Loose Meat Sandwiches
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Packed with seasonings like brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and apple cider vinegar, these loose meat sandwiches with tender onion pieces are full of flavor and so easy to make for supper. Take them to the next level by serving them on Hawaiian sweet rolls.
Two things I love: economical ground beef recipes and easy weeknight suppers. Well, this easy loose meat sandwich recipe ticks both boxes! Also called a tavern sandwich, it’s a Midwestern specialty that originated at Maid-Rite in Iowa. They’re THE sandwich to try in Iowa (and the most popular item on the Maid-Rite menu), so today we’re making homemade loose meat sandwiches.
When I say this recipe is quick and easy, I mean it. All we have to do is cook the ground beef, onion, and seasonings in a large skillet until the meat is cooked and the sauce has thickened. They’ll be ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
Now, let’s take a moment to talk about the seasonings because they make ground beef so deliciously tasty and full of flavor. They include garlic powder, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, a combination of chicken and beef stock, seasoned salt, and pepper. As the sauce cooks down, all of these different flavors soak into the ground beef for the tastiest loose meat sandwiches ever!
Meat sandwiches are always a hit in my house if you love this one make sure you try Easy Sloppy Joes, Pimento Cheese Sandwich, Steak Sandwiches, Club Sandwich or Italian Beef Sandwiches
A lil’ housekeeping
Before we dive in, a couple of housekeeping notes. Firstly, it’s very important you use lean ground beef as you will regret using regular beef when you realize how greasy it makes these puppies in the end. Secondly, this recipe isn’t complete without a packet of Hawaiian sweet rolls. They’re the absolute perfect vessel for our loose meat sandwiches. Trust me, it is very important that you use Hawaiian sweet rolls for this. If you use a regular hamburger bun, it’s going to fall to pieces and be a big old mess. Plus it won’t have that flavor in the bun that these rolls have.
Keep reading for lots of topping and serving suggestions.
Recipe Ingredients
- Garlic powder
- Brown sugar
- Onion
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- LEAN ground beef
- Apple cider vinegar
- Seasoned salt
- Black pepper
- Chicken and beef bouillon cubes (or a cup of beef or chicken broth instead)
- Hawaiian sweet rolls
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How To Make Loose Meat Sandwiches
I know, my onions are not chopped fine but this is about as far as I get before my brain is ready to move on to the next step. Finely chopped is a relative phrase.
Then add onions and beef to a large skillet.
Pour in water or if you are using chicken broth and beef broth, pour that in here now.
Now start mixing up the ground beef with the water.
You’ll notice that with the added water the ground beef gets really, really fine. That is what we want.
This is how we make hot dog chili and it is perfect for this meat as well. You’re going to end up with very fine granules of tender beef and the water cooks out.
You want to put that over medium-high heat and cook it until the meat is done and there is no more pinkness.
It will get done pretty quickly in this case because all of that water is cooking it at the same time the heat is.
Now add everything else.
Return this to the stovetop and stir it really, really well.
Cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring often until the liquid cooks down as pictured below. This part may take anywhere from ten to twenty minutes.
Just find something to read and hang out around the stove. Or even better, let your kids do this part while you go put your feet up.
This is our finished loose meat, all ready for sandwiches.
Assemble your loose meat sandwich
Using a slotted spoon, strain out some of the meat and press it into a pile on top of the center of a cut Hawaiian sweet roll.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the toppings of your choice (lots of options below). I’m opting for mustard…
But they also taste so good with pickles.
Then I say you should serve them with a side of potato chips.
Enjoy!
Storage
- If you happen to not eat all your meat, simply store it in the fridge for up to three days. Then when you would like some, heat it up in the microwave or add it to a skillet with a splash of water. This will warm it up and prevent the meat from burning.
- Go right ahead and freeze any of the ground beef you don’t eat right away. It will freeze for up to three months in the freezer. You can freeze the meat in a freezer bag or airtight container that is freezer-friendly.
Recipe Notes
- I have gotten away from using bouillion cubes to keep salt levels low and substituted them with beef and chicken broth. I find these give the meat even more flavor. But use whatever you feel comfortable with.
- Feel free to use yellow onion, white onion, or even green onion.
Recipe FAQs
What is a loose meat sandwich made of?
A loose meat sandwich or tavern sandwich includes seasoned ground beef sauteed with onions served on a bun and topped with condiments such as dill pickles, ketchup, mustard, and cheese.
What is a loose meat sandwich called?
A loose meat sandwich can be called a variety of names, depending on where in the Midwest you are. This includes the aforementioned tavern sandwich, a Maid-Rite after its birthplace, a Nu-Way, a Steamer, a Big T, or a loose hamburger sandwich.
Does this recipe double?
Grab a larger pan and go right ahead and double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe. This is a great ground beef recipe to serve up for birthday parties, family gatherings, and more.
What do you eat with loose meat sandwiches?
Okay, there are endless ways to serve your loose meat sandwich, so here are just some serving suggestions:
- These loose meat burgers are absolutely sublime when topped with ketchup, mustard, and pickles.
- But use your favorite condiment, whether that’s ketchup, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, or mayonnaise.
- My husband insists that purity is best and has them as they are, nothing added, just on the roll.
- Add your favorite burger toppings: red onion, tomato slices, lettuce, crispy bacon, and American cheese.
- Serve them as a main dish with a side, like mac and cheese, roasted sweet potato wedges, onion rings, or parmesan oven fries.
- Add a side salad. They’d also taste great with my burger slaw or coleslaw on the side.
Can I use ground turkey to replace ground beef?
If you want a leaner loose meat sandwich recipe, opt for ground chicken or turkey. It will of course change the flavor a bit, but it will still be just as delicious as the beef.
What is the difference between a loose meat sandwich and a sloppy joe?
The biggest difference between these two sandwiches is that the latter is known for its tomato-based sauce. Loose meat sandwiches are meat without sauce. But both recipes are just as messy as each other!
This loose meat sandwich recipe is one of those recipes you just have to try.
You may also enjoy these sensational sandwich recipes:
Ingredients
- 3 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 whole onion, finely chopped
- 1.5 tsp seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3 to 4 cups water eliminate this step if you are using broth
- 2 beef bouillon cubes or two cups of broth
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes or two cups of broth
Instructions
- Put beef and onion in a large skillet along with water. Chop up beef really really fine while bringing it to a low boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring and chopping often, until no longer pink.3 pounds lean ground beef, 3 to 4 cups water, 1 whole onion, finely chopped
- Add everything else and continue lightly boiling, stirring often, until water is cooked down and the ground beef mixture gets thick.2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1.5 tsp seasoned salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 beef bouillon cubes, 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- Strain beef out and press small mounds of beef onto cut Hawaiian sweet rolls. Top with your choice of condiments. Mustard is highly recommended.
Notes
Nutrition
Can these be made in a crockpot?
Yes, but you won’t have the “cooking off” of the liquid so there will be a lot more to strain and you’ll need to up the spices a bit since they will be watered down.
Ok thanks!
I haven’t tried it Kathy but I bet it would, if you decide to give it a try let me know what you think.
These are absolutely delicious thanks little missy much appreciation coming to you from Kentucky!
LOL, thank you Lonnie!!
Christy,
First, THANK YOU for giving me the confidence to cook for my family. I have all of your cookbooks and love them. I’ve never read a cookbook cover to cover before but now I can say I have with all of yours! I appreciate that you don’t cook “fancy” food, just simple delicious dishes.
About the loose meat sandwiches, in the process of cooking them I was a little nervous that this might be the first time I made one of your recipes and was let down (it looked gross). No need to worry though, we ALL loved them, my husband even went back for seconds! 🙂
Thank you, thank you!
I know. It sounds absolutely crazy. When I was telling my family and friends about them they all had the same reaction…but then they tried them and that was all she wrote!
2nd try to post a comment. We don’t care for very salty foods and this recipe has a lot. Can I use low sodium products and achieve the same taste?
You can absolutely use low sodium products. Of course, anytime you change the ingredients you will end up with a different taste but if you are used to that, and considering you’ve never made this particular recipe any other way, it probably won’t make a difference. Not sure what the problem was posting a comment the first time but glad you got it through!
Christy, I followed the recipe to the letter and found it way too salty. Also, I had to cook mine for almost 30 minutes before the water was cooked out. I know I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn’t been so salty.
I love all your heartfelt stories. When I might have a sad day, I know I can read one of stories and my frown is turned upside down.
Thank you!
It does take a long time to cook the water out, that will depend on your oven and the thickness of the pan you use, of course. I’m sorry you found it too salty. The surprising thing is that it hasn’t tasted at all salty to us, not even a little salt. So I’m wondering if maybe my soy and worcestershire and season all have less salt than others. Either way, I’m so glad you are here, Brenda, and I surely do appreciate you!
We leave out alot of the salt and use Mrs. Dash
I’m an Alabamian transplanted to Iowa, and I love me some Maid-Rites. 🙂 Can’t wait to try your version!
And I noticed you store brown sugar in mason jars! Is that to keep it from drying out? I bought a big bag of brown sugar at Sam’s, but I discovered keeping it in the bag long-term leads to sad and sandy results.
That’s it! The plastic bags don’t really protect it enough for long term storage so I move mine to mason jars. I have several so that when I get a big bag I can put it in a few if need be. I usually get mine at Sam’s too 🙂
What is the ratio of real crushed garlic to garlic powder? My husband insists he does not like the taste of garlic powder but can deal with real garlic. I never know if I am using too much or too little. Thanks.
1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder according to my sources. My husband insists he doesn’t like onions, but he sure prefers the dishes I put them in! lol I just keep him out of the kitchen. 😉
I am from Iowa and I make Maid Rites. Every trip back home, the first thing we do is head to the Maid Rite cafe!!!!
The real Maid Rite meat is steamed, they do not put onions in it and is always served with only mustard.
Of course I do not have a steamer so I make mine like you do. I sprinkle a little flour into my meat mixture to hold the meat together. We have these quite often, they are so good!!!!!!
Thanks you for letting me know Kolene!!!