Published on 10/30/25

A wooden spoon in the side of sloppy joe orzo after it is fully cooked with cheese on top in a braising pan.

Best Sloppy Joe Orzo – Quick Facts

Ready In: 30 minutes!
Serves: 6
Dietary Info: dairy-free friendly, gluten-free friendly, one skillet meal, kid favorite, easy weeknight dinner
Cooking Method: stovetop + option to bake the meatballs
Origin: I have a busy family and one skillet meals, like my parmesan chicken orzo, have become weekly staples at our house! My kids also request easy homemade sloppy joes ALL THE TIME, so I decided it was time to mix quick cooking orzo with those classic sloppy joe flavors. Turn the ground beef into some fun mini meatballs and this incredible sloppy joe orzo pasta is born!

And if you love those childhood flavors too but don’t love the pasta, you have to try our blog-favorite, sloppy joe bowls (90+ five-star reviews)!

Key Ingredients + Substitutions

Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.

Ingredients for sloppy joe orzo in separate bowls with labels.

Ground Beef – traditional sloppy joes are made with ground beef, so that is what I used but it can be swapped for ground turkey.
Chicken Broth – feel free to swap with beef broth, if preferred.
Yellow Mustard + Dijon Mustard – an amazing mustard combination that is are my secret ingredients for the best flavor.
Shredded Cheese – this recipe calls for colby jack cheese, but cheddar cheese would be great too or any of your other favorite cheeses (including a dairy-free alternative).

How To Make Sloppy Joe Orzo

Rolled mini meatballs on a white plate before cooking.

Step 1 – Break the ground beef into mini meatballs (about 1/2 tablespoon each).

A white braising pan with meatballs searing in it.

Step 2 – Place the mini meatballs in a hot skillet to sear on all sides. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Onion, bell peppers, and garlic sautéing in a white braising pan.

Step 3 – Sauté the green pepper, onion, and garlic for a few minutes to soften.

All of the sloppy joe orzo ingredients in a braising pan, except the cheese and broth.

Step 4 – Add the remaining ingredients (except for the cheese) and the mini meatballs back to the pan.

Sloppy joe orzo in a braising pan with a wooden spoon before the orzo is fully cooked.

Step 5 – Give it all a mix and bring to a simmer.

Sloppy joe orzo in a braising pan after the orzo is fully cooked with a wooden spoon sticking out the side.

Step 6 – Simmer, covered, until the orzo is fully cooked. Add splashes of broth, if needed.

Pro Tip

Don’t fully walk away from this pan. As the orzo simmers, stir and scrape the bottom of the pan every couple minutes to prevent sticking. Option to add splashes of more broth, if needed, as it cooks.

Fully cooked sloppy joe orzo with cheese on top and a wooden spoon in the side next to small bowls of chips, burger pickles, and pickled red onions.

Step 7 – Sprinkle the cheese on top and let it sit for a minute or so, off the heat, to melt.

Option to Bake Meatballs

Option to bake the meatballs while you make the orzo part of the recipe by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll up the mini meatballs and place them in a single layer on a sheet pan and back for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through. Then toss them in the fully cooked orzo!

Best Ways To Serve Sloppy Joe Orzo

There is no better compliment to those sloppy joe flavors than some burger pickles and quick pickled red onions. Just toss a few right on top and you won’t regret it! And if you need an easy side dish to enjoy with your pasta, try our simple steamed green beans or steamed broccoli recipe.

A spoon scooping some sloppy joe orzo out of the pan.

Made this recipe and loved it?!

We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!

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