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?
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Love it. Everytime I make it thw entire pan disappears!
We love hearing that, thank you so much for sharing!
Easy and delicious!
Omg!!! Soooo good, soooo delicious! I took a little more time with prep and cooking than the recipe called for (slow & steady) but…….ohhhhhhh mmmmyyyyyyyy! So, so, soooooo good!! Do not hesitate wondering if this recipe is good… it is! Just make it!
This came out great! Super easy. My family loved it.
Satisfying and delish! So much better than dry package mix of Manwhich with no additives! This will be my go-to for sloppy Joe’s! Another winner recipe!
good recipe and i love several recipes on your site. but why make a recipe for 1.5 lbs meat when its all sold in 1 pound increments?
You can always go to the meat counter at the store and get as much as you need! All you have to do is ask.
This is such an awesome recipe! But as you can tell by the comments everyone has a different flavor preference. For us – the recipe as is is way too sweet and spicy – especially for kids. We omit the brown sugar and cayenne. And we use chipotle chili powder (slightly less spicy). We also use ground turkey or chicken and it’s amazing.
haven’t made it but looks nice
I used 2 lbs. of ground beef for this recipe, and there was none left after 5 of us ate dinner. A little sweet for me. Next time I’ll cut the sugar and mustard in half or leave out altogether.
I just served 40 hungry junior swimmers with this recipe
It was all gone in minutes
Delicious
Lots of requests for the recipe
We love hearing that, Judeth! Thank you so much for sharing.
Oh my god, made this dish tonight and it was a hit..Hubby says pack it up for my lunch.
“Babe, this is a repeat for sure” , Hubby’s comment on the first bite.
Excellent!!!!!!! I’m not a huge fan of sloppy joes but made this exactly as written and also made the home made buns, and I stand corrected! So glad I stumbled onto your site. I will be back for more recipes!
Amazing and very much foolproof!!
OMG! Thank you for sharing this recipe..brought back good memories.
When my children were young I made my own sloppy joes and our five children loved them!
I tried winging it after 30 years & could not replicate the taste. Your’s is spot on!
So easy and fool proof!! I was multitasking and messed up the steps after browning beef and softening onions and peppers – essentially requiring me to add everything together at the same time. Totally didn’t matter and tasted amazing!
Also omitted cayenne (still had a small kick but better for kids) and most of brown sugar. I see the note below about vinegar. Will try that next time. It’s VERY sweet as written. I would definitely try it before adding brown sugar at all. And then gradually add it.
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!