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.
Margaux says
Can these be cooked in a crockpot?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, please see the section of the post above the recipe titled “can you make sloppy joes in a crockpot?” for all the details.
Mumsy8 says
After 50 years of cooking this was the best and easiest for Sloppy Joes. Just 2 of us ate the entire recipe in one meal!
Jill Room says
Absolutely delicious recipe. I didn’t change a thing as it was perfect.
Julia Houston says
Absolutely delish— so much better than the canned stuff and it’s really easy to make this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Diane says
Best Sloppy Joe’s recipe ever! Instead of tomato paste, I use one small tomato from my freezer. Skin slips off when thawing, I dice it very small, amounts to 2 or 3 Tablespoons.
Cheryl says
Very delish!! My husband rarely comments on trying new recipes out but he told me to keep this one!! It has just the right sweetness and spice. Thanks so much!!!
Carolyn says
Delicious! I’ve made homemade SJ before but they didn’t taste this good. This recipe is a definite keeper! I used red and green bell pepper because I had some that needed to be used. For my family I omitted the red pepper flakes but other than that, I followed the recipe. I will keep this recipe handy it’s so good and easy!
Amy says
@The_Chunky_Chef, thank you! This Sloppy Joe recipe has become a favorite! I make it one or two times every week now. I never liked the canned sauce, but this recipe is something special. I buy diced onions and peppers when I’m in a hurry. Sometimes I even add red, orange, or yellow peppers for depth of flavor. Good quality 85/15 Angus ground beef doesn’t even need the butter and oil. Bonus, there’s nothing to drain. I absolutely love the fresh garlic. You’ve developed the perfect combination of sweet and savory. Thank you!
Jim says
Pretty good
2polarizeme says
This is delicious! Just that right amount of sweet and savory. Thanks!
Monica says
I’m very happy to have found this recipe. It’s not a quick recipe since there’s chopping of ingredients involved but it is very easy to make, highly adaptable, and most importantly a big hit with everyone I’ve made it for. Our youth group loves it. If it’s in the budget, I suggest cooks buy good ground beef. It makes a difference.
Reggie Banks says
I have my neice’s birthday party to prepare for. I’m running behind on time, I’m this looks quick I’m going to have to give it a shot.
Kelly says
It was delicious! It had a sweet savory flavor as you described. I usually use Manwich sauce or Sloppy Joe mix with tomato paste. Those ways of preparing Sloppy Joes are good but are more premade ways of making them. This recipe definitely have the perspective and flavors of homemade Sloppy Joes! It was a hit!
Aaron Badia says
Changed a bit but amazing
Cheryl Chandler says
The best homemade Sloppy Joes ever! I have made this several times and I swear each time they taste even better. I will never buy canned mix again especially with the high fructose corn syrup added!
Jessica says
where are the nutrition facts?
The Chunky Chef says
Since I’m not a dietician I don’t provide full nutritional information for recipes as there is a potential for error, and I wouldn’t want to potentially and/or unknowingly pass along incorrect information. If full nutrition information is important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer, or that you seek a nutritionist/dietitian for exact nutritional information.
Valerie says
So easy to make and really Delicious!! Made these before we left for a trip to the mountains. They were so good and hot on a cold night. Made dinner see easy just had to heat the mix up toast the buns. Was a really big hit with the family!
Shan says
My whole family loves these sloppy joes! Even my 9-year-old who nearly always refuses meat gobbled them up. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Clark Ford says
I’ve used the Sloppy joe recipe and Macaroni and cheese recipe. Over and over again. These are my two favorite recipes.
Tina says
Oh my goodness. I have a large family and every single person commented on this being the best sloppy joe ever. I agree. Have made this twice now. Both times, nothing was left even though I made extra for left overs. This isn’t a tag for later recipe, it’s a make right now recipe!