Air fryer unsloppy joes biscuit pockets are a delicious take on classic sloppy joes. Basically these are not so sloppy sloppy joes for when you want all the flavour without the mess! These manwich sandwiches are easy to make with Pillsbury biscuit dough and ground beef in the air fryer.
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This air fryer version of manwich biscuits seals the tasty beef mixture inside a biscuit for a delicious meal. Manwich biscuits are the readymade sloppy joe sauce and you just need to cook them while these Pillsbury biscuit sloppy joes are homemade. It is just like a hearty hot pocket that the whole family will love!
Ingredients for Baked Sloppy Joes
You’ll need ground beef as the main ingredient in these air fryer unsloppy joes biscuit pockets. I like to use either 85% or 90% lean but you can use any kind of beef you want. Ground chuck or sirloin would be tasty. The sauce for this ground beef air fryer recipe calls for ketchup, onion, sugar, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard.
In addition, you will need Grands biscuits to make these hot pocket sloppy joes, along with melted butter and sesame seeds.
How to Make Baked Sloppy Joes
You can cook the ground beef and drain off the excess fat. Add in the sloppy joe pockets sauce ingredients and cook for a bit longer. Next you need to flatten out the biscuits and then add the ground beef to each one. Now just pinch the edges, add melted butter, sprinkle on sesame seeds, and cook!
Using the air fryer for these air fryer sloppy joes biscuit pockets means a relatively short cooking time. Since the beef filling is already cooked you just have to cook them until the biscuit is golden brown. This can take as few as 7 minutes depending on your air fryer.
Start warming up the air fryer while you make the beef mixture so it’s hot by the time you pop these in.
5 Pillsbury Sloppy Joe Biscuits Variations
- If you like, you can put some shredded cheese (mozzarella, sharp cheddar or whatever you want) on top of the beef mixture before sealing the air fryer sloppy joes biscuits.
- Add finely chopped bell peppers or mushrooms to the filling if you like. Sauté these with the beef to tenderize them.
- Either add some minced fresh chili pepper or grind in some red pepper flakes to up the heat factor a little.
- Sloppy joes are traditionally made with beef but you can try pork instead or half of each, or even ground turkey or veal.
- A dash of liquid smoke adds a great flavour to the filling. A little goes a long way so only add a few drops if you’re using it.
What to Serve with Manwich Biscuits
Anything goes with a ground beef air fryer recipe like this hot pocket meal. Try mashed potatoes and your favourite green vegetable or pair it with a simple green salad and vinaigrette. If you’re spicing yours up with a little chili you might want to serve something contrasting such as salad with a creamy ranch or blue cheese dressing.
It’s also possible to enjoy air fryer unsloppy joes biscuit pockets as a snack rather than a main meal. Now they might be not so sloppy sloppy joes but there is still plenty of sauce inside so either serve them with silverware or make sure everyone is eating theirs over a plate! They can still be a little messy (especially if you’re making them for kids!). These will be a hit no matter how you serve them. They are a classic favourite like this homemade Hamburger Helper.
Can You Reheat These?
Why not double or triple the recipe? These sloppy joe pockets can be warmed back up in the microwave the following day for a quick, fuss-free lunch. You could also pop them back in the air fryer or even in a hot oven if you’re using it for something else at the same time.
They will keep for 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator and do best if you wrap them first or keep them in an airtight container.
Can You Use a Different Dough?
I love the Pillsbury Grands because each one is just the right size to make one serving of air fryer unsloppy joes biscuit pockets. There are other ideas for this ground beef air fryer recipe though. You could try Pillsbury crescent dough. That way you will get 4 larger wraps.
Air Fryer Unsloppy Joes Biscuit Pockets Recipe
Air Fryer Unsloppy Joes Biscuit Pockets
Ingredients
- 1 Pound ground beef
- 1/2 Cup ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon paprika
- 1 Teaspoon dried onion minced
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
- 1/2 Tablespoon mustard stone ground
- 2 Cans biscuits Pillsbury Grands
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 Tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan over medium high heat
- Add ground beef to the hot pan. Brown and drain the beef. Add the ground beef back to the hot pan with the diced onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat, then stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, minced dried onion, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and stone ground mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees for five minutes
- Lightly flour a wooden cutting board. Place biscuits onto the cutting board and gently flatten two 1/4 inch thickness.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sloppy Joe mix to the center of the biscuits. Pull the edges over the sloppy Joe mix and gather in the center. Pinch the edges together to seal.
- Brush biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray and place the biscuits inside seam side down, leaving at least a half inch space in between. Cook for seven minutes
- Remove and let cool for two minutes.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
I haven’t tried using tortillas but I’m sure you could try those. They will also crisp up in the air fryer. Try the smaller, taco-sized Mission Low Carb ones for a keto take on not-so-sloppy sloppy joes! These air fryer sloppy joes are sure to be a fan favourite!
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for food, dogs, fitness, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.
These look delicious! I am making them tomorrow!