Instead of piling sloppy joe filling onto buns, this recipe folds it into a creamy, cheesy dip base that you can spoon right out of a skillet or baking dish. Ground beef is browned with onion and sometimes bell pepper, then combined with either canned sloppy joe sauce or a homemade mix of tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and spices. Cream cheese and shredded cheese are stirred in or layered on top and baked until the dip is hot and gooey, with pockets of melty cheese throughout the saucy meat.
The flavor hits that familiar sloppy joe profile—savory, slightly sweet, a little tangy from tomato and vinegar—while the texture is thicker and creamier so it clings to chips and bread instead of dripping everywhere. It’s an ideal game day or party appetizer because it can be prepped ahead, reheated easily, and kept warm in a skillet or slow cooker on the snack table.
Equipment
- Large skillet or sauté pan to brown the ground beef and simmer the sloppy joe mixture
- Wooden spoon or spatula for breaking up and stirring the meat
- Cutting board and knife for chopping onion and optional bell pepper
- Mixing spoon or spatula for incorporating cream cheese and shredded cheese
- 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking dish, or an oven-safe skillet, for baking the dip until bubbly
- Measuring cups and spoons for sauces, seasonings, and cheese
- Optional slow cooker if you want to keep the dip warm on “warm” or “low” during a party
- Serving bowl or skillet, plus sturdy dippers like tortilla chips, corn chips, baguette slices, or crackers
Ingredients
Exact formulas vary, but most Sloppy Joe Dip recipes follow the same pattern: ground beef + sloppy joe sauce + cream cheese + shredded cheese.
Typical ingredient set:
- 1 lb ground beef (80–90% lean)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil, only if your beef is very lean
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper (optional, but common)
- 1 can (about 15 oz) sloppy joe sauce (such as Manwich), or about 1½ cups homemade sloppy joe sauce
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
- 1½–2 cups shredded cheese, such as cheddar, Colby Jack, or a Mexican blend
- 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar, to taste, if you are making your own sloppy joe sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard or Dijon mustard (homemade sauce option)
- 1–2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (homemade sauce option)
- ½–1 teaspoon chili powder or hot sauce, optional, for a bit of heat
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For serving:
- Sturdy tortilla chips, corn chips, baguette slices, or crackers
- Optional garnishes: sliced green onions, chopped parsley, extra shredded cheese
Step-by-step instructions
The cooking process starts by browning the ground beef. In a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, the oil is heated (if needed), then ground beef, chopped onion, and green bell pepper are added. The meat is broken up with a spoon as it cooks, stirring occasionally until it’s no longer pink and the vegetables are softened, usually 5–7 minutes. Excess grease is drained off to keep the dip from becoming greasy.
If using canned sloppy joe sauce, it’s poured directly into the skillet with the cooked beef mixture. If you’re making a quick homemade version, tomato sauce or ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and seasonings are stirred in instead.
The mixture is simmered over medium-low heat for several minutes until it thickens slightly and the flavors meld, creating a saucy, sloppy-joe-style meat base.
Next, cream cheese and some of the shredded cheese are added. Many recipes cut the cream cheese into cubes so it melts more evenly.
These cubes are stirred into the hot meat mixture until the cream cheese melts and blends in, turning the sauce creamy and thick. At this stage, you can taste and adjust with a bit more brown sugar for sweetness, mustard for tang, or salt and pepper to balance everything.
The cheesy meat mixture is then transferred to a baking dish or left in an oven-safe skillet. The remaining shredded cheese is sprinkled evenly over the top to create a melty, browned cheese layer as it bakes.
The dish goes into a preheated oven (usually around 350°F/175°C) for 15–20 minutes, or just until the dip is hot, bubbly around the edges, and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden.
Once out of the oven, the dip is allowed to sit for a few minutes so it’s hot but not boiling. Garnishes like sliced green onions or extra cheese can be sprinkled on at this point.
The warm dip is served directly from the skillet or dish with plenty of dippers nearby—tortilla chips, corn chips, toasted baguette slices, or sturdy crackers all work well. The texture is thick enough to cling to chips but still soft and saucy, just like a sloppy joe in dip form.
Leftovers can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheated gently in the microwave or oven; some people spoon leftovers into buns for quick sloppy joe sandwiches the next day.
Make-ahead and game day tips
Sloppy Joe Dip fits naturally into game day and party menus because it can be prepped ahead and reheated without losing its texture. The meat mixture can be cooked and combined with cream cheese a day in advance, then cooled and stored in the refrigerator in the baking dish. Right before serving, shredded cheese is added on top and the dish is baked until hot and bubbly.
For longer serving windows, you can transfer the finished dip to a slow cooker set to warm. This keeps the cheese soft and the meat mixture at a safe temperature while guests graze.
It helps to stir occasionally and keep the lid slightly ajar if the dip seems too loose from condensation. Offering a variety of dippers—corn chips, tortilla chips, pretzel crisps, and toasted baguette slices—makes the dip feel more like a centerpiece on the snack table.
If you’re planning a spread with other hot dips like buffalo chicken dip or queso, Sloppy Joe Dip adds a hearty, meaty option that eats almost like a mini meal. Serving it in a cast-iron skillet or shallow baking dish also helps it stay warmer longer once it hits the table.
Flavor variations
There are several fun twists on Sloppy Joe Dip that keep the basic idea but change the flavor profile. A buffalo version adds hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot), ranch seasoning, and blue cheese or extra cheddar to give the dip a spicy, buffalo-wing-style kick.
A cheeseburger-inspired twist might incorporate pickles, ketchup, and mustard into the sauce and top the dip with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes just before serving for a loaded-burger vibe.
Some recipes swap in ground turkey, chicken, or a plant-based ground meat alternative to lighten things up or make the dip fit different diets. Others add extra vegetables like finely diced celery, carrots, or more peppers to stretch the meat and sneak in more texture and color.
Cheese choices also change the character of the dip. Using smoked cheddar or pepper jack adds smokiness or heat, while a combination of mozzarella and cheddar gives more stretch and gooeyness when scooped. A thin drizzle of barbecue sauce over the baked dip or a spoonful stirred into the sloppy joe mixture can push it toward a BBQ-sloppy-joe flavor.
Serving ideas and pairings
Because Sloppy Joe Dip is rich and hearty, a little goes a long way on a party spread. It pairs well with lighter sides like a crisp veggie platter (carrot sticks, celery, bell pepper strips) and a simple ranch or yogurt dip. On game day, it fits right alongside wings, nachos, and sliders as one of the main “big bites” on the table.
For a twist on serving, you can spoon warm Sloppy Joe Dip into mini slider buns or Hawaiian rolls to make cheesy sloppy joe sliders. Small hollowed-out bread bowls or mini bell peppers can also be filled with the dip for individual servings that are easy to grab and eat.
Beverage-wise, the sweet-tangy-savory flavor works especially well with crisp, cold drinks—light beers, hard seltzers, or soda—and it balances nicely with something acidic like a simple coleslaw or pickles on the side. However it’s served, the recipe style guarantees a cozy, nostalgic flavor hit that feels like a sloppy joe, just in a shareable, scoopable format.