Homemade Bacon Sloppy Joes are full of flavor and take less than 40 minutes from start to finish. This recipe is great for game day or as a quick weeknight meal for your family.
Why this recipe works
We love our classic Sloppy Joe recipe, but bacon adds even more flavor, taking this comfort food to a new level.
I personally don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a big bun full of these loose meat sandwiches. They are a family favorite around here, and on the rare occasion there are leftovers, they reheat beautifully!
RELATED: you might also like this recipe – Air Fryer Bacon
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
GROUND MEAT – While this recipe calls for ground beef, you can easily substitute the same amount of your favorite ground meat. Ground turkey or chicken are the most common, but bison and venison will taste great as well!
BACON – We are using regular pork bacon, but turkey bacon would work too.
How to Make Bacon Sloppy Joes
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Cook bacon pieces in a skillet over medium high heat until crisp and evenly cooked through. Remove cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined dish to drain. Leave the bacon grease in the pan to add flavor while cooking the meat and vegetables.
EXPERT TIP: While this is optional, we like the added flavor that comes from cooking the lean ground beef and vegetables in the bacon grease. If you prefer, you can drain the grease completely.
- Add ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat until the ground beef is browned and the onion is soft and translucent.
- Drain all of the excess fat from the pan.
- To the ground beef mixture, add garlic powder, yellow mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, and soy sauce, along with 1/2 cup water. Mix thoroughly.
EXPERT TIP: The soy sauce adds just a little bit more dimension to the sloppy joe flavor. If you prefer, you can substitute Worcestershire sauce.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir the bacon back into the mixture to distribute evenly.
EXPERT TIP: The crisp bacon is a delicious contrast to the sloppy joe mixture. Stirring it in at the end guarantees that it retains that crispness instead of becoming chewy or rubbery by simmering with the rest of the sloppy joe mixture. - Serve on hamburger buns (or slider buns for parties!).
Frequently Asked Questions
You can easily substitute ground turkey or chicken for the ground beef in our bacon sloppy joes! Simply replace an equal amount of your favorite ground meat for the beef.
You can really use any fat level of ground beef in this recipe. We are using a leaner ground beef, which is about 85/15. If you use a fattier meat, you will just need to drain off more excess fat than you would with lean. I don’t recommend using a high lean mixture like 93/7 as you will get extra flavor from the fat.
If you are trying to trim the fat from your diet, you can use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon. Turkey bacon does have a different flavor and texture than pork bacon, but your bacon sloppy joe sandwiches will still be delicious!
What to Serve with Bacon Sloppy Joes
Popular side dishes for sloppy joe sandwiches vary from family to family. You could add a big handful of potato chips, or try one of our favorites!
- Coleslaw or Broccoli Slaw
- Baked Beans
- French Fries, Tater Tots, Onion Rings, or Sweet Potato Fries
- Corn on the Cob
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Potato Salad or Macaroni Salad
Storage Tip
If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat in the microwave, or add a little water and simmer on the stove over medium-low heat.
Crispy chunks of delicious bacon in this saucy sloppy joe mixture makes for an amazing meal. Serve for dinner, lunch, or in slider buns for parties and get togethers!
More Sloppy Joe Recipes
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Bacon Sloppy Joes
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 pound bacon sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ½ cup water if needed
- Ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
- 6 sesame seed hamburger buns
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- The crisp bacon is a delicious contrast to the sloppy joe mixture. Stirring it in at the end guarantees that it retains that crispness instead of becoming chewy or rubbery by simmering with the rest of the sloppy joe mixture. While this is optional, we like the added flavor from cooking the lean ground beef and vegetables in the bacon grease. If you prefer, you can drain the grease completely.
- Note that the nutritional calculation DOES include the bun.
- The soy sauce adds just a little bit more dimension to the sloppy joe flavor. If you prefer, you can substitute Worcestershire sauce.
Instructions
- Saute bacon pieces over medium high heat until crisp and evenly cooked through. Remove cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined dish to drain. Leave the bacon grease in the pan to add flavor while cooking the meat and vegetables.EXPERT TIP: While this is optional, we like the added flavor that comes from cooking the lean ground beef and vegetables in the bacon grease. If you prefer, you can drain the grease completely.
- Add ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat until the ground beef is browned and the onion is soft and translucent.
- Drain all of the excess fat from the pan.
- To the ground beef mixture, add garlic powder, yellow mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, and soy sauce, along with 1/2 cup water. Mix thoroughly.EXPERT TIP: The soy sauce adds just a little bit more dimension to the sloppy joe flavor. If you prefer, you can substitute Worcestershire sauce.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir the bacon back into the mixture to distribute evenly.EXPERT TIP: The crisp bacon is a delicious contrast to the sloppy joe mixture. Stirring it in at the end guarantees that it retains that crispness instead of becoming chewy or rubbery by simmering with the rest of the sloppy joe mixture.
- Serve on hamburger buns.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Bessie says
This was really good ,I did make one change tho . I did not stir in the bacon I just put it on top of the mixture on the bun.