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Chili Cheese Sloppy Joes taste like your favorite bowl of chili but in an easy, delicious, comfort food sloppy joe sandwich. Top it with shredded cheese or any of your other favorite chili toppings.
I love serving sloppy joes with a sweeter type side dish – like this Lemon Yogurt Fruit Salad, Berry Cheesecake Fruit Salad, or Pear Jello.
Chili Cheese Sloppy Joe Recipe
It’s no secret by now that one of my all-time favorite things to make for dinner – are sloppy joes! I have close to 20 different variations of Classic Sloppy Joes on my site. This chili cheese version is similar to a chili cheese hot dog, but instead we’re turning it into a sandwich with hamburger buns.
Chili beans, beef, a little sweetness from brown sugar, and dried seasonings simmer to perfection on the stove top. Toast some hamburger buns, pile it high with the chili cheese mixture, and don’t forget the cheddar cheese on top.
Ingredients Needed
- Olive Oil : I use extra-virgin ‘light tasting’ olive oil.
- Sweet Onion
- Garlic Cloves : Mince or press fresh garlic cloves, use garlic paste, or use chopped garlic from a jar.
- Ground Beef : I use lean ground beef (93/7). You can use any ground beef you prefer.
- Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Smoked Paprika : These are the dried seasonings for the ground beef.
- Tomato Sauce
- Chili Sauce : This comes in a bottle and can be found near the ketchup and mustard at the grocery store.
- Tomato Paste
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Light Brown Sugar
- Yellow Mustard
- Kidney Beans : Use a can of dark red kidney beans or light red kidney beans, either one works great, just make sure they have been drained and rinsed.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese & Buns : For serving the chili cheese sloppy joes. You could also serve them alongside any other of your favorite chili toppings (sour cream, jalapeños, etc).
How To Make Chili Cheese Sloppy Joes (Printable Recipe Card)
In a large skillet pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the finely diced sweet onion and sauté translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the ground beef, cook and crumble the beef until it’s no longer pink. Drain any excess fat/grease from the pan.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook for 1-2 minutes to toast the spices and enhance their flavors.
Stir in the tomato sauce, chili sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and yellow mustard until combined. Bring to a simmer (low boil) and then reduce the heat to low, and allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the kidney beans and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, or until the beans are heated through.
Spoon the sloppy joe chili mixture onto the bottom halves of the buns. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top the chili. Place the top halves of the bun on each on and serve immediately.
How To Store Leftovers
Store leftover chili mixture in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet pan over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if needed.
For longer storage, freeze the mixture in a freezer-safe bag or container, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
The chili mixture can also be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before serving. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low hear, stirring occasionally. To prepare for a gathering, keep the chili mixture on the ‘warm’ setting inside a slow cooker and let guests assemble their sandwiches as they want.
Can I Make Them Spicy?
Yes, of course, there are lots of way to spice up this recipe. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper along with the other dried seasonings. Serve the sloppy joes with shredded Pepper Jack cheese. Add some hot sauce in with the other wet ingredients (like tomato sauce & chili sauce).
Toast The Buns For Sloppy Joes
Toasting the buns always elevates a sloppy joe and prevents it from getting too soft from the sloppy joe mixture.
Separate the buns and place both halves onto a large baking sheet. Spread butter on each half, or you can spray them with cooking spray. I prefer using butter.
Toast the buns in the oven under the ‘broil’ setting for a few minutes until they are toasted and golden brown. Watch them carefully because they go from nothing to burnt in seconds.
Tips For Success
- My family prefers the kidney beans softer, so I will usually add those in alongside the tomato sauce and chili sauce, and those other ingredients. That way, they simmer for the whole 15-20 minute cook time rather than just 5 minutes.
- We love these with shredded cheddar cheese (you can use any cheese variety you want) but they can also be served alongside your other favorite chili toppings – diced onion, jalapeños, Fritos chips, sour cream, etc.
- The simmer time is so important because it allows time for the flavors to meld and for the chili mixture to thicken. If you have more time then I always recommend simmering for longer, but for best results, simmer the chili mixture for at least 15 minutes as stated in the recipe below.
Try These Other Sloppy Joe Recipes
- Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes
- Hawaiian Sloppy Joes
- Frito Pie Sloppy Joes
- Gumbo Soup Sloppy Joes
- Chicken Alfredo Sloppy Joes
- Chicken Parmesan Sloppy Joes
Chili Cheese Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic (minced or pressed, paste, or jar)
- 1 pound ground beef (I use 93/7)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained & rinsed
- shredded cheddar cheese & buns for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the finely diced sweet onion and sauté translucent, about 2-3 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 small sweet onion
- Add the garlic cloves and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.3 cloves garlic
- Add the ground beef, cook and crumble the beef until it's no longer pink. Drain any excess fat/grease from the pan.1 pound ground beef
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook for 1-2 minutes to toast the spices and enhance their flavors.1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Stir in the tomato sauce, chili sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and yellow mustard until combined. Bring to a simmer (low boil) and then reduce the heat to low, and allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes.1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 cup chili sauce, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- Stir in the kidney beans and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, or until the beans are heated through. *If you prefer softer beans, add the beans in along with the tomato sauce in the step above and let it simmer all together 15-20 minutes.1 can (15 oz) kidney beans
- Spoon the sloppy joe chili mixture onto the bottom halves of the buns. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top the chili. Place the top halves of the bun on each on and serve immediately.shredded cheddar cheese & buns
Notes
- My family prefers the kidney beans softer, so I will usually add those in alongside the tomato sauce and chili sauce, and those other ingredients. That way, they simmer for the whole 15-20 minute cook time rather than just 5 minutes.
- We love these with shredded cheddar cheese (you can use any cheese variety you want) but they can also be served alongside your other favorite chili toppings – diced onion, jalapeños, Fritos chips, sour cream, etc.
- The simmer time is so important because it allows time for the flavors to meld and for the chili mixture to thicken. If you have more time then I always recommend simmering for longer, but for best results, simmer the chili mixture for at least 15 minutes as stated in the recipe below.
Nutrition
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