Sloppy Joes meet biscuits in these kid-friendly, crowd-pleasing Sloppy Joe Biscuit Cups. A favorite my ex grew up with and called “BBQ Cups,” I was able to get an ingredient list from his mom, but not a recipe. I experimented until my picky taste-tester ex said: “yes, that’s just like mom’s!” He may have exited stage left, but these goodies right here have remained a family favorite I continued to make for my grown children (and, now, grandchildren).

Why You Will Love These Easy Sloppy Joe Cups

It’s a crowd-pleasing recipe that kids (and grownups) LOVE! They’re fun, unique so darn good!
They’re easy to make dairy-free. You can top these with dairy-free cheese, regular cheese or no cheese at all. It’s easy to accommodate everyone you’re feeding.
No “sloppy” with these joes! These hand-held meat cups deliver all the goodness without the mess!
Done in 30 minutes (or less). If you make the meat ahead of time (and refrigerate or freeze it), you can whip these babies up in even less time.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey (93/7)
Dairy-free refrigerated biscuit dough; 1 for 1 lb of meat (Pillsbury and Annie’s make dairy-free options; always read labels because recipes can change at any time)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp mustard
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
Cooking spray
Flour
Dairy-free or regular cheese slices
Optional – you can add fresh, chopped onion

Equipment You’ll Need

Large 6-cup muffin pan (note: you can use a regular-sized 12 muffin pan, but the large 6-muffin pans work better, and that’s what is shown in the photos)
Rolling pin

Step-by-Step Instructions:

STEP 1: Make the sloppy joe meat

Preheat oven to temp as instructed on biscuit package (usually 375 degrees F)
Brown the meat (if you want onions, add the chopped onions and cook with the meat)
If you’re using a fattier beef, drain the fat as needed (I use a 93/7 ground turkey and don’t drain it)
Make your sloppy joe sauce by adding the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, garlic powder and pepper
Note: ketchup has plenty of salt in it, so I don’t typically add salt, but taste and add salt and pepper to your liking

STEPS 2-3: Make the muffin cups

The bulk of the work for this recipe comes from rolling out the biscuit dough to flatten it, although it’s much easier than making dough from scratch!
Open the refrigerated biscuits
Spread a little flour on a flat surface
Place a biscuit on top and then flip, so there is a little flower on each side
Use the rolling pin to flatten the biscuit to about the size of a corn tortilla or larger

STEP 3: Fill, top and bake!

Place the flattened biscuit inside the muffin pan, then fill it with meat (filling each as you go prevents the dough from shrinking back as it sits)
Repeat until you have run out of biscuits or meatAdd whatever cheese you prefer to the top (optional)
Bake your sloppy joe biscuit cups (aka barbecue cups) in your preheated oven for the lowest amount of time shown on the biscuit package (usually 10-11 minutes…watch them; the time required can vary based on your oven)
Plate and ENJOY!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the meat mixture ahead of time and then assemble and bake when you’re ready to serve and eat them.

Can I freeze these?

You can make the meat part of the recipe ahead of time and freeze, but I wouldn’t recommend freezing the whole cup. The biscuit part will get too soggy.

When I had a lot of mouths to feed daily, I liked to double or triple the meat mixture and freeze it in batches for later. That way, on busy after-school activity nights, I just had to thaw the meat, flatten the biscuits and bake (quick and easy).

What can I serve with these meat biscuit cups?

I like to pair these with some healthy sides, like roasted sweet potatoes, roasted baby potatoes, asparagus or steamed broccoli.

Looking for More Ground Turkey or Ground Beef Recipes?

Try these:

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