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?
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Delicious! My picky husband loved it!
Loved these!
Made a double batch for a tailgate yesterday and they were a huge hit. I opted to add extra beef stock and simmer for a couple hours after cooking had commenced. Followed main ingredients but tweaked to add a little extra cayenne, some cumin & tsp of black pepper.
Sounds delicious! Will make!
Thank you for an awesome recipe, Jack & I loved it!!!
These sloppy joes were a huge hit! They are soooo good and super easy to make. They’re even better left over. We used the brioche buns and topped with pickles as the recipe suggested and they were super yummy! Highly recommend this recipe!
I have made these sloppy Joes exactly as written several times. Husband says they are the best sloppy Joes he has ever eaten.
The recipe is written out in my personal cookbook so I will never lose it
Looks so good – hard to find a good sloppy joe recipe but this looks like it . Thanks sandy
Thanks for this! I made these for dinner tonight because we had buns on hand – they were well received. I used just one lb of beef and added some red lentils at the point of simmering. Will make again!
Could the new ‘imitation ground beef’ sold at Costco be substituted for the animal protein for us vegetarians? Would there be any adjustments to the recipe needed?
Thank you!
These were so delicious! Thank you so much.
I used to make something just like this for my kids! Many years ago. Looks good.