Looking for a simple, delicious weeknight dinner? These low effort Sweet Chili BBQ Sloppy Joes are just what you need.
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Update: this post has been updated since its original post date in 2015. Photos and text have changed but the recipe remains the same.
Are you all still digging all the comfort foods?! I solidly am over here.
And what’s more comforting than a childhood classic? Maybe a fun sweet and spicy spin on one.
Required Ingredients
Most of the required ingredients for these Sweet Chili BBQ Sloppy Joes are pretty simple and probably already in your house.
Here’s what you need:
The Thai sweet chili sauce and barbecue sauce replace the tomato sauce that’s normally in a sloppy joe and totally amp up the flavor. It makes these sandwiches super rich and delicious.
What is Thai Sweet Chili Sauce?
Thai sweet chili sauce is a sweet and spicy sauce that’s super sticky. The sauce is packed with chilis and garlic giving it lots of flavor.
It’s pretty easy to find in the Asian section of your grocery store. You can also grab it here.
It’s my favorite on this chicken on a stick and drizzled on stir fried noodles or zoodles.
I always have it in my fridge.
How to Make Sweet Chili BBQ Sloppy Joes
These sloppy joes are pretty darn easy to make. Start by browning your ground beef in the olive oil. Once it’s browned add the finely chopped onion and cook until they have softened a bit.
Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring it to a simmer. Leave it on a low simmer and stir occasionally for 20 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Serve it up on hamburger buns for all the nostalgia.
Bringing the Flavor
The flavor of these sloppy joes may vary a bit depending on what kind of barbecue sauce you use.
If you have a spicy barbecue the end result with be quite spicy between that and the Thai sweet chili sauce. If you go sweet when it comes to barbecue, they’ll be on the sweeter side with a tiny kick.
Keep that in mind when making this recipe.
More Easy Weeknight Dinners:
Sweet Chili BBQ Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 1 Tbsp. ketchup
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add the onions and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until they are soft.
- Add BBQ sauce, sweet chili sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, ketchup, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
January 19, 2016 at 7:52 am
Hey! Wanting to make this tonight but I only have “chili sauce” on hand … Saw a couple recipes for making your own sweet chili sauce but most were Thai. Is that the right flavor? Could I use homemade Thai sweet chili sauce or somehow turn my chili sauce into sweet chili sauce?
January 20, 2016 at 12:57 pm
Oh man, I just saw this. It’s Thai sweet chili sauce that I use so a homemade version would work. Sorry I didn’t respond sooner!