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.
Tom Jones says
Ready to make great fun food? Just follow this easy to make Sloppy Joe recipe! Tastes so much better than canned, and ends up less expensive, too!
Ann says
Excellent!! This is what the grandkids ask for EVERY time they stay with me! (I like them too…super tasty!)
Karen says
This is the BEST sloppy Joe recipe made as is given!!!!!! The sweet and hot is terrific. Karen
Elena says
I rarely leave comments for anything but had to say that these were the best sloppy Joe’s we’ve ever had! This recipe has the perfect amount of tang, sweetness and heat if you add the flakes and hot sauce. Everyone loved it. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Sheila Bradford says
I made this tonight.. and I have to say it’s one of the best, IF NOT THE BEST I’ve ever had.
I have IBS ( Irritable bowel syndrome), so I have to make every thing from scratch. I had every thing I needed for the recipe, except for RED PEPPER FLAKES ( which I cant have).I definitely will be making this again. . Thank you..
Susan says
I love this recipe. It is easy and my family loves it.
Rachel says
Do you leave any drippings in the skillet after you remove the browned meat to a colander to drain?
The Chunky Chef says
There’s usually a little bit of drippings, but not much. However, feel free to use more of the drippings to cook the onion and bell pepper if you prefer 🙂
Janet M. says
Loved this recipe. Even my husband said they were good and ate two big sandwiches. This sloppy joe recipe is now my go to recipe.
Alexander Navedo says
Terrific, so fast and good. I used 80% lean and recommend 93% instead.
Brian Griffin says
Easy and tasty. Didn’t use the pepper flakes or the hot sauce, and used 1/2 of brown sugar my wife and I enjoyed them .
Mrs. R says
This was delicious! I didn’t have prepared mustard, so I just used 1/2 a tsp of dry mustard. Yum! Even my sometimes-icky toddler had some.
Mrs. R says
Sometimes-PICKY toddler (So sorry bub, Mama doesn’t think you are icky! 🤦🏼♀️)
The Chunky Chef says
Typos happen to the best of us 🙂
Jim p says
Great recipe, way better than anything from a can, everyone came back for extra helpings. Great for kids that are picky eaters.
Lin says
These were amazing. My dad and husband absolutely raved about how tasty they were. The flavor was amazing and they were the right thickness. Definitely will be making again and again.
Michele says
I will not make sloppy joes any other way. Love it.
Janine says
These Sloppy Joes were a hit! My husband and son practically licked their plates clean. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Kris says
This was way better than expected. My kids were all over these sloppy joes! Also I don’t know how I never thought of this, but toasting the buns is a huge game changer!
Gina Montes says
Delicious!!!! Very easy to make!
Cathy says
This is definitely the best homemade sloppy Joe recipe I have ever made. I make it exactly like the recipe states. Sometimes I make a batch up and take it to the lake for an easy meal. After eating this you will never go back to the kind from a can.
Tim T Sr says
This is a very good recipe, I added 1/4 cup more ketchup, 1 cove garlic, dash more mustard and more tomato past to thicken I like more sauce than n mine and it was wonderful. I will be making this again
Nelson says
So yummo. I’m glowing. Didn’t follow it exact but used all the ingredients. Best Sloppy Joe ever on pan toasted brioche bun. .