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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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.
Great question. I would also like to know about canning.
You MUST Pressure Can any meat. This would work GREAT to can! A quart would most likely be 90 min at 10 lbs pressure once it has vented for 7 min or so. Make the recipe, jar up hot and pressure can.
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.
Fire
The best Sloppy Joe recipe I have tried. These are amazing!
What is the nutritional values for this recipe?
Best Sloppy Joes. It didn’t need the brown sugar but if you like a sweeter version, it could be added. Served for a family dinner – ages 14 to 76. They are now a family favorite. Thank you
I had my doubts but this is that good. I won’t go back to Manwich.