Asian Sloppy Joes with Pickled Carrots and Onions

Asian Sloppy Joes with Pickled Carrots and Onions - unctuous, tangy, sweet, and savory!  One big pot of yummy comfort food with a twist.  These Asian Sloppy Joes are everything you love about the original, times 10 thanks to fresh ginger, hoisin sauce, lime juice, and chili paste if you’re feeling a little spicy.  Plus, I've included a crockpot version of the recipe for all you slow cooker lovers out there!  Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes were a popular and regularly occurring feast growing up in our house. My parents had four kids, and not an excessive amount of money, so I totally get why this was a menu staple.  Plus, who doesn’t love Sloppy Joes!??  All that hearty meat, with that tangy sweet sauce, on a soft and fluffy bun… Mmm!  Just so much to love about this meal!

I can honestly say it’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed this popular American fare.  Well, until recently when I came across Ming Tsai’s recipe for Asian Sloppy Joes!!

I’m a huge fan of Ming!  He has several restaurants here in the Boston area and they are fabulous.  He’s usually on location almost every time we go in, either working the line or working the crowd – the guy’s got skillzz with two “z’s.”

Then there’s his TV show Simply Ming - have you seen it?  I highly recommend it. He has the best guest chefs, and they are always whipping up the tastiest food.  You should totally stop reading this and set your DVR to record Simply Ming - stat.

I really enjoy Asian cooking.  And if it isn’t overly obvious – you could say, “I love Asian fusion!”  Yes, it’s true, let me count the ways…

1. Kimchi Reuben
2. Chicken Satay Zoodle Salad
3. Korean Slaw Dog
4. Pad Thai Fry Dog
5. Thai Beef with Broccoli
6. (As of today.)  Asian Sloppy Joes with Pickled Carrots and Onions 

And those are just few of my recipes that have made it to the blog.  I truly can’t get enough of those unctuous, umami, tangy, sweet, and savory flavors all rolled up into one dish.  They’re just too good to not appreciate on a regular basis, in my opinion.

I actually made these Asian Sloppy Joes for the first time a few months ago.  We were throwing a Christmas party and I wanted to try a new recipe that would feed a large crowd.  All I can say is they were a big hit.  All that zesty hearty sweet goodness piled high over a slider bun - just delicious!

AND the B man was over the moon about the leftovers!  I’ve told you before about his carnivorous ways.  He couldn’t have been more excited about eating a big ole’ plate full of meat – with some veggies on the top of course.  I mean you can’t eat these Asian Sloppy Joes without dill pickles and crispy shredded lettuce!  Real talk.

Sooo this yummy flavorful meat sandwich is finally making its blog début.  Isn’t it exciting!??

The recipe couldn’t be any easier.  Well, scratch that you could just open up a can of Manwich and call it done.  But why do that when you can do this!??...

First, you brown your beef in a large saucepan, season, and drain.  Remove from the saucepan and set aside.  Then add in your onions, celery, and jalapeños for another 5 minutes… and throw in some ginger & garlic to saute for one more minute.

Now add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, hoisin sauce, lime juice, and a little water to your saucepan, bring to a slow simmer, and fold in the meat.  Cover and sauté until they’ve achieved “Sloppy Joe” status: everything should be cooked down and thickened enough to mound when ladled, usually about 20 to 30 minutes.

For all you slow cooker lovers out there, I’ve also included the crock pot sloppy joes directions in the recipe card (always looking out for you)!  While that’s cooking shred some carrots and red onion, and place them in a glass jar or a bowl with all the pickling ingredients.  Store in the fridge while the meat is getting all good and sloppy.

While that’s cooking shred some carrots and red onion, and place them in a glass jar or a bowl with all the pickling ingredients.  Store in the fridge while the meat is getting all good and sloppy.

To serve this delectable meal you can go one of two ways: Grab some slider buns, perfect for little fingers to hold, or some Boston Bibb Lettuce for a low carb version.

Pile on your sloppy joe mixture, your pickled carrots and onions, and your shredded iceberg lettuce, and Yahtzee!!!  You’re winning in the dinner department!

Asian Sloppy Joes with Pickled Carrots and Onions… a comforting crowd-pleasing meal that cooks itself!

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Yield: 12 servings

Asian Sloppy Joes with Pickled Carrots & Onions

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Asian Sloppy Joes with Pickled Carrots and Onions - unctuous, tangy, sweet, and savory! One big pot of yummy comfort food with a twist.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

For The Sloppy Joes Mixture:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pounds lean ground beef (can substitute pork,chicken or turkey)
• 2 yellow onions, finely diced
• 3 celery stalks, finely diced
• 4 jalapeños, stemmed, seeds removed and finely diced (or 1 green pepper finely diced)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 cup hoisin sauce (8 ounces)
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 tablespoons water
• Optional: 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or hot sauce for heat
• 12 slider buns or Boston Bibb Lettuce
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
• Dill pickles

Pickled Carrots And Onions:

• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 2 large carrots, shredded
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ ounce fresh ginger, peeled and chopped into very thin matchsticks

Instructions

For The Sloppy Joes (Stove Top Directions):

1. Heat a large deep, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add vegetable oil and the beef.  Brown the beef, breaking up any clumps with a spatula, and cook about 6 minutes.  Drain any excess grease and set aside.
2. Add onions, celery, and jalapeños and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and sauté 1 more minute.
3. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, hoisin sauce, lime juice, and water.  Bring the mixture to a slow simmer and fold in the meat.  Cover and sauté until cooked down and thickened, 20-30 minutes.  Add more water if the mixture gets dry.
4. Serve the Asian Sloppy Joe mixture with slider buns or Boston Bibb Lettuce with some of the pickled carrots and onions, dill pickles, and shredded lettuce if serving on a bun.

For The Sloppy Joes (Crockpot Directions):

1. Set crock-pot to high.  Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, hoisin sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger and water and stir together well.  Put the lid on crockpot and start cooking.
2. Saute ground beef in a sauté pan with vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it’s completely cooked about 6 minutes.  Drain off any excess grease and add the meat to the crockpot.  Add the onions, celery, and jalapeños and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the vegetables to the crockpot and stir the mixture well.  Allow the mixture to cook for 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.  Stir now and then if possible.
3. Serve the Asian Sloppy Joe mixture with slider buns or Boston Bibb Lettuce with some of the pickles, pickled carrots and onions, dill pickles, and shredded lettuce if serving on a bun.

For The Pickled Carrots & Onions:

1. Heat vinegar, sugar, and ginger in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved - about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
2. Add the carrots and onions, toss well and allow to sit for 10 minutes on the counter.  Transfer to an airtight container and chill covered until ready to use.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1 slider
Amount Per Serving Calories 368Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 7gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 54mgSodium 576mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 9gSugar 22gProtein 19g

Looking for more great Asian Fusion recipes??  Try this amazing Kimchi Reuben or the unbeatable Pad Thai Fry Dog!