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When it comes to easy homemade dinners, it doesn’t get any better than this easy Sloppy Joe Recipe, a longtime family favorite. This 30-minute meal is perfect for busy weeknights, backyard barbecues, and birthday parties. Of all the sloppy joes I’ve had, this one is the best.
Meggan’s notes
As a classically-trained chef who grew up in the Midwest, I love to reimagine the recipes of my childhood so they taste even better than you imagine. These homemade sloppy joes are no exception. They are packed with flavor yet perfectly balanced, and home cooks just can’t get enough of them.
I hear it time and time again: “This is the best sloppy joe recipe I’ve ever had!” Whether I’m cooking them for my family or just perusing the comments below (feel free to take a look for yourself), the verdict is in. These are the best homemade sloppy joes on the block, and once you make it, your life will never be the same.
If you’ve got 8 basic ingredients and 30 minutes or less, you are winning dinner tonight, and it’s not even close. Make a double batch to feed a crowd or freeze it for later. This is a delicious sloppy joes recipe that everyone will love, and it’s easy on the cook, too!
Table of Contents
Sloppy Joe Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Ground beef: Or substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground venison in these homemade sloppy joes.
- Onion: Finely chopped celery and a green bell pepper are great too!
- Brown sugar: Even a tablespoon is too much for some people. If you don’t like the sound of brown sugar in your Sloppy Joe, please leave it out!
How to Make the Best Sloppy Joe Recipe
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine beef and chopped onion. Cook until the meat is mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
- In a small bowl whisk together tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper).
- Pour sauce ingredients over drained beef and stir until evenly coated.
- Simmer the sloppy joe sauce uncovered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (cover if you prefer a sloppier Sloppy Joe).
- Spoon the homemade sloppy joes into a hamburger bun and devour. For extra flavor, brush the crown of your bun with butter and toast on a griddle. YUM!
Sloppy Joes Recipe tips and variations
- No Worcestershire sauce: In a pinch, substitute soy sauce.
- Barbecue sauce. Your favorite barbecue sauce (or my favorite barbecue sauce, based on Sweet Baby Ray’s) can be added instead of ketchup for a smoky version of a classic Joe.
- Spices: Dress up your sloppy joes with garlic powder, onion powder, or any other flavors you love. If you want heat, throw in a tbsp of ancho chili powder, a tsp of ground cumin, or a half teaspoon of chipotle powder. Or, splash on your favorite hot sauce. Season with kosher salt to taste.
- Slow cooker: To make the best sloppy joes in a crockpot, brown the ground beef in a skillet first. Drain well and add the bottom of a crock pot. Add all the other ingredients (except the buns), cover, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Casserole: For a fork-friendly version, try my Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe.
What goes with Sloppy Joes?
Yield: This Sloppy Joes recipe makes 4 to 6 cups of meat mixture, enough for 8 heaping sandwiches.
Favorite sides for sloppy joes: Try crispy French fries, crunchy potato chips, coleslaw, baked beans, and pickles.
How to store Homemade Sloppy Joes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cool completely, then add to freezer containers (one big batch or individual portions), label and date, and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Manwich is a specific food product that is marked as Sloppy Joe filling sold at the grocery store. However, as many commenters will attest, you needn’t open that can of Manwich ever again. This recipe is easy and delicious and miles ahead of Manwich!
Add a slice of cheese! The cheese melts over the hot meat and helps it all adhere better to the bun, but that’s just a bonus. Raw diced onion, dill pickle slices, and pickle relish are great toppings, too.
Legend has it that Sloppy Joes were invented in Sioux City, Iowa. In the 1920s, a cook named Joe was working at the Ye Old Tavern Inn. He created his sloppy sandwich filling and named it a “Sloppy Joe.”
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Homemade Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped (see note 1)
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard or yellow mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 Sandwich buns split
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine beef and onion. Cook until the meat is mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
- In a small bowl whisk together tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper).
- Pour sauce ingredients over drained beef and stir until evenly coated. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (cover if you prefer a sloppier Sloppy Joe). Serve in buns.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Onion: Finely chopped celery and green peppers are great too!
- Brown sugar: Even a tablespoon is too much for some people. If you don’t like the sound of brown sugar in your Sloppy Joe, please leave it out!
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 cups of Sloppy Joe meat mixture, enough for 8 heaping sandwiches.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Hi Megan, Mary from Wisconsin! I’m making your sloppy Joe’s again! For Thanksgiving we had your awesome Broccoli/Cauliflower salad. These are two of my family’s favorite dishes.
“GO PACK GO”
Thanks,
Mary
What a game on Thursday! WOW! I’m so glad your family loves the salad and Sloppy Joes! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! – Meggan
Just found you and I already have copied some of your recipes. Just to let you know, keep them coming. I am alone and
can divide a lot in half. Thanks
Rosie
You’re welcome, Rosie! Thanks for writing. If you have any questions on the recipes, please write! Take care. – Meggan
We love this, so much better than the can stuff. Make it several times a month.
So glad you love it, Peggy! Take care! – Meggan
Growing up in a single parent home, we did not always have the essential ingredients. I found that if you take the ground beef and the ketchup and combine in a sauce pan you can slowly simmer the mixture until the ketchup actually takes on a new flavor. (try it, you would be surprised) Of course as a kid I always liked ketchup anyway, but this was a unique way to use it when we didn’t have all the ingredients needed for normal sloppy joes.
Hi Tom, thank you so much for sharing! It’s such a resourceful use of ketchup, I’ll be giving it a try. Thank you so much again! – Meggan
Oh and I forgot to mention toast the buns the buttery crispy buns gives it a really great taste and complements the sloppy joe mix… my sister always puts sweet relish on top of hers
Yum! Thanks again for writing! – Meggan
This is a really great recipe… I love to saute mini sweet bell peppers (about 1 of each color LoL)
Most definitely on my what’s for dinner list
I’m so happy you love it, Rogina! – Meggan
Amazing best sloppy joes Iโve had!!!!!!!!!!
But one recommendation is to add a garlic bbq sauce which takes it to a whole nother level but this is soooooooooo good!!!!
Yum! Thanks for the suggestion, Denise! – Meggan
This was a huge hit with my family, especially the 1 year old who ended up wearing it from head to toe! Way better than I remember sloppy Joeโs tasting when I was a kid lol. I havenโt managed to get 8 servings out of it though, not sure if Iโm doing something wrong but thereโs barely enough for my family of five and three of them are eating kids portions. Easy enough to double the recipe though, just noting for anyone considering the recipe!
Oops, sorry about your 1 year old. But they’re making core memories, and it sounds like a bit of a mess, all at the same time ๐ Thank you for the comment. I do appreciate it! – Meggan
This was so good, I am going to make a double batch today. good thing there was only three of us eating, and we only used 4 buns. We love it.
Sounds like a great helping of Sloppy Joe’s was had by all, Richard ๐ – Meggan