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.
Kathryn says
Delicious! We loved these, and this is such an easy recipe. Thank you!
Kerri says
Absolutely perfect! I only use half of the brown sugar and I did add the red pepper flakes which gave a nice kick.
Kristy says
Awesome! An alternative to Manwich that is waaaay too processed and doesn’t agree with me anymore. Super easy. Very tasty. I wouldn’t change a thing.
BSak says
Do not! I repeat do not use chili powder! It completely ruined my meal!!!
The Chunky Chef says
I’m surprised just 3/4 of a teaspoon ruined the entire dish, which is over 1 lb. But everyone has their own tastes, and different brands of chili powder vary greatly in taste.
Carol says
This recipe is amazing! The only recipe I’ve used for a couple of years now. My husband and grandkids love this. Always a hit.
Ashley says
Been using your recipe for years and it’s ALWAYS a hit. My husband just came home from a 5 week assignment and his request was sloppy joes! Tonight we’re trying them over Nathan’s fries with cheese 😋
Susie says
Excellent! Since finding this recipe 3 months ago, I have made it several times already. Having our son & daughter-in-law for a visit soon and this is definitely on the lunch menu. A keeper!
Susan says
I have been using the same old Sloppy Joe Recipe for years.
I have been impressed with some of your other recipes so I tried this one.
It is now my go to recipe and my husband, who is a very picky eater, said he loved them too. Thanks for giving us an update on a favorite recipe and if I could give it 6 stars I would.
Courtney says
Made this tonight. It was a hit! Added mushrooms to the mix and used ground venison. I used a little less brown sugar. I followed the instructions and it was a success. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for a good recipe!
crystal says
I think this could have done without the tomato paste, less onion, more w sauce, a little bit more salt, some pepper. I didnt do the crush red pepper cause my lo does not like spicy. I love sloppy joes and have tried a handful of other recipes and renditions and unfortunately this did not do it for me.
The Chunky Chef says
Well everyone has different tastes, but I appreciate you giving the recipe a try.
Jamie says
Wow, I made these tonight and everyone loved them!! Not to mention they were super quick to make. I work from home so was able to whip it up while working so it was ready for my family when they got home. Thanks for sharing!
Sharon Boogren says
This is the best sloppy Joe recipe I have ever tried threw away old recipes and laminated this one so it wouldn’t get dirty!
Mario says
This is my go to sloppy joe recipe! Thank you for posting it.
Gerald T. says
The very best I’ve ever eaten. Thank you for your recipe!
Patricia Knapp says
Have searched for a really good Sloppy Joes recipe and this is the best I have tried! My mom used to make them from scratch. Then along came the packaged mix…never ever as good as Mom’s. I stopped eating them for years. Thank you for this!
Christee says
Soooooo good!! And I used turkey meat which usually isn’t as flavorful but the sauce was so good it didn’t matter! Yum!
jacqueline says
Everything about this recipe was exactly as written: easy and delicious. I think that the mincing of the veggies really released a better flavor than I’ve tasted in sloppy Joe’s with just chopped veggies. Also the browning of the beef separate from the veggies allowed both to be cooked their best.
Finally, this last time, I substituted red pepper for green … great.
Laura says
One word……AMAZING!! My husband and I almost ate the entire dish of this. This recepie definitely went into my personal hand written cook book handed down to me by my mom in 1988.
Nicole says
Awesome recipe. I have made this several times now and it never disappoints! My kids love it which is always a win!
Diane Ziegler says
I’ve made these twice so far and delicious both times. The first time I didn’t quite use all of the brown sugar. The 2nd time (today) I used the full amount of brown sugar and liked it a bit better with less sugar. Is there something I can add to take some of the sweetness away.
The Chunky Chef says
I would just use less sugar or omit it completely 🙂
Sharon says
I love this recipe but one addition I always make is to add about 1 T apple cider vinegar. The natural kind with the “mother” is best IMO. ACV adds tartness but also the slight sweetness of apples and marries all the sweet and tart flavors beautifully!
Beckey says
Made this for dinner tonight, wow sloppy joes never tasted so good. A keeper for sure.