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Sweet, savory, with a little kick – Korean BBQ Sloppy Joes! Pile it high on a buttery toasted bun, sprinkle on some green onions, and dive in. These are ready in about 20 minutes, too!
Not Gonna Lie, We’re Pretty Into This One.
My family will always remember the summer of 2024 as the Summer of the Asian Cucumber Salad.
I had a moment with that salad. A long moment. A moment that lasted for months and is fighting to make a serious comeback this summer…and I’m encouraging it by making anything and everything that goes with that salad.
Enter these Korean BBQ Sloppy Joes. Certainly tasty enough to stand on their own, but absolutely flippin’ delightful with that salad.
These are sweet and savory with a little hint of spice, salty and poppy and zippy and just shockingly good.
Did I mention these come together in less than 30 minutes with a homemade Korean BBQ sauce that is seriously just the very best?
Are kids going to love this too? In my experience, yes. It’s still just a sloppy joe, just with a different (better?!) flavor profile that adds a little excitement to your weeknight meal.
♥ 3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:
Sloppy Joes with a kick! This isn’t your usual lunchroom Sloppy Joe sandwich. Korean BBQ sauce adds bold flavors with a touch of heat.
Toasted buttery buns. Seriously, if you haven’t been toasting or grilling your hamburger buns you’ve been missing out. So easy and it adds so much flavor!
Dinner in under 30 minutes. Just some ground beef and your favorite homemade or store bought Korean BBQ sauce, diced bell pepper, and onion. No fancy ingredients, no complicated steps, just seriously good food.
Swaps & Tips:
- Protein: You can use ground chicken or turkey in place of beef if that’s your thing.
- Spice It Up: If you like it hot add a squirt, drizzle some sriracha on top or add extra to the sauce.
- Keep It Simple: In addition to using a store bought sauce you could also use fresh or frozen pre-chopped onions and peppers from the store. We don’t judge a shortcut.
- Buns: We like brioche buns the best but any type is okay to use here.
Serving Suggestions:
These Sloppy Joes are the main event but here’s what we like to serve alongside:
- Asian Cucumber Salad: Cool and crisp, it’s the perfect contrast to the warm, saucy meat.
- Instant Pot Jasmine Rice: Not very traditional with Sloppy Joes but it works, especially if you spoon the filling over the top and turn the sandwiches into bowls.
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries: A sloppy joe + french fries are made for each other.
Storage:
Fridge: Store leftover Sloppy Joe meat in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Use a skillet or microwave and add a splash of water or sauce if necessary.
Freezer: The filling freezes like a champ. Let it cool, then freeze in a bag or container for up to 3 months.
More Sloppy Joe Recipes!
- Big Mac Sloppy Joes
- Mississippi Sloppy Joes
- Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese
- Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
- Keto Sloppy Joes
- Chili Sloppy Joes
Korean BBQ Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef lean preferred
- 1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 small sweet onion finely diced
- 3/4 cup Korean BBQ sauce
- 2 green onions chopped
- 4 hamburger buns
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Break up the ground beef as it starts to cook.
- Once the beef is starting to brown a bit, add the pepper and onion to the skillet and continue cooking, stirring often, until the beef is cooked through and the vegetables have softened. Drain off any excess fat from the beef.
- Add the Korean BBQ sauce to the skillet and stir to coat the beef. Cook for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce a bit, stirring occasionally.
- While the beef cooks in the sauce, butter the buns and toast them on a hot skillet until golden brown.
- Remove the beef from the heat and stir in the green onions. Alternately, save the green onions for sprinkling on top of the beef once you’ve spooned it on the buns.
- Spoon the beef onto the toasted buns and serve hot.
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