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.
Nathan says
Tasted great! Super simple to make.. saving this recipe to keep using..
Maxine says
Delicious and easy. Definitely the best I’ve made.
Paula Williams says
Love this,
Barb says
Excellent. Best sloppy Joe’s ever.
Maura says
Easy Peasy! Made as written. And many times since. And even if I’m out of one ingredient, this recipe is flexible (and forgiving). Double when I can and freeze half. Never disappointed. Thanks~
Diane B says
Probably the best sloppy joes I’ve ever had! Great depth of flavors.
Angie says
This recipe is the best! So much flavor! Thank you.
Basketball mom says
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I was asked to bring sloppy joes for 3lbs of hamburger. I just tripled your recipe and it got so many good comments!
Basketball mom says
5 stars didn’t show up the first time!
Elisabeth Johnson says
This is awesome. Since Hormel stopped making their “Not so sloppy joe” sauce I have been kind of lost. I have tried just about every jar out there but nothing comes close. Then why not make it yourself, right? This recipe is the best! I added some more water..about another third cup to let it simmer 20 minutes.
karen logan says
My husband loved it better than any other sloppy joe i have ever made.
Michelle says
My new go-to sloppy joe recipe, we love it! I made a couple of changes (no oil or butter, more mustard) to meet our tastes, but this is the only recipe I use now. So good!
Brenda Baptist says
your sloppy joes were great
James A says
17 Ingredients seems very excessive for a “quick” 5 minute recipe prep time item. No wonder folks use the can sauce so much. There is so little use of sseveral of the 17 ingredients that they will spoil before being used again. This recipe is inherently wasteful. Can’t you make a meal with say just 10 ingredients for example?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve removed your rating, as you don’t seem to have actually made the recipe, but rather judged it from the ingredient list. I’m sure you could make sloppy joes with less ingredients, but this is how we enjoy them, and so have over 1000 other people 🙂 Aside from the produce, I find it hard to believe all the other ingredients would spoil before someone who cooks would use them again. But hey, since you seem to be so passionate about recipes with less ingredients, you should absolutely start your own recipe website and share them with the world.
Edwin Ensor says
I’m gonna make it just like the recipe says for Christmas eve gathering. I like the ingredient list. It looks zesty and fun. Cant wait.
Debbie says
Very Well Said @ Chunky Chef. Who doesn’t have an open Ketchup or Mustard bottle in the frig?
Even beginner cooks have onion (even if powder), garlic (powder, minced jar or cloves), salt, pepper, olive oil, butter and chili powder. If someone has to buy the worcestershire , they will thank you (sooo many uses, I leave it next to the stove). Maybe the ingredient that put it over the top was the water 😉
In all seriousness, tomato paste is the one ingredient I do not use as often as all the rest. So, I buy and open the 12oz can for a recipe, then Freeze the rest in an ice cube trays the plop them in a ziplock. Almost filled to the top = a tablespoon of paste.
No waste and super convenient when cooking.
I have made this recipe and many of your recipes, haven’t found one I didn’t like!
Jefe says
Tomato paste now comes in a tube so you can use what you need and keep the rest in the refrigerator.
Mandy Jo says
The only thing I don’t always have on hand is bell pepper. What a noob.
Great recipe! Very similar to the one I normally make ingredients wise. Thought I’d try this one since I find my favorite recipes on this site.
BElsie says
I’ve made this recipe several times and It is my new go to recipe for Sloppy Joe’s. What the heck do you mean it is wasteful? Every item I already have on hand. I open a can of tomato paste and freeze it in ice cube trays. Then when I make this recipe I just pop out one of the frozen cubes and add to the recipe.
Paul says
Tell us you’ve never cooked without actually telling us you’ve never cooked. This is what happens when you live on cans and TV meals
Courtney says
Perhaps you should just find another recipe to follow or go buy your can mix…it actually is quite simple to make and the only thing I even had to purchase for this was meat and an onion…most people who actually cook have all of these items!
Isaac says
I made this on the spur of the moment and had all the ingredients in my kitchen
Even the water
Seriously the more ingredients the merrier, complex flavors make for great food
Tim Roan says
Best sloppy joes ever! I made them for people at work and they constantly ask me to more them again.
Natalie says
Followed this recipe to a “T”
Was a winner in my house, definitely a keeper. Thanks for such a simple yet tasty recipe. Will be making again for sure!!!
Deborah Griĺo says
My whole family loves this!
Helen says
This is a great recipe. Awesome flavor and I love the kick that the red pepper and hot sauce give. I froze the left overs and I think it was even better when I thawed and reheated it. I’m thinking about making it the day before I serve it as the flavor seems to intensify with time. I also love that it is not too sloppy for a sloppy joe 🙂 This is now my go to recipe for sloppy joes.
Sonya says
This was the best sloppy Joe we have ever tasted! Thank you very much! I’m finally done searching, everyone in my family loved it.
Neane says
Delish and simple! Thank you!
Chuck says
Have made this recipe quite a few times now. Delicious every time. I don’t even look for a different sloppy joe recipe.
Thank you.
Chuck
Lori says
I found this in a hurry tonight because I didn’t have half the ingredients for a fancier version in one of my cookbooks. I’m so glad! This was easy, tasty, and used pantry staples. Make it with frozen diced onion & peppers and it’s almost as easy as ordering takeout! 😉
Great recipe, clear directions – I’ll be back! Thanks, Chunky Chef!