Indulge in the Ultimate Chili Cheese Dog Sloppy Joes Recipe
While on the beach in Mexico, this idea come to me: Chili Cheese Dog Sloppy Joes! Chili Dogs + Sloppy Joes = Not possibly bad!
Things to know:
What exactly is a Sloppy Joe?
A sloppy joe is a classic American sandwich featuring loose ground meat (usually beef) simmered in a tangy, sweet, savory tomato-based sauce with onions and seasonings, served hot on a hamburger bun, known for being messy and fun to eat. It’s a simple, comforting dish, often made with ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and spices, making it a popular weeknight dinner.
What is the origin of the sloppy joe?
The origin of the Sloppy Joe sandwich is debated, with two main theories: one points to a cook named Joe in Sioux City, Iowa, who added tomato sauce to the popular local “loose meat sandwich” around 1930; the other suggests it came from Havana, Cuba, where a bar owner, José Abeal Otero, served a ground beef and tomato dish in the 1910s, with his establishment nicknamed “Sloppy Joe’s” due to its messiness. A famous bar in Key West, Florida, also named Sloppy Joe’s Bar after the Cuban original, further popularized the concept.
What’s the difference between a Sloppy Joe and a Manwich?
A Sloppy Joe is the classic, messy ground beef sandwich, while Manwich is a specific, popular brand of pre-made, canned sauce used to make them easily; essentially, Manwich is a convenient shortcut for making a Sloppy Joe, but you can also make the sauce from scratch with ketchup, brown sugar, and other seasonings.
What’s the best side dish for Sloppy Joes?
Serve sloppy joes with classic American sides like fries, onion rings, mac & cheese, or coleslaw, or go lighter with veggie sticks, pasta salad, corn on the cob, or roasted broccoli for a balanced meal, plus a tangy side like pickles to cut the richness.
Ingredients:
2/3 lbs. finely chopped bacon
2 lbs. ground beef 80/20 (we used our aged ground beef)
2 t onion powder
2 t garlic powder
1 T chili powder
16 oz tomato sauce
4 T ketchup (we used the Red Duck Smoky Ketchup)
2 T dijon mustard
2 T diced minced chipotle peppers in adobo
1 T Worcestershire
1/2 Beer (I used Modelo)
12 homemade hot dogs (how to make them)
Brioche buns
shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of finely diced sweet onions
1. In a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat add the bacon and cook until about 50% crispy.
2. Add the ground beef. Continually chop the ground beef to break it up as much as you can.
3. When the ground beef is about 50% done, add the onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder and a couple good pinches of salt and stir to mix.
4. Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, dijon mustard, chipotle, and Worcestershire. Stir to mix and allow to cook for a few minutes, then add beer. Let simmer for about 20 minutes until thick.
5. As the chili is simmering, cut the casings and remove the meat from 12 homemade hot dogs. Place them in a separate skillet and cook until all pink is gone. Be sure to chop with spoon frequently to break the meat up as fine as possible.
6. Toast you buns, then it is up to you. We like them open faced, so add a layer of the hot dog meat, cover with the chili, then top with the diced onions and cheese. Either use a blowtorch to melt the cheese, or chuck it into your oven on broil until the cheese is melted. ENJOY!
DISCLOSURE: When we link to products and services, those links may be customized affiliate links. If you click on any of those affiliate links and make a purchase within a certain time frame, We’ll earn a small commission. The commission is paid by the retailers.
Here’s an example: If we link to our favorite vegetable peeler, and you click on that link and complete a purchase within the next 24 hours, we may receive a commission somewhere between 1 to 10 percent of your total order.
We are careful to link to products and retailers that we use ourselves and recommend. These affiliate programs use cookies to track visits for the purposes of assigning commission on these sales. Money earned keeps Galley of the Sun running and allows us to do what we love.
Thank you for your support.
SELECT AFFILIATE PROGRAM DETAILS: We are currently members of affiliate programs with Amazon and Dalstrong. We are eligible to earn from qualifying purchases.