Asian Sloppy Joes are a delicious and unexpected twist on the American classic Sloppy Joes. You’ll love the sweet and salty Asian barbecue-like sauce with the crispy crunch of the cabbage coleslaw mix.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE ASIAN SLOPPY JOES
- Sesame oil (optional, use 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil)
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Ground pork or beef
- Ketchup
- Hoisin sauce
- Soy sauce
- Light or dark brown sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sesame seed or plain hamburger buns
- Shredded cabbage mix
- Mayonnaise
- Juice of ½ a lime
- Green onions
WHAT IS HOISIN SAUCE?
Hoisin Sauce is like an Asian barbecue sauce. It has a dark color, a thick consistency, and tastes slightly sweet and salty. The main ingredient is fermented soybean paste (also known as Miso), sugar, plum puree, soy sauce, vinegar, fennel, red chili peppers, and salt. It’s a fragrant, thick sauce that is used for marinades, dips, glazes, and sauces.
Personally, I love Hoisin Sauce. When I came across this product years ago, I thought that it was such a great alternative to teriyaki sauce for my stir-fries. Teriyaki sometimes is very sweet and Hoisin has a richer flavor almost umami but sweet and salty. You can easily use it straight out of the bottle like an Asian barbecue sauce for grilling meats or kebabs. Toss it in some stir-fry at the end. It’s already thickened in the bottle. I recommend always having a jar in your pantry. All grocery stores and big chain stores like Walmart or Target carry it in their Asian food departments.
HOW TO MAKE ASIAN SLOPPY JOES
- INSTRUCTIONS: In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil, onions, and garlic.
- Cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
- Add ground pork or beef and cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
- Add ketchup, hoisin, soy sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring mixture to a simmer; reduce heat to a medium-low.
- Cook until the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- TO MAKE THE COLESLAW TOPPING: In a medium bowl, combine coleslaw mix, mayonnaise, and lime juice; season to taste with salt and pepper.
- TO ASSEMBLE: Lightly butter the inside of each bun and toast in a skillet, griddle, or oven.
- On the bottom half of the bun place sloppy joe meat, top with a little coleslaw topping, add few green onions, then add with the top half of the bun.
IF YOU LIKE ASIAN SLOPPY JOES, YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
- The BEST Sloppy Joes
- Asian Ground Beef Bowls
- Orange Beef Stir-Fry
- Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Asian Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 2 tsp sesame oil (optional, use 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil)
- ½ onion, small diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 or 1.5 lbs. ground pork or beef
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6-8 sesame seed or plain hamburger buns, toasted
Coleslaw topping:
- 1 ½ cup shredded cabbage mix
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- Juice of ½ a lime
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil, onions, and garlic. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add ground pork or beef and cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add ketchup, hoisin, soy sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer; reduce heat to a medium-low. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- TO MAKE COLESLAW TOPPING: a medium bowl, combine coleslaw mix, mayonnaise, and lime juice; season to taste with salt and pepper.
- TO ASSEMBLE: Lightly butter the inside of each bun and toast in a skillet, griddle, or oven. Top the bottom half of the bun with sloppy joe, top with a little coleslaw topping, a few green onions, then top with the top half of the bun.
