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Easy BBQ Sloppy Joes (30-minute meal)

April 28, 2017 by Meg 28 Comments

Weeknight dinners don’t get any better than this 30 minute meal that uses just five ingredients to make a delicious main dish everyone in the family will happily devour.Weeknight dinners don't get any better than this 30 minute meal that uses just five ingredients to make a delicious main dish everyone in the family will happily devour.

Does anyone else ever feel like cooking for toddlers is like playing roulette? Even if your child liked something yesterday, there’s no guarantee he will like it today. Sometimes I know when I make dinner that there is a good chance my kids won’t love it. That’s okay. I want to expand their horizons. But, there’s nothing worse at the end of the day than having my kids turn up their noses at a meal that I’ve worked hard to make and legitimately thought they would like.

I’m happy to report, however, that I’ve NEVER had that problem with the recipe I’m sharing today. Both of my boys absolutely love this super simple meal, and Little Man regularly requests it. Tonight, when I told him what was on the menu, he declared, “That’s my favorite!” He then proceeded to eat two whole sloppy joes, and Little Brother downed his entire sandwich, too. Hooray for feeling like a good mom…even if only for five minutes.

The other thing I love about this meal is that it is so easy to make. It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish (even if you have to thaw the meat), and it only has five super-basic ingredients.

Easy BBQ Sloppy Joes

Weeknight dinners don't get any better than this 30 minute meal that uses just five ingredients to make a delicious main dish everyone in the family will happily devour.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • Hamburger buns

Directions:

  1. Brown ground beef and diced onion in a large pan. Drain extra grease.
  2. Add tomato sauce and BBQ sauce to the pan and cook until warmed through and thickened to your desired consistency (about 6-8 minutes).
  3. Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite sides. We often eat our sloppy joes with sweet potato fries and a green salad.

Weeknight dinners don't get any better than this 30 minute meal that uses just five ingredients to make a delicious main dish everyone in the family will happily devour.

If you like this recipe, try some of our other favorite easy weeknight meals:

  • Aardvark Pies
  • Easy Chicken & Dumpling Soup
  • Mexican Casserole
  • Easy Meals for When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking
  • Simple Meal Planning for Busy Moms (with printable planner!)

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: 30 minute meals, beef, dinner recipes, Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jasmine

    April 28, 2017 at 7:36 am

    I love a good sloppy jo recipe!

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      Me too, Jasmine. Thanks for the love!

      Reply
  2. Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons

    April 28, 2017 at 10:29 am

    We love sloppy joes and these look delicious!

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      Thanks! Enjoy your weekend!

      Reply
  3. Marla | Because I Said So Baby

    April 28, 2017 at 11:40 am

    Doesn’t get any easier than this! We love sloppy joe’s in our house. It’s an easy go-to, and this is definitely the quickest recipe I’ve seen!

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      Thanks, Marla. Quick is important with little ones, right?

      Reply
  4. Erin @ LovePeaceBeauty

    April 28, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    This looks so simple yet so tasty! Adding it to my menu for next week! I’m pretty sure it will be a family favorite.

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:21 pm

      Thanks, Erin. I hope your family likes them as much as we do!

      Reply
  5. Alina | www.besosalina.com

    April 28, 2017 at 12:19 pm

    You so nailed it. My toddler is the most unpredictable eater I know. These look delicious, maybe he’ll like them 🙂

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:21 pm

      Good luck, Alina. It’s worth a shot, right?

      Reply
  6. Corey | The Nostalgia Diaries

    April 28, 2017 at 2:57 pm

    I haven’t had sloppy joe’s in years! I need to try this – I bet my daughter would love it!

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:20 pm

      Thanks, Corey. Hope they were a success with your daughter.

      Reply
  7. Andrea

    April 28, 2017 at 7:22 pm

    This looks so mouthwatering! I have to go make dinner in about an hour. I´ll stop by the grocery to buy what I need for this recipe and make it tonight! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:20 pm

      Andrea, glad I could give you dinner inspiration. I hope you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  8. Sarah Camille Hipp

    April 28, 2017 at 10:16 pm

    These look delicious. I haven’t had sloppy joes in a long time, but I’ll have to try them again soon.

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:19 pm

      We ate them a lot growing up, but I didn’t make them a lot in adulthood until I had kids. They’re good easy comfort food though.

      Reply
  9. jehava

    April 29, 2017 at 7:15 am

    I love a super easy recipe like this and my kids love sloppy joes! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:19 pm

      Thanks, Jehava! I’m pretty sure my kids’ favorite meals are the messy ones, like this.

      Reply
  10. Amanda | My Own Unexpected Journey

    April 29, 2017 at 7:48 am

    My 4 year old asked me to make spaghetti for dinner on Wednesday. I finally made it for dinner on Friday, just to have her declare that she actually doesn’t like spaghetti anymore. AHHHHHHHH!! So yes, I know the frustration of trying to feed picky, ridiculous children, lol! I’ll have to give this recipe a try : )

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:18 pm

      Grrr. Oh Amanda. Those nights are so frustrating. The good news (kind of) is that she’ll probably declare on Monday that she likes it again. I figure, if we keep putting a variety of foods in front of them, and don’t cater to their mac n cheese demands, eventually we’re likely to end up with children who have well-rounded diets. Good luck!

      Reply
  11. Madison

    April 29, 2017 at 8:24 am

    What a great twist on sloppy joes! Looks yummy!

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:17 pm

      Thanks, Madison! We’re all about simple and yummy around here.

      Reply
  12. Nicole

    April 29, 2017 at 9:19 am

    I love to make homemade sloppy joe’s too and I agree it is food kids like which is huge right? 🙂
    xo, Nicole

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:16 pm

      I was telling my husband this week that I feel like my day is a success if the kids actually want to eat the dinner I put on the table on a given night. 🙂

      Reply
  13. megan knox-davies

    April 29, 2017 at 10:55 am

    I haven’t had a sloppy joe since i lived in USA some many years ago. It is similar to a South African food called “vet koek”. I think we need to make this over this weekend – I have an intense craving for it now!

    Reply
    • Meg

      April 29, 2017 at 2:16 pm

      I haven’t had a lot of South African food, but the few things I’ve enjoyed have been delicious! I hope you like the sloppy joes!

      Reply
  14. Danielle @ A Sprinkle of Joy

    April 29, 2017 at 12:35 pm

    This sounds so yummy! I love a good sloppy joe!

    Reply
  15. val

    April 30, 2017 at 3:35 pm

    YUM! We love sloppy joes in our house

    Reply

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