Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes are smothered in a sweet and slightly spicy cherry Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce, maraschino cherries and ready to devour in 30 minutes.
It’s easy to love delicious, classic Ultimate Sloppy Joes, but it’s also fun to try new variations on Sloppy Joes Recipes. With over 33 recipes and counting, we’ve got you covered!
DR. PEPPER BBQ SLOPPY JOES
These mouthwatering BBQ Sloppy Joes are about to be your new favorite tailgate, party, or weeknight dinner! They are so easy to make and packed with flavor! The spicy, fruity cola brings out both the sweet and savory in a simple homemade BBQ sauce. After one bite, you’ll be hooked to using Dr. Pepper in all your glazes and sauces.
When you think of Dr. Pepper, or cola in general, naturally you are thinking of it as a drink. But cooking with cola is an amazing way to get a different depth of flavor. In Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes, the soda makes the sauce thick and adds sweetness without overpowering the dish.
These Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes go beyond just adding a can of soda to your sauce. Along with tasty BBQ flavor, there are hints of cherry cola too! Instead of using artificially flavored Cherry Dr. Pepper, there are maraschino cherries and cherry juice to add another layer of natural sweetness and flavor.
The easy homemade barbecue sauce used in these Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes is made from common pantry ingredients. It takes about 30 minutes, so you will want to make it ahead or plan an extra 30 minutes for cooking time. Once you taste the thick, sticky sweet sauce you’ll know it’s worth the extra time!
Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes have a mild, sweet sauce that is perfect for kids parties or family friendly dinners. There’s no spicy heat and everyone will love the subtle smoky cherry Dr. Pepper flavor. To serve for a crowd, you can easily double this recipe and keep it warm in a crockpot. You can cook these in a slow cooker too, see the instructions below.
Sweet and savory Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes go great with all the classic barbecue side dishes like Mac and Cheese and Coleslaw. You can also serve this sloppy joe mixture as a topping for hot dogs and Tater Tot Waffles or as the filling in these Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes!
MORE DELICIOUS SLOPPY JOES RECIPES
Ultimate Sloppy Joes
Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes
Bacon, Beer and Cheese Sloppy Joes
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sloppy Joes
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VARIATIONS ON DR. PEPPER BBQ SLOPPY JOES
- BBQ Sauce: If you don’t want to make BBQ sauce from scratch, substitute 3/4 cup store bought BBQ sauce, 1 can Dr. Pepper, and reduce to 1/4 cup beef broth.
- Pineapple: You can use diced pineapple and pineapple syrup (from the can) instead of the maraschino cherries in Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes.
- Peppers: Sliced pickled peppers like piquanté (Peppadew) peppers would taste delicious in Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes. You can also add jalapeños, pepperoncinis, or banana peppers, depending on the level of spicy you like.
- Pork: Pork and Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce are amazing together. Make Dr. Pepper Pork Sloppy Joes by using ground pork sausage, or blend of ground pork and sausage.
- Toppings: Top Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes with crispy fried onions (canned or Homemade Fried Onions), Fritos, cooked bacon, or other crunchy toppings to add texture.
Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet with the onions and bell peppers, drain grease.
- Add the beef mixture to the crockpot along with the remaining ingredients (minus the buns) and stir to combine.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Stir before serving on brioche buns.
MORE FUN FAMILY FAVORITE RECIPES
Big Mac Sloppy Joes (w/ Secret Sauce!)
Super Crispy Chicken Tenders
Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
Cheesy Taco Pasta
HOW TO STORE DR. PEPPER BBQ SLOPPY JOES
- Serve: The Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joe mixture can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours before it needs to be chilled.
- Store: Place cooled Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes into an airtight container and refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Cool completely before freezing. Store Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes in a sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes
Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes are smothered in a sweet and slightly spicy cherry Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce, maraschino cherries and ready to devour in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef , 85/15
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper , chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes , drained
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries , chopped
- 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 6 brioche buns , toasted
Instructions
- In a large skillet add the beef, onions, green bell peppers, salt and pepper, cooking well, breaking it apart but leaving some chunks for 5-6 minutes.
- Add in the canned diced tomatoes, cherries, cherry juice, beef broth, bbq sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, cooking until the sauce starts to evaporate and the mixture becomes "sloppy", about 5-6 minutes.
- Spoon the mixture onto the brioche buns.
Love this recipe I’ve made it a few times now and it’s always wonderful!!
Thanks for the 5 stars, Nancy.
Hello Sabrina! Can you clarify the substitute recipe for the Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce? Do you just mix 3/4 cup store bought BBQ sauce, 1 can Dr. Pepper, and 1/4 cup beef broth — and then reduce to BBQ sauce consistency? Thanks in advance for the help, I’m looking forward to making the recipe!
I’m so sorry. The bbq sauce should be linked in the recipe card. Let me see if I can get the linked fix.
Until then, here is the direct link to the recipe: https://dev.dinnerthendessert.com/dr-pepper-bbq-sauce/
You can also use the search bar to find it.
Thanks for following up. I was actually wondering about the substitute for the Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce. In the variations sections, it says:
“BBQ Sauce: If you don’t want to make BBQ sauce from scratch, substitute 3/4 cup store bought BBQ sauce, 1 can Dr. Pepper, and reduce to 1/4 cup beef broth.”
The last part of that sentence has me confused. Do you just mix the three ingredients and then reduce? Help! 🙂
Sorry for the confusion. Instead of the sauce you can add the two ingredients above and lessen the beef broth to only 1/4 cup.
Heart be still, this was AMAZING!! Total family hit and will make again and again!
Yay!! Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you all enjoyed it, Kimberly.
These are delicious! If you like Dr Pepper you will love these!
It’s a fun twist!
This is a great family dinner! Everyone went crazy over the flavor!
Thanks for the 5 stars, Wilhelmina.
I don’t see the recipe for Dr. Pepper bbq sauce. It’s just listed as an ingredient with no instructions on how to make it.
Oh no! Looks like the recipe card didn’t save the hyperlink to the recipe.
Here’s the direct link https://dev.dinnerthendessert.com/dr-pepper-bbq-sauce/ or you can type Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce into the search bar at the top right hand corner of the page.
How do you make the Dr. pepper barbecue sauce?
I’ve edited to show a link to the recipe for the sauce. Not sure why it wasn’t showing up when it originally posted. You can use the search bar on the site too if the link isn’t sticking. I hope you enjoy it!
You’re saying Dr Pepper BBQ sauce as one of the the ingredients, not how to make it!
Should it be only Dr Pepper as the ingredient?
Here is the link for the Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce
https://dev.dinnerthendessert.com/dr-pepper-bbq-sauce/
Enjoy!