Western Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes (Copycat)

Western Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes have the Carl’s Jr flavor you crave with bacon, smoky bbq sauce, cheese and seared beef on a sesame bun in 30 minutes.

Another winning addition to our always growing collection of Sloppy Joe Recipes! We have been loving recreating our favorite fast food burgers as a twist on Classic Sloppy Joes.

What other Copycat Recipes would you like to see next?

WESTERN BACON CHEESEBURGER SLOPPY JOES

There’s no doubt about it, Western Bacon Cheeseburgers are one of those classic fast food sandwiches that other chains just can’t rival. They have mastered the charbroiled burger combination with tangy, slightly spicy, bbq sauce, crispy bacon, melty cheese, and freshly fried onion rings.

While we definitely don’t think other fast food joints can match their signature burger, we couldn’t help but try to recreate it ourselves. During our testing, we thought what if we combine it with one of our signature classics, the Sloppy Joe?

Thus the Western Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joe was born. It has all the flavors you will find at Carl’s Jr, but you don’t have to load up the family in the car when the craving hits. Plus, since it’s homemade, you get to control what ingredients are going in. That’s gotta save some calories, right?

This recipe puts the bacon directly into the Sloppy Joe mixture, but you can feel free to cook up extra bacon for toppings. Or just to munch on while you are waiting for the meat and sauce to thicken up. We rarely turn down some pre-dinner bacon snacks.

Like our Big Mac Sloppy Joes, we are swapping out our regular brioche buns for a sesame seed bun to get it as close to the original as possible. Serve these with Fried Zucchini and Ranch for a full, indulgent Carl’s Jr experience.

How To Assemble Western Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes

• Coat the bottom bun with some of the bbq sauce.
• Add two large Onion Rings.
• Spoon the sloppy joe mixture onto the onion rings
• Top with American Cheese.
• Brush the top bun coated with more bbq sauce and place on top.

MORE DELICIOUS SLOPPY JOES RECIPES

Ultimate Sloppy Joes

Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

Bacon, Beer and Cheese Sloppy Joes

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sloppy Joes

HOW TO MAKE WESTERN BACON CHEESEBURGER SLOPPY JOES

• In a large skillet add the bacon and cook until crispy, but still chewy.
• Remove from the pan and let cool for 1 minute before chopping finely.
• Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
• Add the beef and onions, cooking well until seared, breaking it apart but leaving some chunks for 5-6 minutes.
• Add in the beef broth, ketchup, bbq sauce, and Worcestershire sauce
• Cook until the sauce starts to evaporate and the mixture becomes “sloppy”, about 5-6 minutes.

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VARIATIONS ON WESTERN BACON CHEESEBURGER SLOPPY JOES

• Meat: Instead of ground beef, try using ground turkey or chicken. Make sure you get a version that is unseasoned and has a good fat content.
• Vegetarian: Beyond Crumbles are a good meat substitute and are actually really tasty. They keep the same consistency of beef when cooking in sauces. Either leave out the bacon or swap for your favorite meatless version.
• Toppings: While the regular Western Bacon Burger isn’t served with lettuce, pickles, or tomatoes, that doesn’t mean you have to leave them off if you like them.
• Keto: Wrap this Sloppy Joe in butter lettuce cups if you want a low carb version. Look for keto friendly bbq sauces. Cook up some extra bacon for toppings if you want even more protein.
• Sliders: A kid-friendly way to serve your Sloppy Joes is on Hawaiian Rolls. They are the perfect size for smaller hands, fun to eat, and those melt-in-your-mouth rolls are just so yummy!

HOMEMADE BARBEQUE SAUCE

If you want to make this dish 100% from scratch, use my favorite Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe. Be aware the classic Carl’s Jr Copycat calls for Hickory Flavored KC Masterpiece, so making a homemade version will vary the authenticity.

Here’s an easy bbq sauce recipe for you:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup vinegar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1. Add all the bbq sauce ingredients into a saucepan and whisk until combined. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 45 minutes.
2. Use 1 cup for this recipe and for topping your Sloppy Joes. The leftovers will last up to 1 week in the fridge in a sealed container.

MORE EASY SANDWICH RECIPES:

Slow Cooker Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

Big Mac Sloppy Joes (w/ Secret Sauce!)

Ultimate Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

HOW TO STORE WESTERN BACON CHEESEBURGER SLOPPY JOES

• Serve: You can leave this dish at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
• Store: Allow your meat to come to room temperature. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: You can freeze the sloppy joe mixture for up to 3 months in an air-tight container.

5 from 5 votes

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Western Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes

Western Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes have Carl's Jr flavor you crave with bacon, smoky bbq sauce, cheese and seared beef on a sesame bun in 30 minutes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Western Bacon Cheeseburger Slopopy Joes

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 710 kcal

Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef , (85/15)
• 1 yellow onion , diced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 cup beef broth
• 3/4 cup KC Masterpiece Hickory Flavored BBQ Sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 hamburger buns , sesame seed
• 4 slices American Cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. In a large skillet add the bacon and cook until crispy, but still chewy.

2. Remove from the pan and let cool for 1 minute before chopping finely.

3. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

4. Add the beef and onions, cooking well until seared, breaking it apart but leaving some chunks for 5-6 minutes.

5. Add in the beef broth, ketchup, bbq sauce, and Worcestershire sauce

6. Cook until the sauce starts to evaporate and the mixture becomes "sloppy", about 5-6 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Western Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 710 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Fat 31g48%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 148mg49%

Sodium 2188mg95%

Potassium 1009mg29%

Carbohydrates 55g18%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 29g32%

Protein 50g100%

Vitamin A 359IU7%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 347mg35%

Iron 7mg39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.