Step away from the canned sauce and give these homemade sloppy joes a try! They’re truly the best version of a childhood favorite!
As we head into the upcoming holiday season, I’ve been thinking about family-friendly meals. You know, those meals that your kids always want to eat. In our house, this Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is number one on our list… with these sloppy joes being number 2! With two little ones myself, I know ALL too well how frustrating it is to cook a meal and have them promptly turn up their noses and say it’s “gross”. *facepalm*
I’ve always been a fan of classic sloppy joes. There’s something so innately satisfying about the sweet and savory combination and messiness of it all! And I know you all love them too, since I’ve been getting a lot of requests for sloppy joe recipes.
I’ve made a LOT of sloppy joe recipes lately, trying to come up with the perfect one. Some were too sweet, others too spicy. Well guys, I finally got it. The perfect balance. This sloppy joe recipe is sweet, tangy, zesty and savory, with the perfect texture and consistency.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES
Homemade sloppy joes are incredibly easy to make, and come together in one skillet in about 20 minutes or so. Browned beef is mixed with onion and green pepper and simmered in a sweetened tomato/ketchup sauce. The secret is in finding the right seasoning for the sauce!
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANWICH AND SLOPPY JOES?
Technically Manwich is a pre-made sauce that’s used to make sloppy joes. I’m not sure exactly what’s in it, and have never tried it myself, so I can’t say that my recipe tastes similar or not. Manwich is marketed as a easy way to make sloppy joes… but in reality, homemade sloppy joes are JUST as easy to make!
HOW DID SLOPPY JOES GET THEIR NAME?
From what I can glean from the good ol’ internet, a cook named Joe in a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa added a tomato sauce to a loose meat sandwich. It must have been a favorite and took off!
WHAT CAN I DO WITH SLOPPY JOE MEAT?
Number one, slap some on a toasted bun!! After that, here are some of my favorite things to do:
- Spoon some over some crispy waffle fries. Bonus points if you also melt some cheese over the fries before adding the sloppy joe meat!
- Add some to a grilled cheese.
- Roll up in crescent roll dough and bake at 375 F degrees for about 12-15 minutes. Cheese makes a great addition to these as well!
- Add some on top of a burger.
CAN YOU MAKE SLOPPY JOES IN A CROCKPOT?
You can! Just brown the beef and add all the remaining ingredients (no buns though), and cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours, or HIGH for 2-3 hours. This will have a softer texture than skillet sloppy joes though.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES:
- Before you get started, toast your buns. Toasting the bun makes ALL the difference, and only takes a few minutes. Crank up the heat under the skillet to high, and add a drizzle of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the buns, then place the buns cut side up on a cooling rack after they’re toasted.
- Watch the sauce so that it doesn’t reduce too much. When too much of the sauce reduces, it gives you a dry sloppy joe mixture. Everyone likes theirs a little differently, but for me, I cook it down so that I can see the bits of meat, and when I drag my spoon through the sauce, it leaves a trail where the sauce is parted. If the sauce immediately flows back into that trail, it’s too liquid-y. I want a few seconds before the sauce covers the trail, which gives me a saucy consistency that’s not too liquid.
- Choose your favorite type of bun. I usually go for either a pretzel bun (like I did in these Beer and Chorizo Sloppy Joes!), or a brioche bun.
SHOP THE RECIPE:
- Skillet – I like to use either stainless steel or cast iron for this, as they both give a great sear!
- Wooden plate – I love these for sandwiches!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/3 green bell pepper, minced
- 1/2 large yellow onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar (or less, if you prefer)
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- dash of hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil in large skillet over MED/MED-HIGH heat. Add beef and brown, breaking apart into crumbles as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Transfer to colander to drain.
- Add onion and bell pepper to same skillet and cook 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. Add beef back to the skillet and add tomato paste. Stir well.
- Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Cook over MED heat for 10-15 minutes, until mixture has thickened to your liking. Remove from heat and serve over toasted buns.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Cool the mixture completely, then add to freezer containers and freeze for up to 4 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Kristen says
Best sloppy joe ever!!! This is a must try! I used all the ingredients except the hot sauce. It sooo good!!!
Cynthia Rutherford says
It was a little sweet for me but otherwise excellent. I’ll probably half the brown sugar and amp up on the “vinegars” like the mustard and maybe add a little tomato sauce next time. Otherwise super yummy.
Jeanine says
Really the best. I used Sriracha as the hot sauce. Came out perfect with ground turkey, I didn’t need to drain anything and added (red) peppers and onions directly to the meat after it was browned. Great one pot meal and fantastic with a beer 🙂
Ashley says
This recipe is amazing!!!!!!! I didn’t have tomato paste. So I added some chopped tomato and turned out great.
Sophia says
These are the best homemade sloppy joes ever!
These taste so good!
Susan says
This is without a doubt the BEST sloppy joes ever. I did use a tablespoon of yellow prepared mustard instead of 1 tsp. Every person that has eaten this recipe has ask for the recipe. Will be cooking this many more times.
ENJOY!!!
Marie says
Best SLOPPY JOES I ever made! OR ever had!! Better than Mrs, Martin’s from church!Thanks for the recipe. Yes, the toasted buns are fantastic with this dish! Excited to try your other recipes.
Dovey says
These were amazing. We left out the bell peppers due to personal taste, but these were a winner! This recipe has made it into the box. Thank you for sharing!
Marcia Calabro says
I just made this for dinner, soooooo delish!! Will make it again and again, sorry, forgot to take a pic.
Angie says
Thank you! Love this – I added some thinly diced carrots. After toasting the buns with threw some coleslaw on it 🙂
Anita says
Can you supplement the tomato paste? I have none on hand and with the virus I really don’t want to make a grocery run for that one thing.
The Chunky Chef says
You could try some tomato sauce if you have that?
Cathy says
My Mom use to make sloppy joes with the Manwhich crap!
This was so easy and delicious. I will have to double recipe next time. Now my daughter loves sloppy joes and wants it weekly
Julie Rasmussen says
Our new family favorite! I’ve never made a store bought or canned version of Sloppy Joes…. I’m not a canned food person, but even compared to my old stand-by home made version from when I was a kid, this is far superior! Thanks for sharing such a fantastic recipe! I’ve used several of your other recipe’s as well. I’ve never had to supplement or change your recipes. You rock!
S Bilasky says
Definitely the best sloppy joes I’ve had!! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Jackie Williams says
This recipe is too good. It should be a crime to make something this good so easily. I made mine over a charcoal grill, and the smoky flavor was a great addition. Kids kept asking for more, so I will file this as a definite future recipe.
Marko Krosnjar says
This truly is the best Sloppy Joe I have ever had AND I can tell you are right about the toasted bun. Added so much more. I used a few dashes I’d hit sauce too as suggested. The best. Thank you so much!!
RC/BC says
I rarely leave reviews, however this was really a great recipe. The power went out because of a snow storm, and I needed to feed a bunch of family that was visiting. I had most of the ingredients in the cupboard with a few variations. No onions, but I had shallots, and an orange color bell pepper instead of a green one. One pound of lean ground beef and one pound of ground turkey. (I made a double batch). The rest of the recipe to a tee except half the brown sugar, I figure you can always add more. As it was simmering, I had to run outside to fetch more firewood for the wood stove. When I came back into the house, OMG! The definite scent of Sloppy Joe’s In the air. Toasted the buns on the flat top of the wood stove, added grated cheese and hot sauce. (Except for the kids) This was a huge hit! Thanks, this one saved the day and will be a regular in this house!
Charmaine B says
Tastes good . It’s kind of sweet so I will try with less sugar next time but otherwise I like the flavor!
Aris says
I’ve tried 3 online recipes and two different premade sauces before I found this one I use red or yellow peppers instead and it is my s/o favorite recipe
Colleen C Fitzgerald says
Glad I found your recipe! It’s a keeper. I didnt have any green pepper or Worcestershire sauce, so i improvised. I used red, orange and yellow peppers and made a peppery beef broth, and added some soy sauce. It was so good. I will be saving this for sure
Janet says
Delicious! Family favorite. Even a favorite to my picky 2 year old who hardly likes meat. But he can eat everything of this sloppy joe plus seconds!! Thanks a lot! Brings back memories