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Home » Mains Recipes

What to Serve with Sloppy Joes

Apr 16, 2023 by Emily · 3 Comments

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Classic sloppy joes. Enjoyed by many over generations, these delicious sandwiches are packed full of flavor. Have you ever been stuck on ideas as to what to serve with sloppy joes?

It can be tough at times to come up with new ideas especially if you are wanting to try something different. Which is why we have come up with a selection of some of our favorite sides to serve with sloppy joes.

So next time you are hosting a gathering, enjoying sloppy joes for lunch or dinner, or just wondering what to have with these sandwiches, you don’t have to worry as much.

Collection of different images for recipes that can be served with sloppy joes.
Jump to:
  • What are sloppy joes?
  • 19 Quick and Easy Sides for Sloppy Joes
  • FAQ
  • Delicious Drink Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Comments

A traditional American dish that has been loved for decades is sloppy joes. A satisfying and hearty sandwich that's ideal for any occasion is made with ground beef, tomato sauce, and spices.

Although the sandwich is popular by itself, it can be challenging to decide what to serve alongside it.

Should you choose traditional sides like fries and slaw or venture out and try something different?

Striking a balance between the flavors and textures will help you find the ideal side dish to go with your sloppy joes.

You need a side dish to balance out the saucy, salty sandwich rather than overpower it. You can find the ideal complement for your upcoming meal by keeping these suggestions in mind.

French fries are among the most widely used side dishes to go with sloppy joes. For a healthier alternative, try sweet potato fries.

You can also add some heat with seasoned curly fries or onion rings.

A crisp green salad or coleslaw can be a cooling complement to the savory flavors of the sloppy joes if you're looking for something a little lighter.

A fruit salad or grilled vegetables can also be a delicious option for enhancing the flavor and color of your meal.

Macaroni and cheese or potato salad are both traditional choices for those who prefer something a little heartier.

These two sides can both be prepared in advance and enjoyed cold or at room temperature, which makes them ideal for picnics and parties.

Whether you're hosting a backyard barbecue or just want a quick and easy dinner, we've got you covered.

What are sloppy joes?

Popular in America, sloppy joes are hamburger bun-based sandwiches made with ground beef, tomato sauce, onions, and spices.

Before adding a tomato-based sauce that can be anything from sweet and tangy to spicy and smoky, the filling is typically cooked in a skillet until the beef is browned and the onions are soft.

After being spooned onto a toasted bun, the resulting mixture is frequently topped with cheese, pickles, or other condiments.

According to legend, the term "sloppy joes" first appeared in the 1930s and 1940s, possibly from a Key West, Florida, bar that served a sandwich with a similar name called a "loose meat sandwich."

Sloppy joes are a beloved comfort food that people enjoy with their families and at informal gatherings.

19 Quick and Easy Sides for Sloppy Joes

1. Egg Free Potato Salad

Close up image of potato salad in a bowl.

This recipe for egg-free potato salad is a great alternative for people who are allergic to eggs or don't care to eat them.

Tender potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and a creamy dressing made with vegan mayo and a mixture of herbs and spices are all featured in this dish.

This potato salad will wow your guests with its mouth-watering flavors and textures, making it the ideal side dish for picnics, barbecues, or any meal.

Egg Free Potato Salad

2. Potato Croquettes (Crispy Deep Fried Mash Potatoes)

Close up image of a potato fritter with more potato fritters in glass bowls in the background.

Potato croquettes anyone?

If you enjoy fried foods that are crispy and crunchy, this recipe is for you.

Mash potatoes, bread crumbs, and seasonings are combined to make these potato croquettes, which are then formed into small balls and deep-fried until crispy and golden brown.

Their crispy exterior and soft, flavorful interior make them ideal as a snack, appetizer, or side dish, and they'll wow your guests. And they go great with sloppy joes too!

Potato Croquettes (Crispy Deep Fried Mash Potatoes)

3. Greek Salad

Close up image of Greek salad on a plate.

After something a bit lighter to enjoy with your sloppy joes?

This traditional Mediterranean dish is brimming with flavorful, nutritious ingredients.

Crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, feta cheese, olives, and a straightforward dressing made of olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs are all ingredients in this salad.

This salad is the ideal side dish for any meal and a wonderful way to give your menu a touch of the Mediterranean.

Greek Salad

4. Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter

Slices of cornbread in a skillet.

Crispy, golden-brown cornbread with a hint of sweetness and is served with a rich honey butter. This recipe is the ideal addition to sloppy joes.

The cornbread is cooked in a skillet, giving it a crust that is crispy and ideal for soaking up gravies and sauces.

Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter

5. Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Roasted sweet potatoes in a white bowl.

With a crispy and caramelized exterior and a soft and tender interior, this recipe is the ideal way to enjoy the sweet potatoes' inherent sweetness.

After being seasoned with a mixture of herbs and spices, the sweet potatoes are roasted until crispy and browned.

This dish is a delicious and healthy substitute for regular potato fries and works well as a side dish or a snack.

Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

6. Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Close up image of mashed potatoes on a plate.

Make creamy, delectable mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot quickly and easily with this recipe. This dish will go over well with your family and guests and is ideal for any meal.

Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

7. Four Bean Salad

Bean and corn salad on a black plate.

With four different types of beans, crisp vegetables, and a tangy dressing made of vinegar, sugar, and spices, this colorful and healthy salad is a powerhouse of protein and fiber.

This salad is a great way to mix up your menu and is ideal as a side dish or light meal.

Four Bean Salad

8. Sweet Potato Fries

What about a classic side with a twist?

Instead of ordinary French fries, why not serve your sloppy joes with sweet potato fries.

Crispy and delicious, sweet potato fries have a crispy exterior and the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes, making them a healthier alternative to traditional french fries.

After being seasoned with a mixture of spices, the fries are baked until crispy and browned.

This dish is a fantastic way to add some variety to your menu and is ideal as a side dish or a snack.

Sweet Potato Fries

9. Sweet Potato Hash

With bell peppers, onion, sweet potatoes, and spices, this recipe for sweet potato hash makes the ideal breakfast or brunch dish.

It can be topped with a fried egg or served with bacon or sausage.

This dish will quickly become a family favorite because it's quick to prepare and oozing with flavor.

Sweet Potato Hash

10. Crispy Garlic Baked Potato Wedges

Made with tender potatoes coated in a mixture of garlic, herbs, and spices and baked until crisp and golden brown, these flavorful potato wedges are the ideal to serve as a side dish with sloppy joes!

Crispy Garlic Baked Potato Wedges

11. Air Fryer Onion Rings

Crispy, crunchy onion rings. These flavorful onion rings are a light side dish that can be served with sloppy joes.

Sweet onions are coated in a crispy and flavorful batter, then air-fried until crispy and golden brown to create these flavorful and crunchy onion rings, which make the ideal snack or appetizer.

This recipe is simple to prepare, full of flavor, and a better choice for you than deep-fried onion rings.

Air Fryer Onion Rings

12. Macaroni Salad

With its tender macaroni noodles, crunchy vegetables, and creamy dressing made of mayonnaise, vinegar, and an assortment of herbs and spices, this recipe for macaroni salad is a great side dish for sloppy joes. Ideal for tailgating, picnics, or even a casual get together.

Macaroni Salad

13. Twice Baked Potatoes

Who said potatoes only needed to be baked once? Featuring tender potatoes baked twice and topped with cheese, sour cream, bacon, and herbs, these delectable potatoes make the ideal side dish.

Twice Baked Potatoes

14. Sweet And Spicy Thai Style French Fries

What about something both sweet and spicy, like these Thai style French fries?

Sweet potatoes are coated in a mixture of Thai spices for these crispy and flavorful sweet and spicy Thai style french fries, which are served with a hot dipping sauce.

This dish is flavorful and simple to prepare, and it's a great way to mix up your menu.

Sweet And Spicy Thai Style French Fries

15. Cheesy Tater Tots

These mouthwatering tater tots come with crispy, golden-brown potato bites that are stuffed with cheese and served with a dipping sauce.

They make the ideal snack or side dish. This dish is flavorful, quick to prepare, and guaranteed to please everyone.

Cheesy Tater Tots

16. Baked Beans

This traditional side dish goes great with just about anything. And sloppy joes are no exception.

Tender beans which have been baked with a savory and sweet sauce is a great addition to any barbecue or picnic. This dish is flavorful and simple to prepare, and it will wow your guests.

Baked Beans

17. Instant Pot Garlic Green Beans

Green beans made with fresh green beans, garlic, and herbs are tender and flavorful when made with this recipe's Instant Pot Garlic Green Beans.

This dish is a great way to increase your intake of vegetables and is ideal as a side dish or light meal.

Instant Pot Garlic Green Beans

18. Parmesan Ranch Potato Chips

Flavorful and easy to prepare.

These parmesan ranch potato chips freature thinly sliced potatoes seasoned with parmesan cheese, ranch dressing, and spices before being baked until crispy and golden brown to make Parmesan Ranch Potato Chips, a delicious snack or side dish.

Parmesan Ranch Potato Chips

19. Dill Pickles

Made with crunchy cucumbers pickled in vinegar, dill, garlic, and spices, these tangy and flavorful pickles make the ideal side dish.

This dish is delicious, quick to prepare, and ideal as a snack or side dish for burgers and sandwiches.

Dill Pickles

FAQ

What can I serve with sandwiches besides chips?

There are many other options besides chips to serve with your sandwiches. You could enjoy your sandwich with a simple pasta salad or green salad, a warm bowl of soup, vegetables, or even fresh fruit.

What’s the difference between a Sloppy Joe and a sloppy Jane?

between the two: the meat. A Sloppy Jane is a vegetarian variation of the Sloppy Joe that is typically made with lentils, tofu, or other plant-based proteins.

A Sloppy Joe is typically made with ground beef.

Although a sloppy jane's filling frequently contains tomato sauce, onions, and spices, it is frequently less meaty and more vegetable-centric.

Other vegetables, like bell peppers or mushrooms, may also be added to some sloppy Jane sandwiches.

Collection of images of recipes that can be served with slopped joes.

Tried one of these recipes? Let us know how it went in the comments below.

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Recipe

Collage of images for recipes that can be served with sloppy joes.

What to Serve with Sloppy Joes

Emily
Classic sloppy joes. Enjoyed by many over generations, these delicious sandwiches are packed full of flavor. Have you ever been stuck on ideas as to what to serve with sloppy joes?
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Chilling Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
ESTIMATED COST : $6.75, or $0.68 a serve.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Western
Servings 10 serves
Calories 256 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • Egg Free Potato Salad
  • Potato Croquettes (Crispy Deep Fried Mash Potatoes)
  • Greek Salad
  • Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter
  • Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
  • Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • Four Bean Salad
  • Sweet Potato Fries
  • Sweet Potato Hash
  • Crispy Garlic Baked Potato Wedges
  • Air Fryer Onion Rings
  • Macaroni Salad
  • Twice Baked Potatoes
  • Sweet And Spicy Thai Style French Fries
  • Cheesy Tater Tots
  • Baked Beans
  • Instant Pot Garlic Green Beans
  • Parmesan Ranch Potato Chips
  • Dill Pickles

Instructions
 

  • Choose your favorite recipe from the list above.
  • Gather all the ingredients.
  • Follow the recipe directions and cook up something delicious to serve with your sloppy joes.

Notes

Nutrition, serving size and cook times are based on the first recipe on the recipe card.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serveCalories: 256kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 0.1mgSodium: 348mgPotassium: 596mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2g
Nutrition Disclosure
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it went!

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Comments

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  1. Mara says

    July 17, 2024 at 11:00 am

    5 stars
    Just what I was after, thank you!

    Reply
  2. April says

    June 08, 2023 at 2:00 pm

    5 stars
    The dill pickles go great with sloppy joes!

    Reply
  3. Paul says

    June 08, 2023 at 1:59 pm

    There is so much to choose from it's making me hungry.

    Reply
Author image.

Hello and welcome to Thyme For Flavor!

My name is Emily. I am the founder, cook, and photographer behind Thyme For Flavor.

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