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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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.
Made this vegetarian with TVP. Came out great. Was a little on the sweet side for me. Might cut the brown sugar next time.
I used to use Manwich Bold as my go-to. This recipe is tasty and the light kick of spice make it top on my charts!
Very good they have change the one in the can and we don’t like …this is better
Love this recipe! Just wish it was set up for 1 or 2 pounds and the meat we buy is in 1 pound increments so had to kind of guess the measurements.
Also skipped the cayenne.
P.s.
Also AK I might cut back a little w the 1 cup ketchup w the 1 LB of ground turkey!
Doubled this recipe to eat tonight and freeze the leftovers for stress free dinners. I cooked it down a little longer (30 min), but this was a fantastic hit with the family!! So much better than the pre-made junk. Thanks!
I made this for supper and it was delicious! My husband and talked about it all week raving how it was the best sloppy joe he has ever had.
Not a sloppy joe fan at all until now. Even though I’m not fond of them my husband loves them so I still will make them. I refuse to use any of those pre-made sauces in the can. I’ve tried several recipes online, I still was not a sloppy joe lover. But this recipe knocked my socks off. I finally get why people love this sandwich. This had the perfect components in this sauce to make it sloppy good.
I am finally a sloppy joe lover. Best I’ve ever tasted.
Omgosh!! Delightfully delish! My picky eater was head over heels for this recipe, thank you for helping a mama out!!
Very good, even better the next day.
OMG! This is a delicious recipe. Very easy to make with pantry items. I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing although I could actually skip the bun and just eat it with a spoon! Will definitely be making this again….and again….and again!
Absolutely spot on Delicious!
What can I say…I was speechless.
I used toasted artisan buns and wow just amazing! Thank you.
Made this tonight. This was so so good!!!
I’ve cooked this numerous times since finding this recipe absolutely outstanding I usually use elk or venison Burger with a little more garlic and cayenne .
Daddy said “Don’t lose that recipe” !! It’s definitely damn delicious !!
I can totally see why! Cheers.
Absolutely awesome! Had to print it out to put in volume 2 of our recipe book.
Excellent recipe made with venison.
I will definitely be making this once a week from now on! My husband who is a sloppy Joe fan and picky says it’s every bit as good as what his mom use to make. I made it exactly as recipe shown.
This was incredible!! Had to make a quick diy ketchup when I discovered mid-cooking that I was just about out (used tomato paste, water, apple cider vinegar, and sugar), but otherwise followed the recipe. The balance of flavors was awesome. Definitely a keeper!