You’ll Love This Sloppy Joe Sliders Recipe
You’ll love how quick and easy it is to whip up a platter of Sloppy Joe Sliders for dinner or a weekend snack. These tasty little sandwiches are the perfect accompaniment to watching the “big game” on TV, hanging out at the pool, or challenging your family and friends to your favorite board games.
You need only one cutting board, knife, pan, spatula, and baking sheet to make these sliders, and very little cleanup is necessary. I love that I can go from the kitchen to the table in about 30 minutes, leaving more time to enjoy the meal and less time worrying about the mess. How much better does it get than that?
Switch Up the Flavor By Swapping the Cheese
While cheddar cheese is the perfect accompaniment to Sloppy Joe Sliders, you can change the flavor profile by using provolone, smoked provolone, mozzarella, Gouda, smoked Gouda, or Brie on these sandwiches. A Monterey Jack and Colby blend also works well. You take your family on exciting new taste journeys with each cheese switch. There is no limit to the flavor combinations you can try. These sandwiches also work well with plant-based cheese for those who avoid dairy.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
You can prepare the meat mixture in advance, but it should be no longer than 3 days between cooking and eating it. Any longer than that, and you should freeze the cooked sloppy joe meat in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
If you have leftover sandwiches, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days – unless you prepared the meat mixture beforehand, in which case you should eat them straight away. The total period for refrigerating this sloppy joe mixture is 3 days.
Sandwiches can be reheated in a 300˚F oven for 7 to 10 minutes. Wrap the sandwiches in foil so the bread does not burn. Frozen sandwiches should thaw overnight in the refrigerator before wrapping in foil and reheating in the oven.
Can I Make This Sloppy Joe Recipe Paleo-Friendly?
This recipe for Sloppy Joe Sliders is extremely versatile, meeting the needs of various diners. For paleo and gluten-free diets, choose your favorite GF roll (if it is large, you can cut it in half to make sliders). I swap coconut sugar for brown sugar and coconut aminos for Worcestershire sauce. You can also use delicious plant-based cheeses – my favorite is made with cashew and coconut as the base.
What Are Some Variations I Can Make to This Sloppy Joe Recipe?
The list of variations to this recipe is endless. You can swap out the ground beef for turkey or chicken if you want less fat in the dish. Tomato sauce can be substituted for ketchup. A veggie version can use crumbled tofu or cooked lentils. You can also add finely chopped vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, and bell peppers, to the meat when cooking. Your kids will never know you snuck them in there.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving a cool, tangy salad alongside these Sloppy Joe Sliders. One of my favorites is Cucumber Tomato Salad, which gets better when it sits in the refrigerator. The flavors meld so perfectly together. French fries go well with Sloppy Joes, but if you want to take your meal up a notch, try these Twice-Baked Potatoes. I recommend using the same cheese you used for the Sloppy Joes to continue the flavor profile.
Finally, because every good meal deserves an equally good dessert, throw together this 3-ingredient Oreo Pie and sit back and watch as your family commends you for all the time and effort you put into it. Don’t worry, it’s our secret how easy it was.
Sloppy Joe Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 slider buns
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion until the beef is browned and the onion is soft, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for an additional minute.
- Drain any excess fat from the skillet.
- Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Slice the slider buns in half and place the bottom halves on a baking sheet.
- Spoon the beef mixture evenly onto the bottom halves of the buns.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the beef mixture.
- Place the top halves of the buns on the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the buns are lightly toasted.
- Serve the sliders warm.
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