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.
Janice says
Big taste! I will never settle for a doctored up can again….excellent!
Jesi says
This is now my go-to sloppy joe recipe! So easy and so good!
Evelyn Eakins says
Made thid sloppy joe receipe. Family loves it! Easy and quick. No more canned or dry package mix anymore!
Doris CARDER says
Excellent! Thank you.
Mary M. says
Just wanted to say we think your recipe is truly “the best” homemade we’ve ever had–I’ve made it twice in less than a month. Thank you!
Melissa Webb says
Was great! I left out the brown sugar and substituted cayenne. Thanks for the recipe!
Elise says
Made as written. Thank you!!
We all loved it!
Bev says
Really good I didn’t have Worcestershire sauce but balsamic vinegar worked well. I didn’t add the sugar because the balsamic was sweet enough. Very Very good.
Mary says
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe! My family loved it, it will be my go to for sloppy joe night. 😉
Kathy S. Benson says
Do you put a lid on this when cooking ? Thanks KSB
Anthony Allen says
Awesome recipe! I am very picky and typically go for recipes with dozens of reviews rather than one with few…. but this seemed promising
COCO SHORTBREAD says
EXCELLENT, wish I found this recipe sooner. Used venison and have sent it to several people.
Actually measured the ingredients. I don’t use green peppers so I used Irish whiskey instead…seems reasonable to an Irish gal. Have made it twice in 1 month now. Plan on trying a few of your other recipes now. Thanks
Kimberly says
I made this last night and it was DELISH! My mom used to make sloppy Joes from scratch when I was growing up and this recipe tastes like how she used to make them!
Hunney Bunney says
Yum yummy yum yum!!
I used fresh seeded jalapeños instead of Bell Pepper
Found Brioche bun at Walmart…toasted definitely!
Delicious!!!!!!
Kat says
Delicious 🙂 At the suggestion of my mom, I added cream of mushroom soup instead of water. I really liked how it turned out!
Jennifer M says
This was fabulous! I doubled the recipe and there was enough for lunch the next day for the whole family, it’s even better today! I’ve made homemade sloppy joes a few times, but this has to be the best I’ve made. The flavors are awesome (I don’t skimp on the green bell pepper), and it smells wonderful while it’s cooking!
Teena says
My family loved this recipe for Sloppy Joe’s! I’m planning to add it to our regular meal rotation! I added a few extra vegetables (carrots and celery) the recipe easily accommodated the additions.
gcolon says
I’m not a big fan of Sloppy Joe’s, I became one after trying this one. I was short on ketchup, as I had less than 2/3 cup for the recipe. It didn’t take away from the delicious flavor. As I type this message, I am making Sloppy Joe’s again, in less than a month. This time I have enough ketchup!
Whats for lunch says
I didn’t have any green peppers or chili powder (sub’d With paprika), but this recipe did not disappoint! Family approved ✅ recipe tinted for my recipe book ✅ putting this one repeat as soon as possible!
sandy from white rock says
excellent recipe, i made a triple batch today, thanks for sharing
Toni Zamora says
I usually try& keep a can of Manwich under the cupboard for a quick fix. I’d already said I’d make them for my son for his lunch for work, &no cans stashed. With little time to spare, I dashed to the internet. Yay!! I didn’t have a gr pepper on hand, but followed the rest of the recipe. They loved them! I always toast the buns, &I like to put mustard& onion on my sandwich for a little extra zing. My new go to for Sloppy Joes! Thanks for the recipe