The Best Sloppy Joes

This is weeknight comfort food at its finest. We created a homemade sauce that is tangy and flavorful but also quick and easy.

We used both ketchup and canned tomato sauce for lots of tomato-y zip and just a touch of brown sugar for a bit of sweetness and slight caramel finish. Green bell pepper is a key addition; it really enhances the other ingredients, elevating the flavor profile into the realm of a true sloppy joe.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound lean ground beef

12 ounces (1 1/3 cup) tomato sauce

3/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 hamburger buns, toasted

Directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to caramelize in some spots, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it is browned, no longer pink in the middle and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, red wine vinegar, paprika, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and heated through, 5 to 6 minutes. Spoon the meat onto the toasted buns.