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.
Dee says
Delicious 😋 I made it with ground chicken.and added jalapeño. There was none leftover. My husband said I can make this again and again! Thank you for the recipe.
Gary G. says
Great recipe! I enjoyed making it and my wife and I enjoyed eating it. I also appreciate the ability to change the servings and the amount of ingredients change.
Amanda says
Can I use Dijon instead of yellow mustard?
The Chunky Chef says
Sure thing 🙂
June Westlin says
Excellent. We used the pretzel buns
Sally says
I made this a week ago. We absolutely loved this recipe. My husband & I both said never will we make the canned Sloppy Joes again.
Mori says
I’ve been using this recipe for years and it never fails. I now swap out the brown sugar for a low carb version and ketchup with no sugar to make it keto.
Maude says
Everyone loved it! Especially the picky ones!
Celeste says
This was delicious! Made a double batch exactly as recipe was written. Hubby had 4 sandwiches and then another huge scoop of just the meat! Will definitely make again
Saskia says
Just made this just now, not followed word for word but the same measurements of ingredients and wow it’s bloody beautiful, I’m from the UK and never had/made a sloppy joe and this will now be a regular in my house! Husband wolfed it down so quick it was gone in seconds 😂
Joanne says
Loved it! Thanks for the great recipe, Amanda!
James Barnes says
Wife loved it
Nikki says
My hubby ate these for five days in a row and is still asking me to make them again!
David says
This has become a family favorite, my boys and there family’s always call and ask if they need to stop and grab buns before coming over with the grand kids. Doesn’t matter if I make 1lb or 5 it always comes out great.
Sharrie says
Love this recipe I added celery because I like the crunch
Hannah Fitler says
Every recipe I’ve made from you has been delicious, I’m so happy I came across your page!
Heidi says
This is a really yummy recipe! It’s on my list of comfort foods.
Lizz says
This is my go to recipe for sloppy Joe’s. Sometimes I don’t have all the ingredients so I just leave something out or substitute for something else, but it stays delicious every time.
Oberjen says
My husband and I love this recipe!
Caroline Parra says
Too sweet for my liking
Dottie says
Goes without saying, but did you add the brown sugar? If not, cut down on ketchup, up the paste and water next time. You could even add a splash of AC vinegar. Simple fixes!
Lisa says
This was so easy, all I had to buy was the ground beef, and the husband loved it. Why buy a can when you can make this?? I resist meals from cans so I’d never made sloppy joes, but now they’re on the menu.
Adrienne Szafranski says
Tasty and quick! I don’t like bell pepper, so I used celery and a poblano instead. Fantastic!