Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes

Your family will love these extra cheesy Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes for dinner! Oven toasted hamburger buns topped with American cheese, and then piled high with a perfectly seasoned ground beef cheeseburger mixture with dill pickles. This 30 minute dinner recipe is kid-friendly and loved by all. 

For other sloppy Joe recipes be sure and try these BBQ Turkey Sloppy Joes, Crock Pot Sloppy Joes, or my Frito Pie Sloppy Joes. 

Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes Recipe

Sloppy Joes are a favorite dinner around my house. My latest one are these cheeseburger sloppy joes and they are fantastic! 

Just like a cheeseburger but instead it’s made with ground beef seasoned perfectly and has the addition of mustard and dill pickles for that classic cheeseburger flavor. Anytime I can make something that is ‘hamburger’ or ‘cheeseburger’ my kids are all in. Like this Hamburger Soup or these Cheeseburger Biscuit Cups. 

Ingredients Needed

Here are the ingredients that you will need to make this recipe. I also share some tips so that you can have success recreating it in your own kitchen. 

• Olive Oil – Any cooking oil will work for this. The oil is needed to brown and soften the chopped onion. I use extra virgin ‘light tasting’ olive oil. Regular olive oil can have a very heavy taste to it, so I avoid it for most dishes. 
• Finely Chopped White Onion
• Ground Beef – I use 93/7 or 96/4. Any percentage of fat will work because you’ll drain the excess grease/moisture anyways. 
• Salt & Pepper
• Garlic Clove – You can use a fresh garlic clove that has been minced or pressed. Garlic paste from a tube (this is what I use), or use chopped garlic from a jar. 
• Ketchup
• Chopped Dill Pickles
• Yellow Mustard
• Pickle Juice – Grab some from the pickle jar.
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Light Brown Sugar
• Hamburger Buns
• Sliced American Cheese – I use the Kraft brand of processed American cheese. You can use just sliced cheese but to replicate that cheeseburger, I recommend using American cheese because it melts better and replicates a cheeseburger better. 

How To Make a Cheeseburger Sloppy Joe with Ground Beef

Learn how to make this recipe with the simple, easy to follow steps below. Be sure and read to the bottom of the post where there is a printable recipe card, a pin it button to save to Pinterest, and all the details inducing ingredients, directions, and tips. 

• Onion : Cook the onion in oil until lightly browned, softened, and translucent in color. This should take about 3-4 minutes. 
• Ground Beef : Add the ground beef along with the salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook and crumble until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease from the pan. 
• Cheeseburger Time : Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Let it simmer for about 5-10 minute, reducing heat as needed, until it’s thickened. 
• Toasted Buns : Spread soft butter onto each side of the hamburger buns. Lay them onto a cookie sheet. Broil for 3-4 minute or until they’re browned and toasted. Place a slice of American cheese onto the top piece of each bun and broil for about 1 more minute until it’s melted. 
• Serve : Place a scoop of cheeseburger sloppy mix onto each bottom bun and then top with a cheesy top bun. Enjoy!

Tips for Success

Here are a few of my helpful tips that will hopefully help you make this recipe for your own family with success. 

• Simmer : It’s important to let the meat simmer for at least 5-10 minutes. If it’s boiling, splattering, and getting too hot simply reduce the heat to medium-low for the simmer time. During the simmer time the flavors will come together and the sloppy joe mix will thicken. 
• Toasted Buns : I would say this step can be optional, but I highly recommend toasting the buns and melting the cheese. It’s what will give these sloppy joes that classic cheeseburger taste. The meat has to simmer anyways so you will have time to toast the buns. 
• Use American Cheese : For the best melty, gooey cheese results be sure and use processed American cheese. I use the Kraft brand singles that come individually wrapped in that plastic. Yes you can use sliced cheese but it won’t melt as smoothly and definitely won’t be as gooey.

Sloppy Joes FAQ’s

• How To Store Leftover Sloppy Joe Meat
  • Leftover cheeseburger sloppy joe meat can be stored in the fridge, in an air-tight container, for up to 3 days. When reheating the meat to eat again, either use the microwave or a skillet pan, and heat until warmed through out. 
  • I would also recommend adding just a little but of water to moisten the meat back up. After it’s in the fridge the meat will dry out and loose that moisture. 
• Can I Freeze Sloppy Joe Meat?
  • Yes you can freeze this! Cook the sloppy joe meat as directed in the recipe and let it cool down slightly to warmed room temperature. Place the meat into a freezer safe container or Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before warming it back up in a skillet pan on the stove. 
  • Add some water or beef broth to moisten it back up again while reheating. 
• Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
  • I recommend making this right before serving. It’s a quick, 30 minute dinner recipe so it’s simple to make right before dinnertime. 
  • If you make it too far in advance, the meat will probably dry out because of the longer simmer time. 
  • These are best served and eaten right after making them. 

More Family Friendly Ground Beef Dinner Recipes You’ll Love

• One Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper
• Easy Ground Beef Stroganoff
• Ground Beef Sheet Pan Quesadillas
• Baked Double Decker Tacos
• Creamy Beef Noodle Bake
• Easy Spaghetti Sauce