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.
Andy L says
Our go-to sloppy Joe recipe. Everyone loves it! Even the 5-year old.
Amy Ebling says
I just have to tell you that I have been making this very recipe for well over 2 years now. Its fantastic! I don’t change a thing! I cook it exactly how it is written. People are constantly asking me for the recipe because its wonderful and easy. Just thought you should know. Thanks!
Olivia says
This was amazing! I have done this a few times. This time I made this recipe with a few tweaks because of what I had on hand and to reduce sweetness:
-Dijon mustard instead of yellow,
-used no brown sugar,
-instead of 2/3 cup ketchup and 1 tbsp tomato paste, used 1/3 cup ketchup and 1/3 cup of whole tomatoes
-instead of chili powder and red pepper flakes, used paprika
-no green pepper, used mushrooms instead
Timothy Lee says
Delicious!
Krista silverman says
Can I do this in the crockpot? Maybe I can thrown in the beef, onion, and peppers first. After they are cooked can add seasonings?
Amanda says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Wendy Kotheimer says
Best sloppy joes that I have ever made!!!
Brandy says
Best sloppy joes, EVER! I will never use another recipe.
Mary says
I made this today. I had a little extra ground beef so edited the recipe slightly but it was too sweet for me. The next time I make it, I might use tomato sauce instead of ketchup and omit the brown sugar.
Texture wise it was good but again, it was too sweet for me.
Erin says
Delicious, easy, and perfect consistency.
Paige says
Neither I nor my husband enjoyed these. I usually make the gumbo sloppy joes but realizing too late that I didn’t have the can of soup, I searched the internet for a recipe and, based on the ratings, made these. We both cringed at adding brown sugar (or any sweetness to a sloppy Joe for that matter), but even with just a teaspoon all you taste is sweet. I upped the mustard, added salt, and we both put banana peppers and pickles on our buns to make these edible.
Richard Toolson says
To sweet didn’t need 1/2 as much ketchup.
Camille says
It was amazing. I used ground turkey and added a little liquid smoke.
Jenny says
Mmmm Thankyou! I made this tonight, my favorite I’ve come across yet!
Dave says
Converted my husband! Great recipe!
Caren says
We LOVE this recipe! I always double it, so we have extra left overs.
My “helpful hint” to make it a bit easier to work with and really get the flavors mixed together, is that I combine (everything after the garlic on the recipe).
So, I stir together until well blended the tomato paste, ketchup, water. brown sugar, yellow mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and set that aside while the meat is browning. Then just pour it in when you are at that step.
Does anyone else do this?
Jassmine says
I came across your recipe 3 weeks ago and I’ve made these twice a week since, including tonight! These are THE BEST sloppy joes I’ve ever had. I don’t usually like to eat red meat, but this will be my go-to for my protein intake 🙂 Thank you! Blessings!
Leah says
Literally the best sloppy Joes EVER. Only recipe I will make for the rest of my life.
John Preston says
Great recipe. You can substitute 3 oz of tomato sauce instead of water and tomato paste.
John Preston says
I also added half a teaspoon of raw honey and instead of worcestershire, I used soy sauce.
Irene Acevedo says
My husband did not like this meal. He loved it.
Let me explain. My husband HATES sloppy joes. I love them. Every once in a while I make it cause I crave it and my husband begrudgingly agrees. I always get can sloppy joe. It’s quick and easy and how my mom has made them and my Grandmom before her.
So today I crave sloppy joe but don’t have a can and just can’t wait. I look up how to make it from home. That gets me to this page. I read it and can’t believe I have all the ingredients already in my kitchen. Score. I look at things like “brown this in butter and cook the onion and bell peppers separately. In my household we always…ALWAYS cook them together. However I have a. Weird thing when trying new recipes to do it by the book step by step.
So I start. The browning went easier than it normally does with the butter. Normally we let the onions do any of the oil. Wow it went great. I followed everything and it was an instant hit. The seconds my husband finished his meal he simply said “that was the best sloppy joe I had ever had” needless to say I will never go back to can. Also, it had put this meal back into my family’s go to. I usually don’t write reviews but I wanted to explain my full thoughts for anyone who doubts it, please try it at least once!
Lindsay says
This is the best review I have ever read. Thank you for taking the time!
Karen says
Easy and delicious! Thank you!