20 Ridiculously Good Side Dishes to Serve with Sloppy Joes

published Oct 11, 2024
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overhead shot of a mixed up and dressed broccoli salad, with some missing out of the left side of the bowl and a wooden spoon resting in the bowl.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: James Park

Sloppy Joes are a classic comfort food that appeals to adults and kids alike. It’s  family-friendly, but one cannot live on sandwiches alone! The right side dish can turn this messy main into a full, satisfying dinner. Whether you’re serving up sloppy Joe grilled cheese sandwiches, a sloppy Joe casserole, or sloppy Joe meatball subs, these easy sides are sure to take the meal to the next level.

You can’t go wrong with potato sides like crispy shoestring fries, fun-to-make spiral potatoes, and baked sweet potato fries. Crunchy veggie sides like broccoli salad, sweet corn on the cob, and creamy coleslaw pair perfectly with the savory, tangy flavors of sloppy Joes. 

Here are 20 delicious sides to serve with sloppy Joes to round out your dinner.

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Shoestring Fries

These homemade shoestring fries are thinner than traditional french fries and crisp from the outside to center, akin to the texture of the perfect chip.

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Coleslaw

Classic coleslaw goes with everything because it serves multiple purposes – it can be a salad, a side dish, and a topping for sandwiches (think: sloppy Joes!).

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Boiled Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob is a crowd favorite, and you’ll love how easy it is to prepare on the stovetop. Plus, it goes well with a wide variety of dishes like pulled pork and sloppy Joe sandwiches.

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Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

These oven-baked fries are so crispy, you’ll never guess they weren’t fried to begin with. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce, such as a creamy aioli, spicy mayo, or the always-reliable ketchup.

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Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Honey-Lime Dressing

Great slaw can upstage salad whenever it gets a chance. This one, full of red cabbage, sweet and crisp apples and dressed with honey and lime, is familiar yet not run-of-the-mill. It pairs with everything from sloppy Joes to fish tacos.

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Homemade Mac and Cheese

No comfort food satisfies quite like homemade mac and cheese. There are countless variations, but this cozy baked casserole is the best.

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Broccoli Salad

Broccoli is a great base for a make-ahead side because it holds up well to dressing without sacrificing crunch. This salad is packed with shredded cheddar, crispy bacon, dried cranberries, and toasted sunflower seeds.

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Cajun Fries

Few things are better than a really good french fry, except maybe a french fry dusted with a savory and spicy homemade Cajun seasoning. With a few tricks, you can easily make restaurant-quality Cajun fries at home that are fluffy on the inside and perfectly golden-brown and crispy on the outside.

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Cowboy Candy (Candied Jalapeños)

If you like a little heat, and you like bread and butter pickles, you’re going to love cowboy candy. It’s got a snappy texture and tangy pickle flavor mixed with the tempered heat of jalapeño peppers. They’re great on fried chicken sandwiches and sloppy Joes.

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Classic Potato Salad

Master this classic potluck side dish with tender potatoes, briny pickles, crunchy celery, and hard-boiled eggs.

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Spiral Potatoes

Parmesan seasoning makes these spiral potatoes impossible to pass up. Serve them with ketchup, garlic aioli, or comeback sauce.

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Caesar Salad

When it comes to sloppy Joe sides, Caesar salad is a perfect pairing. Try whole little gem lettuce leaves rather than chopped romaine to switch things up.

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Extra-Crispy Fried Zucchini

Our favorite way to enjoy zucchini is when it’s breaded and fried into crisp, golden-brown batons. There’s just something about the crunchy outside contrasting against the tender zucchini center that can’t be beat. Serve it with marinara sauce or ranch dressing for dipping.

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Southern Fried Corn

Fried corn is a homey dish where fresh corn kernels are cooked in a cast-iron skillet with bacon fat and butter. It’s reminiscent of creamed corn, minus the cream.

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Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

Air fryer mozzarella sticks are made entirely from kitchen staples, meaning you can have this crispy, gooey side anytime you have sloppy Joes. Serve them with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

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Every Pizza Place Salad

A pizza place-inspired salad of iceberg lettuce, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, olives, and ricotta salata cheese that's tossed in a bright and tangy lemon caper dressing.

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Oven-Baked Potato Wedges

In the hierarchy of all the ways to cook a potato, oven-baked wedges are at the very top. They’re the best of both worlds: their crispy, salty exteriors are reminiscent of French fries, but their irresistibly creamy, soft and tender centers might just remind you of a baked potato.

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Spinach Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Feta

A simple baby spinach salad filled with fruit, nuts, and cheese that's perfect as a quick side dish for sloppy Joes.

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Smashed Garlicky Potatoes

Yukon gold potatoes are boiled then roasted to get a mixture of browned, super-crunchy bits and creamy spuds in every bite.

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Crispy Homemade Tater Tots

The possibilities are endless when it comes to cooking potatoes. But there is nothing that quite compares to homemade tater tots!

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