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.
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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.
Elayne Howell says
I usually use a packet but I didn’t have one so I looked for a recipe. This was great! Only had a few adjustments because we didn’t have items. Didn’t have tomato paste so I used around a cup of tomato sauce (depending on how saucey you like it) and didn’t add ketchup or water. Didn’t add peppers because we don’t like them. Since I didn’t use ketchup I added a cap full of cider vinegar and added some molasses because I like that flavor. I did add salt and black pepper to the ground beef.
Rebecca says
Very good. It was a bit too spicy so I would omit either the red pepper flakes or hot sauce. It was also missing a little something so I added 2 tablespoons of my favorite barbecue sauce and it was perfect.
Melissa Schmidt says
This is about the best sloppy joe I have eaten! So good!
Carol says
This is a great recipe. I did use the butter and oil and liked the way it it tasted and the texture of the meat…not big chunks, very fine smaller pieces that stayed in the bun. Used all ingredients as stated but no hot sauce.
Best recipe for sloppy Joe’s ever!CCa
S. Judd says
So I made it. I was a little skeptical, when I saw that you did not add ANY spices to your ground beef, but I gave it a go. It was better than Manwich, but that’s about as far as it goes. You hardly used any spice, so it made it very unremarkable. It’s very easy to put together, so I will make it again, but I’ll definitely be adding my own spices to it. Next time I make it I will add what I used.
Jackie Davis says
Don’t know what you are talking about it has plenty spice. Black pepper,mustard,red chilli flakes, I could go on.
Janice says
Worth every star. Best kind of recipe for a quick and delicious meal. Not fussy. Don’t have to really measure. Guestimates won’t steer you wrong. Ingredients are regular pantry items. My husband said, “We’ll have to add this to our regular dinners!” Well done! Thanks for sharing.
Colleen Stuart says
I have used Manwich for years and never tried making Sloppy Joe’s from scratch but after making this recipe I will never go back to Manwich!! It was pretty easy, and had really good flavor and we really enjoyed it.
Eunice Moorhead says
I tried these for the first time tonight for left over roast beef. It was excellent. I did everything as noted but I put the onion and green pepper with a drizzle of water in the microwave covered for 3 1/2 min. so they were perfectly soft and with no added fat. Really loved it.
David Terray says
Good recipe but one question. Why cook the meat in butter if you are just going to drain it out? Just cooked the meat and had it cook in own fat and then sautéed the onions in butter. Otherwise good stuff
The Chunky Chef says
Because depending on the fat ratio of the beef that’s used, you may need some fat to keep the beef from sticking to the pan. Plus, it adds a touch of richness. Glad you were able to make the recipe work for you 🙂
Jennifer Mahan says
Absolutely fantastic!! I just left out the hot pepper flakes… husband is so happy and the kiddos are too !!!!
Heather says
Made this for my Danish boyfriend who had only ever heard about sloppy joes in the movies and he loved it! 🙂
I thought they were great too and much better than the canned stuff
Nancy says
Tastes just like the manwiches we ate as a kid. I did cut the sugar in half and may take a little more out next time. Very tasty!
Judy Rae says
Made it. It needed something to punch it up. A little bland.
Susan Medlin says
Loved it! Followed the recipe and it was great! Next time I’m going to try it with shredded chicken, can’t wait to try it! Will be a go to supper recipe!!
Mary Mahoney says
Husband and I are both fans! Have made different recipes, this one is TOPS. Put it on homemade toasted brioche buns with a side of fries and cole slaw. YUMMMM. Will be my go-to recipe from now on. Thanks for the recipe!
PFoote says
I made the mistake of making this recipe for dinner tonight. It was the worse sloppy joe I’ve ever eaten. It was so sickly sweet I had to force myself not to puke while I ate it. If you make this leave out the sugar and use tomato sauce instead of ketchup. All ketchup has sweetener in it, most often high fructose corn syrup.
The Chunky Chef says
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe! Yes, I mentioned you can adjust the sugar, and while all ketchup does have sweetener in it, not all are high fructose corn syrup; we use one that only uses honey.
Lisa MJ Higgins says
Perfect blend of sweet & savory! It’s a keeper!
Darchalle Dunlap says
Amazing! Super easy to make, and my picky eater 9 year old, who won’t eat anything with any type of sauce, tried mine and LOVED it! Thanks and can’t wait to try more recipes!
Danielle Shaw says
My super picky eaters that HATE all sloppy joe’s happily gobbled these up tonight! I’m calling it a momma win dinner tonight. I froze the leftovers for a quick easy dinner in the future.
Kristen says
My family loves this recipe! I usually add grated carrot (just to sneak more veggies in) and use my food processor to blitz the onion and bell pepper – we get the flavor but no chunks. I’ve made this with ground beef, ground turkey, a combo of the two, and even added lentils when trying to stretch the meal. Thanks!