Bubba's Sloppy Joes

Packed with seasonings and big flavors, then simmered to tender perfection, these homemade Sloppy Joes are the real deal.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins
• Calories: 401 Calories

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia®), chopped
• 12 hamburger buns
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard (such as Colman's®)
• ¾ teaspoon Greek seasoning (such as Cavender's®), or more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon hickory smoked salt (such as McCormick®), or more to taste
• 2 pinches ground nutmeg, or more to taste
• 2 cups barbeque sauce (such as Sweet Baby Ray's®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot butter until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir onion, green pepper, and cilantro into garlic; cook and stir until the onion is softened, 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 2

Cook and stir ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, 5 to 10 minutes; drain fat. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, onion powder, Greek seasoning, hamburger seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, smokehouse maple seasoning, smoked salt, and nutmeg into ground beef mixture; cook until boiling, 4 to 6 minutes.

Step 3

Stir onion mixture into beef mixture; reduce heat to simmer.

Step 4

Pour barbeque sauce, ketchup, and apple cider vinegar into beef mixture; stir, cover, and simmer until sauce is thickened, 30 minutes. Scoop beef into hamburger buns and serve.