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.
Peg says
I loved this recipe! I didn’t have green peppers at home but I did have some poblanos from the garden , so I used those. I also used beer instead of the water. I made wheat brioche buns to serve with it……a total hit!
Marie Gamalski says
BEER!!! OMG…great tip… you GO girl🤣😂!! Definitely using the beer👍🏻💪🏻
Philip T says
I agree great idea I’m making this tonight and beer would be a great addition or white wine for those that found it too sweet, as the wine will add some tartness to the dish.
Stephanie Sommovigo says
I found it a bit too sweet and needing a little more
Liquid. I used beef stock instead of water and changed the mustard to spicy brown. I added more Worcestershire – 1tsp. I also added cayenne instead of hot sauce but I think Frank’s Red Hot might add an additional dimension. I would also increase the mustard to 2 tbsp, reduce ketchup to 1/2 cup, add more beef stock and tomato paste for liquid and to thicken respectfully.
I served it over my homemade Spanish rice for bf and roasted spaghetti squash for me. I topped with Shredded Mex Cheese.
Melandie Walton says
This is amazing!
Becky says
I’ve made this several times. I always follow the recipe exactly. I also always double it since I’m feeding my boyfriend, his 18 year old son, and my 17 year old son. Everyone in my family LOVES this sloppy Joe recipe. It’s so delicious!
Bobbi from the Northwoods says
Hands down the BEST sloppy Joe recipe! My husband loves the sweet heat (I follow recipe exactly and use the crushed red peppers but not hot sauce). Thanks so much for this go to recipe!
Rich says
Prepared this recipe. So much better tasting and healthier than Manwich Sloppy Joes.
Lisa Cassidy says
Made today, did not put in sugar but followed everything else. I always make homemade and with the frost last couple mornings needed to use up green peppers and hot peppers. This was excellent. Will make again.
Kelli says
So good!
I didn’t do exact measurements because I was starving and in a rush. I accidentally added a whole onion. I used a red pepper because I didn’t but have a green one. I think I added too much brown sugar too. It seems like a very flexible recipe. As long as you stick with the base ingredients it would be hard to mess up. Will definitely make again.
Jimmy says
This is a great recipe! I over-cooked a brisket in my smoker to the point where I could not slice it. It’s simply fell apart in my hands. I substituted the ground beef for the brisket meat and took it to work. The crockpot was empty within an hour. I probably added a little more tomato paste and brown sugar. Combined with the smokiness of the brisket, there were a lot of happy tummies at work.
Genae Gilbertson says
Oh.My.Heavens. This is absolutely hands-down THE BEST sloppy joe recipe EVAAA! I couldn’t find my usual hum-drum recipe so I stumbled across this one and oh am I glad I did. I made as instructed, only added 1/2 Serrano for some heat, swapped Cayenne pepper for the pepper flakes. This was very easy to make. I let it simmer for 30 mins and seemed a tad sweet for my liking (but hadn’t added all the cayenne yet) so tossed a few more shakes of cayenne and VOILA! Beautimous! My husband is usually the cook and he actually LOVED+RAVED about these. He’s even wanting to experiment with different cuisine versions. It was a hit at the potluck too, good thing I secretly kept some home for me 🙂
I grew up having sloppy joes ONLY on toasted buns so, to not do so is sacrilig! I put a little yellow mustard and dill pickle chips on my ‘joes and I’m golden….especially with this recipe. Thanks for the awesome addition to my “go-to” recipes!
Sara says
I accidentally added twice as much brown sugar as possible, but it was still the best damn sloppy joe I’ve ever had! *SO* much better than the crap sold in stores…
Andrea says
Excellent recipe, this is my new go-to sloppy joe recipe.
Cris Attaway says
This is so good. I worried about adding chili powder, red pepper flakes, hot sauce but I thought I would just go ahead and try it just exactly as the recipe says. So glad I did, this is a keeper, will make it again.
David Fullerton says
Excellent recipe. We had a prior Manwhich-like recipe, but we made it again in the crockpot and it was nasty. Don’t know why we like it. However, we decided to find a new recipe that you make on stove and not in crockpot, because I don’t think it works the best for Sloppy Joes. Anyway, we made yours, and it was PERFECT. However, we didn’t do the spicy elements: pepper flakes and hot sauce. And, I said to Wife that it was a tiny bit bland (or more neutral — with an slightly undefined taste). So, we will add a little more spices next time to make it more flavorful. Yet, without the extra optional stuff, it is still 100 times better than Manwhich or any sloppy joe can mixes.
ALso, after trying this recipe, we subbed to your site and will start using your recipes more. If you do a cookbook, we will buy that too and support you. Thanks.
Jan says
These are so good. I could put it in a bowl and just eat it with a spoon. I will never eat Manwich again. I find myself craving these.
Jessica says
Great recipe. I used ground turkey and it came out delicious!
Susan lowe says
Made for daughter who likes Manwich and said these were the best she has ever had. Doubled recipe for cresent rolls tonight. Delish, thank you
Angela says
Any adverse effects if I crockpot these longer than 6 hours? I’d like to start them before work so it would be at least 8.
The Chunky Chef says
You might want to add a little bit more liquid, so it doesn’t dry out, but other than that, it should be okay 🙂
Terry says
I made this for my family last night and they loved it. My husband said it was a lot better than out of a can. I think the sugar could be cut some but it was still wonderful and very quick and easy to make. It only took about 30 minutes. I will definitely make this again.
Library Lady says
Really tasty! Will make again
Sharon McVeigh says
I made this tonight. I didn’t add any hot sauce. I had to add some more water because after adding and mixing all ingredients with the beef…it was dry! I thought it should simmer a bit so the spices could cook a little and blend. Also it was a bit sweet for my liking but maybe if I had added the sweet sauce it would not have been so sweet? Feedback please.