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.
Gail Gibbs says
Hi Amanda, Great recipe! Have been making it for a while – when my grown-up sons come home for a visit, this is often on their request list. Easy to make and very forgiving. Tonight I used clamato juice instead of water (had some in the fridge that I wanted to use up). Added a nice little tang. Thanx for all the wonderful recipes and ideas.
Nicole says
I love this recipe. My family is vegan so we sub Impossible Meat for ground beef and use vegan butter but everything else is the same. So good!!
Bobby Pierce says
These sloppy joes are absolutely amazing! Started making them a few months back now they are a common dish in my house… I had eaten the “man Wich when I was a kid but not a fan but this sandwich is so very good I can’t rave about them enough.
Sally Clark says
Great recipe easy ingredients. Taste is right on point! Will add this to my recipe box!
Jenny says
We love this recipe! I’ve tried it twice and it’s been a hit both times.
Christina L Freese says
Great flavor! Easy to make. Better than a seasoning package.
Randy says
Great recipe! I enjoyed it with some home fries it was delicious!
Geri Kortas says
The best I have ever had! I will only use this recipe since I tried it at least a year ago.
Maria says
This is so good! I don’t think I’ll cook from a packet again!
JenA says
These were great – I added a little scotch bonnet pepper minced instead of hot sauce, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Thanks!
Marie says
I grew up a staunch hater of Sloppy Joe’s. Now in my 40s, I thought, why not try to make them myself and see how it goes. I LOVE This recipe, and use it all the time. It leaves a lot of wiggle room for customization for personal preferences, and turns out great, every single time. If only I’d known they could be so good decades ago.
Corinne Humphrey says
Can you substitute tomato paste for a little tomato sauce?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, but this is a forgiving recipe, so I’m sure it would taste just fine 🙂
Pat says
Great recipe! Not too sweet. Easy to do. I added more beef. I also used a food processor to puree green peppers, onion and garlic (for a friend’s IBS issues)- still tasted great!
Anita says
I’ve made this a few times. Today, I didn’t have any peppers or tomato paste so I made a mirepoix, added some finally diced tomato and then crisped some chopped bacon in the pan. Best ever.
John Fizel says
Reminds me of a recipe from when I was a kid. Made this 5 or 6 times now. My 4 year old loves it. I cut the heat some though. Making it again tonight!
Yummy!
Carol Stannard says
Love it 2nd time making tonight. Love your recipes. Happy new year.
Laurie DeLong says
Made this for a family reunion. Served 56, so handy because the recipe does the scale-up for you. Got rave reviews, and several wanted the leftovers for breakfast the next day!
CathyP says
These really are the best!
S.Crews says
Instead of adding water I use 1/3 C of tomato or vegetable juice.
Elizabeth Newman says
Delicious and easy. I omitted the tomato paste and chili powder and added double mustard and Worcestershire sauce. My family begs me to make this recipe.
Natalie says
Excellent!!! Easy to put together and tastes a better than canned sauce mix. Yummy
Sandie says
Simple and delicious! Comes together quickly with the perfect amount of kick! Reminds me of my mom’s back in the 50’s! Thank you!!