BBQ Pork Sloppy Joes

From the kitchen of Carly

American comfort with a Memorial Day cookout pedigree: ground pork in a smoky BBQ-and-ketchup sauce, piled into toasted brioche buns with quick-pickled onion. Roasted sweet potato wedges on the side. Done in 35 minutes. Toast the buns. The butter-and-broil step is what separates a sandwich from a soggy mess.

BBQ Pork Sloppy Joes

The secret to a proper sloppy joe is sauce that clings, not slicks. Here, a quick simmer of BBQ and ketchup with a splash of pickling liquid from quick-pickled red onions brings that sticky-on-the-meat texture, sharpened with hot sauce and lime. The contrast between the creamy brioche, saucy pork, and bright pickled onions makes this feel dressed up, not nostalgic.

Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 largesweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
  • 1red onion (half sliced thin, half finely chopped)
  • 2 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
  • 1lime, juiced
  • 4brioche burger buns
  • 1 lbground pork
  • 1/2 cupBBQ sauce (sweet, smoky kind)
  • 3 tbsptomato ketchup
  • 1 tsp + extra to servehot sauce (Tabasco, sriracha, or your favorite)
  • 3/4 tsp (divided)granulated sugar
  • 2 tbspvegetable oil
  • 1 tbspunsalted butter, melted (for buns)
  • 1 to tastekosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

  2. Toss the sweet potato wedges on a baking sheet with 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once, until browned and tender.

  3. While the potatoes roast, quick-pickle the onion: combine the thinly sliced onion in a small bowl with the lime juice, 1/4 tsp of the sugar, and a pinch of salt. Stir and set aside; it pickles in 15 minutes.

  4. Brush the cut sides of the brioche buns with the melted butter.

  5. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.

  6. Add the chopped garlic. Cook 30 seconds more.

  7. Add the ground pork. Break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until browned all over and cooked through.

  8. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the BBQ sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, the remaining 1/2 tsp sugar, the pickling liquid drained from the onion bowl (keep the onions for topping), and 1/4 cup water.

  9. Simmer 3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens and clings to the meat. Taste; adjust salt and hot sauce.

  10. While the sauce simmers, toast the buttered buns under the broiler or in a toaster oven for 2 to 3 minutes until golden.

  11. Pile the saucy pork onto each bottom bun. Top with a generous spoonful of pickled onion and a few drops of hot sauce. Cap with the top bun.

  12. Serve with the sweet potato wedges on the side.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Drain your quick-pickled onion liquid into the sauce, not the trash. That acidic brine helps the sauce cling and adds brightness without extra lime.
  • Don't skip the broiler toast on the brioche. Those cut faces need to turn golden and crispy so they can actually hold the juicy pork without falling apart.
  • Brown the pork fully before adding any liquid. Let it sit in the pan for a minute between stirs to get color and develop flavor, not just cook through.

Variations

  • Swap the sweet potato wedges for crispy regular fries or a simple slaw if you want something less earthy.
  • Use ground beef instead of pork, or go half and half for deeper flavor.
  • Skip the brioche and pile the pork onto soft cornbread squares or thick-cut white bread for a Southern slant.
  • Layer in coleslaw on the sandwich itself instead of just the pickled onion for a crunch that reads more structured.

Make ahead and storage

Refrigerate the saucy pork and pickled onions in separate containers for up to 3 days. Reheat the meat gently over medium heat with a splash of water if it's dried out. Freeze the pork up to 3 months; the pickled onions are best fresh but will keep frozen.

Substitutions
  • ground pork to ground beef, turkey, or chicken. Beef makes it the original; turkey and chicken cut the richness. All work the same way.
  • sweet potato wedges to regular potato wedges or onion rings. Sweet potatoes are the modern move; russets give you the classic Friday-night-burger vibe.
  • brioche buns to potato rolls, kaiser rolls, or sliced soft white bread. Anything that holds the saucy pork without falling apart. Toast lightly first.

Pairs well with: Cold lager or hard cider, Coleslaw on the side or piled inside the bun, Pickled jalapenos or extra hot sauce for the bold