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.
Kim says
These are the best! Once I made these, I haven’t made any other sloppy joe recipe. You will love them! Delicious!
Lyndsey says
Delicious, and so much more than canned sauce could ever be! A truly great recipe.
I did two things different:
1. Browned the beef, drained, and then added the butter and olive oil before the pepper and onion.
2. Very little chili powder, added about tablespoon of Cholula Original Hot Sauce. <3 I wanted more tangy vinegar-hot.
Anne Taylor says
I love this recipe. It tastes like I remember from being young. Really love it and easy too
Jean Myers says
My family loves these! They have become a staple in our house. My husband does not like green peppers or onions though so I have been making a separate batch for him with mushrooms. He raves about them!
Sharon Lynn says
Mmmm! Wow! So good! I might need to triple the recipe should I want any leftovers to freeze. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Judy L says
Great recipe. I use half turkey and half beef. I love the consistency as it stays on the bread nicely. We have this about once a month and my husband loves this over “burgers”
Juanita Day says
This was easy and delicious. The only change I made was using beef broth instead of water. I really think it adds to the depth of the flavor. Will make this again and again.
Keith Karseno says
Just made this recipe and it turned out fantastic!! It’s easy to make, just follow these step-by-step directions. The consistency was perfect for a (not-so) sloppy joe and the taste was near perfection. This was one of the best sloppy Joe’s I’ve ever had! Thanks for sharing! I will certainly be saving this recipe and adding it to my months must have meals.
Brandy Akers says
Perfect
Marjorie says
This is my second time making this recipe. It’s waaay better than the canned stuff. First time I made it, I measured the ingredients. This time, I was impatient, so I eye-ball measured. It was just as good. I don’t thoroughly cook my ground beef the first time around, since you’re cooking it again to reduce liquids. But, that’s just my preference. Anyway, I like this a lot!
Stephanie says
This is so good! I substituted sugar free ketchup and keto brown sugar to reduce carbs. I am on keto diet. Loved browning hamburger meat in butter. I think it tasted better. Thanks for sharing.
Molly Meier says
Tasted great- whole family loved it
Mel says
Great recipe!! I doubled and used half ground beef, half ground turkey and it was fabulous!! Do you have the nutrition info? Just hoping it’s somewhere and I missed it.
Amanda says
So glad you loved the recipe! Since I’m not a nutritionist, 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.
Giovanni says
I substituted ground beef for ground turkey to make it a bit healthier. I also added a bit more worcestershire sauce, a pinch more salt, and a sprinkle of some creole seasoning i had in the cabinet. These came out delicious.
Diana says
The best sloppy joes ever! The whole family loved it. Just the right amount of spicy zip.
Elaine Edwards says
Just okay
Charlotte Hackett says
Definitely wasn’t into it. Not seasoned enough for me, kind of a weird tasting sauce for me. Just different preferences maybe!
Dad's Homemade says
Meats are cooked and gonna make later!
Up until now, I would “doctor up” ketchup for sauce. Still can’t fix up ketchup as main tomato!!!!
Dinner, dinner beefy winner!! LOL!!!!
Cherie Boisvert says
Love this recipe as is and make it all the time! Brioche buns are a nice touch!
G F says
I loved the taste, but I added a bit more water as it was a little dry
Michael D'Angelo says
This is a very good recipe. My only beef is with the butter and olive oil. With ground beef always being fatty you certainly don’t need this to brown your beef. Especially when you’re pouring it down the drain.
Dad's Homemade says
To Micheal, and all reading, For all cooked meats, I use a wire mesh strainer and set over a medium-ish bowl and drain! It does take 2 or 4 times to strain in batches. Let grease solidify at room temp, 4 hrs or overnite, and scrape in trash. Use a couple of paper towels to wipe out residuals.
Keep grease out of drains!!
Dad's Homemade says
To Michael, here is my tip. I would use the butter/ olive oil on medium heat to gently saute the onion, peppers, and garlic for say 5 – 7 mjnutes. Spoon into a bowl. Then add the hamburger. Once you stir the meat after a couple of minutes, put your veg mix back in. Hope this helps you.
As in previous post —- people don’t put grease down drains.