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.
Diane says
This is the best sloppy joes recipe by far. The combination of sweet and spicy is amazing!
J says
Everyone loved it. Unusual for 3 adults and 3 kids to all like the same thing in this house. Will definitely make again! ( just omitted bell pepper with kids in mind).
Glen says
The Recipie is Absolutely the BEST!
Hands Down!
😀👍
terry sprung says
wow -really delicious- its my new recipe thanks
Genevieve Thompson says
Omg i just tested this recipe tonight to see how it tastes. I am from now on making this for my son and daughter and my step sons. Between my husband and 5 teens it is hard for them all to agree with each other this will be a hit with everyone i just need to triple the recipe to feed everyone comfortably
Diamond says
Reading your comment instantly triggered memories of getting introduced like, (this is my daughter Amber, and those 4 are my foster kids.) As if we didn’t have names. Lemme ask was writing my daughter and son and step sons easier than My daughter and 3 sons…or my 5 Teens. Eh, found myself wondering. Can’t wait to try the recipe!
Marietta says
WOW!!! Just made this for dinner and it is so good! Will be making again!!
Leeann Reyna says
The only issue I had with this is the method of cooking the meat. I used the low and slow method the second time to get a finer meat. It will still get 5 stars from me though, because the flavor was to die for.
Ken says
I made this tonight. I’ve been looking for an alternative to manwich and other canned sauces because my wife is avoiding salt and they are all very high in sodium, I left out the salt and used no salt added ketchup and I will probably never buy manwich again.
vivian says
These were great sloppy joes, an very easy to make. I made one version according to your recipe and a vegetarian version with ground soya round and vegan Worcestershire sauce and both were enjoyed. Sides of coleslaw and your garlic and Parmesan wedge fries made a delicious meal. Thanks for a great recipe!
Cynthia Degerlund says
I use this recipe every time I make sloppy joes for church.i just times it by 10. Everyone just loves it!
Mary Jane says
I have 15 lbs of ground meat to use for a homeless shelter. Do you have suggestions for such a large amount?
Mandy says
This recipe is great! So easy and super delicious! I really appreciate your blog. I use your buttermilk biscuit recipe all the time and I will be putting these sloppy joe’s into circulation as well! Thanks lady!
Marie Gamalski says
Great recipe!
If I may add an additional “what can you do w/sloppy Joe meat”… flour tortilla, top w/seasoned (a sprinkle of cumin and chili powder) about 1/2 c shredded cheese, 400 degree oven, 5 min, remove, spoon “Joe” mix on 1/2 w/a chop of cilantro, fold, cut in wedges…voila…beefy, cheesy, “Joe” quesadilla! 😃…
The Chunky Chef says
That is GENIUS! I love it 🙂
Mandy says
This is the best recipe to date! My whole family gobbled it up. I made it exactly as written and it’s so delicious-not too sweet and with just the right amount of kick. It’s a keeper! Thank you.
Dawn Jacobs says
Thank you so much for this easy, yummy Sloppy Joe recipe😁 You can call me anytime just not late for dinner 😊!
Sam Hain says
Great recipe. Recommend adding a little vinegar if you find it too sweet. We used sherry wine vinegar to cut the sweetness. It turned out excellent!!
Kathy says
These are amazing. I read all the reviews and decided to try them. My husband kept raving about how good they are. We agree, they must be served on a toasted bun.
Nimue says
Delicious! We’re from the Netherlands and not familiar with the original sloppy Joe’s. Made this with sovalled ‘tigerbuns’ which we baked in some butter (cutside down). My meatloving husband was in heaven 👍👌!
Marilyn says
I have to agree with one of the other comments. I found it too sweet and it needed more spices. I will make it again but with some adjustments.
Paula says
Found your recipe, it looked so good that I made it for breakfast this morning. My family loved it! I didn’t have the green peopper or chili power but it was excellent. I’m glad I made a double batch and next time I will have all the ingredients. Thank you!
Meridith says
I found this recipe tonight when I realized that I did not have a can of sloppy joe mix in the pantry. This was great! I did not have a green pepper, so I added extra onion. I also toasted brioche buns, which helped to keep the “sandwich” together. This is a keeper!