BBQ sauce + tomato sauce = perfect Sloppy Joe sauce. This BBQ Sloppy Joes recipe reminds us of dinners we loved when we were kids, with just the right twists to make this dish exciting and new. Adam McKenzie of This Jew Can ‘Que deems Head Country the best BBQ sauce for sloppy joes, and that the ground beef BBQ sloppy joe is king.
Seventh-generation Colorado native Adam McKenzie created ThisJewCanQue in 2017 to share his love for and skill at grilling, smoking, and BBQing. With an intentional sense of irony (Adam is Jewish), his love of pork, beef, and all things outdoor cooking has evolved into a robust platform on which fellow BBQ aficionados have congregated. Adam has become known in his circle of influence for his Saturday morning meat-slicing videos, which have garnered many millions of views. Adam cooks from his suburban Denver home that he shares with his wife, Isabel, and their Goldendoodles, Halley and Maggie. As an elementary school STEM teacher, Adam loves the change of pace and focus that grilling provides in his time away from the classroom. Adam cooks on Traeger Grills and has a cookbook coming out in Spring 2021.
FOLLOW ADAM2 Tbsp. butter
1 white onion
3 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
2 lbs. ground beef
1 Tbsp. Head Country Championship Seasoning, Sweet & Spicy
1 14oz can tomato sauce
1 bottle Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce, Original
1 Tbsp. butter per sandwich
½ lb white cheddar cheese
Crispy green chiles (Adam likes these.)
“In our constant quest to create easy and delicious weeknight meals that can be cooked on our Traeger Grills, we often like to get back to the basics and make meals that remind us of our childhood. A cook like Sloppy Joes on the grill is so perfect because it is a fairly quick dish to pull together and the results are bound to be delicious. By using an awesome BBQ sauce like Head Country’s in this cook, we also cut the corners a bit to make a fast dinner faster. The ingredients of the BBQ sauce closely mimic the list of ingredients for homemade Sloppy Joe sauce, so we didn’t have to pull out multiple bottles from the fridge and items from the pantry. BBQ sauce + tomato sauce = perfect Sloppy Joe sauce. And when dinner was ready, the food came in, the mess stayed outside, and cleanup was a breeze. By the time we were done eating, the grill had cooled down and was ready to be covered and done for the night. Easy peasy.” —Adam
Preheat your grill to high heat. Add a cast iron skillet to the grates to preheat, too.
While the grill preheats, finely chop the onion and red bell pepper. Press or mince the garlic.
Once the grill and the cast iron skillet are hot, add the butter to the skillet and saute the onion, pepper, and garlic until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the ground beef to the pan and sprinkle generously with the Head Country Championship Seasoning, Sweet & Spicy.
Allow the beef to cook on one side for about 4 minutes, or until beginning to brown.
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to begin breaking up the meat. Continue cooking, stirring and breaking up the meat, until cooked nearly through.
Drain the excess grease from the beef. Add the sauce ingredients: BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine.
Close the grill and allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the sauce has reduced some and the meat is fully cooked through, toast the buns. First, brush the insides of the buns with 1 Tbsp. melted butter each. Then toast open-side down until golden. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Repeat with remaining buns.
Shred the cheddar cheese. You’ll use this to top the sandwiches.
Assemble the sandwiches by adding heaping spoonfuls of the meat mixture to the bottom buns. Top with shredded cheese and the crispy green chiles.
Add top buns to the sandwiches. Serve hot and enjoy!
