Are you in the mood for an old-school Sloppy Joe? If so, you’ll want to bookmark my BBQ Sloppy Joes! These sandwiches are made on the Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill, keeping this recipe simple and sane. Of course, I had to add my twist to an old favorite, so you know this dish is packed with BBQ flavor!

If you like hearty meals and aren’t afraid to get your face messy, you’ll fall in love with these BBQ Sloppy Joes. They’re the ideal recipe for family dinners, game days, or just because. Add a side of coleslaw and crispy fries for a slam-dunk combo!

BBQ Sloppy Joes | Heath Riles BBQ

One common misconception about cooking from scratch is that it takes a lot of time and effort. These BBQ Sloppy Joes are better than canned varieties but are just as easy. If you can brown hamburger, you can whip up a batch of sloppy joes! The entire family will thank you.

The Ingredients

With less than 10 ingredients, you can have a delicious dinner. You’ll have extra W sauce, BBQ sauce, and rubs for your next incredible creation! Here’s what you need to add to your grocery list.

Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce. If you like ketchup-based sauces, you’ll want to grab a bottle of this one! It features a delicious blend of sugar and spices that goes great on baked beans, sloppy joes, and chicken.

Yellow mustard . A dash of mustard gives my custom sauce a hint of zest. Pro Tip: You can also use mustard as a binder for ribs, so save your leftovers.

Brown sugar . I love the deep flavor brown sugar gives the BBQ glaze. It helps the sauce caramelize to perfection on the Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill, giving the sandwiches a wonderful sticky-sweet texture.

White onion. There’s nothing better than sauteed onions, especially when combined with luscious ground beef. I used white onion, but you can always use Vidalia or red onions.

Minced garlic. A hint of minced garlic ties the entire recipe together! You won’t believe how amazing your house is going to smell. Pre-minced garlic keeps things simple, but you can use fresh if preferred.

Ground beef. The traditional sloppy joe base is ground beef, a hearty meat with plenty of juice! This ingredient is flexible, so use whatever beef you have on hand.

Heath Riles BBQ Hot BBQ Rub. If you love adding a kick of heat to your BBQ, you’ll love my Hot Rub! This blend of garlic, onion, paprika, and proprietary spices is excellent on chicken, beef, and pork. It also adds a great pop of color!

The Smoker Setup

Here’s the main equipment I used for this recipe. More of my grilling favorites can be found in the Equipment and Tools section.

Flat Top Grill. I cooked these mind-blowing BBQ Sloppy Joes on the Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill. I love using this setup for quesadillas, tacos, and more! Pro Tip: Be sure to “season” your grill before using it! This step creates a slick, non-stick surface.

Cooking with a flat top is easy, especially when you know how to clean it! Check out the video to see my process for cleaning your Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill without much elbow grease.

If you’re looking for an excellent flat top grill, try this one! With divided heat chambers, you can cook multiple things at once. It’s a beautiful addition to any outdoor kitchen!

The Process for Making BBQ Sloppy Joes

You can see this recipe's detailed demonstration in the recipe card and video. Here’s a quick overview of how these BBQ Sloppy Joes came together.

Fire up the grill. I turned two burners on the Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill to medium and the others to low. Then, I added a dollop of BaconUp Bacon Grease to season the griddle.
Whip up the sauce. In a small bowl, I mixed Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce, mustard, and brown sugar until smooth.
Cook the onion. I added the diced onion and ground beef to the preheated grill and added a dash of Heath Riles BBQ Hot BBQ Rub. Then, I cooked the meat and onions until browned through. I added the minced garlic and let it cook until fragrant.
Toast the buns. While the meat finished, I placed the buns on the Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill to toast. Be careful! This only takes a few seconds.
Add sauce. I poured the sauce over the cooked meat and tossed it until it was thoroughly coated. Then, I added a dash of Bear & Burton’s W Sauce- Fireshire for good measure.
Assemble the BBQ Sloppy Joes. I let the flavors mesh for a few minutes, then took the meat off the pit. I let it cool, then assembled my BBQ Sloppy Joes. You can do it your way, but I keep it simple: a toasted bun topped with a scoop of meat!

The Results

These BBQ Sloppy Joes tasted like something you’d find at an old-school diner. They had the perfect BBQ flavor, set off by a warm mix of spices. This is a meal you can get behind!