# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb ground beef, 80/20 ratio preferred
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce & Seasonings
05 - 1 cup tomato sauce
06 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
07 - 2 tbsp ketchup
08 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
09 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
10 - 1 tsp yellow mustard
11 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
13 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 - 1/4 tsp chili powder
→ To Serve
15 - 4 soft hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
16 - Dill pickle slices
# How To Make It:
01 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink, approximately 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat if desired.
02 - Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the browned beef. Sauté until vegetables are softened and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes.
03 - Pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. Add the mustard, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
04 - Reduce heat to low and let the mixture simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The sauce should thicken noticeably as flavors meld together.
05 - Sample the mixture and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or brown sugar as needed to balance the sweet and tangy flavors.
06 - Spoon the beef mixture generously onto the bottom half of each toasted bun. Add pickle slices if desired and crown with the top bun. Serve immediately while hot.
