The Best Ingredient To Add To Your Sloppy Joe Sauce For A Tangy Bite

Tangy, sweet, savory — sloppy Joes are the perfect party food no matter what the occasion. The nostalgic favorite can be taken in a ton of different directions, depending on your preferences. Whether you prefer yours spicy (try using chorizo instead of ground beef for a serious kick), red-meat free (ground or pulled chicken makes a seriously delicious sloppy Joe), or another variation, sloppy Joes tend to disappear quickly. Dan Pelosi, author of "Let's Party: Recipes and Menus for Celebrating Every Day," spoke exclusively with Chowhound on how he elevates his sloppy Joes with a surprising twist.

To improve on the flavor of a sloppy Joe, Pelosi says, "I would try adding dill or even a little dill pickle juice! Dill pickles are a classic pairing with a sloppy Joe, so I think bringing it into the recipe is nice." There's a reason pickles work so well with sloppy Joes — the sour pickles play well off of the sweetness of sloppy Joe sauce, creating a more complete flavor profile than a sloppy Joe sandwich without a pickled element. He also recommends tossing some chili flakes into the meat to add a bit of extra heat to the mix.

Toppings are a fun way to boost the flavor in your sloppy Joe, and you can really get creative with whatever you've got in your kitchen. Dan Pelosi recommends adding pickled cabbage or a slaw on top when serving (adding some pickles to store-bought coleslaw is a great way to jazz up the standard cabbage and vinegar mixture). Pickled onions can also be a tasty way to add some briny flavor, and can work especially well if you've included sweet onions in your sloppy Joe meat mixture. If your sloppy Joe mix is particularly saucy, you might consider adding a leaf of cabbage below the beef to help the bun hold up until you've polished off your sandwich.

Adding a bit of crunch to your sloppy Joe creates a textural topping contrast that will leave you coming back for more. Adding crunchy fried onions or crunchy fried red peppers to the top of your sloppy Joe creates a satisfying bite. You can also try topping your sandwich with crispy bacon to ramp up the umami factor. While it may sound counterintuitive, adding cheese that melts well (think American, or even Velveeta) to a sloppy Joe adds a perfect touch of extra saltiness without overpowering the flavor of the beef.