Homemade Sloppy Joes
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Hands down THE BEST sloppy joes made from scratch! So saucy, so hearty. Serve in hamburger buns for a quick dinner!
Featured Comment
Let’s just say that sloppy joes aren’t just kid-friendly. They are 100% a family-favorite for EVERYONE including all grown-ups. I mean, saucy, tender ground beef goodness with a hint of sweetness served on toasted brioche buns? Yes, sign me up!
WHY MAKE SLOPPY JOES AT HOME?
- Fast. This comes together in lightening speed.
- Budget-friendly. Using ground beef, a dinnertime staple, this is just one of those budget-friendly weeknight heroes that is loved by both kids and grown ups.
- Adaptability. This recipe is so easy to double or triple for guests, making it perfect for a big party or tailgating season.
- Versatile. You can add in as little or as many veggies (carrots, mushrooms, zucchini or leafy greens) for a heartier sloppy joe.
tips and tricks for success
- Use lean ground beef. Use 90/10 ground beef or ground sirloin. With its lower fat content, there will be less excess fat to drain, less grease and more balanced textures.
- Use your favorite buns. Although hamburger and brioche buns are typically the most popular options, any vehicle of your choosing will work very well here such as pretzel buns or hot dog buns (a much more cleaner experience, and even more toddler-friendly!).
- Make-ahead. Sloppy joes is a great dish to make ahead of time, tasting even better as leftovers.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SLOPPY JOES
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Homemade Sloppy Joes: Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! Ground pork, chicken or turkey can be used instead of ground beef. Ground lentils are also a great vegan option.
Zucchini, celery, carrots, mushrooms and leafy greens (such as kale or spinach) would be great additions. The vegetables cook down so the kids won’t even know they’re in there!
We love toasted brioche buns and our favorite homemade hamburger buns that we can pull out of the freezer in a pinch!
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop (adding a tablespoon of water as needed).
Homemade Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef, 90/10
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Add onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic, paprika, chili powder and cayenne pepper until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in beef stock, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Stir in ketchup, Dijon, Worcestershire and brown sugar; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors have blended, about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Made this! Will never buy Manwich again. Added a splash of balsamic vinegar and did not add brown sugar – we’ve always added vinegar to Manwich because it was too sweet. This is *excellent*. Thanks!
This has become a go to meal for our family, and it freezes so well!!
Excellent!!!!
Omg!!! It was a total hit. Absolutely delicious
I made the recipe as is, and both kids and adults alike seemed to enjoy it! We were up at a cabin for the weekend, and everyone asked to have the leftovers for lunch the next day. Given how much everyone liked it, I’m also making it for a neighborhood Halloween party!
Good flavor, a keeper recipe with modifications. Brown sugar not needed. I would cut the Dijon Mustard down to 1Tbsp, and add an additional Tbsp of Worcestershire. I slow cooked for an additional 45 minutes to incorporate the flavor.
We were looking for a homemade sloppy joe recipe and this one was out of this world! It tastes just like I remebered. I would definately reccomend this recipe for anyone looking for that memorable taste!
These turned out awesome! I did use 2 lbs of burger. Thank you!
I made this and my husband absolutely loved it! Can I make this and can it for a later date? If so, should I water bath or pressure can? Thanks.
It truly is that delicious … even with the substitutions … it came out great! Thank you!!!
We love hearing that, Tiffany!
Fabulous!
This is soooo good! I make it on rotation now.
I ALWAYS know your recipes will come out great!! Thanks! Family of 8, kids never complain!!
As Prometheus once stole the secret of fire from the gods to give mankind, Damn Delicious now blesses us with this heavenly Sloppy Joe recipe. I’d be hard pressed to say which gift is more important, historically speaking. I admit, I still have the nostalgic taste for the Manwich of my youth. This recipe takes all that is good from those wonder years, and then says, “Hold my Worcestershire”, as it kicks you into outer space, questioning whether you ever truly lived prior to tasting this magnum opus. Make this for your family, make it for yourself, make it for your friends. Live your best life. Just agree ahead of time who gets to lick the pan.
Another banger! So I am not even sure if I have ever had sloppy joes before and it was time to change that. I decided to try your recipe because your recipes are always so good, the reviews convinced me I wouldn’t regret it and I’ve always wanted to try sloppy joes. I followed your recipe to the letter and luckily I had everything on hand. I ate two myself and so did my fiancé. This will join the regular recipe rotation. Thank you!
Just made this recipe and it was DAMN GOOD girl!! Tabbing your website for future recipes.
I made this for dinner for my family last night and it was quite yummy! I will definitely add it to our meal rotation! Best sloppy joe recipe I have ever had.
My husband and son kept pestering me to make sloppy Joe’s. I haven’t had this since I was a kid and wasn’t exactly a fan
Decided to make this recipe and they almost ate the darn pot
It was requested again today so I’m doubling the recipe in hopes there is leftovers for tomorrow
I use extra lean ground pork, no added oil and free handed the dry spices.
I bookmarked this so I can come back. Thanks for sharing.
So good! I leave out the crunchy stuff (onion and green pepper) for texture reasons. Tastes great mixed with penne pasta, too!
Delicious! If yours comes out too sweet, consider your ketchup. I use Trader Joe’s which is quite tangy, so I always keep extra brown sugar on standby and had to double it here. Sauce made plenty for 2 pounds of beef; I just added an extra t. of Worcestershire sauce. With low sodium broth and w. sauce, I had to add a full teaspoon of salt. Next time I would do that while browning the meat, just because. Thanks for such a great recipe.