Homemade Sloppy Joes
by Chungah
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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 you’ll love this sloppy joe recipe
- Lightning fast. Skip the canned sloppy joes! This homemade version comes together in lightening speed in one single pan for the easiest clean up ever. Not to mention, it’s so much better (and healthier) than the canned stuff!
- 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.
What is a sloppy joe?
A sloppy joe, known as messy comfort food, is a popular American sandwich typically made with ground beef, onions, tomato sauce or ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and garlic.
How to make homemade sloppy joes
- Crumble the beef. Brown the ground beef (or desired protein), draining the fat but leaving just enough for flavor.
- Add the aromatics. Stir in the onion and bell pepper, making sure to dice them finely to avoid large chunks in the sauce.
- Stir in seasonings. Stir in all the seasonings and liquids to keep everyone happy and saucy.
- Let it simmer. Let it all come together and simmer until all the flavors meld for that perfectly thick texture and consistency.
- Serve. Serve in your favorite buns – toasted brioche buns, pretzel buns or even hot dog buns (for less mess!).
Sloppy joe variations
Meat
Swap the ground beef for pork, chicken or turkey.
Veggies
Add different vegetables such as mushrooms, celery or carrots.
For serving
Serve in hot dog buns, pita bread, garlic bread or naan instead of traditional burger buns.
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.
Yes! It is best to drain most of the fat to avoid greasy sloppy joes, leaving just enough for flavor.
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!
Simmer for longer over low heat, uncovered, allowing the liquid to evaporate until the desired consistency is reached.
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 up to 3 months in individual freezer bags, thawing overnight and reheating on the stovetop until warmed through (adding a tablespoon of water as needed).
Homemade Sloppy Joes
Video
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
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.
Equipment
Notes
- Use 90% lean ground beef. 85-90% lean ground beef is ideal for sloppy joes – more fat will make it too greasy, too lean will make it too dry.
- Finely dice the onion and bell pepper. The onion and pepper add texture to the sloppy joes, dicing finely to melt in the sauce (and to avoid large chunks).
- Let it simmer. Let the mixture simmer for at least 15-20 minutes for that “sloppy” consistency – thick, rich and saucy!
- Adjust the consistency. For a thicker consistency, simmer for longer. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out as needed by stirring in 1 tablespoon of water, adding in more as needed.
- Toasting the buns is key. Toasting the buns beforehand will make a huge difference, preventing the buns from becoming soggy and the sandwich from falling apart.
- Freeze as needed. The leftovers can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, ideal when frozen in single-serving portions for easy reheating. To freeze, let cool completely and portion into plastic freezer bags, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat and stirring occasionally until heated through.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
I have made the sloppy Joe recipe many times! I don’t change anything about it. My husband says it’s the best sloppy joe he’s EVER had and I agree, it’s my go to. The only advice I would give is to use a deep pan as it makes a lot, not a bad thing at all! Thank you SO much for sharing your recipe!
You are so welcome, Terri. The leftovers also freeze so well!
Absolutely delicious!
Much prefer having control over what is in our food-so I make our food from scratch. I was looking for a good sloppy joe recipe and came across this one.
Toned down the heat a bit and the brown sugar just a touch and it still came out so good!
Thanks for a great recipe!
I say, I say, Damn Delicious‼️
Just how I remember Sloppy Joe’s… My husband was going to go buy the can and I said no I can make it myself and found this recipe. Delicious!
I can whip up sloppy joes with what I recall….Onions, peppers, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, but I’m beginning to learn that sometimes it’s better to follow actual recipes. Ha ha. Who knew? I’m not as good as I think I am.
Great recipe. I tweaked a bit to be to my personal taste, but hands down THE BEST sloppy Joe recipe EVER. The veggie thing makes a huge difference. I added carrots and leftover cooked corn from the cob. It REALLY enhanced the flavor and gave texture that is sorely lacking in most recipes. This is a keeper.
Sounds good, but should something tomato based be cooked in a cast iron skillet?
My go to recipe! My kids call it sloppy Tom’s in honor of 2025 GBBO finalist Tom, whom they love!
Delicious made exactly as is! Highly recommend. Love that we are in control of the ingredients!
Fantastic! Just the right amount of sweet and savory, exactly what I was looking for. Used 2 pounds of 85/15 ground beef, to make up for the higher fat drainage. Also used yellow bell pepper instead of green, and just a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, to suit family taste. We will definitely be making this again and again!
The perfect combination of sweet, savory, and spicy.
Im not a sloppy Joe’s fan but I think this recipe could win me over. I think I may have to make it homemade going forward a can just won’t compare. I plan on making a bunch and freezing them.
We tried this for the first time about two weeks ago. Loved it so much we made it the next night! It’s now going in the rotation. I should add that I’ve never been a big fan of Sloppy Joes – until now. If you haven’t made this yet, try it!
I make this recipe using deer burger and it is my absolute favorite way to make a perfect sloppy Joe sandwich.
Serve it with fine cut coleslaw, sweet bread and butter pickles on fresh baked buns. It is off the chain good!!
Oh my gosh, I am so in love with this recipe!! Can’t wait to make (and eat) it again!!
Perfect with no modifications, delish! Husband also loved!
This recipe is in HEAVY rotation at our house due to is wonderful flavor, ease of prep. We adjust the recipe up to 2 pounds which fits better with 8 buns and love adding extra peppers from our veggie CSA to it. It’s been worth the “upgrade” to us to use beef bone broth,
This is the best sloppy Joe recipe! My kids love it and I love that it’s not super sweet!
I don’t usually leave recipe reviews, but this is the only sloppy joes everyone will eat! My sister and her husband tried it and even asked for the recipe. DELICIOUS!!!
Doubled the recipe. My non-veggie eating kids didn’t even notice the peppers & onions. Really delicious. Savings this recipe for sure – I didn’t make any changes. Made as is and it was perfect.
I made this recipes today. I did not make and changes and it is truly amazing and delicious! My husband said it is the best sloppy job he’s ever had! It I had one suggestion it would be to use a deep pan to cook it in. My pan was really full. That being said I will be doubling the recipe next time for sure!
Thank you!
Terri