Southern Sloppy Joe Sliders

This recipe guides you in making Southern-style sloppy joe sliders. It involves sautéing ground meat and vegetables, simmering them in a flavorful sauce featuring bourbon, soy sauce, and sorghum. The mixture is then spooned onto butter-toasted slider buns for a satisfying dish.

Print Recipe

Cook Time 35

Total Time 55

Course lunch/dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories 4184.1 kcal

Equipment

1 Cast-iron skillet Or a large heavy-bottomed skillet
1 Medium Bowl
1 Whisk
1 Wooden Spoon Or sturdy stirring utensil

Ingredients

Main

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium red bell pepper medium diced
1 medium onion medium diced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground meat substitute soy crumbles
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup bourbon
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons sorghum syrup
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic chopped
12 slider buns
Unsalted butter for toasting buns

Instructions

Heat the coconut oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red peppers and onions and saute until just beginning to turn translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Saute until browned all the way through, about 5 minutes. (If using ground meat substitute, just heat until warmed through, about 2 minutes.)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, bourbon, soy sauce, cider vinegar, mustard, sorghum, cumin, liquid smoke, red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup water.
Stir the bourbon mixture and the garlic into the skillet. Simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Season with more soy sauce as needed.
Toast the slider buns with a little butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Spoon the sloppy joe mixture onto the buns.

Notes

Don't rush the sautéing of the vegetables or the browning of the ground beef; this builds foundational flavor. The bourbon adds a unique depth; ensure it simmers sufficiently to cook off the alcohol while retaining flavor notes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with soy sauce before serving – saltiness is key. Toasting the buns in butter provides a crucial texture contrast and richness against the savory filling.