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.
HEATHHER REUSSE says
I plan to make your sloppy joe recipe for this Father’s Day. Our family is four adults and one six year old. Will this recipe be enough or do I need to double it as I didn’t see how many this recipe served.
Thank you
Amanda says
That all depends on how hungry your family is 🙂 I would probably double it, just to be safe.
Kenneth Kurtz says
I have everything buy the tomato paste? any suggestions? I don’t drive and don’t want to call someone to take me to the store just so I can make these. I’m so hungry for them now.
Amanda says
I would just add additional ketchup, or some tomato sauce.
Margaret says
Hi Amanda,
Stumbled across your site and glad that I did! Make your sloppy Joe recipe, really good! Thanks for sharing!
Margaret
Jim Stanley says
Hi Amanda I’m Jim
Thank you for not showering me with pop up ads like a lot of others do!!!
I plan on trying this tomorrow and I WILL come back for more recipes
Make it a sunny day!!!
Judy Craver says
Easy to make and the boys loved iy
Lisa Reynolds says
it would have been nice to have a recipe.
Amanda says
You scrolled right by the full written recipe to leave a comment 🙂 There’s also a “jump to recipe” button that takes you right to it.
Dana says
My husband has been saying he hasn’t had sloppy Joe’s in ages, so I googled sloppy Joe’s & found your recipe. All I can say is DELICIOUS! 😋
April says
I’ve wanted to try a homemade sloppy joe recipe in order to get away from the high fructose corn syrup in the canned sauces. This recipe looked good on paper and tasted even better! My husband said we shouldn’t ever buy the canned again. I used spicy brown mustard instead yellow mustard because we tend to prefer it. We all really liked the fresh green pepper and onion bits. Delicious sloppy joes!
Katt says
Great recipe Amamda! It must be my Midwest upbringing, but I like to add some chopped sweet pickles in there too….a little added texture and sweetness….ps-chunky chefs are the best chefs!😍
Bizzy says
Is it ground or prepared mustard like from a bottle?
Amanda says
I use prepared 🙂
Cee says
I am now a sloppy joe convert. Made a few adjustments (I don’t like ketchup), used a lot more tomato paste. Great recipe.
Cassie says
Husband said he would leave me if I ever bought the canned stuff again! 😂 I prepared EXACTLY as written, and it was DELICIOUS! I recommend this even if you really like the canned product. This recipe is the better looking, more talented, and more sophisticated older brother. You will not regret making it! Brioche bun is a must.
Nicole Luna says
So good!!!!!
Lisa says
So easy and yummy! I added a teaspoon of cinnamon (my Grandma used to do that). So so good
Lori says
So good. After reading some comments and knowing my own taste, I added a minced jalapeño instead of crushed pepper and hot sauce and just a tsp of brown sugar rather than a tbsp because I prefer savory and just a bit of sweet. This recipe is a perfect base for sloppy joes and I’m going to look at other things on this site.
K Gillett says
The best I have ever eaten, yummy
BA says
This is wonderful. I cook at a kids camp, and this is our Saturday night dinner. I had to do it times 15 for that much burger, and the kids love to help. They like the bright taste of the mustard and ketchup with savory and sweet. Apple crisp for dessert and the hugs don’t stop.
Michele Weir says
Wow! Made this tonight and it was tasty!
Ann says
Love this recipe!!! Everyone that has tried it has loved it. My Grandson (adult) loves it. Just spicy enough.
MD says
This recipe is fantastic. It comes together easily and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. My family loves it. My son loves it so much that I’m going to have to start making a double batch. Thank you!